Islam: Faith, Art, Culture

Islam: Faith, Art, Culture presents an authoritative introduction to the Islamic religion, covering both orthodox faith and popular piety, including the historical context of the divine revelation to the Prophet Muhammad, the contents of the Qur’an, Islamic calligraphy, the practice of the faith, the many prophets and other figures revered by Muslims, and Islamic mysticism. The reader is introduced to these aspects of the faith through the rich heritage of the Islamic book, and as such this volume presents a feast of matchless illustration and illumination, including magnificent examples of calligraphy, the art most highly revered in Islam. The manuscripts (hand-written books) chosen to illustrate the text span the period from the 9th to the early 20th centuries although most were produced between about the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. They derive primarily from the Arab world, Turkey, Iran and India, but also include examples from Spain, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and China. The manuscripts, and the concepts they deal with, are as relevant today as they were when they were produced, and as such they serve as ideal illustrations for this general introduction to Islam.