Who Is Allah?

Allah is the most common and contested name in the Islamic tradition - but who is he? Engaging with the age old question of who is the God of Islam, Bruce B. Lawrence stakes out the historical nuance of Allah throughout the past 1500 years, from the earliest mention of his name to his appropriation by cyberspace. It introduces a broad range of perspectives, practices and problems linked to Allah, including debates that are intra religious as well as inter religious, concerning differences among Muslims as well as between Muslims and non Muslim others. Chapters cover the range of Muslim perspectives on Allah and tackle such topics as war in the name of Allah and controversies about the use of the name Allah/ God. Throughout the author highlights the need to look at Islam with fresh eyes and to understand Allah/ God with dispassionate insight. It mixes historical overview with contemporary analysis. It includes a guide to further reading and a glossary of technical terms. It considers the future of Allah in cyberspace. It also includes sidebars to illustrate key terms and a glossary of Arabic/ Islamic words, persons and practices.