| Part 1: Introducing Islam | 1 |
| 1 Why Has Islam Become So Important? | 3 |
| Get to know who Muslims are and why there has been | |
| such a misperception about them. | |
| 2 Food for the Soul | 17 |
| Learn who Allah is, what Islam teaches about Him, and | |
| what Islam says about genies and magic. | |
| 3 Looking at Life the Islamic Way | 27 |
| Discover how Islam views human nature and what hap | |
| pens to people who were good or evil in this life according | |
| to Islam. | |
| 4 All About Allah | 37 |
| Compare Islam’s understanding of God with Judaism and | |
| Christianity. | |
| Part 2: The Spiritual World in Islam | 47 |
| 5 The Four Stages of Life in Islam | 49 |
| Learn about the four stages of life in Islam and what | |
| Islam says about the sanctity of life in the womb. | |
| 6 Islam on Heaven and Hell | 63 |
| Learn what will happen on Judgment Day, why everyone | |
| must pass over a bridge to get to Heaven, and why Hell is | |
| not forever for everybody. | |
| 7 In the Beginning … An Islamic Perspective | 75 |
| Read about the Qur’an’s version of “In the beginning ….” | |
| 8 The Measurement of Life | 89 |
| Learn why Muslims are not taught to be fatalistic, despite | |
| popular stereotypes. | |
| 9From Adam to Armageddon | 99 |
| Discover how Islam explains the spread of humanity all | |
| over the Earth and what Muslims believe about | |
| Armageddon and the return of Jesus. | |
| Part 3: The Five Pillars of Islam | 111 |
| 10 Declaring Faith in Islam | 113 |
| Become acquainted with the five pillars of Islam and what | |
| they mean in the daily life of a Muslim. | |
| 11 Understanding Muslim Prayers | 123 |
| Discover what’s actually going on in the ritualistic Muslim | |
| prayers and what Muslims are praying for. |
12 Elevating the Soul 139
Discover why charity and fasting are an integral part of
the Islamic method for self-improvement.
13 Gathering in Mecca 151
Follow Muslims on their annual pilgrimage to the desert
city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
14 Uncovering the Real Story About Jihad 165 Learn why jihad is so misunderstood among Muslims and non-Muslims.
Part 4: Islam and Other Religions 177
15 It’s All in the Prophets 179
Discover the way in which Islam promotes religious toler
ance all over the world.
16 Jews in Islam 191
Learn about the history of Jewish-Muslim relations and
how Islam protected the Jews for over a thousand years.
17 Christianity and Islam 201
Rediscover Jesus—from the viewpoint of Islam.
Part 5: Regulating Life Within the Laws of Islam 215
18 Exploring the Sources of Islam 217
Read more about the Qur’an and the other sources of
Islamic teachings that Muslims consult.
19 Living Islam 233
Find out how Islam strives to build an ordered society that
is beneficial to all people in the community.
20 Looking at Women in Islam 249
Discover the role of women in an Islamic society and how Islam has been one of the most progressive systems for promoting women’s equality.
Part 6: The History of Islam 267
21 Muhammad in Mecca 269
Discover the man who would alter human history forever
with the cry that there is no god but God.
22 The Victory of Islam 279
Learn how (and why) Islam transformed traditional Arab
culture.
23 The Rightly Guided Successors 287
Find out why Islam was able to expand so rapidly from Arabia into the Middle East. Learn about the first Muslim civil war and why it occurred.
24 Islamic Civilization: The Dynastic Period 297
Explore the wonders of Islamic history and the great achievements that were produced in the arts, literature, and philosophy.
25 Islam in America 309
Find out how Europe came to dominate the entire Muslim world in only 300 years and how the legacy of Coloni-alism has shaped current world events for Muslims.
Part 7: The Legacy of Islam 319
26 Discover the Influences of Islam 321
Discover how Islam has touched your life in ways you
never would have expected.
27 Meet the Islamic Sectarian Movements 331
Meet the different sects currently flourishing in the
Muslim world.
28 Islam in World Affairs Today 343
Learn about the misuse of Islam by political factions and
how to read what’s really going on.
Appendixes
A The Islamic Calendar 355
B Common Prophets in the Qur’an 357
C Further Reading 359
D Glossary 365
Index 373