Islam: A Very Short Introduction

by Ruthven, Malise

• ISBN13: 9780192853349
• ISBN10: 0192853341
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-01-08
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Islam features widely in the news, often in its most militant versions, but few people in the non-Muslim world really understand the nature of Islam, both as ideology and religion. Malise Ruthven's Very Short Introduction therefore offers an essential insight into issues such as the why thegreatest 'Jihad' (holy war) is now against the enemies of Islam, rather than the struggle against evil, why Islam has such major divisions between movements such as the Shi'ites, the Sunnis, and the Wahhabis, and how the Shar'ia (Islamic law) has become such an important aspect of Islamic life. Inaddition he prompts further questioning into the ideas of 'Islamic resurgence' as both an old and new concept, whether or not women can find fulfilment and equality within an Islamic framework, and the sort of problems facing Islam and its confrontations with the modern world.

Author Biography

About the Author:
Malise Ruthven is a lecturer in comparative religion specializing in Islamic affairs at the University of Aberdeen. His previous publications include Islam in the World.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	viii	(3)
List of Maps	xi
1. Islam, Muslims, and Islamism	1	(21)
2. The Quran and the Prophet	22	(29)
3. Divine Unicity	51	(24)
4. The Shar`ia and its Consequences	75	(18)
5. Women and Family	93	(25)
6. The Two Jihads	118	(29)
Appendix: The Five Pillars of Islam	147	(5)
Citations and Further Reading	152	(5)
Index	157