Religion: Islam

"This two-volume set on Islam is a timely resource aimed at the general reader. More than 500 articles, 200-5,000 words in length, describe the Islamic world from its known beginnings to the present day. A 'Synoptic Outline of Entries' at the beginning of volume one presents a thematic overview of the encyclopedia that facilitates browsing. A glossary of terms and a pronunciation key appear at the end of volume two, followed by genealogies, timelines, and a detailed index."

"Lucid and inviting full-color maps chronicle the changing internal and external boundaries of the Islamic world, showing the principal trade routes through which goods, ideas, and customs spread. Ruthven traces the impact of various Islamic dynasties in art and architecture and shows the distribution of sects and religious minorities, the structure of Islamic cities, and the distribution of resources. Among the book's valuable contributions is the incorporation of the often neglected geographical and environmental factors, from the Fertile Crescent to the North African desert, that have helped shape Islamic history."

"The Encyclopedia provides in-depth coverage of the political dimensions of Islam and the Muslim world. Developments in Muslim societies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have highlighted the need for a major reference work focusing primarily on these dimensions. The realization of internal decay and relentless quest for reform; the collapse of the Islamic caliphate; the fall of most parts of the Muslim world under western colonialism; the emergence of nation-states; the dominance of secular ideologies; the rise of Islamic revivalist movements and faith-based political, economic, and social alternatives; and the confrontation between Islamic movements and secular inspired regimes have constituted major turning points in the contemporary history of Muslim societies."

"Organized around the central conceptual themes in research on Islam and women including Self and Body, Immigration and Minorities, Culture and Expression, Politics and Polity, and Community and Society, as well as Science, Medicine and Education among others, this work examines the scholarship on Islam and women that has expanded exponentially over the past twenty years, as well as cross-pollination between other fields and disciplines."

"No religion in the modern world is as feared and misunderstood as Islam. It haunts the popular imagination as an extreme faith that promotes terrorism, authoritarian government, female oppression, and civil war. In a vital revision of this narrow view of Islam and a distillation of years of thinking and writing about the subject, Karen Armstrong’s short history demonstrates that the world’s fastest-growing faith is a much more complex phenomenon than its modern fundamentalist strain might suggest."

"Structured to cover all the major areas of study, including historical foundations, scripture, society, thought, ethics, rituals, spirituality and aesthetics, Studying Islam is a study aid for those approaching Islam for the first time. Rather than attempting to cover all the material, the critical and methodological issues that students need to grasp in the study of Islam and religion in general are drawn out, and the major contemporary debates explored."

"In this gripping narrative history, Lesley Hazleton tells the tragic story at the heart of the ongoing rivalry between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam, a rift that dominates the news now more than ever."

"Presents the origins and history of Islam, with emphasis on its relation to other religions and the impact that terrorism is having on the current perception of Islam throughout the non-Islamic world."

"This text presents an analysis of how Islamic scripture, jurisprudence, and Hadith, can not only accommodate a sexually sensitive Islam, but actively endorse it."

"Written by one of the world's foremost experts on the subject, this landmark volume is informed by numerous interviews, letters, and memoirs of Muslim women, both historical and current. Combining both original and previously published contributions, Badran paints an engaging portrait of feminism in the Islamic world, its achievements to date, and the challenges it will face in years to come."

Volume 1A: The Central Islamic Lands from Pre-Islamic Times to the First World War
Volume 1B: The Central Islamic Lands Since 1918
Volume 2A: The Indian Sub-Continent, South-East Asia, Africa, and the Muslim West
Volume 2B: Islamic Society and Civilization

"In this thoroughly revised new edition, Malise Ruthven offers a balance, compact, and reliable overview of Islam. An internationally recognized authority on Islam, Ruthven offers essential insights into this major world religion, examining such issues as why Islam has such major divisions between movements such as the Shi'ites, the Sunnis, and the Wahhabis, and the central importance of the Shar'ia (Islamic law) in Islamic life. He also provides fresh perspectives on contemporary questions: Why is the greatest Jihad (holy war) now against the enemies of Islam, rather than the struggle against evil? Can women find fulfillment in Islamic societies? How must Islam adapt as it confronts the modern world?"

"An Introduction to Islam in the 21st Century provides an engaging depiction of Islam as a living religion. Exploring Islam's historical context and core elements of the tradition, the authors provide a global perspective that captures the diversity of Islam in different regions and countries."

"Islam can be one of the most misunderstood religions. For some people it is a religion of war, while for the others it is a religion of peace. So there is a great need for an academic and sympathetic understanding of Islam. The author introduces Islam in its many dimensions covering the main historical, theological, practical, ethical, spiritual, social, and global themes. The bed-rock of Islam is the unity of God based on the Qur'anic revelation. But on this foundation a wide diversity of approaches and understandings have been built, ranging from the theological, philosophical, and Sufistic to the fundamentalist, traditionalist, modernist, and post-modernist of recent times. The book presents Islam from a mainstream and moderate perspective."