Opening with a lucid overview of the rise and spread of Islam,
from the seventh to the twenty-first century, this Very Short
Introduction introduces the story of Islamic history, charting the
evolution of what was originally a small, localized community of
believers into an international religion with over a billion adherents.
The book examines how Islam rose from the obscurity of seventh-century
Arabia to the forefront of modern global concerns, and it highlights how
we know what we claim to know about Islam's rise and development.
Historian Adam J. Silverstein also discusses the peoples--Arabs,
Persians, and Turks--who shaped Islamic history, and sheds light on
three representative institutions--the mosque, jihad, and the
caliphate--that highlight Islam's diversity over time. Finally, the book
analyzes the roles that Islamic history has played in both religious
and political contexts, while stressing the unique status that history
enjoys among Muslims, especially compared to its lowly place in Western
societies where history is often seen as little more than something that
is not to be repeated.