Reviewing the Books by Carl Ernst and Mona Siddiqui - Admission/Application Essay Example

? 05 December Book reviews- Carl Ernst’s and Mona Siddiqui’s book: Carl Ernst has undeniably accomplished a great feat by writing the critically acclaimed book “Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World.” This book is perceived as an astonishingly insightful medium to understand the true spirit of Islam. The author seems very keen on not following a monotonous routine of debating over the same old issues. Instead, he digs with acute intelligence into a variety of stereotypes associated with the religion Islam all of which hold some misleading information and need to be corrected. On almost same subject as picked by Ernst for his book, Mon Siddiqui in “How to Read the Qur’an” also attempts to explicate the importance of the sacred book of the Muslims, the Qur’an. She promotes the thought that the Qur’an can help many ignorant people to develop harmonious relationship with the Muslim community. She contemplates the topic of Muslims’ association with their sacred book also. Basically, the purpose of this essay is to present a comprehensive review of both books and scrutinize what the two authors have separately aimed to convey on the subject of Islam in the modern world. The review will also contemplate the probable motives that the two authors could have in writing these books in addition to finding out some similarities between both books. I believe “Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World” to be a very interesting piece of work. This is because it expertly unravels many intense and informative aspects of the subject of position of Islam in the modern world. The book stresses that Islam is not a faith of extremism but one of peace and tolerance which is why Muslims should not be condemned from observing religion no matter where they live. The author casually but astutely discusses why Muslims living in non-Muslims countries are discriminated against by the Christian majorities and why nothing concrete is done by official authorities to put a stop to this ongoing propaganda. Simply religious practices as observing hijab have become controversial in the present times and perceived as notorious practices. Ernst maintains in his book that most misconceptions about Islam are found today because the job of portraying Muslims is unfortunately in the hands of a few highly prejudiced non-Muslim groups who go to any length to paint even the most innocent Muslim citizens in the darkest shades possible. Negative portrayal of this peaceful religion is done by conniving people who make it their business to develop twisted theories about Muslims. The unfortunate reality is that their meaningless actions have deep-rooted consequences which can be witnessed in a variety of challenges confronting Muslims around the globe. The fundamentally important message delivered by the book is that there is a need to rethink Islam and change many prevalent stereotypes about the followers of Muhammad. This is the main theme which forms the bedrock of this book which is very thoughtfully written by Ernst. The true hallmark of Ernst’s book in my opinion is that nearly every single description of Islam provided by him can be interpreted at many levels. He explains how Islam is looked at by the West and also by its followers. Every explanation is unmistakably fascinating and different from those in many previous books which effectively works to impress the readers compelling them to appreciate myriad things in a new light. It would not be an overstatement to suggest that the book definitely delivers true essence of Ernst’s years of research about how Islam fits into the contemporary culture. Being American himself, Ernst is well aware of the fact that despite many virtues, it is still true that most Americans are not very keen in investing time in understanding other cultures (Ernst 1002). Then, he goes on to explain why Muslims are ostracized in the Western societies. He blames the conspiracies which work to temporarily bring down the force of real truth. It is identified how far reality is from many modern news channels which play a role of corrupting the minds of Europeans and Americans against Islam and Muslims. It is the result of this corruption that Muslims are unjustifiably marginalized within the Western countries. The fake news reports and twisted books tarnishing the reputation of Islam and promoting wrong ideas attempt to suppress this reality that “Islam has been a defining factor in European culture for more than a thousand years” (Ernst 1007). This reality is unsettling for many prejudiced groups. By claiming that “restoring a human face to Islam also means coming to a better knowledge of who we all are” (Ernst 993), it is stressed that Muslims should more deeply understand the purpose of their lives in reference to Islamic teachings. Same argument is also discussed by Siddiqui also who like Ernst, stresses Muslims to get better acquainted with their holy book Qur’an to get smarter at handling myriad challenges encountering them in the present world. Ernst does the job of rethinking Islam on two levels. First, he observes the gigantic power of man-made misconceptions plaguing the reputation of Islam in his book. Then, he proceeds by discussing how those misleading ideas operate. It is suggested that they deteriorate the bond connecting many Muslims with the West and also tarnish the global peace. The book introduces this thought that every single misconception about Islam and Muslims has political support on some level. This thought leads the author to claims that every incorrect perception about Islam “needs to be examined critically for its political implications” (Ernst 1008). The book stresses that there are countless reports circulating around the globe and most of them lack concrete information. But, the problem is that all those reports are taken as absolute truth and believed by non-Muslims. The real purpose of these reports is to decorate same old propaganda against Islam and its followers. It is commendable that Ernst shows no interest in making any orthodox efforts to dish dirt on other religions or non-Muslims. Rather, he relies on a peaceful way of explaining facts to bring Muslims and non-Muslims closer