Introducing Islam

Just what is Islam and what does it mean to be a Muslim in the world today? Since the events of 9/11 and 7/7, Islam has become one of the most controversial and misunderstood religions in the world. Introducing Islam encourages students to put aside their preconceptions and explore this fascinating religion. William Shepard traces the history of Islam from its origins in the life and career of Mohammed, through its classical expressions, to its interactions with the West in the modern world. A chapter is devoted to each major topic, including The Quran, Islamic law, Islamic theology, and the Sufi movement, as well as community rituals and Islamic art and culture. There is a survey of modern developments and four chapters are dedicated to individual countries, Turkey, Iran, Egypt and Indonesia. Fully revised and updated, the second edition of this core textbook adds crucial material on contemporary issues such as women in Islam and democratization and human rights. Illustrated throughout, the book also includes learning objectives, a glossary of key Arabic terms, comprehensive further reading lists and critical thinking boxes, helping students to critically engage with the material in each chapter. Further teaching and learning resources are available on the companion website at www.routledge.com/cw/shepard .This book continues to be essential reading for students of Islam worldwide.

List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Preface to the Second Edition Notes on Transliteration and Pronunciation 1.Introduction: Approaching the Subject Part One: History of the Community 2. On the Eve of Islam 3. The Beginnings of Islam 4. Expansion and Flowering: of IslamPart Two: Aspects of Islam 5.The Qur'an 6. The Prophet Muhammad 7. Rituals and Ceremonies 8. Divisions in the Umma and Political Thought 9.Scholars and learning 10. To Know God's Will:IslamicLaw 11. Theology and Philosophy 12. The Sufi Path to God 13.A Philosopher, a scholar-mystic, and a Reformer 14. Culture and Counter-culture Part Three: Modern Developments 15.Western Imperialism and Muslim Response 16. Turkey: Secularist Reform 17. Egypt: Between Secularism and Islamism 18. Iran: From Secularism to Islamic Revolution 19. Indonesia: Islamic Society or Islamic State? 20. Globalisation: Challenge and Opportunity 21. Three Cultural Flashpoints: Gender, Democracy and Human Rights Appendix I: Glossary of Names andTerms Appendix II: Chronology Appendix III:The Islamic Calendar Appendix IV: Classical Arabic Names Appendix v: Muhammad's Wives Further Reading References Index

WilliamE. Shepard is Associate Professor, Retired, of Religious Studies at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. His previous publications include The Faith of a Modern Muslim Intellectual (Ahmad Amin)(1982), Sayyid Qutb and Islamic Activism (1996) and numerous articles and translations.