This was a fascinating and eye-opening book, written in a fluid and engaging style. It is a clear and concise introduction to understanding Islam and an excellent starting point for further research. It informs the reader exactly what Islam is and, just as importantly, what it isn't and it dispelled some erroneous beliefs I had about Islam. I really enjoyed learning about the founding of Islam and the history of Muslims through the ages. It also addresses the problems Islam faces in the modern era and how it could overcome them. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in world religions and/or current affairs.

I learned so much reading this book - and I will read it several more times in the coming months to pick up the issues I missed this time round. It is a deep book but not too academic for a lay reader and a non Muslim. It feels like you are sitting with a wise friend chatting over a coffee and listening to someone who knows what they are talking about but doesn't condescend or make you believe you are listening to a lecture. He pulls off the difficult feat of being true to his beliefs while still quite challenging and allows the reader to understand some of the difficult issues around Islam and its relationship with the west. Lots about the Middle East and some of the political divides and their starting points.

Recommended if you are interested in learning more about this fascinating religion and its origins and why there are issues today.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest revie

A highly readable insight into Islam:
I have read many books on the Islamic faith: trying to understand the core beliefs and the faith's attraction to a rapidly increasing percentage of the world's population. "The House of Islam" offers a refreshingly different analysis of the strengths, weaknesses and future for Islam. It also provide those who know little of the fundamentals of Islam with a firm grounding in its basic tenets. The author, Ed Husain, is a firm believer in the Faith and it seemed that for this very reason that the book was perhaps lacking a more critical examination of some of the religion's core: of The Quran itself and The Hadith in particular. "The House of Islam" is still a marvellous book, but I would urge readers to delve into other books on the same subject to gain a more balanced view on Islam.
Ed Husain concludes his book by making a convincing case for the foundation and funding of an A. E. U. in the middle-east as the way forward to prevent the polarisation of extremism currently dogging the faith.
"The House of Islam" is a relatively short read at around 300 pages and yet I was amazed how much information Husain was able to cram into a book of this size.
I would definitely recommend it: once started I couldn't put it down. I read it in three sessions which, for a non-fiction book, is pretty good going for me. I didn't agree with Husain on many of the points made, but that's to be expected. Husain manages to make the reader thirst for more information and in that respect his book must be regarded as a success.
So to conclude: an excellent introduction to Islam but use it as the basis for reading other books which contain different interpretations of the influence and future of Islam.

A very interesting and informative book, also very wise. Alarming too, yet ultimately hopeful. A book that speaks a lot of sense and should be widely read.

I feel a book like this is needed at this time. It urges people to real understand Islam rather than the islam that is portrayed on the news. It also answers a lot of questions that people may have about Islam. I found this book hard going and must admit I skim read parts of it however it was a worthwhile educational read and I am glad I have read it. I would recommend to family and friends.

This is definitely a book I will dip in and out of as it is a lot more detailed than I expected, probably suited more to someone studying Islam rather than a genuine desire to have a greater knowledge of this religion. Very well written but not read it all and will probably space this out over the next few months.

Much more dense then I first thought and a lesson in not judging the book by its cover! More academic than perhaps the cover let on, so only for those really interested in theology rather than a general intro. This might be better articulated in the cover and description. Only got about 25% of the way through, so can't comment on the book overall.

This is a perfect book for anyone studying Islam. While i’ll be using it for my own benefit, it will be a recommended read for my higher thinking students who need to be pushed intellectually before being trapped in the pitfalls of GCSE.
It splits into three informative sections that firmly root Islam into a contemporary society. It will give my students a rich insight that the core GCSE texts will not.

A fantastic read. Thoroughly enjoyed this and it is not something I would usually pick up. Will look for more from this author in future.

This is an absolutely outstanding and fascinating look at Islam which has given me a huge amount of insight I could not have accessed otherwise.

