To make this as coherent, short and straight to the point as possible it is important to note that first of all - most of the other commentators, whom have given very negative reviews on this book have written nothing but Babel concerning how authentic Spencer's claims are. I would not be surprised if most of the people whom have taken the time to comment on this have not even purchased the book.

If a non-Muslim is picking up such lengthy material on Islam for the first time, then one would very much enjoy every notion this book has to offer. Although Spencer has intentionally made the focus of his book to be on the aspects on the Qur'an which are divisive, offensive, homophobic, mysogynistic and totalitarian - this is what should be off concern to most Americans.

Perhaps one of the inspiring things about his approach to expressing himself is that Spencer does not overflow with voluminous pieces of writing but makes his points, assertions and dictates the pace of the book all according to what the reader should expect from a 'guide'. There is little to argue with Spencer concerning the authenticity of his arguments and I believe it is of grave importance to highlight the essences of this book and transform them into a public debate whereby the nature of this religion should be scrutinized.

I just finished Robert Spencers' book, and just like his others, it was great. Please ignore Islamic Trolls giving false reviews with one star, THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH..LOL. I have been studying Islam for a few years now and I consider Robert Spencer to be true authority. The only thing in question is the Koran he chose, I would have picked the same translation as he due to the fact most other Koran tranlations' have been whitewashed so Islam could look less hate filled and intolerant. I choose to learn the truth in its purest form and not watered down for the sake of how others would like the Koran to read, religion of peace, give me a break..lol. Thank you Mr. Spencer.

This book will open your eyes about Islam. It is not a religion, it is a cult. Muslims are psychotic . Only a psychotic could believe that God will allow all the Jews of world to be destroyed and the whole world taken over by a cult. The same belief of Hitler. There is a good reason why Nazism was outlawed at the end of WWII in Germany. Because it would have destroyed the world. The same should be done with the Islamic system around the world .I wish people no harm. But, the Koran should be outlawed and destroyed. Jesus wants us to live our lives for him. Allah(Satan) wants his believers to die for him and kill as many Jews/Christians as they can. There is some truth to Islam being the religion of peace and tolerance. Islam professes peace when the world is all Islamic. The tolerance is for killing. First the Jews/Christians. Then the rest of the world. Look at what the peaceful muslims are doing around the world. Murdering, just as it was from the inception of their cult. We should all be vigilant on a Jihadwatch. We must support our officials that will protect our Judeo-Christian values and freedoms or we will lose them.

This book explains Islam in a very easy way and you get to the curx of the problem in the religion of PEACE.
This book was needed to understand why in India we have so much problems.To understand Muslims and Islam we need to understand Quran and Islam.This book does a great job.

Great Job .This book really opened my eyes to islam and why so many were killed in india.

To understand the Partition of India and how Islam played the part in it please read the book

The Partition Of India by B R Ambedkar

[...]

A through review and explanation of the contents of the Koran. A review of the mindless motivation to hate and kill. A book of hate and contradictions. A book, more about secular domination than religion. A guide surperbly researched.

As a student of Islam, I was edified by the book of Robert Spencer. It is respectful of Islam, and at the same time gives clarity to Islamic thought. I do not think that many Muslims would read this book and remain untouched by it. He gives some salient thoughts which I repeat here:(1)the West is being hoodwinked by Islamic apologists who proclaim that their religion is one of Peace, which it clearly is not (2)Islam denies free will as well as the adoption of orphans,(3)It denies any possibility of critical analysis of the Koran, leaving the majority of Muslims in abject ignorance, totally manipulated by the Imams and Mullahs, etc, and (4)the institutionalised policy of deception practised by Islam to further its cause etc
But the author does not touch upon the huge number of Christian women who marry Muslims, the efforts of Christian apologists (e.g. Fr Botros) who have a profound effect upon Muslims converting to Christianity, etc.
This being said, I heartily recommend this book to honest searchers.

I had two lengthy debates with Robert Spencer and his cabal through FrontPage magazine, an online periodical that promotes imperialist wars and torture against Muslims. I published those debates together with other debates and articles in my recent book, Peacemaker's Guide to Warmongers: Exposing Robert Spencer, Osama bin Laden, David Horowitz, Mullah Omar, Bill Warner, Ali Sina and other Enemies of Peace. Here are some related excerpts from that book.


I find Spencer's and Warner's understanding of the Quran heavily distorted by the teachings of Sunni or Shiite sects. I do not blame them for this. Had they studied the Quran without the distortion of Hadith, Sunna and sectarian fatwas, they would find out that the address of their criticism and concern is wrong. I invite them to study our exposition of sectarian distortions. I invite them to re-flect on the translation of those verses and our arguments in the Quran: a Re-formist Translation.

If Spencer and Warner learn the historic distortions committed centuries after the revelation of the Quran, they might regret for attacking Prophet Muhammad and his message, the Quran, because of those who have deserted and betrayed it (Quran 25:30; 10:100; 6:22-24; 6:112-113; 45:6-11; 31:6-7; 68:35-38). Perhaps, one day they will hear the message of the Quran without the backward back-ground noises and will submit themselves to God alone.

...

So, if these gentlemen have the right to depict Muhammad to be an evil guy and his supporters being as evil or duped, then I should also have the right to expose their so-called scholarly work, which is merely based on hearsay books and distortion and contortion of the Quranic verses by the followers of those hearsay stories. For instance, brother Spencer generously uses the hearsay stories fabricated centuries after Muhammad's life to assassinate Muhammad's character, while he knows well that according to the same sources which he trusts, Muhammad reportedly split the Moon causing half of it to fall in Ali's backyard, or Muhammad reportedly made trees walk, Muhammad ascended to the seventh heaven with his body, and many other stories. Scholarly integrity requires consistency and honesty in using sources in evaluating a historic personality. But, your gentlemen pick and choose from those books as they wish. They take advantage of the crazy noises created by Jingoists, Crusaders and Jihadists, and hideously try to justify a bloody imperial Crusade with its resurrected Spanish Inquisition mentality against Muslims. I consider the work of these gentlemen a dishonest or ignorant attack against one of the most progressive and peaceful leaders in human history.

