Islam: A Short History (Universal History)
by By Armstrong, Karen
Category: Religion , History

In the public mind, Islam is a religion of extremes: it is the  worldÆs fastest growing faith; more than three-quarters of the  worldÆs refugees are Islamic; it has produced government by  authoritarian monarchies in Saudi Arabia and ultra- republicans  in Iran. Whether we are reading about civil war in Algeria or  Afghanistan, the struggle for the soul of Turkey, or political  turmoil in Pakistan or Malaysia, the Islamic context permeates  all these situations. Yet who really understands the central  tenets of this faith, or why so many people around the world have  turned to æfundamentalismÆ? Karen ArmstrongÆs elegant and concise  book traces how Islam grew from the other religions of the book,  Judaism and Christianity; introduces us to the character of  Muhammed; and demonstrates that for much of its history, the  religion has been a force for enlightenment that promoted  liberties for women and allowed the arts and sciences to  flourish. Islam shows how this progressive legacy is today often  set aside as the faith struggles to come to terms with the  economic and political weakness of most of its believers and with  the forces of modernity itself.