On a visit to Cairo in October 2010 I happened to visit Sultan Hassan Mosque and found a most remarkable brand-new book there. To my great surprise it was in German. And it was sold at incredible low price.
The author, Ahmad Mahmoud Hemaya, is presently the Shaikh of this mosque and he and the real professional design of this book, have – at least in my eyes – performed one of those unexpected und surprising miracles which help Islam doing a true jump forward in the mind of its readers, especially the younger ones.
As mentioned in the introduction to this work of 339 pages, the book is not intended as a crash course to understanding Islam but as a deep glimpse into the structure and method of argumentation to be found in this religion. It took the author 17 years of studies with more than 72 scholars before he settled down to present this insight into the Islamic sciences and practice on which Muslim everyday life is based.
The whole book consists of very concise chapters and under-chapters which tackle such questions as “How did the universe come into existence?”, “Where does man come from?”, “Prophet Muhammad – Who? How? What?” It gives answers to problems like “Logic and Science”, “The linguistic Miracle of the Qur’an”, “Reliance on God”, “Why do we need Islam?”, “Why does God allow all this to happen?”
The chapter “The Qur’an from the viewpoint of Intellectuals and Scientists” brings quotations of both men and women, outstanding in their own field of knowledge which deserve mention in this short review: Thus Dirk Walter Mosig/USA writes: “I have read the sacred writings of all Religions, but I never found what I discovered in Islam: Perfection.” Or read what Sarojini Naidu, poetess (1879-1949) has to say: “The sense for justice is one of the most wonderful ideals of Islam ….Practicable for the whole of the World”.
Anita Rai, born 1975 and a famous writer, acknowledges concerning the prophet: “For me it is enough that Muhammad was the greatest feminist which the world has ever seen until now.” And finally, William James Durant (1895-1982) says: “If we judge the importance by the scope of influence on mankind, will have to admit that Muhammad is the most important among the important men of history.”
The index of literature used for this book includes 174 authors and sources and is a valuable indication how to continue studies once a genuine interest in the religion of Islam is established.
Translations into other languages, especially into English are under preparation and will hopefully soon appear. Ahmad M. Hemaya who is himself an Al-Azhar graduate, won a honorary doctor title in 2002 from Ireland for his book “The way of the true life”. The correctness of the Islamic contents of the book here under review has been officially scrutinised and approved by the Al-Azhar University.
Fatima Grimm
