Islam and the Muslim Community

This comprehensive text combines the historical and the topical into an accessible introduction to the Islamic tradition and the worldwide Muslim community. It interprets the doctrines, devotional practices, and institutions of Islam and provides a ready understanding of world events involving Muslims: the Islamic Jihad movements, the controversy over the adoption of Islamic holy law, and the Islamic revival. Denny explicates the doctrines, ritual practices, and institutional forms of Islam with special attention to their sources in the Qur’an, Islam’s sacred scripture, and the Sunna, the record of Muhammad’s teachings and personal example. He explores the Shari’a—Islam’s holy law—both in its content and its practical application. He also examines the differences between the Sunni and the Shi’i forms of Islam in their historical, theological, and sociopolitical perspectives. Importantly, the book provides a sense of Islamic spirituality and its persisting mystical tradition, strongly influenced by Sufism.