"The ideal mixture of sympathetic description and critical analysis. Careful not only to present the full range of Muslim interpretations of important events, movements, texts, and doctrines, but also to provide penetrating historical assessments of the key issues, this is the only introductory book that integrates the latest scholarship on Islamic history, the canonization of the Qur'an, and the development of hadiths. Furthermore, this integrative approach also highlights the interconnectedness of religion, theology, law, and politics of Islam." Herbert Berg, University of North Carolina Wilmington "Designed as a student-friendly textbook, Brown explores Islam's origins, major features, and lasting influence. Brown, who has lived and taught in Egypt and Pakistan, offers both a sympathetic description and a critical analysis." ( Islamic Horizons, November 2009).