***

If Muslims are Terrorists, then Jews and Christians are Terrorists to the Factor of 666! The Diabolic Coalition Exposed: Evilgelical Crusaders, Fascist Zionists, and Fanatic Sunnis and Shiites are Following Six Steps to Discredit the Quran

The verse 9:5 does not encourage Muslims to attack those who associate partners to God, but to attack those who have violated the peace treaty and killed and terrorized people because of their belief and way of life. The Quran does not promote war; but encourages us to stand against aggressors on the side of peace and justice. War is permitted only for self-defense (See: 2:190,192,193,256; 4:91; 5:32; 60:8-9). We are encouraged to work hard to establish peace (47:35; 8:56-61; 2:208). The Quranic precept promoting peace and justice is so fundamental that peace treaty with the enemy is preferred to religious ties (8:72).

The verse 9:29 is mistranslated by almost every translator. The correct translation of it should be:

9:29 You shall fight (back) against those who do not believe in God, nor in the last day, and they do not prohibit what God and His messenger have prohibited, and do not abide by the system of truth among those who received the scripture, until they pay the COMPANSATION, in humility.

You have noticed that I inserted a parenthesis since the context of the verse is about the War of Hunain, and fighting is allowed for only self defense. See: 2:190-193, 256; 4:91; and 60:8-9.

Furthermore, note that I suggest COMPENSATION instead of Arabic word Jizya. The meaning of Jizya has been distorted as a perpetual tax on non-Muslims, which was invented long after Muhammad to further the imperialistic agenda of Sultans or Kings. The origin of the word that I translated as Compensation is JaZaYa, which simply means compensation, not tax. Because of their aggression and initiation of a war against muslims and their allies, after the war, the allied community should require their enemies to compensate for the damage they inflicted on the peaceful community. Various derivatives of this word are used in the Quran frequently, and they are translated as COMPANSATION for a particular deed.

Unfortunately, the distortion in the meaning of the verse above and the practice of collecting a special tax from Christians and Jews, contradict the basic principle of the Quran that there should not be compulsion in religion and there should be freedom of belief and expression (2:256; 4:90; 10:99; 18:29; 88:21,22, and 4:137). Since taxation based on religion creates financial duress on people to convert to the previliged religion, it violates this important Quranic principle. Dividing a population that united under a social contract (constitution) into previliged groups based on their religion contradicts many principles of the Quran, including justice, peace, and brotherhood/sisterhood of all humanity.

Some uninformed critics or bigoted enemies of the Quran list verses of the Quran dealing with wars and declare islam to be a religion of violence. Their favorite verses are: 2:191; 3:28; 3:85; 5:10,34; 9:5; 9:28-29; 9:123; 14:17; 22:9; 25: 52; 47:4 and 66:9. In this article, I refuted their argument against 9:29, and I will discuss each of them later.

Some followers of Sunni or Shiite religions, together with their like-minded modern Crusaders, abuse 9:5 or 9:29 by taking them out of their immediate and Quranic context. Sunnis and Shiites follow many stories and instructions falsely attributed to Muhammad that justify terror and aggression. For instance, in a so-called authentic (or authentically fabricated) hadith, after arresting the murderers of his shepherd, the prophet and his companions cut their arms and legs off, gauge their eyes with hot nails and leave them dying from thirst in the dessert, a contradiction to the portrayal of Muhammad's mission in the Quran (21:107; 3:159). In another authentically fabricated hadith, the prophet is claimed to send a gang during night to secretly kill a female poet who criticized him in her poetry, a violation of the teaching of the Quran! (2:256; 4:137; 4:140; 10:99; 18:29; 88:21-22). Despite these un-Quranic teachings, the aggressive elements among Sunni or Shiite population have almost always been a minority.

SIX DIABOLIC STEPS TO DISTORT AND DISCREDIT

The following six steps are cleverly utilized over and over by the enemies of islam, including Christian missionaries, to discredit the Quran. For the 3rd and 4th steps they find great ammunition inside the volumes of hadith and sectarian jurisprudence books. (No wonder they like those books very much). For the 5th and 6th steps they find many allies among Sunni or Shiite versions of Hislamics who are extremely intoxicated by those anti-islamic sectarian teachings.

Before exposing this unholy alliance let me quote several war related instructions from the so-called authentic hadith books:

Narrated As-Sab bin Jaththama: The Prophet passed by me at a place called Al-Abwa or Waddan, and was asked whether it was permissible to attack the pagan warriors at night with the probability of exposing their women and children to danger. The Prophet replied, "They (i.e. women and children) are from them (i.e. pagans)." I also heard the Prophet saying, "The institution of Hima is invalid except for Allah and His Apostle." (Bukhari (Jihad) Volume 4, Book 52, Number 256)

It is reported on the authority of Sa'b b. Jaththama that the Prophet of Allah (may peace be upon him), when asked about the women and children of the polytheists being killed during the night raid, said: They are from them. (Muslim Book 019, Number 4321)

It is narrated by Sa'b b. Jaththama that he said (to the Holy Prophet): Messenger of Allah, we kill the children of the polytheists during the night raids. He said: They are from them. (Muslim Book 019, Number 4322)