As an outsider looking in, Islam and much of what formed the core of the belief system around it can seem a little confusing and difficult to access. I have previously made attempts at better understanding Islam without much success. I have worked in schools in which 90% of the children I taught were Muslim, I have visited Mosques, and I have read The Quran. And yet, I was still left feeling like I had learned little of what was really important to the Muslim community I lived and worked among. I still felt like an outsider trying to look into the house of Islam and finding the curtains to be drawn shut. It is a difficult religion to explore from the outside. A huge part of this is to do with how communities have developed over time, but another fundamental part of this is how Islam is approached as a subject area in UK schools.

Much of what is taught in school today (I am mainly discussing primary schools here) is very similar to what it was when I studied RE in school myself twenty years ago. It is a subject area which develops slowly and can be frustratingly overlooked. A lot of this has to do with it not making up a core part of the UK National Curriculum. This, and a combination of poor training in RE teaching coupled with pressure on teachers to deliver in other subject areas deemed more important mean that children today are often given a very limited look at religion delivered by people who themselves likely had a very limited study of religions other than their own.

No doubt the result of much of this superficial study of religion forms a basis for the face value only way in which religion is presented by media and therefore how it is looked upon by many people from outside of the religion itself. Often we are given a very basic one sided view and this creates a bias which is hard to avoid without knowledge of alternate views and accurate research. What this books does brilliantly is present a balanced look at numerous versions and parts of Islam and adherents of different forms of the religion.

Books like this are exactly what are needed to help in education. This is the sort of text that can allow adult readers a look in far greater depth at religions while still being an accessible book which avoids putting readers off. This is a well written, well crafted and brilliantly researched look at Islam. I only wish I knew of books as good as this on every major religion.

Easy accessible book about the Islam as a faith and religion. As somebody curious about the Islam this was informing and much appreciated.

I requested and read this book with the aim of trying to understand more about the Islamic faith. I don't know enough to say for certain if all the important topics were covered and how well, but it seemed to me to be giving a fairly thorough and even handed description of the religion. I did learn more and in doing so have raised more questions for myself to seek answers to.

A surprisingly balanced and accessible book dealing with many of the topics surrounding Islam in today's society. It doesn't hold back. There's a common theme of extremism, mainly Saudi ideology, which, it is argued, has poisoned the Muslim world.

It's not an easy read, neither from the perspective of the subject matter nor, as a non-Muslim, from the lack of understanding of the intricacies of the religion but it does pay to persevere. A worthy read for those interested.

At halfway point, so piqued by this, I wrote a review but held back to get farther on - I think the author's take on Western philosophy and Christiandom is perhaps irksome and incorrect, but the observations he makes on the Arabian backdrop of Islam is extremely interesting (although Tom Holland's book seems to have a different take on origins of Islam, focusing on Iran and Iraq, it seems to me). But the very tenor of voice in Husain's book makes it extremely readable and persuasive and once I got going I could not put it down - its point of view is refreshing and seems thoroughly informed which is what is its excellence. The point of view is definitely not western and so we get a different colouration to attitudes and practices of Islam that is salutary and necessary. Really fine - and while I sense that the purpose of this book is polemical, i admire it. With the caveat mentioned above...!

This book aids understanding of the Muslim faith and discusses how the West can help Muslims to confront those who are destroying Islam from within. It was a thoroughly engaging read, that is great for those who know a bit about Islam but equally is easily readable by those who are curious to know more. It appears to have been written especially to target those who may have pre-conceptions about the Islamic faith, the author rightly requests you set those aside in the introduction.

‘Knowledge and wisdom are the lost properties of the believer,’ taught Imam Ali, ‘so seek them even if they be with infidels.’

A really accessible view and explanation of Islam and its history and into modern times. It's very easy to read with great follow-ups.

