Islam today is a truly global faith, yet it remains somewhat of an enigma to many of us. Each and every day our newspapers are saturated with references to Islam; Quran, Taliban, Hijab, Fatwa, Allah, Sunni, Jihad, Shia, the list goes on. But how much do we really understand? Are we, in fact, misunderstanding?
The Penguin Dictionary of Islam provides complete, impartial answers. It includes extensive coverage of the historical formations of the worldwide Muslim community and highlights key modern Muslim figures and events. Understanding Islam is vital to understanding our world and this text is the definitive authority, designed for both general and academic readers.
Ismailimail 
This is a book I absolutely intend to have in my collection. Dr Azim Nanji is a brilliant scholar whom I had the pleasure of being taught a few lectures by in a Waezin and Teacher Training Program in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the early 1980s. He has authored many articles and papers but this one from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy has had a deep influence on me:
http://www.iep.utm.edu/i/ismaili.htm
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Sounds good. I would also recommend ‘Islam: Its Meaning and Message’, which functions well like a dictionary for the uninatiated, and also, ‘Jihad Vs. McWorld’, an excellent analysis of this interesting dialectic of our present world.
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‘The Penguin Dictionary of Islam’ by Prof. Azim Nanji
IIS link
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