"Lucid and inviting full-color maps chronicle the changing internal and external boundaries of the Islamic world, showing the principal trade routes through which goods, ideas, and customs spread. Ruthven traces the impact of various Islamic dynasties in art and architecture and shows the distribution of sects and religious minorities, the structure of Islamic cities, and the distribution of resources. Among the book's valuable contributions is the...

This introductory guide provides a summary of Islam, one of the most worldly of the great religions, in which the quest for spiritual fulfilment is inevitably bound up with political aspirations. The author presents a full overview of the religion in its historical, geographic, and social settings. Also included is a new concluding chapter that focuses on women in Islam, the challenges Islam faces in today's climate of globalization, and the key developments...