Synopsis

Covering the four dimensions of Islam as outlined in the Hadith of Gabriel--practice, faith, spirituality, and the Islamic view of history--The Vision of Islam draws on the ...

Library Journal

Most English-language introductions to Islam (and to Christianity and Judaism as well) scant the intellectual and spiritual; instead, they stress the externals-the things one must do to be saved, to be justified, to be upright before God and one's fellows. Basic doctrine, moral teaching, and ritual obligations are, as Murata and Chittick point out, all that the ordinary Muslim believer, prospective convert, and casually interested non-Muslim observer really need to know. The authors (comparative studies, SUNY at Stonybrook) provide a systematic and thorough handbook of basic Islamic theology on many topics, such as the nature of God and man, revelation and scripture, prayer and the interior life, and mysticism and devotion. For serious students of Islam (and its relationship to Judaism and Christianity) who are undaunted by technical terminology, this work is the book to have. For academic libraries and public libraries with substantial collections in religion.-James F. DeRoche, Alexandria, Va.