The Wisdom of Islam: An Introduction to the Living Experience of Islamic Belief and Practice

This introductory guide has been written especially for the enlightenment of Western non-Muslims by a Western convert to the Sufi order of Islam. Author Robert Frager asserts that, although many books written by scholars and historians present very good intellectual accounts of the religion, they often fail to convey the emotional and religious experience of devout Muslims. Thus, he illuminates the actual experiences of Muslim men and women in Islamic society and discusses their spiritual yearnings, their conception of the beauty of prayer, the glories and hardships of pilgrimage, and the inspiration of the Sufi ceremony of Remembrance of God. He presents an overview of Islam's foundations, scripture, and history, then concentrates on Muslim psychology, emphasizing the typical Muslim's ambivalence toward Western culture. He also discusses women in Islam, including the tradition of the veil, the segregation of women, and the wide variations in the roles of women in modern Muslim communities. The book has approximately 150 full-color illustrations that include historical images and contemporary photography.