Seyyed Hossein Nasr may not be the most well-known Muslim author in the West, but that is to our detriment. This Iranian-born philosopher is clearly one of the more compelling voices in his faith and one which should be heard much more often.

"The Heart of Islam" is, as the title suggests, another book which sets out to explain the basics of Islam for a Western audience. What sets this one apart from the rest - totally aside from Nasr's abilities as a writer - is the fact that the same author has to his credit "The Young Muslim's Guide To The West". Nasr, it would seem, is quite gifted at explaining cultures to each other.

The basics of the religion are all present and correct. In fact, as a specialist in the field, I find that Nasr's outline of the basics is often superior to many other authors as he breaks down the various types of action (permissible, forbidden and so on) with scriptural examples - which is a feature very few books have. If all you're after is a quick run through the basics, though, the Five Pillars and so on are more than covered here. There is also a well-argued piece on jihad, that area of Muslim doctrine which is so easily misunderstood.

For the beginner, however, "Heart of Islam" may not be the best book to buy. Nasr's style of writing is a little too literary at times and his approach to various aspects of his religion is slightly more mystical than perhaps it should be. I understand that he describes himself as something of a Sufi, which would also explain the prominence he gives the Sufi concepts of "tariqa" and the like. This is not to say that Sufism should be ignored totally, but there is a risk of losing perspective with the structure Nasr has adopted here.

Additionally, the final quarter or so of this book leaves the "Introduction to Islam" subject matter aside and delves into a combination of Nasr's own philosophies and some defences against common criticisms.
In the former case, the fact that the author is a capable philosopher is definitely a good thing, but the environmentalist arguments (particularly) appear to be tacked on with little real thought for how the book will read. Some sections, in fact, feel as though they were taken straight from another book and inserted holus bolus into this one. Perhaps not the most far-fetched idea, given the timing of "Heart"'s publication, although this sounds more uncharitable than it should.
In the latter case, the responses are well-written but feel a little tacked on again - although not as much as the philosophy. Some of this may be due to my own academic background, and more might be due to the intervening time between September 11 (after which many of the criticisms Nasr responds to began to be aired in the media) and now. That said, it is important to read the responses to criticisms of "the human rights record of Islam" - which is a common concept, albeit an unusual one in historical terms.

All in all, "The Heart of Islam" is a fine book with many useful things to say. The specialist - or at least someone with a general background in Islam - will probably get a little more out of it than a rank beginner, but there is no one for whom this book is not recommended.

Too many Christians fall into the trap of believing their own press when it comes to other religions. Having a dialogue with other faiths is much harder, particularly on your own beliefs, when you set aside your own "experts" and entertain the beliefs of others from within their own community. I think this is the heart of real dialogue. For American Christians, Nasr's book is a must-read if you wish to have the slightest insight into what Islam is really about. I found much to build on with Muslims and look forward to learning more about this faith.