Growing Up Muslim: Understanding Islamic Beliefs and Practices (review)

With an appealing organizational approach, Ali-Karamali dives right in to the discussion of her faith, starting with the matters of food and dress and prayer rugs and fasting that are most likely to mark young Muslims as "other" among their Judeo-Christian agemates. Just beyond the religious debate over halal marshmallows and getting sleepy at school during Ramadan, though, lies a substantive introduction to the Five Pillars of Islam, around which Part I is subtly organized. Part II focuses on the Prophet Muhammad, the development and spread of Islam, and the foundational religious documents—the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the Shariah. Part III discusses contemporary Muslim demographics, sorting through differences between sects that are regularly mentioned in the news, the relationship between Islam and Nation of Islam, and the differences between religious, cultural, and political practices within Muslim majority nations. Ali-Karamali, an Indian-American, clearly positions herself here as a devout and progressive Muslim, respectfully delineating other points of view and acknowledging their validity, but she draws a line at views on violence and oppression that she staunchly denotes as anti-Islamic. Chapter headings and an index allow readers to navigate easily toward any topic of personal interest, and Ali-Karamali's conversational writing style makes this an accessible introduction for middle-schoolers to a somewhat complicated subject. Chapter notes and an extensive bibliography are also included.