The faith of Muslims today, developed over 14 centuries, is sympathetically and skillfully presented in this lucid introduction. Hewer's extensive knowledge and contextually sensitive presentation yield an exceptionally rich and faithful account, presupposing no prior knowledge of the traditions and without orientalist, Western, or Christian biases. Features diagrams, a glossary, and easy-to-follow references to the Qur'an. 304 pages, hardcover from Augsburg/Fortress.