Destiny Disrupted Book Summary - Destiny Disrupted Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Destiny Disrupted summary

Tamim Ansary

A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes

4.4 (103 ratings)
24 mins
Table of Contents

    Destiny Disrupted
    Summary of 9 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 9

    Sandwiched between West and East, the Islamic world was born amid a commercial and pagan society.

    Have you ever wondered where the “middle” in “Middle East” comes from? To find out, let’s travel back in time to the dawn of civilization.

    On one side, we have Western civilization, which emerged in the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. On the other, around what is now China, we have Eastern civilization. Between these two worlds, we have what the author refers to as the Middle World.

    More specifically, this world is the area between the Indus River, which runs along the border of India and Pakistan, and Istanbul, which is located on the northern tip of Turkey and lies between the Black and Aegean Seas. This is the Middle World, resting between East and West – two very different civilizations, with their own distinct histories.

    At the heart of the Middle World was Mesopotamia, which lay between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, where modern-day Iraq is located. Around 5,500 years ago, in southern Mesopotamia, the Sumerians developed the first high culture, inventing letters and numbers in the process.

    The Sumerians didn’t last and, as history proceeded, several other high cultures came and went. There were the Akkadians, Amorites, Babylonians and, around 550 BCE, the Persians. Then came the Greeks — and the famous conquests of Alexander the Great — which were immediately followed by the rise of the Roman Empire, during which time Christ was born.

    All of these empires and cultures came and went in the Middle World – and it all happened before the birth of Islam.

    Around the year 570 CE, the Prophet Muhammad was born. His birthplace, Mecca, was a trading hub defined by commercial enterprise. He was raised an orphan and grew up poor among a society of rich Arab merchants.

    At the time, these Arabs were pagans who believed in a multitude of gods. But then, one day, Muhammad had a life-changing experience. While meditating in the nearby mountains, he was visited by the angel Gabriel, and a voice commanded him to “recite.”

    After this revelation, Muhammad began preaching monotheism to the people of Mecca. And, much to the discomfort of the rich Arab merchants, the message he had was that God wanted to end debauchery and help the poor.

    Thus, Islam was born.

    Want to see all full key ideas from Destiny Disrupted?

    Key ideas in Destiny Disrupted

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Destiny Disrupted about?

    Destiny Disrupted (2009) tells history from an Islamic perspective. It begins before the emergence of Muhammad and Islam in the seventh century CE and ends with the decline of the Islamic empires in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. On this epic journey, Tamim Ansary describes the fascinating stories of great Muslim states, scholars and leaders – a perspective on history that is, unfortunately, widely unknown to most Westerners.

    Best quote from Destiny Disrupted

    Both Arabs and Jews are Semitic, tracing their descent to Abraham and Adam. Before Islam, there was little difference between their lifestyle and culture.

    —Tamim Ansary
    example alt text

    Who should read Destiny Disrupted?

    • Historians and students of religion
    • Westerners curious about the Islamic perspective on world history
    • Readers eager to learn more about Islamic culture and religion

    About the Author

    Tamim Ansary has been a major contributing writer to several history textbooks. In addition to publishing several essays and commentaries in the San Francisco Chronicle, Salon and Alternet, he has a monthly column on Encarta.com. Ansary is also the author of the memoir West of Kabul, East of New York and co-author of The Other Side of the Sky.

    Categories with Destiny Disrupted

    Books like Destiny Disrupted

    People ❤️ Blinkist
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked

    Start growing with Blinkist now
    28 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    91%
    Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
    *Based on survey data from Blinkist customers
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial