Encyclopedia of Islam & the Muslim World - COMPLETE 2 VOLUME SET

Farmington Hills, Michigan, U.S.A.: Macmillan. New. 2003. Hardcover. 0028656032 .*** FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request *** – – *** IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT - FLAWLESS COPY, BRAND NEW, PRISTINE, NEVER OPENED - COMPLETE 2 VOLUME SET; Page count: About 1,000 pp. ; weight: 7 lbs -- As the fastest growing religion in the United States and the dominant religion in a wide expanse of territory extending across Africa, Asia, the Balkans and Southern Russia, Islam is an increasingly important force in the modern world. Islam and the Muslim World looks at Islam's role in the modern world, doing so in the context of the religion's history and development over the last 13 centuries. Containing thematic articles, biographies of key figures, definitions, illustrations, maps and more, this new encyclopedia fills a need in this key area of religious studies. -- "Macmillan Reference has produced a two-volume work that covers many facets of Islam and the Muslim world from antiquity to the present time..There has been a major attempt to keep the work easily accessible and understandable for the lay reader and the student. The articles are not weighed down by academic jargon and the size of the individual articles is limited not to exceed a maximum count of 5,000 words quite a task for both writer and editor when dealing with broad theological and cultural concepts. Also included is a comprehensive index, timelines, genealogical charts, maps, and numerous illustrations. This set is recommended for all public libraries." --ARBA (2004) -- REVIEW: The reference literature for Islam has long consisted of either a densely academic, multivolume encyclopedia or several, often specialized, single-volume works with brief definitions. Happily, there is now a reference work falling between these two extremes. The Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World is a scholarly work "about Islamic cultures, religion, history, politics, and the like as well as the people who have identified with Islam over the past fourteen centuries." A team of international scholars is responsible for the 515 entries, which are arranged alphabetically and range from 200 to 5,000 words in length. Many include some sort of illustration and end with helpful see also references and excellent supplemental bibliographies. A useful index completes the set. Coverage includes the religious dimensions of Islam as well as the development of the tradition in various parts of the world (e. G. , Africa, South Asia, U. S. ). Cultural issues of importance to the history of Islam (e. G. , architecture, calligraphy, language) are also treated. Entries such as Political organization and Political thought demonstrate the historical completeness for which the encyclopedia strives, tracing developments from the life of the Prophet to the present day. Even topics of contemporary interest include a historical perspective. The entry for Jihad describes the many meanings of the term, including its contemporary association with violence, and how the concept has developed historically. The treatment of secularization in the Muslim world includes a comparison to historical events in the West, thereby helping the reader to understand that it cannot be understood solely from a Western perspective. Finally, the biographical entries include important figures from the religious, cultural, and political history of the Muslim world. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World (1995) is close in spirit and size (four volumes) to this new work, but its coverage includes far less of historical figures and events. The Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, on the other hand, "seeks to contextualize contemporary Islam within the longer history of Islam." As such, it can easily serve as a standard reference source with its scholarly, yet accessible, content. Highly recommend for academic and large public libraries. (Booklist) -- with a bonus offer-- .