Muslim World

The three books comprising the Muslim World series provide a rich and balanced view of all aspects of Islamic religion and its varied manifestations through time and around the world, with emphasis on understanding modern Muslim society today. Islamic Beliefs, Practices, and Cultures introduces the ideas promoted by the religion's founder in the seventh century and tracking their development into new doctrines, schools of thought, and philosophical, literary, and cultural traditions as diverse as recitation of scripture in madrassas in Egypt to gift giving at holiday time in the United States. Among the numerous special features are those examining the meanings of jihad, the persistence of mystical Islam, and stand-up comedy addressing the cultural divides surrounding Muslims today. Modern Muslim Societies, with a total of twenty-three chapters, devotes nine to subjects such as family life, marriage, law, human rights, and Muslim extremism before turning to fourteen regional surveys on manifestations of Islam around the world, including the United States and Canada, Iran, Southeast Asia, Africa, and everywhere else Islam has flourished. Illustrated Dictionary of the Muslim World contains many entries on Islamic concepts, religious practices, historical events and personalities, geographical places, and facts about nations with large Muslim populations. From the women around Muhammad to pop stars of today, from medieval caliphates to breakthroughs in science and medicine, from love poetry to suicide, no aspect of a rich and diverse story goes unnoticed in the tree book of Muslim World.