A vivid, engaging exploration of issues of faith and Muslim identity. Qureshis voice is bright, humble, and curious, and the author wears his considerable learning lightly. A valuable addition to explorations of how we think about engaging with religious traditions to live meaningful lives.
-- Carla Power, author of If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran and contributor to The Guardian, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, and Time Magazine
Broad ranging yet accessible, Qureshis account of a viable and hopeful Islam embraces doubt as emancipatory while seeking a new confidence for those of his sons generation. Finding comfort in the spirituality of the Sufi path and better answers in the philosophical traditions of Islam, he argues for a modern Islam that does not shy away from asking difficult questions about the politics of violence, misogyny, and many other forms of religious oppression. Perhaps the ultimate lesson for us to take away is that living as a person of faithMuslim or otherwisein our world is both challenging and rewarding. And that is precisely why this book should be read, as it engages those challenges that are common to us all.
-- Sajjad Rizvi, Director of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter
A courageous, candid, and personal account of the challenges of being Muslim in the twenty-first century, both within the global context and also within a highly complex faith community. Highly accessible and relatable, Emancipating Islam presents both a compelling insight into Islams interpretation throughout the centuries as well as a prescription of how the true spirit of the religions vibrant tradition and intended vision can be regained. A must-read for Muslims or anyone serious about understanding Islam.
-- Saeed A. Khan, Associate Professor of Near East and Asian Studies and Global Studies and Director of Global Studies at Wayne State University
Qureshis Emancipating Islam is a welcome addition to the literature, advancing what Bauer calls a 'culture of ambiguity' in his forth-write and accessible prose about the basics of Islam. Though racial justice is seldomly addressed, Qureshi does not shy away from tackling many of the central debates plaguing Islamic communities in the West. From gender equity to orthodoxy to propensity for violence, this work allows a young adult and general audience to gain the ability to parse nuanced knowledge on Islam while illuminating reductive messaging on the faith, both from within and outside Islamic communities.
-- Hebah Farrag, Assistant Director of Research, University of Southern California, Center for Religion and Civic Culture
Emancipating Islam is a compelling and courageous call to twenty-first century Muslims to assert their freedom to interpret Islam for themselves and for their generation. Saqib Qureshi blends a compelling personal story with a deep grasp of contemporary scholarship to explore critical questions about what we can and cannot know about the earliest Islamic sources, and what this means for contemporary Muslims. Qureshi confronts Islamic orthodoxies and Islamophobic distortions with equal bluntness. Few sacred cows escape his scrutiny. But in the end Emancipating Islam a tremendously optimistic book that sees Islam and the West not as doomed to perpetual conflict, but as part of the same family.
-- Paul Brown, Director, Institute for the Study of Religion and the Middle East, Istanbul
Saqib Qureshi's Becoming Muslim Today is empathetic and persuasive--a book for the thinking Muslim. How it will impact readers I can't say for sure, but I suspect the change will be transformational. Clear and compelling, and rich with intimate historical detail, this book may just be a masterpiece.
-- Pervez Hoodbhoy, nuclear physicist, winner of UNESCO's Kalinga prize, author of Islam and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for Rationality
A compelling, well-researched, and fun book to read. Qureshi blends serious research, open-ended questioning, critical insight, and bouts of humor with clarity and incisiveness. A must-read for studentsMuslim or notwanting straight talk on the history and trajectories of Islam.
-- Anvar Emon, professor of Law and History and director of the Institute of Islamic Studies at the University of Toronto
Saqib Qureshi doesn't pull any punches. In clear, accessible, and punchy chapters he takes on the major misunderstanding, slanders, and controversies around Islam. With zero tolerance for cant or hypocrisy, Saqib gives both Muslims and non-Muslims a deeply researched, yet fresh and accessible, take on the faith and its challenges. No illusion is left unpunctured, no idiocy standing. A powerful read on hard issues that will illuminate and spark conversation for years to come.
-- Aziz Haq, professor of Law at the University of Chicago
Qureshi carefully balances analysis with an approachable writing style that effectively distills difficult and occasionally controversial concepts for a general audience. Accompanied by more than 1,200 endnotes that demonstrate a firm interdisciplinary grasp of Islamic history, theology, and contemporary identity politics [Emancipating Islam] is a well-researched, cogent, and respectful reassessment of Islam.
* Kirkus Reviews *
Qureshi speaks conversationally and engagingly. He gives a personal, heartfelt answer to the double question: What is Islam, really, and why do people misunderstand it?
Non-religious readers can learn a lot from this book. Religious readers will find even more here. For them, exploring their own religionincluding what its ideally supposed to bemust be a central question. Qureshi looks at how Islam has evolved over the centuries, and by adding his personal perspective, he contributes to its ongoing evolution.
* Independent Book Review *
Saqib Qureshi's book is well written, easy to read, diagnosis of the state of Islam today. Framed as an answer of a father to his son explaining the nature of Islam, it contains a wealth of information. The book is formed of two parts. In Part I, Saqib Qureshi functions as a doctor examining a patient, leaving no stone unturned, no historical fact or process unexamined. Everything that the academic community knows about Islam, from the early years to the early modern age, is presented in a format which is both enjoyable and entertaining reading. In Part II, he presents his diagnosis and prescription for full health. While I would prescribe an entirely different medicine, and in fact found the reading both challenging and discomforting, he verbalizes what many Muslims are thinking. It is worthy reading of anyone who wishes to understand what a modern Muslim seeks of their leaders today.
-- Ben Abrahamson, director at the Institute for Historical Research on Islam and Judaism, New York
