Table of Contents

List of Figures List of MapsIntroduction: The Problem of Defining IslamPart I: Islamic Origins:1. The Conquests:Psychological ImpactArchaeological Data: The "Invisible" ConquestsResources for Further Study2. Arabia:Pre-Islamic PoetryThe Book of IdolsMecca and the QurayshThe Gifts of the ArabsResources for Further Study3. The Pre-Islamic Near East:Christianity in the Near EastReligion in the Sasanian EmpireThe Place of the Arabs in the Near EastResources for Further Study4. Religion of Empire:Arab Colonial PolicyThe Problem of ConversionThe Nature of LeadershipThe Dome of the RockThe Constitution of MedinaResources for Further StudyPart II: The Formation of the Islamic Tradition:5. The Qur'an:The History of the TextThe Qur'an in Muslim PietyInterpreting The Qur'anResources for Further Study6. The Life of Muhammad:Prologue and SettingBirth and ChildhoodEarly AdulthoodThe Beginning of RevelationOppositionThe Night Journey and Ascent to HeavenThe HijraVictory and DefeatThe Peace of Al-Hudaybiyya and the Farewell PilgrimageResources for Further Study7. The Tradition LiteratureThe Science of HadithThe Exegetical Origins of HadithIn Quest of the Historical MuhammadThe Sira and the Shaping of an Islamic World ViewResources for Further StudyPart III: Islamic Institutions:8. The Caliphate:The Shi'i VisionShi'ism and the 'Abbasid RevolutionTwelversThe Isma 'ilisThe Nizari "Assassins"The KharijitesThe Sasanian RevivalAl-Mawardi and the Sunni CompromiseResources for Further Study9. Islamic Law:The Coffee DebateRevelation and ReasonQiyasThe Schools of LawIslamic Law and the StateIjma'The Usul Al-FiqhThe Substance of the LawRitual PurityActs of WorshipThe Origins of Islamic LawResources for Further Study10. Islamic Theology & Philosophy:Freedom and DeterminismGod's AttributesFaith and WorksLeadershipThe Sunni ConsensusAhmad ibn Hanbalal-Ash'arial-Ash'ari and KalamThe Theological EnvironmentThe Challenge Of PhilosophyProphecy and Revelation in Islamic PhilosophyPhilosophy and MysticismResources for Further Study11. Sufism:Stages on the PathThe Spiritual MasterSufi BrotherhoodsSufi RitualThe DestinationSufi CosmologySufism in History: The Case of al-HallajBeginnings to the Tenth CenturyClassical Manuals and the Growth of TariqasThe Pervasiveness of SufismResources for Further StudyPart IV: Crisis and Renewal in Islamic History:12. Turks, Crusaders and Mongols:The SaljuqsAl-Ghazali and the Sunni RevivalSlave SoldiersThe CrusadesThe MongolsThe Impact of the Mongol InvasionsResources for Further Study13. Encounter with the West:The Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal EmpiresThe Rise of European PowerThe Religious EnvironmentThe 'Ulama' and the EmpiresTrends in SufismThe WahhabisJihad MovementsAl-AfghaniSayyid Ahmad Khan and 'AligarhResources for Further Study14. Islam and Modernity:From Caliphate to Nation-StateThe Idea of the Islamic StateFrom Shari'a to Secular Law and BackA New Kalam?The Vitality of SufismResources for Further StudyEpilogue: Islam in a Postmodern World BibliographyIndex

About the Author

Daniel W. Brown has lived in Egypt and in Pakistan where he was born and spent his first eighteen years. He has been a Visiting Scholar at the International Islamic University in Islamabad, the Institute of Islamic Culture in Lahore and 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.

Reviews

"The events of September 11 and afterwards have forced us to ask questions about the nature and history of Islam. Daniel Brown's clear and authoritative book helps us to understand this world religion now at the center of controversy, discussion and debate. We may not necessarily agree with all the arguments in it, but it will enlighten us and clarify issues that we ignore at our peril." Akbar S. Ahmed, American University, Washington DC "This excellent undergraduate textbook presents a thorough history of the Islamic faith." The Bookseller "Brown's book is superb, one of the most lucidly organized introductions to Islam I've seen, informative and clear on all the major issues and historical events pertaining to Islam. It will prove to be a useful and practical guide for students and professors alike." Bradley Malkovsky, University of Notre Dame "in my estimation Daniel Brown's A New Introduction to Islam is a very good beginning to an academic study of Islam. I would highly recommend it as an introductory college level textbook." Sasan Tavassoli, University of Birmingham "Brown's book is a thoughtful and comprehensive guide to the study of the materials on and the ways of thinking about Islam." The Journal of Religion "Easy to read, elegantly written, and at points humorous, Brown's book bases itself solidly on the principle of critical thought, an ideal he never ceases to encourage throughout the work." Hebert Berg, University of North Carolina-Wilmington "Brown's new introductory theory survey makes an excellent college textbook, as an introduction to both the religion and history of Islam and the scholarly debates currently peppering the field. Brown's book is a thoughtful and comprehensive guide to the study of the materials on and ways of thinking about Islam." Hebert Berg, University of North Carolina-Wilmington