Sa'b b. Jaththama has narrated that the Prophet (may peace be upon him) asked: What about the children of polytheists killed by the cavalry during the night raid? He said: They are from them. (Muslim Book 019, Number 4323)

HERE ARE THE REPEATED SIXES:

1. Ignore the fact that the Quran is a self-sufficient, self-explaining and detailed book, and destroy its semantic network by deliberately disconnecting its verses. Take a portion of the Quran and ignore all other verses that explain, supplement or bring limitation to that verse. If this is not enough to make it ugly or scary, then;

2. Reduce your reference to a smaller portion; take a Quranic verse or part of it out of its immediate context. If this is not enough to make it ugly or scary, then;

3. Twist the meaning of some words. You may even find a sectarian book or a website that has done that before you. If this is not enough to make it ugly or scary, then;

4. Refer to the mishmash collection of fabrications called hadith and sunnah; there you will find a treasury of trash to stink an entire city. Claim that the Quran is useless and unintelligible without these sources. Some Hislamic people will be confused by your love of those "holy" teachings! That is a good sign. If you cannot convince, you must confuse... But, your goal is to convert as many as possible. So, find as much as garbage out of the Hislamic sources and introduce it as Islamic. If this is not enough to make it ugly or scary, then;

5. Pick some examples of Sunni or Shiite idiots or terrorists, from among more than a billion Muslims, and generalize it to all Muslims. Especially, choose your examples from traumatized populations that have been abused and oppressed under the occupation of USA, UK, Israel, or Russia, or under the tyranny of a puppet dictator supported by one of these nations. While doing this, you must entirely ignore all the wars, destructions, massacres, tortures, and terrorist acts committed by the Judeo-Christian forces. If this is not enough to make it ugly or scary, then;

6. Exchange words of hatred and bigotry with some intoxicated Sunni or Shiite Hislamics. Then go to your church, sing songs about love and Jesus, and do not forget asking forgiveness for your sins. You will start your next day clean and ready to commit more sins. Your Hislamic partner (!) will be waiting for you since they do not have confession sessions. If this is not enough to make it ugly and scary, then you have picked a very wrong verse. Choose another verse from the Quran, and go back and start from step one!

Let's apply it to the Bible:

Peacemaker's Guide to Warmongers: Exposing Robert Spencer, David Horowitz, and other Enemies of Peace

1st of all, there are many much better book to read if you are truly wondering what Quran (Koran) is all about. such as: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam, 2nd Edition

this is book went on detail and many quotation from Quran, but it is just a misunderstanding (or intentionally misguiding) of understand Quran as well as Islam. It is a free speech country, which also means, us, the readers, are giving much more choice on what we should read and what we choose to believe. All major religions are leading people to do the good things, to have faith and to find peace living in this world (and thereafter). But all religions also have side-tracted-groups that interpreted the extreme way.

From Islamic view, "infidels" should be more properly translated as "idolizer" - a person who worships idols. So, Christians and Jews are not infidels, but "the people of the book". as a matter of fact, Muslim males are allowed to marry those girls (under the understanding that the husbands can't force the wives to convert - as a matter of fact, no one can make anyone convert to islam. It is between that person and God). the only reason for muslim girls to only marry muslim boys is to avoid the fight later against religion differences, that maybe bring up by the Jewish or Christian husbands, since most girls normally are more emotional.

I holds respect towards all holy scrips, the torah, the bible, the quran, and even buddhism books. all of the books are teaching you to respect yourself, your community, love, peace, etc. It's better to read some books as I mentioned above and then read a Quran by yourself. Go or call a local masjid if you have questions, or even you want to debate your view).

recommended reading:
What Islam is All About (Paperback)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam, 2nd Edition
The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook
The Qur'an (Quran, Koran, Al-Qur'an). Translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. (mobi)

Having read quite a lot on the "Koran" and Islam, this book still is an eye opener. Lots of detail, lots of associations, and a ton of explanation based on the Arabic culture. As stated within, most non-Arab Muslims can't read the Book in Arabic and have to rely on their religious leadership for interpretation. This book might help them, too.

Yes, after September 11 (you know what year), people who went to bed on September 10 knowing only that Islam existed but went to bed knowing only that they hated every Muslim on the planet. This created a market for anti-Islamic books (not anti-Al Qaida books, anti-Muslim books), and Robert Spencer's glut of writings still hasn't saturated it.

Thanks to Spencer, Islam now takes its place alongside Judaism and Catholicism (ironically, Spencer's own faith) as religions from which one can make a profit pandering to those who hate it.

(No, I didn't read it. I don't have to. I've already read the first book in Spencer's "Muslim Hater's Library", Islam Unveiled, and that was enough for me, and if it weren't, there's still the fact that Spencer delights in steering people away from truly helpful translations of the Q-U-R'-A-N (can Spencer really understand a book when he can't even spell it's title?) such as the Yusuf Ali translation.)

The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)]]

A Thematic Commentary on the Quran[[ASIN:0199535957



Robert Spencer is an islamophobe and bigot.
He takes verses out of historical context and leaves out the verse right before and right after the ones used to bash Muslims.
There are some deaf and blind and only God can cure them, Robert Spencer is one of them. Even worse he preaches and is proud of his offensive ignorance.
Peace
watch this...
[...]

With the exception of Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics (I do have my limits!), I have read all of Spencer's books. In my opinion the best was Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions About the World's Fastest-Growing Faith, although to my surprise his bestsellers have apparently been The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades).

However, all relevant variables have not been held constant: these second two had a different publisher, and the first one you read is always the one that jolts you the most.

