This revised and upated reference outlines the deveopment of Islam from its beginnings in Mecca and Medina to its growth into a major world religion.

This paperback version of The Historical Dictionary of Islam, which has been revised and expanded, includes short biographies of theologians, philosophers, founders of Sunni and Shi'ite schools of jurisprudence, and individuals who influenced the interpretation of Islamic dogma, politics, and culture from early days to the present. The reader will find entries on major sects, philosophical trends, and the responses by Islamic movements to issues of 21st century politics, such as the inroads of Westernization in the Islamic world.