A New Introduction to Islam von Daniel W Brown

A New Introduction to Islam offers students a fresh account of the origins, major features, and lasting impact of the Islamic tradition. The development of Muslim beliefs and practices is carefully explored against the background of social and cultural contexts that extend from North Africa to South and Southeast Asia, providing a new and illuminating perspective. This second edition builds on the success of the first and offers additional material on Islam in America, on gender and women, and on recent trends in Islamic thought, making it more comprehensive and up to date. Additional features such as detailed chronologies, tables summarizing key information, useful maps and diagrams, and many more illustrations further enhance this critical introduction to the major issues in Islamic studies.

Daniel W. Brown has lived in Egypt and in Pakistan, where he spent his first 18 years. He has been a Visiting Scholar at the International Islamic University in Islamabad, at the Institute of Islamic Culture in Lahore and at Cairo University, and has taught Islamic studies at Mount Holyoke, Amherst, and Smith colleges. He is the author of Rethinking Tradition in Modern Islamic Thought.

List of Illustrations Preface to the Second Edition Source Acknowledgments Part I: The Formation of the Islamic Tradition: 1. Islam in Global Perspective 2. Arabia 3. The Pre-Islamic Near East 4. The Life of Muhammad 5. The Qur''n 6. The Tradition Literature Part II: The Expansion of Islam: 7. The Conquests 8. Religion of Empire 9. The Caliphate Part III: Islamic Institutions: 10. Islamic Law 11. Islamic Theology and Philosophy 12. SÃ''fÃsm Part IV: Crisis and Renewal in Islamic History: 13. Turks, Crusaders, and Mongols 14. Revival and Reform 15. Islam and the West 16. The Turbulent Twentieth Century 17. Islam in the Twenty-First Century Glossary Bibliography Index