In recent times, we have witnessed a heated debate throughout the world between anyone who dares to raise questions on Islam and Islamic scholars. If you ask me, the life of a Muslim looks like a one-way mirror. They don’t see the world beyond them and when they do, they are merely seeing their own reflection and getting mad over it. The world sees through everything but there seems to be a wall between them. A wall does not necessarily mean division. There are a few Muslims who dared to leave out the charade before the one-way mirror. Their books sparked controversies everywhere but it was worth the read.
Why I am not a Muslim
Ibn Warraq
Those who practice the Muslim faith have resisted examinations of their religion. They are extremely guarded about their religion, and what they consider blasphemous acts by skeptical Muslims and non-Muslims alike has only served to pique the world's curiosity. This critical examination reveals an unflattering picture of the faith and its practitioners. Nevertheless, it is the truth, something that has either been deliberately concealed by modern scholars or buried in obscure journals accessible only to a select few.
Why do we recommend this book?
It is quite likely that you came across some so-called liberals and progressives who mocked you and called you Islamophobe just because you questioned Islam and its narrow-mindedness towards non-believers. This book will not only help you answer those ignorants but also make you understand how a Muslim not abiding by Islam and its dogma is boycotted just because of the fear of Islam. Ibn Warraq, born in Muslim family stays disguised under a pen-name so his family stays safe from the threats by Islamic radicals.
Infidel
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
One of today’s most admired and controversial political figures, Ayaan Hirsi Ali burst into international headlines following the murder of Theo van Gogh by an Islamist who threatened that she would be next. She made headlines again when she was stripped of her citizenship and resigned from the Dutch Parliament.
Infidel shows the coming of age of this distinguished political superstar and champion of free speech as well as the development of her beliefs, iron will, and extraordinary determination to fight injustice. Raised in a strict Muslim family, Hirsi Ali survived civil war, female mutilation, brutal beatings, adolescence as a devout believer during the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, and life in four troubled, unstable countries ruled largely by despots. She escaped from a forced marriage and sought asylum in the Netherlands, where she earned a college degree in political science, tried to help her tragically depressed sister adjust to the West, and fought for the rights of Muslim women and the reform of Islam as a member of Parliament. Under constant threat, demonized by reactionary Islamists and politicians, disowned by her father, and expelled from family and clan, she refuses to be silenced.
Ultimately a celebration of triumph over adversity, Hirsi Ali’s story tells how a bright little girl evolves out of dutiful obedience to become an outspoken, pioneering freedom fighter. As Western governments struggle to balance democratic ideals with religious pressures, no other book could be more timely or more significant.
Why do we recommend this book?
The status of females in Islam has always been contested. You can’t drive, can’t leave home with a male companion, need the permission of a male family member to travel overseas, don’t have rights over your own children….are some of the real-life situations for women in the Islamic world. Ayaan Hirsi Ali became the voice that had been suppressed in the name of traditions for centuries.
A God Who Hates
Wafa Sultan
From the front page of The New York Times to YouTube, Dr. Wafa Sultan has become a force radical Islam has to reckon with. For the first time, she tells her story and what she learned, first-hand, about radical Islam in A God Who Hates, a passionate memoir by an outspoken Arab woman that is also a cautionary tale for the West. She grew up in Syria in a culture ruled by a god who hates women. “How can such a culture be anything but barbarous?” Sultan asks. “It can’t,” she concludes “because any culture that hates its women can’t love anything else.” She believes that the god who hates is waging a battle between modernity and barbarism, not a battle between religions. She also knows that it’s a battle radical Islam will lose. Condemned by some and praised by others for speaking out, Sultan wants everyone to understand the danger posed by A God Who Hates.
Why do we recommend this book?
Not an Ex-Muslim, Wafa Sultan narrates her first-hand experiences of growing up in a small town of Syria with many siblings and a frustrated grandmother. In her journey to become a doctor, she feels the pain the women in the Islamic world go through and still does not say a word about it. She cried when she arrived in America and realized how hypocrites her fellow Muslims in America are
Understanding Muhammad: A Psychobiography
Ali Sina
Understanding Muhammad is a psychobiography of Allah’s Prophet. It seeks to unveil the mystery of that man. Historians tell us Muhammad used to withdraw to a cave, spending days wrapped in his thoughts. He heard bells ringing and had ghostly visions. He thought he was demon-possessed until his wife reassured him he had become a prophet. Convinced of his status, he was intolerant of those who rejected him, assassinated those who criticized him, raided, looted, and massacred entire populations. He reduced thousands to slavery, raped, and allowed his men to rape female captives. All of this, he did with a clear conscience and a sense of entitlement.
He was magnanimous toward those who admired him, but vengeful toward those who did not. He believed he was the most perfect human creation and the universe's raison d'être. Muhammad was no ordinary man. He was a narcissist.
Understanding Muhammad, ventures beyond the stories. Focusing on the "why" rather than the "what," it unravels the mystique of one of the most enigmatic and influential men in history.
Why do we recommend this book?
The author bravely talks about the whims and mysteries associated with Prophet Muhammad. Understanding this book from a completely objective point of view, we start to realize the thesis of Ali Sina makes total sense. Islamists argue that the life of Prophet Muhammad must be seen through historical lenses. We would gladly agree with them if Muslims were not imitating him in the 21st century. What started as hallucinations, gave rise to the second most followed religion on the earth. This is frightening to learn that people can forget the reason for religion.
The Curse of God: Why I Left Islam
Harris Sultan
This book is a critical analysis of religion in general and Islam in particular. It covers some common misconceptions about Islam that both Muslims and non-Muslims have.
The book starts with a little introduction of the author—how and why he became an ex-Muslim—and it is followed up with the importance of writing the book. The first chapter covers the importance of critical sense over common sense and how we should always invoke critical thinking when it comes to looking at the world around us. The book also covers some arguments for God and some counterarguments against God’s existence. It discusses the importance of God in keeping the morality of society and the mental well-being of the human species.
It also discusses the baggage that comes with religion, leaving our only lives here on planet earth devoid of pleasure and enjoyment. Moreover, it discusses the scientific flaws in the Quran and argues how it looks like a book written by a seventh-century Arab warlord rather than the creator of the billions of galaxies. It discusses the critical and sensitive topic of the character of Allah (Muslim God) and Muhammad in light of the Quran, Hadith (collection of Muhammad’s quotes), and the biography of Muhammad. It gives a detailed account of Muhammad’s wives and the violence in his life. In the last part of the book, the author discusses the rise of Islamism in the western world and its dangers.
Finally, it educates its readers on how to debate with a religious apologist and some common arguments and techniques employed by them. It is a very interesting read into Islam from an ex-Muslim’s point of view and the best guide to learning Islam.
Why do we recommend this book?
If you are agnostic and want to get an idea about the existence or non-existence of God, this is a must-read book as it will make you think differently than the majority of the books on Islam. Apart from this, it talks about a number of scientific limitations and rationale behind the verses of the Quran. The author talks about how the Quran is a war guide rather than being a holy book.
Which one is your favorite?
Tell us in the comments below.
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