Although I am not a religious person, I am intrigued by the intricacies of all of the religions. Islam fascinates me the most, and not only because of the events of past few years and decades. There has been a lot of focus on the terrorist attacks around the globe, where the perpetrators have been overwhelmingly Muslim. These attacks have substantially been carried out against Western countries. The reason given by those perpetrators who are still alive, is the bombing of Syria. But is there a deeper reason to why they seem to target the West more than anywhere else?

For centuries scholars have debated the meaning of the words in their Holy book. The earlier Qur'anic passages urge peace, restraint and conciliation, the later ones exhort violence. These are obviously polar opposites, so how should they be taken? Due to the divergence of these passages, those who subscribe to either one cannot win the argument over which should take precedence.

Needless to say, there is a huge problem regarding the interpretation of all of the religious books, not just the Qur'an. One individual may have a completely different understanding of their text to another. Also, times have changed considerably from the days these religious books were written, this can also alter how their passages are interpreted. There is no-one left on earth that can clarify the meaning so, basically, this results in lots of opposing views inside of the same religion, and the creation of sects.

I agree with the synopsis of THE HOUSE OF ISLAM, wholeheartedly. Most people in the West, see Islam as something to be feared rather than understood. I feel the media and others have exploited the fear in Western citizens by creating sensationalist headlines that stoke the fire of hatred towards the Muslim world, in the same way the extremists have exploited the passages of the Qur'an to suit their own ends. Graeme Wood, in his article, "What ISIS Really Wants", puts it like this, "violent groups have interpreted verses to endorse their violent actions". And... there we are, back to interpretation again!

This book aids understanding of the Muslim faith and discusses how the West can help Muslims to confront those who are destroying Islam from within. It was a thoroughly engaging read, that is great for those who know a bit about Islam but equally is easily readable by those who are curious to know more. It appears to have been written especially to target those who may have pre-conceptions about the Islamic faith, the author rightly requests you set those aside in the introduction.

This title has taught me a lot about the history of Islam. It is accessible and extremely well-researched. I did a bit of digging on the author and believe that he is more than qualified to write this important book. Husain is a British Muslim, raised in London, and is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, a former senior advisor at the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, and co-founder of the Quilliam Foundation, a counter-extremism organisation.

I feel that THE HOUSE OF ISLAM would answer a lot of the questions present in Westerners minds about Muslims and the Islamic religion so I urge those who have learned all they 'know' about Islam from the TV or from newspaper headlines to read this. It will give you a much better understanding of the nuances and history of Islam.

Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Ed Husain, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is a detailed and fascinating account of the history of Islam and its modern cultural forms written by somebody who clearly knows his stuff. The book delves into the history, explaining the factionalism in the Muslim world, but also thematically discusses modern Muslim attitudes to life, birth and death. Along the way, it is properly critical of the Western attitudes and posturing which have driven the Islamic world into extremist cul-de-sacs on so many occasions since the Crusades!

The main target of the book is a form of Islamic fundamentalism called Salafism associated predominantly with Saudi Arabia but spread across the Middle East and, increasingly, across the globe. Ed Husain clearly blames this and similar extremist versions and interpretations of the Quran for much of what people commonly associate with the Islamic world today which, in a nut shell, is that substantial majorities of the population in most European countries associate Islam with terrorism. That is something which both Islam and the West have to deal with. However, he also points out that the Muslim world is multinational and the West's tendency to focus on extremist views and practices can also legitimise the jihadi and the terrorist. At the same time, the destabilisation of nations, a tendency to conflate war with punishment, the accidental creation of failed states and refugees, together with a failure to resolve the intractable Israeli problem drives futureless young Muslims into the arms of the jihadists.

At times, the book is polemical and, as a reader, you have to make your own decisions. I found him too easy going on the state of Israel and the occupied territories but I respected his analysis of the way that women are still oppressed in the Muslim world and the way that an insecure male population - economically and politically oppressed for centuries - now fears female sexuality and takes it out on the women.

