Islam: The Straight Path

The book consists of 6 chapters: • Muhammad and the Quran: Messenger and Message • The Muslim Community in History • Religious Life: Belief and Practice • Modern Interpretations of Islam • Contemporary Islam: Religion and Politics • Islam and Change: Issues of Authority and Interpretation The first three chapters give a presentation of standard subjects covered in the history of Islam. The first chapter discusses the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the Muslim holy scripture, the Quran. The chapters also cover social realities of the early Muslim community, as well as Islam's cultural and political expansion during the Caliphate and Sultanate periods. Muslim fundamental tenets of belief and practices are also discussed as is the development of Islamic theology, law and Sufism. In addition to the main text of the book, a full auxiliary information is also provided by notes, a select bibliography, a glossary of largely Arabic terminology and a comprehensive index. Muhammad and the Quran: Messenger and Message The first chapter is focused on the study of Muhammad and the Qur'an. The section on the prophet in the chapter is entitled 'Muhammad and the Muslim Community' and commences with an introduction to Arabia and the Arabs, and concludes with a few pages on Western assessments and criticisms of the Islamic Prophet. The section on the Qur'an covers all the major themes of the Muslim holy scriptures and examines Muslim beliefs regarding its nature. The Muslim Community in History The next chapter is mostly concerned with the history of the Muslim world, beginning with Muhammad in Medina and ending with the "Sultanate Period" of the medieval Muslim states. In course of this examination, Esposito deals with the Crusades and also with the development of law and mysticisms. Islam and Change:The Struggle for Islam in the Twenty-First Century Chapter six (which was expanded from the last 28 pages of chapter five in the first edition) is devoted to issues of authority and interpretation of Islam in the modern context, and includes topics such as legal reform and women's rights. The main contents of this chapter are: The Bifurcation of Society, The Ulama and Reform, Tradition: Anchor or Albatross?, A Spectrum of Reformers and Approaches, Cyberspace and High-Tech Islam, Critical Areas of Islamic Reform, The Challenge of Religious Pluralism, Global Muslim Multifaith and Intercivilizational Initiatives and The Challenge of Pluralism for Western Secular Democracies ==Usage==

Gisela Webb considers the book to one of the most widely used introductory texts on Islam. The book can be utilized in a variety of situations and disciplines: introductory courses on Islam, survey courses in religions, courses on Middle Eastern history, politics, and anthropology. The book is also made to be accessible for a non-specialist audience. To this end, Esposito has excluded diacritic marks in the transliteration of Arabic terms. The book was used in many church study groups during the Gulf War. ==Reviews==

Richard C. Martin, from the Department of Religious Studies at Arizona State University, describes the book as "good background text" and concludes that: "If our students have to have the whole of Islamic civilization in two hundred pages, then Islam: The Straight Path is commendable for its readability, its extended coverage of the modern period, and its irenic tone." R. W. J. Austin argues the book gives a reasonably full and intelligent introduction to the Islamic community. He, however, does argue that because the book stretches itself wide, there are inevitable omissions and imbalances in coverage. ==Notes==