Essentials of Islamic Faith: For Parents and Teens (SWISS Series)

Imam Suhaib Webb, is the resident scholar at NYU's Islamic Center after studying Islamic Law and Theology for 20 years. This is an awesome book for helping parents and teens talk through the fundamentals of faith together, useful also for conversations in groups and mentor/teacher led study circles.I had the pleasure of going through it and it is an amazing piece of work for a few reasons.1. It removes the mystery often associated with "classical texts" by making the translation and explanation easy and straightforward.2. It has explanations and pictures that succinctly and effectively convey what on the surface sounds hard to grasp - and immediately eases the the concept for the reader. I've either read or studied a number of creedal texts in the past and the ability to on-board the reader into what are intermediate concepts is excellent.3. Most importantly - the book contains a number of follow up questions which allow immediate relevance - they connect theology to real life - helping people ask and answer questions about how God, His Oneness, His Attributes, His Power, His Closeness, His Mercy, His Will - how these things matter to the individual in his or her daily life.Rather than a wall of text which is often the way that creed is initially studied, this book is a refreshing presentation of classical Islamic creed in an easy to read fashion that is written specifically to foster discussion and dialogue.

This is one of the BEST books I have ever read, not only concerning religious theology, but in my life. I literally read it in one sitting, I could not put it down. Its clear, concise, provides new information I have never learned before, and solidifies and explains core beliefs. If you reading this review, I suggest you just scroll up and just buy it. It will be one of the best decisions you have ever made for yourself. This book is not a repetitive text, it brings a fresh perspective, is easily relatable, and offers new understandings and answers to questions youve always wondered. I cant wait until my children grow up so I can pass this book down as a staple for generations to follow.

Thank you very Sheikh Suhaib for this beautiful gift! A very easy way to learn about our religion without building fear in our hearts or fear of Allah when we should be loving him. Thank you for helping us Muslims living in the West. I felt like you identify to us and you know how hard it is growing up in a non muslim country, having doubts. I am grateful that you are helping us love our beautiful religion,making us love Allah and strengthen our Islam. You are helping all of us who don’t know where to start or where to learn when Arabic tafseer is hard to read. Also, helping us learn without feeling bad about the fact that we’re born Muslim but don’t know much about Islam. Some Sheikh’s really make you feel guilty by telling us everything you do is wrong!

I like that it's pretty large in size. There is lots of margin room to write notes or jot your answers. It will show you in arabic what Allah says, then translate in english directly under. Explanations are logical and easy to follow, very helpful and useful overall. There are amazing discussion questions through out the book, a few charts (2), some quotes in banners that look nice & pretty while also carrying a lot of weight. There's also videos that you should watch as well (link on the back). Everything about it is beautiful. From the content, to the way it is presented, & the order that its presented. It is designed to make learning easy, fun, & enjoyable.

I think this is a great book with important commentary that appeals to the modern mind. Through this work, Imam Suhaib Webb shows us he is the master of the Arabic language and the pop culture of the West. He keeps you entertained, wanting to read more and engaged with traditional Islamic principles and thought. This work is truly one that will speak to the youth and anyone who is interested in learning about the religion of Islam in a dynamic, fresh way grounded in over a thousand years of intellectual tradition.

A self standing simple book for anyone Interested in learning the basics of Islam that scholars have agreed must be known by all Muslims. This book does a phenomenal job at doing just that. Besides a few simple typos, the content and organization of this book are phenomenal. I also love all the space given to write notes in the book itself.I thought it would be too basic for me and once I started through the course I realize how much I didn’t know. I Strongly recommend this book even if you are or are not signed up for the SWISS curriculum.

Educational. Riveting. Amazing. You’ll be blown away by the unique perspective and depth of knowledge. Yet it’s easy to read and comprehensive. Kudos to the author! Highly recommended reading!

I've been teaching Islamic Studies to teens and young adults for years. This is - hands down - the absolutely most user-friendly, accessible, articulate, well-organized, and interactive text that I've found. My young Muslims LOVE it, too. God bless you, Imam Suhaib.

Excellent teacher, with excellent advice, short and sharp booklet for anyone wanting a good foundation in Islam.

Amazing read recommend for all parents and teens

Great for parents and teens. Good handbook of the basics.

Every english spoken Moslem should have this book in their shelf. Very helpfull book, which contain knowledge of Islam from traditional scholar, especially in this modern time.

After following much of Imam Suhaib's work, this was just not what I was expecting. The book itself is fantastic if what you're looking for is a basic understanding of key Islamic concepts that are explained in a very short/simple way for young teens with little Islamic knowledge.After reading the initial reviews and seeing the book shared over social media, I was more than happy to purchase it. However, on its arrival I was shocked to see that it wasn't as detailed as I had expected, from reading the reviews I had assumed that it would go into a bit more depth on the concepts discussed. Also, (maybe due to the case that the book itself was an a4 size) the pages themselves seemed to be sparse with only the middle section being used for text. What seems to be an utter waste of paper. Whilst these points may be trivial to some, personally I felt that for the price I payed as it was extortionate in relation to other religious texts I have purchased.I cannot critique the work of the author itself. It is not my place nor my expertise. And it was very well written. For myself, the advertisement of the product failed to highlight what the text is really about or entails. I will be returning it, as it is just not what I was looking for or expecting the text to be about. But I wouldn't deter anyone else from purchasing it, if what you're looking for is a short introduction to basic concepts.