The New Encyclopedia of Islam

By Cyril Glasse and Huston Smith

Book Overview

The acclaimed New Encyclopedia of Islam comprehensively encompasses the beliefs, practices, history, and culture of the Islamic world in a single, accessible volume. Now extensively revised and updated with over 300 new entries, The New Encyclopedia of Islam describes all aspects of the religion, from its rituals, sects, and prayers to its political movements, social institutions, and spiritual and political leaders; from the art and architecture of Islam, to its history and ethnography; from its nations and states to its languages, science, and major centers of learning.

This unique single-volume work, now consisting of over 1400 entries, has been fully revised and contains a wide range of new entries covering the contemporary Islamic scene, including a substantial entry on the Taliban, plus information on many other organizations and movements that are critical to understanding Islam's role in today's religious and political conflicts.

Previous editions have won worldwide acclaim for their research, clarity and graceful style. This new edition also contains an extensively revised chronology spanning the entire history of Islam, from its origins through developments in the Muslim world today.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0742562964
• ISBN13: 9780742562967
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 720 Pages
• Weight: 3.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.5" x 7.0" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

Islamic Ency.

Pictures are a great addition to this informative book. If you have books about Islam -- this is the book to cement your collection!

Good overview of terms you hear on the nightly news

I wanted an overview of the major topics and issues of Islam. This is a great introduction, providing enough basic material to guide further investigation. Not all that many photos, but a good chronology as well as the "family trees" of the sects/off-shoots of Islam, and the major governing groups and individuals. Worth having.

Sets a high standard

This is THE outstanding reference on Islam for non-Arabic speakers, and to my thinking sets an extremely high standard in terms of clarity, balance and coverage for one-volume reference works generally. Highly recommended.

The New Encyclopedia Of Islam

First of all, I'd like to say "BRAVO" and "EXCELLENT JOB" to the Author and international lecturer Mr. Cyril Glasse.I used the 1989 edition to find some information about a few entries. I thought i'll just find the entries, read about them, and close the book. But it didn't happen. Each enrty lead me to other entries which were more interesting and so on.I really enjoyed every second I spent using this encyclopedia. That's what I call a "quality time". That is because I am interested in comparative religion and I like reading about Christianity, Judaism, Freemasonry, and Islam. And this is a very nice addition to my small library of cool books.Highly recommended...