This Is Islam: From Muhammad and the Community of Believers to Islam in the Global Community (This World of Ours Series)

This Is Islam presents a lively introduction to a religion that has a dramatic history and plays a crucial role in the world today. Designed for people unfamiliar with Islamic beliefs, rituals and customs, it explains the history of Islam, the importance of Islamic law, and major sects including Sunnism, Shi'ism, and Sufism.

"This Is Islam provides interested general readers and students with a concise but remarkably comprehensive introduction to Islam. It is a clearly presented guide that provides both a broad overview and important specifics in a way that is easy for both experts and non-specialists to use."
--John Voll, professor of Islamic history and associate director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University

"It is vital for our schools to teach what the religion of Islam is like and how it agrees and differs from Judaism, Christianity and other world religions. This Is Islam serves that purpose with calm, cool, brief and authoritative explanations of the Islamic religion and of Muslim societies with all their variations." --William McNeill, professor emeritus of history, University of Chicago; author of The Rise of the West (National Book Award) and The Human Web

"When I first began teaching Islam, I struggled to find an unbiased text that comprehensively covered both Islamic history and the belief system. This Is Islam bridges the gap between a textbook account and a modern religions handbook by approaching the topic in a scholarly, yet approachable manner. Whether you are a first-year teacher or a veteran, I am confident that this book will be an asset to your students' study of the fascinating and complex religion Islam." --Teachers' Preface from This Is Islam, Katherine L. Saffle, Heritage Hall Upper School

“[A]n accessible and succinct summary of the larger volumes that are conventionally used in semester-long survey courses on Islam. Although using this long-tested approach, Elias does not shy away from the complex issues within Islamic history, theology, and philosophy. He explains how the various sects came into existence and brings up the complicated theological debates that continue to influence Islamic views today.” --Nelly van Doorn-Harder in Education About Asia