Islam

Tamara Sonn is the William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Humanities in the Department of Religious Studies at the College of William & Mary. She is the author of numerous books, including Interpreting Islam (1996) and Comparing Religions through Law (with J. Neusner, 1999), and is co-editor-in-chief of the Wiley-Blackwell online journal, Religion Compass .

List of Illustrations. Foreword. Preface. Preface to the First Edition. Maps. 1 Many Paths to One God: Establishing the Ideals. The Quran. The Quran and Other Scriptures. Themes of the Quran. The Exemplary Life of Muhammad, Prophet of Islam: The Sunna. The Early Muslim Community and the Pillars of Islam. The Successors ("Caliphs"). Early Communal Disputes. Conclusion. 2 The Pursuit of Knowledge in the Service of God and Humanity: The Golden Age. Institutions. Law. Political Structure. Cultural Achievements. Spirituality and the Mystical Tradition: Sufism. Conclusion. 3 Division and Reorganization. The Crusades and Other Disasters. The Decline of the Abbasids and Rise of the Ottomans. Persia: The Safavid Empire. India and the Rise of the Mughals. Understanding Developments in Islamic History. Conclusion. 4 Colonialism and Reform. Colonialism. The Outcome of World War I. The Effects of Colonialism: The Challenge of Islamic Reform. Themes of Islamic Reform: Personal Initiative and Social Solidarity. Themes of Islamic Reform: Ijtihad . Themes of Islamic Reform: Commitment to Learning. Conclusion. 5 Obstacles and Prospects for Islamic Reform. Obstacles: The Impact of Colonialism. Prospects for the Future. Islam, Human Rights, and Democracy. Islam among World Religions. Notes. Further Reading. Source Acknowledgments. Index.