Anyhow, this one. I ordered it sight unseen, thinking it was merely a bookization of something Spencer did about a year ago on his website, his "Blogging the Quran." In this series, he went through the Koran sura by sura, and appended all the contextual information from Mohammed's sayings and biographies that one must be conversant with in order to truly understand the Koran. I thought the whole thing was a great idea, although I confess that I didn't follow along as he was doing it: I resolved instead to read all of those postings alongside the Koran as soon as he was done with the project.

But that's not what this is. Apparently Spencer couldn't get a publisher who thought that he could sell enough such books to a mass audience, so even though what I have described was Spencer's original intention, that's not what this book -- "The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran" is. (For those interested, Spencer did finish his "Blogging the Koran" series: it's anthologized right there under "Qur'an Commentary" on the top left of his website.)

This book, though, does provide tons of commentary on the Koran, just not in the chronological way that those postings did. There are chapters such as "The Koran on Women," "The Koran on Christians," etc., so Spencer proceeds here by theme, not in order.

I still found this book unusual for Spencer. No, it's not as scholarly as that collection of essays he edited (The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims), but after finishing it, I see I'm going to have to re-read it. He really gets intimate with the actual text here in a way that he doesn't really do in his other, popular books. Hence I was forced to pay strict attention and even take notes.

However, you don't actually have to read this alongside the Koran for it to make sense.

One can only marvel at the extent to which the Author went to write this book. Having read the Koran translated by N.J. Dawood many years ago, and returning back to it numerous times in attempt to decipher some of the verses it became clear to me that some meanings may never be answered adequately. Robert Spencer must have sensed the despair of many who yearned to understand what's in the Book that is regarded as the holiest of scriptures by more than a billion Muslims on this planet.

Written in an easy-to-read style The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran gently guides the reader through the maze of meanings that seemed cryptic at best and some, until now, made no sense at all. The world today appears to be sitting atop a simmering volcano of religious intolerance which could lead to a disaster. Understanding the root of the problem is the first step towards defusing the conflagration and it is the responsibility of all of us to work towards that goal. I sincerely recommend the "The COMPLETE INFIDEL'S GUIDE to the KORAN" to all readers, non-Muslim and Muslim alike.

This book is the perfect state of what is wrong with Islam!!! I would definitely examine the "Frequently Bought Together" list, just to be sure to obtain a really balanced opinion.

However, reading this book is not as good as getting the evil straight from the book itself!
It will save you the trouble of reading the 3 or more best sellers on this important material.

I'd try the "The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)". That will put you into the truly "Educated" position. Also - try to find a Mosque to visit. Their worship ceremony exposes the "True Nature". Be Informed and beware of these "evil" people!!

as the second 3 star posting, I hope my review is read by more people.
Remember: examine the "Frequently Bought Together" list!!!!! That will explain "the issue" in a very terse manner, and that is hard to avoid.

I enjoyed this book, but frankly expected a more scholarly treatment with longer quotations from the Koran and Hadith, and more details of early Islamic history, heresies and criticism. I enjoyed picking up new Arabic works (such as `taqiyya,' `qufr,' etc.) and actually wanted more. The most interesting part of the book concerns the early history of the Koran, for example, how it was originally written down by Zaid bin Thabit, who collected it from various sources and persons, but said he could never be sure he had it all right (page 31). Ironically Zaid was not one of the four persons who Mohammed claimed were the most reliable sources (page 35)! Are you reading this, Mr. bin Laden?

I believe that Spencer reads the Koran the way al Qaeda reads it, and this understanding is essential to us all in the West. Interpretation of the Koran requires the reader to have a concept of "abrogation" to assign priority between conflicting verses (it seems there are so many of these.) Abrogation has been used since the time of Mohammed to sort out his inconsistencies (page 217). But a critical question which is almost ignored by Spencer is how the majority of Muslims worldwide read the Koran. Spencer brushes aside the interpretations of "moderate" Muslims. Re-interpretation of the Koran is possible (which Spencer admits on p.222) if the rules of abrogation are changed. I think this explains the hostile criticism of the book from some Muslims; they can and do read the Koran differently. Whether scholarly or traditional support exists for their interpretation, well, Spencer thinks it does not.

The book is also marred by Spencer's anti-Obama rhetoric, which will surely date the book, and has no place in a guide to the Koran. Likewise, his comments on the moral superiority of Christianity. Spencer frequently states that the Bible is not quoted and used to inspire terrorism and violence: he apparently has forgotten the Holocaust. In that light, his remarks on Christian moral superiority are reduced to mere cant.

Combining top notch scholarship with his direct writing style, Spencer again clearly illustrates the destructive nature of Islam. His pointed remarks show again and again that the Koran itself is the primary source for Islam's war against the infidels. He repeatedly shows that for the true believer, Islam must become dominant wherever it is located. This is a top notch source book for anyone wishing to learn more about the cancerous nature of Islam.

This book reinforces the others I have read By Robert Spencer. It should be required reading in our universities or by anyone interested in easy-to-read facts.

It is sad to observe that so few of our politicians act upon Spencer's reccomendations. It is even more sad that our media, hiding behind political correctness, has failed to report how those who believe in (Worldwide) Islamic supremacy have now declared war upon the United States. We infidels need to recoginize the enemy and this book leads to that understanding.

The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran is an introductory reference to the Koran and comes from the director of Jihad Watch, a program of the David Horowitz Freedom Center. As such, it probes both the spiritual and political messages underlying Koran passages, considering the Koran's origins, passages, and its decrees toward Jews, Christians, and other Infidels. Differences between Muslim and modern times contributes to a pointed survey.

This book has made me aware of what Islam is really about. I have developed a new awareness of what issues are going on around me and my area. People need to understand what Islam and its beliefs are. Radial terrorist constantly spew quotations from the Koran. Pay attention non-believers!!

