Ibn Warraq

[The Wrath]

We don't have a non-fiction books forum, so I didn't know where else to put this.

Lately, I have been reading books by an ex-Muslim who goes by the pseudonym Ibn Warraq (to avoid death fatwas). He is a highly intelligent and rational man, and I would recommend his books to anyone. I have read part of What the Koran Really Says and I'm almost done with Leaving Islam, a book written entirely from the testimonies of ex-Muslims. Both books are compilations of articles and essays written by others, of which he is the editor, but he writes the introductions and adds a few of his own essays.

A quote from a man who lived in the 9th century, that appears in this book:

By Reason we reach all that raises us up, and sweetens and beautifies our life, and through it we obtain our purpose and desire. For by Reason we have comprehended the manufacture and use of ships, so that we have reached unto distant lands divided from us by the seas; by it we have achieved medicine with its many uses to the body, and all the other arts that yield us profit...by it we have learned the shape of the earth and the sky, the dimension of the sun, moon and other stars, their distance and motions...

A quote by Ibn Warraq, himself:

All men are by nature equal, and equally endowed with the faculty of reason, which must not be disparaged in favor of blind faith. Reason further enables men to perceive in an immediate way scientific truths. The prophets...cannot claim any intellectual or spiritual superiority. These billy goats pretend to come with a message fro mGod, all the while exhausting themselves spouting their lies and imposing on the masses blind obedience to the "words of the master."

Another:

It was, as noted earlier, through philosophy and human reason--not through religion--that human life could be improved.

There are lots of quotes that would be tantalizing to any Objectivist, but I'm not gonna sit here and type them all out. I will mention, however, that an author of one of the essays admits to being heavily influenced by Ayn Rand, and even throws in a little advertisement for OPAR.

If anyone is interested in learning a little more about Islam, I cannot recommend his books enough. Of course, if you want a truly scholarly knowledge of Islam (as I do), you should not limit yourself to only anti-Islamic books, but if you're just looking to gain a little insight into the religion and get some ammunition for future debates with Muslims, Ibn Warraq is a good place to start.

[Hakarmaskannar]

Thanks for that Moose. I think I'll check the titles out on Amazon to see if any are within my present budget:)

[The Wrath]

I should probably mention that What the Koran Really Says is pretty heavy reading...not really intended for the casual reader. There is some good stuff in it, but I've had a hard time comprehending a lot of it, because I'm not a linguist.

[JordanLand]

He's great, thanks for the info!