... a welcome addition to the already available introductory works on Islam. The chapters of the book combine depth of analysis and erudition on a wide range of subjects. Thus in a single volume one finds several superbly written papers not only on the foundations of Islam and the manifestations of Islamic culture but also on issues which are at the centre of contemporary debates among Muslims such as multiculturalism, social justice, democracy and diversity. As a sourcebook this work is equally useful for students, academicians and general readers' - Zafar Ishaq Ansari, Director, Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University

Introduction: Current Issues in Islamic Studies - Laura ThomasPART ONE: ISLAM AND MULTICULTURALISMIslam as a Community of Discourse and a World System - John Obert VollIslam, Diaspora and Multiculturalism - Bryan S Turner Andalusian Jurist, Berber Commander and Mozarab Rebel - Camilo Gomez-Rivas Understanding Iberia's Islamic Experience PART TWO: FOUNDATIONS OF ISLAMThe Qur'an - Qaiser ShahzadIslamic Concepts of Justice - Lawrence RosenIslamic Economics: Salient Features and a Critical Survey - S M GhazanfarFrom Madrasa to University: The Challenges and Formats of Islamic Education - Dietrich ReetzPolitical Philosophy and Political Thought in the Medieval Arabic-Islamic Tradition of the Middle East - Charles E ButterworthPART THREE: CULTURE OF ISLAM Arabic-Islamic Literature: Continuities and Transformations - Asma AfsaruddinIslamic Art: Visual Manifestations of a Faith and a Culture - Walter DennyPART FOUR: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN ISLAMWomen's Agency in Muslim Society - Amineh AhmedIslam and Democracy: Is Turkey an Exception or a Role Model? - Haldun GülalpIslam in the West - Earle H WaughPART FIVE: DIVERSITY WITHIN ISLAMShi'a Islam - Ayatollah Dr Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad Doctrinal Sufism and Theoretical Gnosis - Seyyed Hossein NasrContemporary Sufism: Islam without Borders - Robert Sampson