Islam

Outline

Islam (2000) is a concise history of Islam from the revelation received by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the seventh century to the modern world. Karen Armstrong traces the early Muslim community, the great caliphates and empires, the development of Islamic law and thought, and the challenges Muslims faced in the colonial and modern periods. The book aims to give Western readers a fair and informed understanding of Islam.

• The book is a concise history of Islam, running from the revelation received by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the seventh century to the modern world.
• Armstrong traces the early Muslim community and then the great caliphates and empires that followed it.
• She follows how Islamic law and thought developed over the centuries.
• The book covers the challenges Muslims faced in the colonial and modern periods.
• Its stated aim is to give Western readers a fair and informed understanding of Islam.

Karen Armstrong is a British author and historian of religion who has written widely on the major faiths. She is known for her respectful, well-researched approach to religious traditions and for encouraging dialogue between them. Her other books include A History of God and Fields of Blood.