to each other in the contemporary world. It is also mentioned in the book how many stores today are laden with books about horrific conspiracies of the Muslim terrorists. It is books like these which further distance non-Muslims from understanding the real Islam. From the beginning of the book, it is made clear how it is intended by the author to rethink Islam according to modern trends. Ernst does not for once deviate from the main theme of his book which is that Islam is perceived quite controversially presently due to which rethinking this religion in accordance with contemporary trends is the need of the time. Like Ernst’s book, “How to Read the Qur’an” is also fraught with many unique and innovative thoughts on Islam, but in reference to the Qur’an. Siddiqui is also a powerful writer who effortlessly leaves a lasting impression on the readers by holding their attention from the beginning. A light and refreshing approach to understanding the sacred book of Islam is ensured by this book. The author begins her argument by stressing that the Qur’an is definitely a complete guide on how one should spend one’s life in the world. It should always be strictly followed not because it promotes hideous messages of terrorism and arrogance, but to sincerely avoid many problems. The knowledge of this book in its most literal sense is crucial to handling many pressures which are faced by Muslims living in the Western countries. This is because not only deep knowledge of Qur’an connects a person with God, but it is also believed to create emotional strength. This emotional strength ensured by the Qur’an is highly valuable especially when one is troubled by demonic issues of life. The book effectively sticks to its theme by suggesting that not even the strongest of nonbelievers can defy the importance of a true guide. The answers to most fundamental questions of life are sought by many, but this is not known that all the answers are hidden in one book, the Qur’an. Nothing can turn out to be more useful that the Qur’an in times of acute distress. Not even the best of psychological therapists can ensure the kind of relief offered by the Qur’an. According to Siddiqui, the worst problem is that the reality and power of the Qur’an is not even known by a large population of Muslims, let alone non-Muslims. This is why Siddiqui indefinitely stresses on the importance of reading and understanding the Qur’an. Her viewpoint in accordance with that of Ernst’s is that Muslims around the world are faced today with disturbing issues because they are not properly acquainted with their religion and the Qur’an. They first have to acknowledge their roots to be valued by others later. There is a greater need now than ever before to acknowledge what the Qur’an strives to deliver. In her exceptionally insightful book, she stresses that Islam should be deeply understood by Muslims not for their personal benefits alone, but also for education of non-Muslims. The book promotes a peaceful message in that it maintains that many wars between Muslims and non-Muslims can come to an end if it is realized that the Qur’an is not an enemy. Siddiqui promotes the Qur’an as a book which is for both Muslims and non-Muslims. In fact, it is as much for non-Muslims as for Muslims. Another interesting point about Siddiqui’s book is that it promotes the Qur’an as a religious scripture which is entirely unchanged with no modifications. The Bible has been often scrutinized in reference to many modifications, but the unique beauty of the Qur’an is that it is unchanged. It is due to this authentic nature of the Qur’an that non-Muslims according to Siddiqui can benefit a lot from many revolutionary ideas contained in this book. In order to achieve the noble objective of bridging distances between Muslims and non-Muslims, Siddiqui stresses like Ernst does in his book that understanding the text of the Qur’an is critically important. Even if people do not understand the text, they should still at least acknowledge the message included in the book. This is important because this will help many non-Muslims appreciate the distorted nature of several stereotypes about Islam for which modern extremists are responsible. This will also help them realize that Muslims in the western world mean no harm when asking for rights like the right to observe hijab in France to practice their faith. It is easy to analyze from Siddiqui’s thoughts that the Qur’an does in fact strongly encourage the message of tolerance. It stresses that everyone from any religious background should face no hurdles in practicing their faith. If non-Muslims only realize this most fundamental message of the Qur’an, many issues can be readily resolved. There is indisputably quite a large collection of invaluable ideas in the sacred book of Muslims. This collection, if allowed, can serve as an eye-opener even for the most stone-hearted and biased of all. Because Siddiqui is acutely familiar of this power of the Qur’an, she excessively stresses on the importance of reading and understanding this book. To achieve the purpose of rehabilitating the image of Islam, she introduces many valuable ways in her book to encourage non-Muslims to interpret the Qur’an. In conclusion, both Ernst and Siddiqui attempt to rethink Islam in different ways in their books. Both suggest that creating a positive image of Islam and Muslims is critically important to close the distances between Muslims and modern non-Muslim community. Understanding the Qur’an is important in this regard and can offer many substantial benefits. Rethinking Islam as stressed by Ernst and understanding the Qur’an as suggested by Siddiqui is essential to accurately address myriad tragic issues encountered by millions of Muslims. Both books emphasize this message that with prolonged silence and no thoughtful strategies, a rift between Muslims and non-Muslims can stretch into an abyss. This is why there is more need now than ever before to reconsider the real message advocated by Islam for the betterment of both followers of Muhammad and other people. Works cited: Ernst, Carl. Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World. USA: University of North Carolina Press, 2003. Print. Siddiqui, Mona. How to Read the Qur’an. London: Norton & Company, 2008. Print. Read More