Islam and Muslims

Publisher Description

In light of the War in Iraq, diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and the Middle East, and the increasing presence of Muslims in the West, the need to understand Islam and Muslims has never been greater. Much of the hostility between the Middle East and the West is bred from ignorance and misrepresentation of the cultural and religious beliefs of both regions. Thus, Islam & Muslims: A Guide to Diverse Experience in a Modern World introduces Western readers not only to the fundamentals of Islam, but also to how Muslims apply religious teachings to their everyday lives.This book addresses everything from Islamic perceptions of God to marriage, prayer, and politics. Islam & Muslims draws on the author's personal experience living, teaching, and studying in the Middle East. It breaks down stereotypes, presenting individual Muslims (traditional or modern, devout or barely observant) from a fact-driven, sensitive, and unbiased point of view. . Sedgwick's long experience of living in the Muslim world and studying Islam gives authority to this book which successfully balances coverage of formal beliefs and actual practices. This realistic analysis is sympathetic but not apologetic. Islam and Muslims is a very helpful resource for anyone trying to understand the dynamics of Islamic history and contemporary Muslim life. -John Voll, Professor of Islamic History at Georgetown University, and Associate Director, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University. Looking for a really good one-stop book on Islam and Muslims to recommend to friends and relations? Islam and Muslims is up-to-date, well-informed, insightful and sympathetic without being evasive.-Michael Cook, author of The Koran: A Very Short IntroductionIslam & Muslims is really very, very good. I can attest that I truly enjoyed reading it, taking great satisfaction in the way that Mark Sedgwick managed time after time to 'get it right.' -L. Carl Brown, Garrett Professor in Foreign Affairs Emeritus, Princeton University Mark Sedgwick's Islam and Muslims is an accessible and informative survey of the way Islam is actually practiced today, written in a refreshingly direct style. It will appeal especially to the general reader seeking a knowledgeable but non-technical view of Muslim societies. -Carl Ernst, Director, Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations, William R. Kenan Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Islam & Muslims draws on Mark Sedgwick's expertise and experiences as a scholar of Islam who has lived among Muslims for many years. The book stands out for its insightful focus on the everyday life of ordinary Muslims. Through comparisons between Islamic, Jewish and Christian traditions, Islam & Muslims succeeds in explaining to non-Muslims in the West not only the ideals of Islam, but also the diverse ways Islam is experienced by contemporary Muslims. -Kambiz GhaneaBassiri, Assistant Professor of Religion and Humanities, Reed College Islam and Muslims is a most accessible, intimately informative, and thoroughly engaging read. Students and general readers alike will simply love this book. Whether one is wondering about how Muslims worship, what Muslims think about family and gender, why Islam has 'clashed' with the West, or all of these and more, this unique book is one that I would most highly recommend! -Bradley S. Clough, Abdulhadi H. Taher Chair in Comparative Religion, The American University in CairoThe book is a matter-of-fact approach to Muslims, their culture, their thinking and their habits with much guidance but little intrusion from the author. It presents the diversity of Muslims from the most devout to the most secular, in geographical contexts worldwide with the excursions into the background needed to know how certain Muslim beliefs, behaviors and practices came about. Understanding is enhanced by copious points of contact with the Western reader's own cultural history and heritage.-Dr. George Simons, www.dialogin.comOne of the strengths of Islams and Muslims is the rich historical information about today's Islam and existing problems between East and West and the distinction between what is part of Islam as a result of the religion itself or its history. This knowledge could be useful for Muslims for increasing their understanding of Western values.-Stephanie Frei, www.dialogin.comPublished in 2006, Sedgwick's introduction is an attempt to make sense of Islam as a movable referent rather than a fixed trope in the religious experience of humankind....Sedgwick believes in the creativity of individuals in shaping and reshaping the collective ethos of societies labeled as Muslim....Sedgwick does not chart a single, seamless timeline, but instead offers several, variant ways of looking at Islam, recognizing an Arab/Arabic accent but not diminishing or excluding other accents that are also authentically Muslim.-Bruce B. Lawrence, Review Essay: introducing Islam or reviling Muslims? Contemporary Islam, 2008 Author Mark Sedgwick writes as a sympathetic and perceptive interpreter of Islam and the practices of Muslim peoples...He is uncompromisingly frank in depicting Muslim practices, not glossing over the uncomplimentary. But, on the other hand, he writes with undisguised appreciation of the ways in which Muslims measure up to the demands of their faith.-R. Marston Speight, Books Review, The Muslim World, Volume 99, January 2009ContentsPreface1 A Cave in the Desert: What is Islam?2 Who's in Charge Here? The Construction of Islam3 Smiles and Frowns: Types of Muslim4 God and Angels: The Muslim Worldview5 How to Do Islam: Worship6 Inside the Harem: The Family7 Food, Frocks, and Funds: Daily Life8 In and Out: Community Life9 Good Muslims, Bad Muslims: Ethics10 More Moors: Other Denominations11 Murder in the Name of God: Islam and Politics12 The Clash of Civilizations: Islam and the WestConclusionGlossaryMuslim Populations by RegionSuggested Further ReadingIndex