Book Review — Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths

Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths -- by Karen Armstrong

This is a review of the book “Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths” which I’m reading these days. The book is sure interesting and written unbiasedly by Karen Armstrong.

Karen Armstrong is an Oxford Graduate in Literature. She has served as a Nun for 7 years in Roman Catholic Church. The best thing about her way of explaining things in the book is that it’s completely free from any favoritism or bias in regards with any religion which are the subject of the book — Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Karen Armstrong, in her book “Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths”, rejects the idea of Jews who claim that Jerusalem is more holy for them than it’s in any other religion. She argues, which is rightly so, that it’s difficult to trace who were the real inhabitants of the city when it was populated thousands of years ago. On the other hand, she highlights the significance of the Jerusalem in regards with all three religions — all of them asserting that the city is more holiest to them than any other religion.

To be sure, Karen Armstrong suggests that the book is merely an attempt to find out what Jews, Christians and Muslims have meant when they have said that the city is “holy” to them and to point out some of the implications of Jerusalem’s sanctity in each tradition. You might feel to be one from the ancient times while reading it.

At one place she argues that she understands why the city is holy for Christians, because it’s the place where Christianity was born, and it’s the place where Hazrat Esa AS was crucified. Then she argues that Islam was born a thousand miles away from the Jerusalem in the deserts of Arab; whereas Judaism was born a thousand miles away from the Jerusalem in the deserts of Sinai, in Egypt. She raises the question that why Jews believe other mounts as more holy than the Mount Sinai where the holy book was bestowed on Hazrat Moosa AS. Later, she argues that the city is equally holy for the Muslims and for the Jews like it’s for the Christians. The Prophets sent to the Jerusalem — Hazrat Suleman AS, Hazrat Dawood AS, Hazrat Esa AS and so on — are equally respectable for each of the three religions.

To learn more about the history of Jerusalem and the historical facts on it regarding all three religions, this is a good book to read.

Bajang Aamad — Provides You With Guaranteed Laughs

Bajang Aamad

Above is a page from the book “Bajang Aamad” by Colonel Muhammad Khan. This book was first published in July 1966, and to-date remains one of the best humorous books in Urdu literature. Colonel Muhammad Khan writes about himself in the book and the events of World War II he encountered. The way he has narrated the events is really worth reading.

Colonel Muhammad Khan had long yearned for becoming a “lieutenant” — not even a general but a “lieutenant”. He always found some charm in the title of “lieutenant” — and as comprehended by the views of him, holding this rank is something venerable more than that of a general.

He successfully passes the entrance formalities and was sent a letter to get in to the train to reach ‘Mehev’ which was in the Central British-India. Colonel Muhammad Khan thought that upon his arrival at the Mehev station, he’ll be welcomed with an instrumental band, an army division, and the motor car whose driver will respectfully open the door for him. But upon his arrival, the situation he had to encounter was adverse — and which is humorously explained by Colonel Muhammad Khan above.

Whenever I read this book, it makes me laugh too much. A must read book.