“Elucidating . . . describes the basics of Islam, including the Qur’an and hadith, the life of Muhammad and the history of Islam and Muslims.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The world is green and beautiful; and God has appointed you as His trustee over it.”—The Prophet Muhammad

Islam is one of the great monotheistic religions of the world. It produced a magnificent civilization, envied for its science and learning, spanning over a thousand years. The teachings of Islam emphasize unity, humility, forgiveness and love of God. The Qur’an sings the virtues of knowledge and rationality. The life of Muhammad demonstrates the importance of tolerance, social justice and brotherhood. In Sufism, Islam presents a mystical system based on love and devotion. So why is Islam associated with hatred, violence, obstinacy and bigotry?

Ziauddin Sardar examines the true teachings of Islam and explores the reality of the Muslim world today. Emphasizing the diversity of Islam and its ideals, he assesses the role Islam plays in the lives of ordinary Muslims and how Islamic beliefs and practices help Muslims understand the modern world.

“Ziauddin Sardar is arguably one of the best-known Muslim public intellectuals in the world today. He is an iconoclast, often a gadfly and undoubtedly one of the few Muslim intellectuals who span the proverbial Two Cultures.”—Muslim News

“Among the many sanguine introductions to Islam, Sardar’s moves immediately to the front rank for its readability.”—Booklist