I appreciate Robert Spencer's approach in this book. This is not just Spencer's exposition or commentary on the Koran. The majority of the book is composed of the commentary and beliefs from well known adherents to the faith. This is why this book is truly illuminating and a must read!

For the last two or three decades Saudi Arabia has been and continues to fund American mosques and Islamic centers at most major universities.

Just what influences are being introduced with these petro dollars ?

In 2007 a US Congressman refused to be sworn into office in the normal way and instead was sworn in "on the Koran".

What is this Koran ?

Adherents of Mohammedanism claim that it is the "final book" which nullifies the New Testament and the Torah.

Robert Spencer elucidates important portions of this book in a fair and impartial comparative style.

This book should especially be read by American women, so they can understand what Islam is preparing for their daughters and grand daughters.

Robert spencer is nothing more then an anit-islam fear monger who knows nothing about the Muslim faith, If anyone really wants to learn about islam and the Quran, then speak to a muslim person, visit a mosque, better yet GO READ the QURAN Yourself rather then listen to it second hand from someone who has a person crusade against it. Reading this book to learn about the Quran or Islam or about muslims is like going to a Priest to learn about Judaism. If a similar book were written about the Torah, the author would be branded an anitsemite and lawsuits would be flying left and right.

Very demeaning to anyone of the Islamic faith. Does not contribute to legitimate dialogue in any respect. Belittling to the reader as the author assumes that the audience does not have the intelligence to develop their own opinions.

This book, from my perspective as a non-Muslim who has read extensively in the Q'uran and the secondary literature in English, is an excellent survey of the contents of the Q'uran. The author compares the available English translation, places each subject in context, and explains it clearly and factually. It is imperative that Westerners understand what the Koran and Hadith say and mean, and their implications for today's geopolitics. The book is well-written, and avoids the breezy condescension which mars so many of these popular "Complete ...'s Guide" books. I strongly recommend it, both for those who have never studied about the Koran and for those who have tried to read it and have given up in despair.

This book clearly shows the threat posed by the religion of Islam. Interpretation of the Koran and the many references to killing infidels is what drives Islamic jihad. We must be on guard against all Muslims because they can interpret the Koran literally and believe they must subjugate or kill all non-believers.

This is an easy to read, straightforward presentation of facts about the Koran. An overwhelming majority of Americans are totally in the dark about what the Koran teaches about all non-Muslims as being second-class people. The Koran is the antithesis of Western Culture and against everything about the American culture.

The book presents various tenets taught in the Koran and documents where these tenets in the Koran or related documents are taught. The book also quotes modern Muslin experts who interpret the Koran and basically agree with the precepts in the book.

For all of us who wish an un-hyped understanding--without politically correct filters--of one of the worlds largest political/religious belief systems, this book delivers. Mr. Spencer provides historical context and a great understanding of the Islamic world in this easy-to-read, easy-to-understand book. This is a MUST read for every man, woman, and child in the West.

INFIDEL, because they already consider you one anyway...... Dont believe me, go to your nearest Mosque and pick up their koran with your bare hands..... have no fear, its the religion of peace after all.

This book is an excellent no holds barred look at the REAL propose of islam without the rosy PC glasses the liberals or the ACLU think everyone has to wear..... call me an islamaphobe, but while you're calling a spade a spade be honest with yourself about islam. I deployed to Iraq March of 03 and have seen it in its purest form..... What will it take people? How many backpack bombs need to go off in a mall before you admit you were wrong to defend islam? How many female 'circumcisions' or honor killings? The 'moderate' muslims NOT committing these attacks aren't evil, but cant say they are truly following islam word for word either. The late chronology parts of the koran from mohammed's time in Medina that "abrogate" the peaceful earlier parts from his time in Mecca spreads hate and intolerance and should be received as such. The only peace to be found in the koran is muslim to muslim (unless any number of circumstances apply) Buy this book and WAKE UP!!!! Look up "sudden jihad syndrome"

When I first looked at the book I wondered how Robert Spencer would manage to fit a good account of the Koran (and its place in the other sacred Islamic writings) in a slim volume - but he manages it.

It is a solid account, not without humour but not obsessed with making the subject "light". Nor does Mr Spencer avoid the times when Muhammad actually says something moderate (such as that a man should beat his wife with a "toothbrush").

The general picture that Mr Spencer presents is not a comfortable one for those who wish to pretend that only a few "extremists" have hostile intent towards nonMuslims, the problem is not with a few "extremeists" but with the basic Islamic doctrines themselves. Doctrines that Muslims do not believe were created by a man called Muhammad - but are the eternal doctrines of God (doctrines as old as the universe - and which will last as long as the universe does) that were communicated to Muhammad

Again not a comforting message - but the truth. And we must face the truth if we are to have any chance of thinking and acting rationally.

Every American should read this book and vote accordingly. We are in great danger, and we need a proper understanding of what we face in order to decide how we must respond.

This book, while introductory, is necessary reading for anyone who wants to understand how the Koran leads radical islamists to commit acts that seem horribly incomprehensible to people in the West. It is extremely important for Westerners to understand that terrorists and those who support them are not crazy, nor do they hate us for our policies vis-a-vis Israel. They hate us because we are not muslims and do not live under islamic law. Because of that, the Koran allows --even encourages -- them to kill us in whatever way they can. When they do so they are (according to the Koran) rewarded in the afterlife. The fact that most of the word's muslims do not believe or act on these Koranic passages does not mitigate the fact that they are in the Koran and hence have the entire power of the religion of islam behind them, for those who choose to believe and act. To understand why the above is true you must read this book. The muslims and multiculti apologists who criticize it have not pointed out any factual errors; their approach seems to be to say suimply that the author should not be saying these things about islam. Read the book for yourself -- you'll be glad you did.

