The Heart of Islam

As the specter of religious extremism has become a fact of life, it can be very easy to believe that the evil actions of a minority stand for the values of an entire tradition. Recently, there has been much confusion in the Western world concerning distorted portrayals of Islam’s core values. Drawing on Islamic scripture, teaching and tradition, Seyyed Hossein Nasr presents the true spiritual and social values of Islam, such as peace, compassion, social justice, and tolerance. Nasr calls fellow members of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) to a new future of mutual respect and common global purpose, as he portrays the beauty and appeal of a faith that is embraced by more than a billion people. Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr was born in Tehran, Iran in 1933. He received his advanced education at M.I.T. and Harvard University, returning to teach at Tehran University from 1958-1979, where he also served as Dean of the Faculty of Letters and Vice Chancellor. He founded the Iranian Academy of Philosophy and served as its first president, and was also for several years president of Aryamehr University. Since 1984, he has been University Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and President of the Foundation for Traditional Studies. “At a time when Islam is frequently misunderstood and often maligned, this sensitive, insightful, and beautifully written book comes as a ray of sunshine.” -Mark Juergensmeyer, author of Terror in the Mind of God