Islam: Library Sources for Research

"The chapters on the Qur'an and the Prophet, Divine Unicity and the Sharia are as good as anything Ruthven has written in his earlier, excellent Islam in the World (fortunately now in a second edition). If this very short introduction does not quite live up to that achievement, surely a fundamental problem lies in the book's format." (from the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies review by David Waines).

"...The Key Concepts is a concise overview, introducing readers to Islam in a broad way and creating opportunities for deeper study. Ali’s and Leaman’s use of cross referencing, designed to put each term in a fuller context and reveal the interrelation of each concept to many others." (from Middle East Journal review by Adam Levinson)

"While Islam: The Basics joins others in the basics series, it's a powerful stand-alone pick for any collection, college-level, high school or public library, providing all the basics on key areas from the Koran and women in Islam to key dates, ideas, and Islam culture." (from California Bookwatch review by Colin Turner)

"This third edition includes revisions aimed at providing 'additional historical and contextual material in order to give readers a better understanding of some aspects of contemporary events, which, in many cases, have a clear background in the history of Muslim thought and action'." (from Contemporary Review)

"This edition, which contains a useful bibliography and a thorough index, incorporates recent developments in the Middle East and adds material on Pakistan and on the growth of Islam in America. Free of any evident anti-Muslim or anti-Christian bias, Esposito's scholarly prose is both straightforward and highly readable, with technical terms always clearly defined." (from Library Journal review by James F. DeRoche)

"This wonderful collection of essays weaves together a brilliant tapestry of historical and modern Muslim experiences. It comprises five volumes: "Voices of Tradition," "Voices of the Spirit," "Voices of Life: Family, Home, and Society," "Voices of Art, Beauty, and Science," and "Voices of Change." Each volume stands alone, but together they comprise a corpus of research that delves into areas of Islamic life that often confound Westerners." (from the CHOICE review by B. D. Singleton)

"Despite a generous format, consisting of 25 contributions, and aesthetic relief, provided by 17 well-selected photographs, the tone is imbalanced [...] Many chapters offer potted versions of complex subfields of Islamic cultural history. Coverage of literature, for instance, is reduced to fewer than 75 pages, a major topic such as Indo-Muslim spirituality and literature becoming little more than a cursory note. One would have expected tighter editorial control or at the least a comprehensive bibliography at the end, it only to restore the semblance of balance." (from the CHOICE review by B. B. Lawrence)

"...Although Islamic Creeds is a relatively brief book, it is packed with important information and mature observations and judgments[...] Although Islam never had an ecclesiastical institution capable of promulgating an orthodox creed in the sense of the Apostles' and Nicene creeds of Christianity there have nevertheless been numerous personal, individual efforts at doctrinal summaries, some of which have become widely followed and studied." (from the International Journal of Middle East Studies review by Frederick Denny)

Written as an introduction for non-Muslims in British schools.

Vol. 2 in the Encyclopaedia of Islam (Anmol Publications), which promotes the positive aspects of Islam.

Vol. 1 in the Encyclopaedia of Islam (Anmol Publications), which promotes the positive aspects of Islam.

"[This book] is a detailed historical review of the development of Shi'i philosophical, theological, and social principles...Momen examines the intellectual dimensions of the evolution of Shi'i Islam in the context of the people, events, and places that catalyzed the great debates." (from the Journal of Church and State review by T. Y. Ismael)

"Bold in its thesis, this book attempts to stand on its head the conventional wisdom about the Iranian revolution of 1978-79. [...] the author focuses on "the debasement of religion into the ideology of power." He attempts to recuperate a vision of Shi'ite Islam that appeals to popular religion yet maps this appeal through the discourse of elites." (From CHOICE review by B. B. Lawrence)

"The book consists of six parts. The first five cover early Shi'i history; Shi'i interpretation of the Quran and hadith...divisions within Shi'ism; the Shi'i position compared with other branches of Islam; Shi'i doctrine and beliefs (views of God, prophecy and succession, dissimulation, temporary marriage, eschatology, and the authority of religious leaders); religious rites and practices; and holy war and the intellectual and artistic life. The last part discusses Shi'i thought in the 20th century." (from the Middle East Journal review by Asghar Fathi)

"... Lalani draws on largely neglected published and unpublished sources to examine al-Baquir's role in the development of Shi'i thought in the generation after the death of The Prophet. She shows that his main contribution was the notion that imams should be descendants of Ali but should hold no political power; at his time, the struggle for the imamate and for political leadership was the same." Annotation c. Book News, Inc.

"The anthology is composed of two long sections entitled "On the unity of God" and "The spiritual life," which are separated from each other by a far briefer segment-"The ruler and society," which consists of only one text: the celebrated instructions sent by Imam 'Ali to Malik al- Ashtar, the governor of Egypt." (from Middle East Journal review by Hamid Algar)

"In his 1991 contribution Halm's debt to the reworked 'essentialist' conventional wisdoms is clear even if it remains a genuinely useful primer. Too, its tone is less 'user-friendly' than Momen, despite being considerably shorter. In short Shiism complements Momen, but does not replace it." (from Journal of Semitic Studies review by Andrew J. Newman)

"Arranged in alphabetical order, this dictionary contains over 1,000 entries covering important Sufi mystics and orders, geographic areas, history, and religious concepts [...] Its strongest feature is the extensive bibliography, over 70 pages long. The bibliography covers general and comparative studies; primary sources; focused studies; historical studies by geographical region; and society, politics, the arts, and gender." (from the CHOICE review by C. A. Sproles)

16 vols.

"The author states in the preface that his dictionary will help illuminate Persian poetry, yet the definitions given here often contradict or confuse the meanings found in classical verse [...] The author misleads the reader by implying that his definitions are universal; and with the omission of his true perspective, he renders the dictionary valueless as a source for understanding the poetry and rhetoric of the sect with which he is most familiar." (From CHOICE review by P. I. Nielson)

"...this is the first truly ample assortment of texts spanning the eighth to tenth centuries [...] The introduction is designed to give readers new to the subject most necessary conceptual tools; the main chapters offer selections by and about nine major early Sufis." (from the Theological Studies review by John Renard)

"The Sufi Orders' contribution to original scholarship is best reflected in the chapters pertaining to revival movements and their role in the life of Islamic society. It should serve as an indispensable reference and guide to students and scholars of Sufi organizations and their role in Islamic society." (from the The Middle Eastern Journal review by Caesar E. Farah)

Also available: Biographical Encyclopaedia of Sufis: Central Asia and Middle East.