No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam

No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam is a 2005

According to conservative columnist Reihan Salam, the book has received a favorable response within the Muslim world.^[3]

Contents

Each chapter of the book covers a specific topic within Islam. For example, one chapter is entirely dedicated to the issue of

the notion that historical context should play no role in the interpretation of the Quran – that what applied to Muhammad's community applies to all Muslim communities for all time – is simply an untenable position in every sense.[5]

Reception

The book was chosen "Best Book of the Year" in its category by the Financial Times. The Los Angeles Times dubbed it a "favorite book of the year".^[6] Journalist Fareed Zakaria called the book "a textured, nuanced account that presents a living, breathing religion shaped by centuries of history and culture". Professor and author Noah Feldman called it "[e]legant, accessible, and informed by historical scholarship" and "a wonderful view into the rich world of early Islam".^[7] A scholarly review in International Journal of Kurdish Studies reported that "[s]uch clarity is a welcome and refreshing antidote to the endless obfuscations that emanate from partisans on both sides of the issue."^[4] Also, Muslim journalist Reihan Salam called the book "fascinating", and he has said that he considers it to be one of the most important books of the decade.^[3] The New York Review of Books wrote that "[o]ne of the achievements of Reza Aslan's book is that it gives Islam as much internal complexity and diversity as the concepts 'the West' and 'America' possess in our eyes".^[2] The New York Times gave a favorable review, describing it as a "wise and passionate book", stating that "his arguments for reintroducing rationalism, for accepting the utility of secularization, and for contextualizing the historical understanding of the faith all put him in distinguished company among contemporary Muslims".^[5]

The Washington Post published a mixed review by Nikki R. Keddie, an author and professor emerita of history at UCLA. She contends that Aslan's book is "one of the most readable" and that Aslan presents "a liberal and optimistic view of Islam". She states that Aslan sometimes relies on doubtful sources, that Aslan's "good storytelling occasionally interferes with accuracy", that he minimizes "gender inequalities enshrined in the Koran", and he "ascribes undocumented feelings and motives not only to Muhammad but also to later figures—a technique sometimes endorsed in creative nonfiction courses but not recommended for historians".^[8] Aslan gives the most space to Islam's early era, for which the documentation is relatively less. Overall, Keddie stated that "Aslan provides a lively, enjoyable, and mostly accurate picture, but parts of the book are shaky".^[1]

The book also received a positive review from The Independent stating that the book is "a fascinating guide" for non-Muslim readers.^[9]