Islam: A Very Short Introduction

The first chapter defines some terms: Muslim, Islam, Islamism. We then get a chapter on Muhammad, the Quran and the early years of Islam, a chapter on Islamic theology and the main schools of thought, a chapter on Sharia, a chapter on the place of women, and a chapter on jihad.

I found the central chapter on the schools of Islamic theology difficult to follow, and a glossary would have been helpful. This book was written before the events of 11 September 2001 and so is perhaps more optimistic about the chances of Islam retreating in the long term from the public sphere into the personal as Christianity has done than it would be if it had been written a few years later.

Quite hard to follow - the writing is not very clear and the chronology is confusing.