That is by the way. The broader message of the book is that Islam is a religion with its own prophets, a supreme being, a prospect of a better afterlife, a positive culture that accentuates neighbourliness, a respect for the family and the promotion of hygienic practices. So far so good, but religions soon develop into factionalism and internal wars and disputes. That leads onto extremist values and differences holding sway and then to murder, martyrdom, the repression of 'difference' and, finally, catastrophic violence as religion and state become confused.

It's a familiar story. It's what Christianity did to the world for around 2000 years and you can dispute whether people are drawn to the notion of God or whether God is a convenience for those in power to maintain their social control. However, what we do know about Christianity is that - broadly speaking - it has run out of steam. That ignores some fundamentalist Christians in the United States for whom a form of jihadism and hate is second nature but we are unlikely to see non-believers put to the sword or burned at the stake by the current collection of archbishops and cardinals!

It might seem reasonable to suppose that the same thing will eventually happen to Islam and Ed Husain makes the sensible suggestion that increasing political union in the Middle East is a good way forward.  Will it happen? He also notes how the United States and the West spent $3 trillion on 'liberating' Iraq but precious little on rebuilding it for the long term.

In the end, there is no doubt that Islam has a problem but the solutions have to come from within, facilitated by a new approach in the West. It is hard to be optimistic about that at the moment but this book provides an informative way of understanding the key issues.

I’m an atheist but I would never deny others the right to follow any religion – although I would really prefer their religion to promote tolerance, peace and fairness. I have friends who are Jewish, Christian, Sikh, Hindu and, since I live and work in Bradford, many who are Muslim. I am always interested in learning about what other people believe in and also how their faith is reflected in their everyday life so I was keen to read Ed Husain’s House of Islam. I read his earlier book, The Islamist, an account of his youthful brush with the world of more politicised, radical Islam and how he moved away from it: this book promised to be a more rounded and mature look at a major world religion.

Firstly we get a pretty comprehensive history of Islam – its origins, its early schisms and spread around the world. The rise of various sects is covered and some of them are fairly roundly criticised. What is important to Husain – whose particular brand of Islam is based on Sufism, a very spiritual form of the faith – is the essence of the religion, the feelings it should create, rather than strict obedience to man-made laws. As a person who doesn’t follow the directions of any religion this is a good distinction – I like the idea of a world filled with good people rather than Christians/Jews/Muslims/Jedi who follow a set of rules which can cause difficulties, or even suffering, to those who are not following in the same way. Specific areas are considered – sharia law (which almost certainly doesn’t mean what you think it does…), the role of women, education and sex, the relationship between Islam and Judaism and attitudes to death – and some suggestions are made. These mostly seem to be a plea for a greater understanding of the full range of possibilities for Islam. Although there are many Muslims in the West the view of them held by many non-Muslims is that of one particular aspect of the faith. Often this is that of more extreme versions of what is, at heart, a peaceful faith.

I realise that Husain is giving his opinion here. He doesn’t speak for all Muslims, or even for all moderate Muslims. But he does speak very passionately and persuasively about something he seems to believe in wholeheartedly. Solving the problems of extremism (in all religions) can never be easy but a deeper understanding of other faiths would be a good place to start. I feel I have gained some of that understanding by reading this book.

An insightful look at Islam and the historical journey of 'modern' muslims. It captures the political/economic struggles between religion and the West and even the layered intricacies of Arab vs non-Arab muslims.

The author also has a way of shining a light on things that you may have already known but he frames them in a very pragmatic and articulate way. For instance the passages on the Enlightenment era - many of us know that some of the 'great' philosophers came up with some interesting and groundbreaking ideas on life but they were also very arrogant, flawed and racist individuals. This kind of gets whitewashed/ignored in the school books but I'm glad whenever it's pointed out.

I found the writing style was almost conversational which kept the pace moving nicely - like you're in a lecture hall having a discussion with your professor. It's a very engaging book but there were some blocky passages which could have done with tightening up. Overall though it was very informative and quite balanced.