A must-read for everybody, especially for those who still think that all religions teach love and kindness and understanding for all. This one certainly does not. The author writes clearly, presents FACTS supported by citations from the book under consideration. Only the most intellectually challenged or dishonest will accuse him of 'misunderstanding' the book or of 'hate speech.' Thank you, Robert Spencer for having the courage to write this book.

Have heard nothing about the delivery of my book for over a month! It seems someone could let me know what is going on!!!!!
A F Martin

After seeing the reviews "Oh so funny! (not)" "This book is a JOKE" and "Nothing but Smoke and Mirrors" I bought the book.

It is an eye-opener. Everyone who wants to live a few more years should buy this book.

We have in our midst vast hordes of people who understand their holy book 100% literally, and live their lives by its violent dictates. We have got to understand what violent acts this book tells them to commit against Christians and Jews.

Well written and balanced. A must read for those who are truly looking into Islam from different perspectives.

This book is a real eye opener. I have known many people who spent a great deal of time in the Middle East, and all of them agree, this is an accurate account of the Muslim Faith. I was surprised how much I learned, and shocked by some of it.

Anyone who wants to understand the Muslim faith needs to read this book. Anyone who believes in a peaceful, one world government should read this book. Those who fear Muslims for various reasons need to read it, too.

The author is a bit verbose, and at times the book reads like a text book, but it is worth the effort. You will learn more than you bargained for.

This book, without a doubt, is a must read for every American. It sheds light on what's really happening to our country, even as you're reading this review. It is a simple and truthful explanation of what the Koran says that should create a sense of urgency for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and every red blooded American who enjoys freedom.

Robert Spencer is just so funny! He has raised the art of hate-mongering to such a high level that you just have to laugh or you'd cry. If anyone bothers to buy this work, please, please remember that context is everything, something Mr Spencer specialises in forgetting. Anyone who truly want to learn about Islam should read Tariq Ramadan, Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood, John Esposito, Ingrid Mattson, Kahled Abou el-Fadl or Karen Armstrong.

When talking about this book, the word that first comes to mind is that this cannot be anything other than a "joke". Firstly, I would like to point out that there are truths to the arguments he makes and that they should not be overlooked even if his goal is to persuade the readers that Islam is an evil religion instead of promoting understanding. All of Spencer's arguments can be summed up in this way: this one line in the Qur'an says something positive and this one line in the Qur'an says something negative so the Qur'an is negative. WHAT? This isn't baseball where the tie goes to the runner! You cannot just say each negative interpretation overrides each positive one. In addition, he attempts to trick the reader by these side boxes where he compares the Qur'an to the Bible. In one box, it compared a passage in the Qur'an that seemed to imply that violent actions should be responded with violent actions whereas the passage from the Bible says that a violent actions should be responded with tolerance(turning the cheek). However, there are a lot of violent passages in the Bible that would have sounded exactly like the passage from the Qur'an that the author chose. I am not saying that the Bible promotes violence, but simply that there are violent passages in the Bible that author either ignorantly or stupidly decided not to use that would have been more appropriate. In addition, he has other boxes where he makes fun of the Hadith by portraying Muslims as idiots.
My point is this: Terrorists use the Qur'an and passages in the Qur'an to support their views, and therefore it is important to understand whether these terrorists are lying or if there is some truth to their arguments. However, this book is not the way to go if you would like to know more about this subject. Instead of reading the Qur'an and analyzing it to form his opinion, Spencer makes an opinion first and uses only what he wants to affirm his opinions. He constantly tricks his audience by being very sly with his wording. For example, he says that people arguing against his view points say that the controversial passages in the Qur'an are taken out of context, as if those people are stupid and this is the only counter argument they can think of. However, HE NEVER EXPLAINS why people say these passages can be taken out of context in detail and how there is some truth to what these people say. Max Muller continually said that "he who knows one, knows one". I truly believe that Islam is a religion of peace. Although Spencer would argue that I am either ignorant or stupid, I have read the passages of the Qur'an and the Hadith and have come to this conclusion. I advise to you all to do the same. Read both sides of the argument before you come to your conclusion, whatever it is. Try to be understanding of another person's faith. There are plenty of books that more than adequately represent both sides of this argument, but this is not one of them.

With it's title suggestive of the Idiot's Guide to ... series, I did not expect an academic presentation, but I did expect a bit more meat and was surprised at a few cheap shots. However, the content is excellent and reveals deeply seated core beliefs that are ignored by the news media to our own peril. These core beliefs are clearly demonstrated to be supported by the Koran, Koranic scholars and publications (and Islamic governments to varying degrees), and are simultaneously inimical to living in a multicultural fashion let alone a secular culture. The book clearly demonstrates why there are no churches in Saudi Arabia, why Sharia is not just for "fundamental" or "radical" Muslims, and why we will hear more reports of Christians being killed in Pakistan and other countries. It also makes understanding the news reports from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and etc more understandable, and a bit more frightening. It is not Islamophobic; it demonstrates in a logical, reasoned and documented fashion why Islam is to be feared and not to assume that terrorist attacks by Muslims are directed by a few wackos.

