Epilogue Of Islam Summary

Islam: An Introduction by Catharina Raudvere. New York: I. B. Tauris, 2015, pp. viii+261. ISBN: 9781848850842 (Paperback).

The book spreads on nine chapters and an epilogue. The first chapter succinctly gives an introduction of the book; it discusses Islam through its various angles emphasizing the variety and richness of the contemporary understanding found among Muslims all over the world. It focuses on the emergence and formulation of the traditions of Islam vis-à-vis the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh-a historical personality), canonical texts (mainly Qur’ān and ḥadith), theology, normative rituals and practices, and other representations and forms in context of the changing living conditions through to the present times. In today’s world, views Raudvere, the varieties of being Muslim is striking, for the “shared cultural history and collective memories are today as complicated an issue as ever”. (p. 26)

The second chapter explains the early history of Islam and the

Ruadvere touches various aspects of the Qur’ān such as historical background, revelation, its structure, compilation, various recitations, and at times, she vividly compares the Qur’ān with the biblical sources. She also elaborates on the hadith literature for it represents the second important reliable source for understanding the Qur’ān and the sunna of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)—the prime receiver of the Qur’ān. She explains its development, formalization and collection, its structure (sanad and matan); she points, “A lot of intellectual energy has been invested in theological debates on which hadith narratives are authentic and valid”. (p. 74) There are, of course, various new voices emerging from outside the traditional circles; however, there are many controversial interpretations rather they sharply contradict with the established facts the Muslim community practiced and believed for the last fourteen hundred