Includes bibliographical references (p. [249]-255) and index.

The Western media : a misrepresentation or a factual account? -- Doctrine and architecture : manifestations of Tawhid -- The Shari'a : the law of God or a cultural construct? -- The Umma : an homogenous unity or deeply divided? -- Martyrdom : the Shi'a doctrine of suffering opposed to the Sunni doctrine of 'manifest success' -- Sufism : an aberration or the voice of traditional Islam? -- The prophet of God : human messenger or a manifestation of divine qualities? -- Jihad : Islamic warfare or spiritual effort? -- Muslim fundamentalism : a misnomer or the heart of the faith? -- Muslim women : Islam's oppressed or victims of patriarchy?

"Since the events of 9/11 and the subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, hardly a day goes by without media coverage of suspected terrorist activities linked to Muslims, and their apparent hatred of the West. Actual outrages involving the deaths of innocent civilians, both Muslim and non-Muslim, in various parts of the world, fuel understandable panic and fear. Reporting of these events is frequently one-sided, and fails to satisfy the intense curiosity about Muslim beliefs and practices, while perpetuating unhelpful stereotypes which contribute to the rising phenomenon of 'Islamophobia'." "In Aspects of Islam Ron Geaves seeks to go beyond these stereotypical images, to reveal the full diversity of Islam in the contemporary world. By examining differences in belief and practice, he helps us to see that Islam is not a homogenous entity, but a dynamic faith with its own controversies and debates."--BOOK JACKET.