Islam can not possibly survive the 21st century. If the koran were to be subjected to the same rigoreus scientific scrutiny the Bible went through, not one iota would survive. I am a black man living in the Netherlands and am a huge fan of Geert Wilders, his analysis is spot on and his support is growing by the day, and increasingly, blacks and others join his bandwagon.
I loved every page of this book, it's the plain and simple thruth. Internet will eliminate islam. Freedom of speech is our most potent weapon against these facsists.
Since african americans in prison turn to islam in alarming numbers, wouldn't it be wise to publish a study of the still existing scourge of islamic slavery in Africa (Mali, Mauretania, Sudan, Senegal, Saoudi Arabia)and tell the tales of those who managed to escape this ordeal? Why are their no black communities in the middle east? Because al black males were castrated, because of their inferiority and animallike behaviour. Tell that to the good black folks of America, they just might wake up before it's too late. Thank you, Mr. Spencer, and keep up the good work.

Robert Spencer is one of the most knowlegdable indidviduals who knows Islam and the Koran inside out. " The Complete Infidel's Guide To the Koran" is a must read for anyone who wants to learn about Islam's holy book,the Koran, Muhammed, Allah and the roots of Islam and it's relevance to our present day world. Spencer is meticulous in how he uses his facts, Islam's own historical writings and accounts to examine and take apart the Koran. The book is very easy to read and follow which is in direct contrast to Koran and Hadith. Mr. Spencer has written several other books about Islam and I would also recommend those books to anyone who is seeking to learn about Islam, the challenges and threats that Islam brings to the table for the western world.

This is a book everyone who lives in the West Should read. Especially Liberals and those living "alternative" life styles. There is a lot of eye opening information in this book. It is written in plain enough language that even I could follow it. I also thought the Koran/Bible comparisons were a nice touch.

The Infidels guide to the Koran is recycled information from Spencer's older books with a sprinkle of new information such as President Obama's speech to the Muslim world. You can read any of the other books that bash Islam and still feel like you are doing your job of being Islamaphobic. The premise is the same; The Quran commands Muslims to kill everyone who is not Muslim, oppress women, and Christianity is better.

Spencer says "the Koran decrees that women be subordinate to men in numerous verses." It may be difficult to see through the smoke, but Islam honors women better than any religion on Earth. Now of course Spencer will throw the verse that says men can beat women up and then the verse that says a woman's testimony is half of a man's or the one which says a woman's inheritance is half of that which her brothers get.Ok. But lets look deeper and beyond the surface.


Can we all agree that women and men are different not only physically but psychologically. I remember reading a book by John Gray who said that men have a psychological need to take care of women. If a man were the one providing for women as the Quran demands of them (men are protectors of women) would it make sense for the inheritance they get to be split down the middle 50-50? The man has to put the food on the table while the female can put her money in a certified deposit and nobody can touch it. Can you show me any religion or society that says women do not need to work, but only if they want to. Show me where women are honored like this in the Bible and show me where it says as it does in the Hadith that "Heaven lies at the feet of Mothers."

How about that beating verse. I do not claim to have all the answers but I recommend that people watch a youtube video by Abdulrahman Green about beating women in Islam that explains it in a way you might understand.

He mentions Iranian women throwing off their head covering and liberating themselves from the shackles of the headscarf. Women were banned from wearing the headscarf in France so what is his point. Covering your hair is not a form of oppression, but being forced to show your hair and your beauty to be accepted in society or to make money is oppression.

Moving on to chapter 11, I read something that I thought Spencer may have written without giving much thought. He says that people believe that Islam teaches "universal love and brotherhood, being kind to the poor, peaceful and generous." The next paragraph says "Certainly Judaism and Christianity teach these things."

Judaism? I remember Bill Maher saying that the God of the Old Testament was a rifleman who wanted to kill everybody. What this shows is one mans bias against a religion. He says Islam does not teach any good. There are many verses that clearly preach good such as 4:36

"(Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and unto the neighbor who is of kin (unto you) and the neighbor who is not of kin, and the fellow-traveler." But Spencer only points the finger at those verses that can be made to look bad or evil or oppressive.

The glaring difference between Islam and Christianity can be summed up on page 209 where Spencer quotes Matthew 5:39 "Do not resist one who is evil But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other." He says this has been "interpreted by Christian tradition as utter passivity in the face of evil." Now I ask the reasonable reader, Why didn't the U.S. turn the other cheek on 9-11? How about after Pearl Harbor? The U.S., a Christian country, did not follow the commands of the Bible but followed the commands of the Quran "Fight those who Fight you." 2:190 and when U.S. army soldiers were in the trenches on D-Day fighting Nazis, General Patton gave orders to "kill them wherever you find them." 9:5

The problem with terrorists is that they use these verses to kill everyone, even their fellow Muslims. We need to identify these people and call them out, I agree with that. But lets not take out the big guns and wipe out everyone who practices Islam. The religion of Islam is good, but some of its followers are not. Only rational people will understand this and I hope you are one of them.

When I heard that Spencer wrote another book about Islam, I was surprised. How can a guy keep writing books that say the exact same thing but in different words and people still buy them? The Infidels guide to the Koran is recycled information from his older books with a sprinkle of new information such as President Obama's speech to the Muslim world. If you really want to read this book, I would advise that you check it out at your local Barnes and Nobles and save the [...] for something that will not make you feel dirty as this book has the tendency to do.

I am sure people will say they want examples of how this book stinks of crookedness. Speaking of crooked, let's jump to chapter nine; The Koran on Women. Spencer says"the Koran decrees that women be subordinate to men in numerous verses." It may be difficult to see through the smoke, but Islam honors women better than any religion on Earth. Now of course Spencer will throw the verse that says men can beat women up and then the verse that says a woman's testimony is half of a man's or the one which says a woman's inheritance is half of that which her brothers get.Ok. But lets look deeper and beyond the surface.


