Introducing Islam

Islam is one of the world's great monotheistic religions, a culture with 1,500 years of history and a civilisation of one billion people, constituting a quarter of humanity. Yet it is seen only in terms of oil and turmoil, fundamentalism and bigotry. A potent political force in global affairs, the religion which Muhammad founded is one of the least understood ideologies in the world.

This is an informative guide to the complex and often perplexing world of Islam. It recounts the history of Islam from Muhammad's birth in the later sixth century Arabian desert to its cultural and political force in our time. It provides an insight into the achievements of Islam and gives indications of possible future developments in the Muslim world - a future that touches the lives of all inhabitants of the planet.