If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Did you know that unlike many other faiths, Islam’s primary focus isn't on the afterlife, but on the urgent quest to create a perfectly just society in the here and now?
- Have you ever wondered how a small, 7th-century sect managed one of the most meteoric rises in history to become a global religion of nearly two billion people?
- Are you curious about what lies beneath the modern headlines and what the 1,500-year history of Islam reveals about its true mission for the world?
Listen to Islam — Free Audiobook
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Key Takeaways from Islam
- Understand why Islam is uniquely political, treating the creation of a just, egalitarian society in the here and now as a vital spiritual sacrament.
- Discover how Muhammad’s early revelations responded to a profound spiritual crisis in seventh-century Arabia caused by the cutthroat capitalism of the Meccan elite.
- Learn how foundational Islamic rituals, such as paying alms and fasting during Ramadan, were specifically designed to promote humility and compassion for the poor.
- Find out why the ruling class of Mecca fiercely persecuted early Muslims, fearing that the religion's focus on social justice and the Last Judgment threatened their immense wealth.
- Uncover the rich, 1,500-year history of the Islamic world to dispel pervasive Western stereotypes and explore a faith historically driven by a quest for societal justice.
Learning Tools
Reinforce what you learned from Islam
Mind Map
Islam
Core Philosophy+
Muhammad's Message+
Opposition & The First Ummah+
Accidental Empire+
Shariah as Protest+
Decentralization & Golden Age+
Colonization & Modernity+
The Fundamentalist Backlash+
Quiz — Test Your Understanding
Question 1 of 8
How does Islam primarily differ from Christianity and Hinduism in its approach to experiencing the divine, according to the author?
Question 2 of 8
What was the primary socioeconomic criticism Muhammad directed at the ruling Quraysh tribe in Mecca?
Question 3 of 8
Why was the establishment of the Islamic community (ummah) in Medina considered a radical departure from traditional Arabian society?
Question 4 of 8
What was the primary motivation behind the early Islamic empire's expansion outside of Arabia under caliphs Umar and Uthman?
Question 5 of 8
How did the formalization of Islamic law (Shariah) by the ulama originally function within the Islamic empire?
Question 6 of 8
What paradox characterized the Islamic 'golden age' starting in the tenth century?
Question 7 of 8
How did 20th-century secular modernizers in the Islamic world, such as Atatürk and Nasser, generally attempt to strengthen their nations?
Question 8 of 8
How does the author characterize modern Islamic fundamentalism, such as the ideology of Sayyid Qutb?
Islam — Full Chapter Overview
- 1Recommendation
- 21 — Islam is uniquely focused on building a just society in this world.
- 32 — Muhammad’s message responded to a spiritual crisis in seventh-century Arabia.
- 43 — As Islam grew, it faced strong resistance from Mecca’s elite.
- 54 — Muhammad established the first Islamic society in Medina, his base in the conflict with Mecca.
- 65 — After Muhammad’s death, Muslims built a vast empire through raids on non-Muslims beyond Arabia.
- 76 — Shariah, Islamic law, emerged in opposition to rulers who put empire before faith.
- 87 — Islam entered a golden age as its empire became less centralized.
- 98 — The West’s rise in the eighteenth century led to the colonization of the Islamic world.
- 109 — Islam’s relationship with modernity has long preoccupied Muslims.
- 1110 — Fundamentalism isn’t unique to Islam, but part of a broader backlash against modern society.
- 1211 — Final summary
Islam Summary & Overview
Islam: A Short History (2000) charts the meteoric rise of Islam from its birth as a small sect in seventh-century Arabia to a global religion with just under two billion followers. What makes Islam unique among faiths, Karen Armstrong argues, are its refusal to postpone justice to the next world and quest to create the perfect society in the here and now. She follows this thread in her fascinating tour of 1,500 years of Islamic history.
Who Should Listen to Islam?
- Believers and non-believers
- History and politics buffs
- Whoever seeks to understand Islam is beyond the headlines
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