Islam today is a truly global faith, yet it remains somewhat of an enigma to many of us. Each and every day our newspapers are saturated with references to Islam; Quran, Taliban, Hijab, Fatwa, Allah, Sunni, Jihad, Shia, the list goes on. But how much do we really understand? Are we, in fact, misunderstanding? The Penguin Dictionary of Islam provides complete, impartial answers. It includes extensive coverage of the historical formations of the worldwide Muslim community and highlights key modern Muslim figures and events. Understanding Islam is vital to understanding our world and this text is the definitive authority, designed for both general and academic readers.

The Ismaili Muslims, who belong to the Shia branch of Islam, live in over 25 different countries around the world, mainly in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Their history has typically been linked to the history of the various countries in which they live, but the worldwide community is united under Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader and 49th Imam of the Ismaili Muslims. Few fields of Islamic studies have witnessed as drastic a change as Ismaili studies, due in part to the recent discovery of numerous historical texts, and author Farhad Daftary makes extensive use of these new sources in the Historical Dictionary of the Ismailis. This comprehensive new reference work is the first of its kind on the Ismailis and presents a summary of the findings of modern scholarship on the Ismaili Shia Muslims and different facets of their heritage. The dictionary covers all phases of Ismaili history as well as the main doctrines of the community. It includes an introductory chapter, which provides a broad historical survey of the Ismailis, followed by alphabetical entries on all major aspects of the community, such as key figures, institutions, traditions, and doctrines. It also contains a chronology, genealogical tables, a glossary, and a substantial bibliography. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Ismailis.

In this straightforward and authoritative collection of fifteen essays -- each by a different, specialized expert in the field -- readers will encounter all the major elements of Islam, including its history, its beliefs, its practices, and its interactions, notably with Christianity, Judaism, and the modern world. Islam: A Short Guide to the Faith will inform and enlighten all who wish to better understand this increasingly influential world religion. Contributors: Roger Allen Ruba Kana'an Ahmet T. Karamustafa Bruce B. Lawrence Paul Löffler Joseph E. Lowry Scott C. Lucas Jon McGinnis Tahera Qutbuddin Abdulaziz Sachedina Jane I. Smith Mark N. Swanson Shawkat M. Toorawa Mark S. Wagner Homayra Ziad Aron Zysow

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. Malise Ruthven's Very Short Introduction contains essential insights into issues such as why Islam has such major divisions between movements such as the Shi'ites, the Sunnis, and the Wahhabis, and the central importance of the Shar'ia (Islamic law) in Islamic life. It also offers fresh perspectives on contemporary questions: Why is the greatest 'Jihad' (holy war) now against the enemies of Islam, rather than the struggle against evil? Can women find fulfilment in Islamic societies? How must Islam adapt as it confronts the modern world? In this new edition, Ruthven brings the text up-to-date by reflecting upon some of the most significant changes in the Muslim world in recent years; from the emergence of al-Qaeda and the attacks on New York and Washington on 9/11 and the ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, to the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. Ruthven includes new material surrounding the concept of a globalized Islam, bringing into question the effects of economic globalization, the effect of international events in Middle Eastern countries, the issues surrounding Islam and democracy, and the reception and perception of Islam in the West. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Combining key titles from both Oxford's Very Short Introductions and Oxford World's Classics series, this collection includes an assortment of books that will enlighten your understanding of Islam. Containing A Very Short Introduction to The Koran, Islamic History, and Islam, plus one of the bestselling versions of the Qur'an, these books provide insight into the religious, historical, and political ideas surrounding the world of Islam. Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects - from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative, yet always balanced and complete, discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field.

Martyrdom narratives (maqtals) represent a prominent genre of Islamic, particularly Shiʽi, literature. In this genre, the heart-rending aspects of the martyrdom scenes of religiously prominent people are depicted graphically. Although not exclusively limited to the martyrdom accounts of Imam al-Ḥusayn and his companions, who were martyred on the plain of Karbala, Iraq, a great majority of Islamic martyrdom narratives deal with the Ashura episodes. As the first book-length treatment of this genre in English, this text takes the reader from the dawn of Islam in ancient Arabia, exploring the background of the Battle of Karbala and giving a view of the various maqtals and several related studies. Although examining Arabic and Persian sources, this book presupposes little background knowledge on the part of the reader.

The Routledge Handbook of Global Islam and Consumer Culture is an outstanding inter- and transdisciplinary reference source to key topics, problems, and debates in this challenging research field. The study of Islam is enriched by investigating religion and, notably, Islamic normativity (fiqh) as a resource for product design, attitudes toward commodification, and appropriated patterns of behavior. Comprising 35 chapters (including an extended Introduction) by a team of international contributors from chairholders to advanced graduate students, the handbook is divided into seven parts: Guiding Frameworks of Understanding Historical Probes Urbanism and Consumption Body Manipulation, Vestiary Regimes, and Gender Mediated Religion and Culture Consumer Culture, Lifestyle, and Senses of the Self through Consumption Markets These sections examine vibrant debates around consumption, frugality, Islamic jurisprudence and fatwas in the world economy, capitalism, neoliberalism, trade relations, halalization, (labor) tourism and travel infrastructure, body modification, fashion, self-fashioning, lifestylization, Islamic kitsch, urban regeneration, heritage, Islamic finance, the internet, and Quran recitation versus music. Contributions present selected case studies from countries across the world, including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Qatar, Pakistan, and Turkey. The handbook is essential reading for students and researchers in Islamic studies, Near and Middle Eastern studies, religious studies, and cultural studies. The handbook will also be very useful for those in related fields, such as politics, area studies, sociology, anthropology, and history.