"There are over one billion Muslims in the world today, equaling more than a fifth of humanity. In this revised second edition, Malise Ruthven provides an essential summary of Islam, one of the world's great religions, in which the quest for spiritual fulfillment is inevitably bound up with political aspirations. Here, Ruthven presents a full overview of the religion in its historical, geographic, and social settings, covering such fundamental topics as pilgrimages to Mecca, Muhammad and the Quran, the development of divine law, the mystic tradition, and various Islamic sects. The book also features a new concluding chapter that focuses on women in Islam, the challenges Islam faces in today's climate of globalization, and the key developments in Islamic political history since 1984 - an especially fertile period that has seen, among other things, the Taliban movement in Afghanistan and the controversial publication of Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses. ". "Given the vast presence of Muslims worldwide and the fact that Islam is growing faster than the total world population, knowledge of this fascinating religion is fast becoming a necessity. Islam in the World satisfies that need with an expert tour of this sprawling landscape. "--BOOK JACKET.