This introduction to Islam includes: the development of Islamic institutions in the classical period; the problems raised by Western perceptions of Islam; a brief account of Islamic history up to the present; and a description of Islam as a living faith. Chapter 1 tackles the negative image of Islam, the history of misrepresentation, and continued obstacles to understanding. Chapter 2 offers an initial attempt at defining Islam. Chapters 3 and 4 give a brief history of the Muslim world and attempt to break that history into periods. Chapter 5 introduces the Quran. Chapters 6 and 7 deal respectively with Muslim attitudes to God and Muhammad, stressing the diversity of belief. Chapters 8 to 11 discuss the principal elements in Islamic worship from the viewpoint of the history of religions as well as that of the participants. Chapter 12 is an introduction to Islamic law. Chapter 13 discusses Shiism and sects. There are two appendices explaining the structure of Muslim names and the Islamic calendar.

This latest edition of Discovering the Qur'an includes a new preface by the author. Used by students around the world as a reliable guide to reading a translation of the Qur'an, it shows how the Qur'an is experienced by Muslims, describing the rhythmic and rhyme scheme structures, the context in which it is heard, the part played by learning by heart, and the importance of calligraphy. It is also about the Qur'an and its relationship to Muhammed, as well as helping to divine the ordering of the surahs or chapters. In an English-speaking world newly sensitized to Islam and its believers, Discovering the Qur'an will be an invaluable tool to greater understanding.

This book provides a concise yet panoramic overview of Islam, unlike most introductory books, which focus mainly on the development of Islamic institutions in the classical period.

To place Islam in perspective, Neal Robinson discusses the problems raised by Western perceptions of Islam and provides a brief account of Islamic history down to the present. He then explains major topics in Islamic worship to help readers understand it as a living faith. Appendices guide the novice through the structure of Arabic names, transliteration, and the Islamic calendar and festivals.

The way in which Jesus is portrayed in the Qur'an is at times ambiguous and has given rise to a bewildering variety of conflicting interpretations. Neal Robinson first outlines the various Christian approaches to the subject and then explains the principles of Muslim exegesis before looking in detail at what five classical Sunni commentaries say about Jesus' return, the crucifixion, the miracles and the virginal conception. Further chapters examine the same key topics from the viewpoint of Shi'ite and Sufi exegesis.