Comprehensively encompasses the beliefs, practices, history, and culture of the Islamic world in a single, scholarly volume. Features over 1400 fully revised entries including a wide range of new entries covering the contemporary Islamic scene.

The first edition of the Encyclopaedia won worldwide acclaim. As a western scholar of the Islamic faith, Cyril Glassé straddle both cultures and has a respect for and an understanding of both the currrent Islamic world and its complex past. This unique single-volume work covers the contemporary Islamic scene, which includes a substantial entry on the Taliban. This new edition also contains an extensively revised chronology which spans the history of Islam, from its origins through developments in the Muslim world today.

Covering everything from Adam to Zakariyyah, this concise reference guide is designed specifically for readers and students who wish to learn more about the world's fastest-growing religion. Fully illustrated, the book contains hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries which give succinct yet authoritative information on everything from the Qur'an and its origins to the role of Islam in the USA. It offers even-handed coverage of the different schools of belief, while featuring photographs, a timeline, and a guide to further reading.

Explores the terms, concepts, personalities, historical events, and institutions that helped shape the history of this religion and the way it is practiced today.

"In 2012, the year 1433 of the Muslim calendar, the Islamic population throughout the world was estimated at approximately a billion and a half, representing about one-fifth of humanity. In geographical terms, Islam occupies the center of the world, stretching like a big belt across the globe from east to west."--P. vii.