The Other Islam - Ted Collins
“We serve God out of love and gratitude, but you Muslims serve God out of a desire to earn acceptance and forgiveness,” said my well-meaning friend, a vicar in the Church of England.
His Muslim friend frowned. “No, not at all. We serve God out of love. Loving God and loving our neighbours is what we are all about,” he replied.
Why would his Muslim friend say such a thing? After all, we all know that Islam is harsh, legalistic and driven by fear, don’t we?
Actually, there is a whole stream of Islam that doesn’t work like that. These Muslims are not assertive or aggressive so we often do not notice them. They are Sufis and they are a significant and growing presence among our Muslim neighbours. To share the good news of Jesus with them, it helps to know where they are coming from. That is what this book is about.
“Here is an accessible exposition, based on personal experience as well as academic research, of major themes within the Islamic world of Sufism. British readers may be surprised to learn of the adherents of this tradition who are likely to be as much their neighbours as Muslims with other orientations. Collins writes sensitively, yet with spiritual awareness and longing for Christian witness to such friends to be appropriate.” Bishop Bill Musk
“Ted’s book is like Goldilocks’ porridge. It neither too long nor too short, neither too detailed nor too un-nuanced, and neither too theoretical nor too practical. It is just right. It can help someone who has many Muslim friends think Biblically and listen carefully to their friends, so that they can present Jesus the Messiah more fully to them. . . .. It has helped me to get behind some of the things I see and hear in East London, and so, hopefully, to fruitfully show how Jesus both challenges and meets Sufi Muslim people’s deepest needs. I will also be using his insights in my teaching and training of others.” Robert Scott
“Ted Collins’ wonderfully written exploration on the nature, origins and expressions of Sufism is a much needed resource as it provides balance to numerous Christian studies based on conventional persp ectives of Islam. The effort is also very timely due to current Sufi resurgences observed in many parts of the world. Collins’ admirably articulates how Sufism departs from more traditional ‘text based’ Islam; examines Sufi developments in contemporary Bri tain; and offers helpful reflections on what Christ centred ‘good news’ can be for Sufis. . . . I enthusiastically recommend this incisive and concise work.” Dr L Mak
“Until reading Ted’s book I had no idea how important Sufi movements are to the spiritual life of Muslims, their mission, and accommodation with Western culture. Ted relates many personal experiences of attending Sufi gatherings, talking to Sufi adherents, and drawing on his MA research, which focused on “conversion” to Sufism in the UK. We are introduced to a Sufi world within an orthodoxy Islamic world, underscoring this when he writes, “The outlook of Sufis is significantly different from that described in typical Christian books about Islam.” Ted alerts us to the growth of Sufism, its strengths, challenges, and opportunities. Reading his book may we equip ourselves for gracious encounters with Sufi shaykhs and their disciples.” Keith Fraser-Smith