ABSTRACT

An Introduction to Islam, Fourth Edition, provides students with a thorough, unified and topical introduction to the global religious community of Islam. In addition, the author's extensive field work, experience, and scholarship combined with his engaging writing style and passion for the subject also sets his text apart. An Introduction to Islam places Islam within a cultural, political, social, and religious context, and examines its connections with Judeo-Christian morals. Its integration of the doctrinal and devotional elements of Islam enables readers to see how Muslims think and live, engendering understanding and breaking down stereotypes. This text also reviews pre-Islamic history, so readers can see how Islam developed historically.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

A General Introduction to Islam's Basic Teachings and Practices

part |42 pages

Religion and Common Life in the Pre-Islamic Near East

part |50 pages

The Coming of Islam: The Prophet, His People, and God's Religion

part |112 pages

The Islamic Religious System

part |52 pages

The Sufi Way of Mysticism and Fellowship

part |52 pages

Patterns of Islamic Personal and Communal Life