Includes bibliographical references (p. 269-272) and indexes.

A survey of Islamic history -- Why an introduction to Islam specifically for Jews? -- Arabs and Israelites -- Pre-Islamic origins -- The emergence of Islam -- Muhammad and the Jews of Medina -- The death of the prophet and the expansion of the community -- The conquests -- The caliphal dynasties -- The decline of the Muslim world -- God, the Qur'an, and Islamic law -- God -- The five doctrines or "pillars of faith" -- The evolution of a formal theology -- The Qur'an -- The interpretive tradition -- The prophetic record -- Islamic law -- The workings of shari'a -- The umma: Islam in practice -- The umma and the caliphate -- The five pillars of Islam -- A sixth pillar? Jihad -- The range of practice among Muslims -- Sufism -- The shi'a -- Mosque and clergy -- The calendar -- The Muslim life-cycle -- Personal observance.

Electronic reproduction. Palo Alto, Calif. : ebrary, 2013. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ebrary affiliated libraries.