Something is lost when Western thinkers approach Islam. They seem to see
the religion in historical and cultural terms, obscuring Islam's own
internal logic and its true beauty and spirituality. This clearly
written introduction to Islam changes that, vividly explaining the
Islamic perspectives that have rung true for Muslims for nearly 1400
years.
The book covers the four dimensions of Islam as outlined in the Hadith
of Gabriel: practice, faith, spirituality, and the Islamic view of
history. Drawing on the Koran, the sayings of the Prophet and the great
authorities of the tradition, the text introduces the essentials of each
dimension and then shows how it has been embodied in Islamic
institutions throughout history.