Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I. Foundations: 1. 'There is no god but Allah …'; 2. Tradition in the making; Part II. Islamic Teaching and Practice: 3. Divine will and the law; 4. Theology: faith, justice, and last things; 5. The way of the Sufi; 6. The way of the Imams; Part III. Islam in the Modern World: 7. The heartlands and beyond; 8. Issues in contemporary Islam; Excursus on Islamic origins; Glossary; Notes; Further reading; Index.

Promotional Information

A revised and updated edition of Waines' wide-ranging account of the history and theology of Islam.

About the Author

David Waines is Professor of Islamic Studies, Department of Religious Studies, Lancaster University.

Reviews

'Reviewers do not always agree with writers of blurbs, but in this case the reviewer must ... the book really is essential reading for all those interested in Islamic history and culture.' Geoffrey Lewis Asian Affairs 'The merits of this book are several: it is a scholarly work, it is well-researched and clearly presented ... it is surprisingly comprehensive for an introductory text.' Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 'David Waines has surely written what will deservedly be the standard introduction to Islam for some time.' Oliver Leaman Expository Times '... an elegantly written work as useful to the new student daunted by the complexity of Islamic discourse as to the more experienced Muslim who sometimes wonders about the difference between shari'a and fiqh ... Highly recommended.' Periodica Islamica 'Fluent, thoughtful and open-minded.' Aramco World "Waines writes clearly, eloquently and with style and precision." Andrew Rippon Der Islam "Western businessmen would be advised that 'You can't afford to leave on your next trip to a Muslim country without placing this book on your list of essentials to take along.'" Middle East Library Association Notes