An Introduction to Islam (Introduction to Religion)
Cambridge University Press
Edition: 2, 11/6/2003
EAN 9780521539067, ISBN10: 0521539064
Paperback, 398 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm
Language: English
This wide-ranging account of the history and theology of one of the world's most dynamic religions tells the story of Islamic beliefs and practices as they developed from the earliest times down to the present day. For this revised and updated second edition, David Waines has added a long section tackling head-on the issues arising from Islam's place in the changing world order at the turn of the new millennium. The wars in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Israel, and the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, have raised global awareness of Islam at a superficial level - but little has been written which considers Islamic political and military extremism in relation to mainstream Muslim history and theology. Coming at the end of a book which has explored the ideas and traditions of Islam in depth, this new section offers thought-provoking reflections on the place of religion in the current conflicts.
Introduction
Part I. Foundations
1. 'There is no god but Allah …'
2. Tradition in the making
Part II. Islamic Teaching and Practice
3. Divine will and the law
4. Theology
faith, justice, and last things
5. The way of the Sufi
6. The way of the Imams
Part III. Islam in the Modern World
7. The heartlands and beyond
8. Issues in contemporary Islam
Excursus on Islamic origins
Glossary
Notes
Further reading
Index.
'Reviewers do not always agree with writers of blurbs, but in this case the reviewer must ... the book really is essential reading for all those interested in Islamic history and culture.' Geoffrey Lewis , Asian Affairs