Islam Beliefs and Teachings

by Ghulam Sarwar

The fifth edition of Beliefs and Teachings was published in June 1998. This edition saw a number of corrections and amendments to the text. It is one of the best-selling childrens' and adult books on Islam in the world (196,000 copies printed), giving a comprehensive introduction to the religion in an affordably priced and well-produced volume. It is ideal for young Muslims, new Muslims and non-Muslims who want an easy-to-read overview of the final revealed religion. Many schools and Islamic centers now use Beliefs and Teachings as a standard text.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction

236 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1980

Reviews

[Umama A. Talha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book with brief insight on every aspect of Islam! It covered almost all the topics very beautifully and rationally. I'd highly recommend it to new Muslims, or those who don't have much knowledge about Islam or simply anyone who's interested in learning about Islam and Muslims in an appropriate way! Short and precise to go!

[Karim Tair El-Bar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taught me all the basics of Islam. Simple, detailed, informative and easy to read. I would recommend it to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, particularly those who want a brief overview of all the basics of Islam. I'm nearly 20 years old and still have a copy in my room!!

[Suzanne Laughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent primer for new Muslims, those interested in possibly becoming a Muslim. It’s also a fantastic addition for ANYONE, that wants to know about Muslims/ ISLAM. I was first given a copy over 25 years ago and I have since gifted copies of it, throughout the years, to Muslims and non Muslim alike. It is also a great book for converts / reverts or someone who has or is going to marry a Muslims, to give to their family members , to help them have easy accurate information on the new faith of Islam. It is extremely valuable for kids (youth to adult) in Muslim families, those taking/ studying Islam or religions in general. It’s very helpful in showing the connections Islam has to Judaism and Christianity. Overall a great book for any household to have, regardless of their belief system.

[Zulashraf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did a lot research when I was in the UK for the perfect book on Islam. I think this book does a stellar job, perfect for any long time practitioner of the faith needing a refresher course. I also think it's not too advanced so any new converts would also appreciate the book.

This book is definitely handy during Ramadhan and I feel it will keep a place close to me every year during the fasting season as the previous years.

[Nigi Kapadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read. Islam is so basic and it’s all there in this book.

[Nadia Leona Yunis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST for every Muslim home library!

[Liri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great outline for anyone wanting to learn Islam. However, this book alone cannot be sufficient to give a proper view on Islam. It is important to read the Qu'ran and hadiths with a commentary alongside.

For an introduction to Islam and self-reflection, this book has many important principles any Muslim should know. For example: How to make wudu (ablution for prayer), perform prayers, some historical information about Qu'ran and the prophets (pbuh), etc. Each section is classified by themes with questions at the end. A great tool for comprehension. Although, there are a few things which need to be updated.

Statistics are a bit out of date in some parts. My copy of this book has census facts about world populations from 2002. It would be nice to have an updated facts about this. An expansion for the bibliography would be nice as well. The author states that some books are out-of-print. It is difficult to find a copy of some books. However, he references other in-print works such as Muhammad: His Life Based on Earliest Sources by Martin Ling. It depends on the library's access to some references. Due to the updating of facts, this is why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

[Shamis Akhtar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really useful beginners guide to Islam and its teachings. Makes it very clear how one should perform their daily duties of worship. I personally would recommend to everyone to read to ensure that they have a good understanding of daily acts of worship. I myself found it very beneficial as it helped me to memorize as is contains both translation and transliterations of key surahs and duas.

[Mohamed Al-hadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the books that the new comers to Islam and those who want to have a good introduction to Islam should read first. It is comprehensive and brief written in clear language with little of jargons. I recommend it.

[Nazreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly laid out and beautifully illustrated book that I frequently referred to while growing up. Helped as a starting point for my basics and an assist for my regular summer Islamic school learning.

[Saba Rahman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good and informative, I read it in one day ♡