Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Synopsis
This unique reference is a comprehensive encyclopedia dedicated to the institutions, religion, politics, and culture in Muslim societies throughout the world. Placing particular emphasis on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World contains over 750 articles in four volumes on Muslims in the Arab heartland as well as South and Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
An invaluable resource, the Encyclopedia offers extensive comparative and systematic analyses of Islamic beliefs, institutions, movements, practices, and peoples on an international scale. The alphabetically arranged articles range from brief 500-word essays to major interpretive and synthetic treatment of topics such as the Islamic state, pilgrimage, law, marriage, and foreign relations. Related entries cover areas of general interest such as social and political movements, women, Muslim minorities, human rights, Islam in the West, and interreligious affairs. And prominent figures that had a lasting impact on Islam are explored including Muhammad, Aga Khan, Malcolm X, Muhammad Iqbal, 'Ali Shari 'ati, Ayatollah Khomeini, and Hasan al-Turabi.
Truly multidisciplinary, this work reflects the breadth and depth of contemporary scholarship in Islamic studies. Combining the tools of the humanities and social sciences to examine the interrelationship of religion, politics, and culture in Muslim societies, it explains the changing realities of Muslim life. Its unique focus makes The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World an invaluable reference for scholars and students of many disciplines, government and media analysts, and anyone interested in increasing their understanding of Islamic politics and culture.
Library Journal
With 750 articles, many of them lengthy and thorough, by 450 scholars from around the world, the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World is a valuable reference for every sort of reader. Scholars and students will rejoice in three very useful features: bibliographies (usually annotated) at the end of each article, references to related articles, and a synoptic outline of contents at the end of Volume 4. Casual readers will be sure to find something of interest in the very broad range of topics discussed; from the personal (Marital and Family life) to the social (Law and Government); from the historical (the development of Islam in the United States) to the newly topical (Hamas, Islamic Jihad); and from the mystical (Sufism) to the mundane (agriculture). The writing, moreover, is well edited, clear, and jargon free. There are a few redundant articles (e.g., entries on Mevlevi and Mawlawiyah both discuss the history and practice of the same Sufi order). This is a small criticism, however. The $395 price may put the Encyclopedia beyond the reach of many libraries, yet the set is highly recommended for both academic and public libraries.-James F. DeRoche, Alexandria, Va.