Should be required reading. - Rated 
I liked Mr Aslan's book. It should be read by all those who make decisions about community relations etc in the West as it dispels many myths about Islam. In fact one sees how many parallels Islam has with other religions and that it is only those who twist its interpretation to justify their actions that have caused so many misunderstandings about Islam in the minds of citizens of Western countries.
As always if one looks back at history, certain groups take perfectly respectable ideas and use them to further their own narrow interests and in doing so cause great harm. Juts think how socialism was diverted into the horrors of Stalin's style of Communism. One genuinely hopes that the true and unpoliticised Islamic Reformation triumphs and in doing so saves this great religion from those who would send it back to the dark ages.
I learnt so much from this book and it is very enlightening. The only downside is that towards the end of the book there are several chapters that are require the reader to follow fairly complex theological discussions/arguments. This type of discussion is difficult for anyone to follow (see for example Christian theology re the status of the Trinity for a similarly difficult argument) all the more so if you have not been brought up in the religion being discussed. But overall it's well worth reading. I'm a hard marker which is why I have only given it 3 stars but I think many others would mark it more highly.
A selective defense of Islam but a good read nonetheless. - Rated
A very interesting book. Well researched and well written. It does come across as a defense of Islam however. I decided to read it hoping to be impressed by the faith, but I came away less so. Mohammed seems to be more of a virile Che Guevara than a Jesus or Buddha. Or worse, perhaps. For example, p70 quotes the Quran stating that much depends on the translation. So, regarding women, you should either "talk to them suasively......and go to bed with them", or "admonish them and abandon them in their beds and beat them". This is spiritual stuff for sure.
There's a fair bit of killing going on too, and neither Mohammed nor Aslan seem to mind this too much. For example, lacking inspiration on what to do with the Qurayza who betray him he defers to the trival Hakam. The Hakam decides to execute the men - estimates range between 400 - 700 - and enslave the women. Now, Aslan quite rightly points out that most other religions have had their fair share of bloodshed. But the difference is that with Christianity or Buddhism it wasn't the main man who was involved. Did Jesus instruct the execution of 400 people and enslavement of women and children?
Tribal traditions and the historical context are frequent themes. Sometimes Mohammed breaks with them, for example to allow women to divorce men. Other times, for example when marrying a nine year old child. Alsan states that Mohammed "needs no defense on this point". Er, so marrying nine year olds is fine right? Rather, Mohammed seems to do whatever suits him personally, and also politically in growing his power base.
He's not big into dissent either as we can see when he's challenged by Al-Tabari, p62. "Those who disobey God and His Messenger, and who try to overstep...will be thrown into Hell". Seems like a fair answer if you don't agree with someone.
What I'd like to know also is how can the change in the Quran be justified? Originally Aslan states it is like the Kahins, but as time passes becomes less so as the Kahins are not entirely well thought of. How convenient. Surely if we have a direct communication from God who created the entire universe, he would be able to give us clear unchanging instruction, not tied to the context of 7th century Arabia, and not riddled with ambiguities? And could we have it in all languages please considering that it might be easier than having aboriginies, eskimos, etc. learn Arabic. Again, surely not too much to ask from the Creator of everything.
Another point is the campaign against false prophets. I'm curious, how were the false prophets tested? What rules were applied to them, and I would think to Mohammed also, to ensure that a prophet was true? Similarly, for pagans and monotheists, non-believers, etc. Obviously this is why there aren't any hippy festivals like Glastonbury or The Burning Man in Iran or Saudi Arabia. According to Mohammed, our motley crew of dancing fairies and druids deserves to be put to the sword. Let's hope it just doesn't happen near the main stage on a Saturday night.
Perhaps Mohammed and Jesus were quite different after all.
The Story Of Islam - Rated 
In his introduction, Reza Aslan defines religion as the "story of faith". By this definition, his book "No God but God" is the story of a story, and that is a good description. Mr. Aslan does a wonderful job of covering the history of the faith, both the mythological one and the historical one. He starts with the history of the region prior to the creation, and the conditions which helped shape Muhammad and the culture. I have read a couple histories of Islam and the Middle East before, but this one was much more accessible than the others, because Mr. Aslan is able to tell the story in a way which brings the story alive.
