"40 Questions About Islam" (Matthew Aaron Bennett)

TITLE: 40 Questions About Islam
AUTHOR: Matthew Aaron Bennett
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2020, (304 pages).

Whether it is inter-religious dialogues, defending the faith, or trying to build bridges or to explain one's faith, it is always necessary to speak or listen with understanding. Without understanding, one might misinterpret or misconstrue another party, and propagate fake news. For Christians, speaking without understanding might lead to reduced credibility and hamper the testimony of the gospel. People tend to be open to those who are open. In the classic prayer of St Francis of Assisi, there is a line that says: "Seek not to be understood but to understand." In this spirit, that is what this book is about. Using a question-and-answer format, author and professor Matthew Bennett tackles forty questions about Islam, with the purpose of informing and educating non-Muslims about Islam. It may not make one an expert overnight, but it sure helps us be more knowledgeable and more importantly, not to misrepresent the Muslim faith. As much as Christians would like to be understood fairly, so too are Muslims who would be pleased if others could understand correctly what they believe. Written by an author who has many Muslim friends and who has lived many years in Muslim-majority countries, he hopes that the spirit of dialogue and understanding would continue through this book. The book is sub-divided into seven parts:

1. Understanding the Traditional History of Islam (6 questions)
2. Sources of Authority for Islam (6 questions)
3. Islamic Theology (6 questions)
4. Islamic Practices (6 questions)
5. The Quran and the Bible (6 questions)
6. Development of Contemporary Critical Scholarship (4 questions)
7. The Christian Gospel and the Followers of Islam (6 questions)

There are at least three important caveats the author wants readers to note. First, there are many interpretations of the Islamic faith, and this book only goes to highlight basic premises of the faith. One should not arrogantly take this knowledge and boast in any way that they have understood what Islam means. That is not the intent of this book. The intent is basically to create a bigger common platform for dialogue and conversations. It is like learning the alphabets prior to forming words and phrases. Second, readers would be able to ask more informed questions instead of giving ready answers to people who ask. This may sound a little strange but necessary especially when communicating with Muslims. They might insist that interpreting Islam is not within the purview of non-Muslims. Moreover, 40 questions alone will only cover a tiny portion of such a historical faith. Plus, the Islam that the author is speaking about covers only the Sunni point of view. Third, it is hoped that if Christians show graciousness in trying to accurately understand Islam, this would be reciprocated by others willing to understand Christianity.

Having said that, this book gives readers an extensive bird's eye view of Islam. We learn about the three pictures of the prophet Muhammad and the three stages of his ministry on earth. We learn about the reasons why Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem are considered holy sites, and why Mecca is considered most important. We have a glimpse of some of the major differences between Sunni and Shia Islam. The split was triggered by the martyrdom of Hussein and the Battle of Karbala. On the Qur'an, the key interpretation is that Muslims see the holy book as the "verbatim record" of God's Word. The author also cautions us that the way the Qur'an reads is quite different from the way the Bible is written. Then there is the role of the clerics, the Sharia law, the Family, and the Sunnah. On theology, readers get a outline of the five pillars of Islam and the six articles of faith. It is important to note the way to understand "jihad" as a Muslim's duty toward personal spiritual cleansing.  For Muslims, life is a test. Sin is a result of forgetfulness and thus the practices are meant to remind believers of their sacred duties. Here lies a big differences between the way Christians and Muslims view salvation. For Christians, the way is to see and receive Jesus as Saviour while Muslims gain salvation through reminders and acting on those reminders. For theological matters, the author focuses on creation, sin, salvation, and the end-times. On the practical side, the author describes what happens inside the mosque; the unique layout of the prayer room that faces Mecca; life events like births, marriage, divorce, and death; festivals; why women wear veil; as well as the controversial topic of holy war. On the latter, it is important to remember that a vast majority of Muslims deplore the violence advocated by terrorist groups such as ISIS. Toward the end of the book, Bennett gives us a comparison between Christianity and Islam. There is a section on critical scholarship to show us that the study of Islam is still evolving. Finally, the author closes with a call to Christians to engage Muslims with love and to befriend them. The gospel changes everything, including the way we relate to those of different beliefs. 

My Thoughts
This is a fascinating book for three reasons. First, the question-and-answer approach gives us a concise way to frame our understanding. Through the seven categorization of questions, the author manages to ensure a broader coverage of the topic. All the categories are evenly spaced out to give us a balanced overview to understand Islam. There are definitely a lot more questions that could be included, but the way the author has chosen the questions should suffice for the general reader seeking a basic understanding. I like the way the author anticipates on our behalf the kind of questions laypersons would ask. My favourite part is the practice of Islam, about what happens inside the mosque; the wearing of the hiqab; and the important festivals. Not everyone would be interested in theological or basic statements of faith. These are not as visible compared to the visible symbols of Islam, like people praying in a certain direction, or their fasting rituals. Second, Bennett's purpose for writing this book is more for dialogue rather than debate. While there are some parts suitable for apologetics, by and large, the author comes across as one who tries to make friends in spite of differences. Some Christian theologians and scholars come across like swashbuckling cowboys looking for a fight. Others write books with the intent to criticize or dumb down others. Not this book. This speaks well of the author's past friendship with his many Muslim friends. In reading this book, we learn how to build bridges and to know when to disagree without becoming defensive. Third, Bennett uses this book in a creative two-pronged manner: Equipping Christians about their own faith and helping us avoid misrepresenting the Islamic faith. By clearly describing the differences between Christianity and Islam, readers get a review of what they believe. At the same time, we learn from an Islamic scholar the fundamentals of Islam. This is important because we are called to do to others what we like others to do to us. As we appreciate others for not misrepresenting Christianity, Muslims would also appreciate Christians for not misrepresenting Islam. This latter reason is perhaps the strongest reason why readers should pick up this book.

Matthew Barrett is associate professor of Christian theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He is also the founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Kregel Academic without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.