Islam

Islam, followed by more than a billion people worldwide, is the world's fastest-growing religion and will soon be the world's largest. 'Islam-Empire of Faith' explores the first millennium of Islamic culture, from the revelation to Muhammad to the great Islamic empires. This accessible overview shatters stereotypes and enlightens readers - both Muslim and non-Muslim alike - to the many sources of contemporary Muslim civilization. 'Islam' examines the world at the rise of Islam, the life of Muhammad, Islamic principles of faith, the golden age of the Abbasid empire, the Mongol invasions of the thirteenth century, and the great Ottoman, Persian and Mughal empires that emerged in their wake. In its first thousand years, Islamic civilization flourished in cities between Spain and Central Asia. Many old cities such as Jerusalem, Damascus and Alexandria continued to thrive, while many new ones including Fez, Tunis, Cairo and Baghdad, were founded. While Europe suffered through the Dark Ages, Muslims made remarkable strides in the realms of science, medicine, literature and art.
Authors Bloom and Blair provide a readable, yet in-depth narrative explaining the many intellectual and cultural development of early Islam, as well as the repercussions of it's broadening power. The narrative is complemented by translated excerpts of the Koran, poetry, biographies and other works of Islamic literature, including a travel guide from the ninth century and a recipe from the thirteenth.