Customer Reviews

Historical Atlas of Islam

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This excellent volume devotes too much time (IMHO) to recent developmental trends, particularly demographic ones, skimming over the historical and cultural aspects of Islam and its inherent beauty. Try your hand at "Historical Atlas of the Islamic World" by Nicolle--which offers a very friendly format, typically in the form of two-to-four-page spreads (very nearly a la Dorling Kindersley)--and "Islam: An Illustrated History" by Jordan--which is about as balanced a treatment as one could ask for (O.K., O.K.: "for which one could ask"). And for page after page of stunning photographic beauty, try Kazuyoshi Nomachi's "Mecca the Blessed, Medina the Radiant" and Michaud's "L'Orient dans un Miroir."

Among the great civilizations of the world, Islam remains an enigma to Western readers. Now, in a beautifully illustrated historical atlas, noted scholar of religion Malise Ruthven recounts the fascinating and important history of the Islamic world.

From the birth of the prophet Muhammad to the independence of post-Soviet Muslim states in Central Asia, this accessible and informative atlas explains the historical evolution of Islamic societies. Short essays cover a wide variety of themes, including the central roles played by sharia (divine law) and fiqh (jurisprudence), philosophy, arts and architecture, the Muslim city, trade, commerce and manufacturing, marriage and family life, tribal distributions, kinship and dynastic power, ritual and devotional practices, Sufism, modernist and reformist trends, the European domination of the Islamic world, the rise of the modern national state, oil exports and arms imports, and Muslim populations in non-Muslim countries, including the United States.

Lucid and inviting full-color maps chronicle the changing internal and external boundaries of the Islamic world, showing the principal trade routes through which goods, customs, and ideas spread. Rich in narrative and visual detail, this timely atlas is an indispensable resource to anyone interested in world history and religion.

Teachers/Librarians: this is suitable for 9th grade to adult.

It's a religion holding over 6 billion believers plus it's one of the great civilizations of the world - yet Islam remains puzzling to a majority of Westerners, and scholarly histories only increase the mystery. Malise Ruthven and Azim Nanji's HISTORICAL ATLAS OF ISLAM solve this confusion in providing a lovely illustrated historical atlas by a noted scholar of Islam. Maps and eye-catching illustrations accompany clear articles on everything from the early Sufi orders to Islam in the British, Russian and Dutch empires. History blends with social insights and religious coverage in an all-embracing visual display which is highly recommended for high school collections on up.