Another large section of the book is dedicated to talking about the different sects of Islam and what their differences are. This goes along with a history of the regions in which they developed and where they were adopted. This for me was probably the most important section of the book, because it is tremendously useful in understanding the mindset of the Sunni and Shi'ites, Sufis, and Wahhabi. This section is supported with many modern day examples which really help the reader to understand the differences.
There is also a section of the book which talks about what Islam really is. There is a lot of confusion these days over what is a part of the faith and what is not, and that confusion is certainly understandable after reading this book. It is also central to understanding how there can be such diverse interpretations even among Muslims of the same sect. The book closes with Mr. Aslan discussing the difference between secularism and pluralism. He shows how an Islamic state should by its very nature be pluralistic and could easily be a democracy founded on Islamic principals. His very optimistic finish is a declaration that "The Islamic Reformation is already here."
There are two smaller sections in this book where Reza Aslan relates some personal experiences. The first appears at the start of the introduction, where he discusses coming to the aid of two English speaking tourists and a train conductor in Morocco, which turns out to be a minor clash in cultures. The second is about his return to Iran after being taken away by his parents when he was very young. Both of these sections, although very short, really help the reader connect with the author. I would certainly be interested in seeing more of these types of stories included, to help make the text even more accessible than it already is.
The best introduction you will find - Rated
This important, necessary book was easily the best of several I read (or tried to read) on Islam. Reza Aslan tells the story of Islam from its beginnings all the way to the current "war on terror".
It is hard to imagine anyone could read Aslan's work and conclude western society is in the midst of a civilizational struggle with Islam.
The book jacket says this book was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award -- it is hard for me to imagine there was a better non-fiction book written in 2006. Given the current state of the world, this book is a "must read" if ever there was one.
A must-read - Rated
Aslan's unputdownable offering suggests a rather different view of Islam as portrayed not only in the daily Western press, but also in bestselling offerings like Sam Harris's religo-phobic 'End of Faith'. According to Aslan, far from being a `Clash of Civilisations' in Sam Huntingdon's now famous words, the current religious tension that seems to be pitting Islam against the rest of the world is in fact an internal conflict to gain ideological control of the Islamic faith. Despite headline-grabbing atrocities, kidnappings and beheadings, the West and its citizens are merely bystanders in a bloody sectarian clash within the Moslem faith.
On Aslan's side is the weight of history and the casualty list. It is unarguable that more Moslems have died in sectarian violence since September 11 than people of any other religion, nation or ethnic background. More persuasive is Aslan's impartial and brutally honest survey of the origins and evolution of Islam. Not since the death of Mohammad has their been agreement within the Moslem faith on the principles of this religion. Widely differing interpretations of the Quran, the Prophet's life, and - importantly - the relationship between secular and clerical authority in managing the political affairs of Moslems, have led to such incompatible differences that it would be more correct to talk of many `Islams' rather than a single Islamic faith. Only the Shiite's recognise the authority of Ayatollah's and Imams; only the Sunni believe that religious and political authority should be distinct; Bin Laden's wahhabi faction, hated by both Shiite and Sunni alike, seeks primarily to eradicate moderate Islamic practices, rather than Americans, Christians or Jews. The Sufi sect - roundly condemned by all other Muslims - preach that Mohammad and the Quran are merely steps on the path to divine union. To claim, as Sam Harris does for instance, that Islam is united in its intolerance for the West may be missing the point. If Aslan is correct, Islam is united only in its intolerance for competing interpretations of Mohammad's life and work; the West is neither here nor there, except in so far as it takes a stance in support of one or the other ideology.
So what is the solution to this religious conflict that threatens us all, regardless of whether we are bystanders or not? Suppression is certainly not the answer. As Aslan wisely says, the more one tries to squelch a religion, the stronger it becomes.
Alas, Aslan's own remedy for ideological troubles offers little solace. Islam must undergo its own reformation to turn it into a pluralistic, secularised ideology that can incorporate both democracy and the moral teachings of the Quran, he says. However, almost fifteen hundred years of bloody conflict within the faith offer no paradigmatic example of how this might come about without violence. As Sam Harris grimly notes, in a world where fanatics now have the power of weapons of mass destruction, we can ill-afford the luxury of letting such a conflict play out to its natural conclusion.
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