The best 16 Islam books

God is Not Great traces the development of religious belief from the earliest, most primitive ages of humankind through to today. It attempts to explain the dangerous implications of religious thought and the reasons why faith still exists today. It also helps explain why scientific theory and religious belief can never be reconciled.

• Those who want to know how religions developed
• Anyone who wants to understand the fight between religious and scientific thinking
• Those who wish to see the negative aspects of religious belief

The God Delusion (2006) deconstructs the most popular arguments and reasoning for the existence of God to show the statistical and logical improbability of a higher being’s actual existence. These blinks explain why religion shouldn’t be the foundation for society’s morals and how it can actually be harmful to our ethical standards.

• Anyone interested in religion or philosophy
• Agnostics and atheists who want solid arguments to back up their beliefs

In The Reason For God, famous New York pastor Timothy Keller defends Christianity and its core beliefs against the most common objections. His fresh approach provides several arguments for continued Christian faith.

• Anyone who is interested in religion
• Christians who want to discover a fresh angle to their faith

The Muqaddimah (fourteenth century, first English edition 1958), a classic text on the Islamic history of the world, focuses on the rise and fall of civilizations. It offers a unique glimpse into the world of the fourteenth-century Arab Muslim, and is regarded as a foundational text in several academic disciplines.

• History enthusiasts
• People interested in social organization
• Participants in Mark Zuckerberg’s A Year of Books

Causes of Rebellion in Waziristan (2015) takes the reader on a journey into the rocky terrain of this tiny South Asian region whose geopolitical influence reaches far beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan. These blinks explore how the region became such a hotbed of insurrection and what can be done about it.

• Anyone interested in international politics
• Those looking for more background about the conflicts and wars in South and Central Asia

Heretic (2015) takes an unblinking look at Islam and issues a call for reformation. By examining the fundamental scriptures of the Qur’an and Islamic law, we can find plenty of evidence to suggest that Islam has far too much justification for violence written into its core belief system. Find out why it’s not too late to change things and how the time might be perfect for an Islamic reformation.

• Religious historians
• Scholars of Islam
• People interested in the reasoning behind Islamic terrorism

Sex and the Citadel (2013) offers a revealing look at the sex lives of people in Muslim countries, especially Egypt, which, about 200 years ago, was a hotbed of sensual and sexual activity, but has since become a conservative and sexually repressed society. These blinks take you through the taboos, censorship and gender discrimination that many Muslims continue to resist.

• Non-Muslims hoping to learn more about the diversity of Muslim society
• Muslims interested in their culture’s sexuality
• Feminists who want a better understanding of the struggles Muslim women face

The First Muslim (2013) details the incredible story of the prophet Muhammad, the first member of the Islamic faith. These blinks take you back to before Muhammad’s birth and tell the complete story of God’s revelation to this prophet, how he spread Islam and what his contemporaries thought of his ideas.

• Historians of all types
• Students and scholars of Islam and its history
• Critical readers who want to know more about the origins of Islam

A History of God (1993) traces the related histories of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim concepts of God. From the jealous God of the ancient Israelites to the revelations of Allah, and from the life of Jesus through to theological doctrinal discussions and God’s status in the modern world, these blinks tell the story of how conceptualizations of God in these three related religions have developed and changed over time.

• Jewish people, Christians, Muslims and all people of faith
• Historians and philosophers
• Atheists interested in the role of God in monotheistic religions

Revolutionary Iran (2013) tells the story of modern Iran, from the early twentieth-century origins of the 1979 revolution through to reactions to Ahmadinejad’s second presidential victory, in 2009. The book also dispels misconceptions and examines internal politics and cultural debates within the country.

• Students of contemporary global politics
• Curious minds wanting to know more about contemporary Iranian history
• Followers of the Middle East interested in understanding the relationship between religion and democracy

Islam: A Short History (2000) charts the meteoric rise of Islam from its birth as a small sect in seventh-century Arabia to a global religion with just under two billion followers. What makes Islam unique among faiths, Karen Armstrong argues, are its refusal to postpone justice to the next world and quest to create the perfect society in the here and now. She follows this thread in her fascinating tour of 1,500 years of Islamic history.

• Believers and non-believers
• History and politics buffs
• Whoever seeks to understand Islam is beyond the headlines

Myanmar’s Enemy Within (2017) examines a shocking outburst of violence against an ethnic minority – the Rohingya Muslims in western Myanmar. Beginning with an account of the events of 2012 and 2013, these blinks work their way back to explain the historical context of anti-Muslim resentment in the country. Along the way, they explore the legacies of British colonialism, the rise of nationalism, and the country’s troubled transition to democracy.

• History buffs 
• News addicts who want to dig deeper 
• Anyone interested in contemporary Asian politics

Arabs (2021) is a deep dive into the 3,000-year history of the people we know as Arabs. It’s an exploration of the forces that gave birth to the idea of Arabs as a group – and the forces that have kept them apart ever since. 

• Lovers of a good yarn
• Those fascinated by transnational histories
• News junkies looking to go deeper

Living Presence (1992) explores how the teachings of the ancient Islamic practice of Sufism can act as a balm against our fractured, ego-driven age. Sufism teaches that an infinite spirit connects all life and that by becoming mindful of the here and now, we can glimpse this spirit in ourselves and others. Ultimately, in connecting to this presence we allow ourselves to become kinder, more intentional, and more alive. In short, more human.

• Curious minds interested in exploring the practice of Sufi Islam
• Big thinkers who sense there’s a greater truth beyond the veil of perception
• Anyone looking for a guiding light through dark times

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus (2016) traces a young man’s dramatic spiritual journey from Islam to Christianity. Packed with insights into the faith he grew up with as well as the faith he adopted later in life, Quereshi’s story will challenge Christians, Muslims, and all those interested in the world’s greatest religions.

• Believers interested in interfaith dialogue
• Anyone questioning their own faith journey
• History buffs 

Secrets of Divine Love (2020) delves into the spiritual depths of Islam, offering insights into its universal themes of divine connection and oneness. It explores the unique essence of God, the role of the Qur'an as a guide, and the transformative journey through Islam's spiritual stages, illuminating the path to inner fulfillment and universal kinship.

• Curious cats wondering about Islam
• Divine truth detectives
• Avid intrafaith researchers