Can we all agree that women and men are different? Last time I checked, men don't get pregnant. I remember reading a book by John Gray who said that men have a psychological need to take care of women. If a men were the one providing for women as the Quran demands of them (men are protectors of women) would it make sense for the inheritance they get to be split down the middle 50-50? The man has to put the food on the table while the female can put her money in a certified deposit and nobody can touch it. Can you show me any religion or society that says women do not need to work, but only if they want to. Show me where women are honored like this in the Bible and show me where it says as it does in the Hadith "Heaven lies at the feet of Mothers."

How about that beating verse. I do not claim to have all the answers but I recommend that people watch a youtube video by Abdulrahman Green about beating women in Islam that explains it in a way you might understand.

He mentions Iranian women throwing off their head covering and liberating themselves from the shackles of the headscarf. That's nice but women were banned from wearing the headscarf in France so I'm not sure where he was going with that one.
Moving on to chapter 11, I read something that I thought Spencer may have accidentally wrote without giving much thought. He says that people believe that Islam teaches "universal love and brotherhood, being kind to the poor, peaceful and generous." The next paragraph says "Certainly Judaism and Christianity teach these things."

What? Judaism? I remember Bill Maher saying that the God of the Old Testament was a rifleman who wanted to kill everybody. What this shows is one mans bias against a religion. He says Islam does not teach any good. There are many verses that clearly preach good such as 4:36

"(Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and unto the neighbor who is of kin (unto you) and the neighbor who is not of kin, and the fellow-traveler." But Spencer only points the finger at those verses that can be made to look bad or evil or oppressive.

The glaring difference between Islam and Christianity can be summed up on page 209 where Spencer quotes Matthew 5:39 "Do not resist one who is evil But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other." He says this has been "interpreted by Christian tradition as utter passivity in the face of evil." Now I ask the reasonable reader, Why didn't the U.S. turn the other cheek on 9-11? How about after Pearl Harbor? The U.S., a Christian country, did not follow the commands of the Bible but followed the commands of the Quran "Fight those who Fight you." 2:190 and when U.S. army soldiers were in the trenches on D-Day fighting Nazis, General Patton gave orders to "kill them wherever you find them." 9:5

The problem with terrorists is that they use these verses to kill everyone, even their fellow Muslims. The religion of Islam is good, but some of its followers are not. Only rational people will understand this and I hope you are one of them.

While there will never be a level playing field for addressing the contents of the Koran, Spencer goes overboard to present the opinions of apologists for Islam along side the concerns voiced by those who are alarmed by the contents of Islam's sacred book. The readers, at least, are informed of the opposing views and can assess their merits.

As a "Guide," the book pulls together the fragments of themes which are actually scattered in various parts of the Koran, explains illusions which would not be understood by the average English reader -- such as "right hand possesses" and "striving in the way of Allah", highlights the many contradictory themes, and compares the descriptions of events recorded by the "all-knowing Allah" with existing pre-Islamic accounts of the same events. Thanks to Spencer's patient unravelling of the Gordian knot, readers will gain new insights into many of familiar themes in religious history and theology.

But Spencer acknowledges on page 97 that all of this new knowledge may not help Infidels vis-a-vis Muslims: ". . [t]he Koran consistently assumes that the Infidels are not people who have come to a good faith decision that Islam is false. . . In the Koran, those who reject Islam are never acting out of sincere conviction. . . so anyone who rejects it must not be dong so out of intellectual or spiritual conviction, but out of narrow self-interest or desire for material gain. . . In other words, their unbelief in Islam is . . sheer perversity."

If knowledge is power, this book will be very useful for policy makers and opinion leaders.

This is not a new translation of the Muslim's holy book: The Koran/Quran. Nor is it a chapter-by-chapter review of the Koran, whereby each chapter is analyzed and explained. Instead, as implied in its title, it is a well-written "Guide" to the Koran. Essentially, the author has selected 75 or so significant topics discussed in the Koran and explains their current significance to Muslims, and how jihadists may use them to justify their attacks against "infidels" (including Muslims whom the jihadists believe are not on the `Straight Path' in following Islam). The author compares passages from both the Koran and the Bible, and explains the many differences of similar stories in them. Some of these topics include: abrogation/changes in Koranic verses (ayats); the devil sleeps in your nose; Adam & Eve; Abel & Cain (why the crow?), the jizya tax, King Solomon's problem with the Queen of Sheba's hairy legs; Jesus and his flying clay birds; some of Muhammad's raids; slavery of the `right hand'; how the Jews and Christians `corrupted' their holy books; the Isaac vs. Ishmael sacrifice dispute; Moses and the Pharaoh differences; did Allah promise Israel to the Jews?; hot hellfire for the kuffars; can Jews and Christians be `tolerated' by Muslims if the former were created from `apes and pigs' by Allah?; did Muhammad actually ride to Jerusalem?; were all Jewish prophets really Muslims?; was Jesus neither divine nor crucified?; wife beating; and much more. Besides selecting topics from just the Koran, the author also discusses current topical-issues being raised by U.S. Pres. Obama, the fundamentalist Osama bin Laden, and miscellaneous Muslim spokesmen. The author discusses the historical development of the Koran. Besides quoting merely from the Koran, the author also quotes from other Islamic sources (such as the hadith) to help explain some poignant topic. As the author himself commented: "This is not a general guide to the Koran" (p. 20). To read a chapter-by-chapter review of Mohammad's "Koran," see the "Bogging the Quran" serial at the author's JIHAD WATCH website. Hopefully, someday this series will be reprinted in book form. If you want more of an analysis of the Quran itself, I suggest "Introduction to the Qur'an" by W. Montgomery Watt (and Richard Bell); Edinburgh Univ. Press, 1970 (ISBN 0-7486-0597-5).