Learn About Muslim and Islamic Culture

Islam is a religion that dates back to the birth of its founder and most important figure, the prophet Muhammad (C.E. 570-632). People who follow the Islamic faith are Muslims. The holiest book in Islam is the Qur'an, which may also be spelled Koran. Many Muslims believe that the angel Gabriel dictated the revelations in the Qur'an to Muhammad. There are eight major themes in the Qur'an and Five Pillars of Islam, which form the focus of the faith. Islam's history includes remarkable accomplishments in art, philosophy, strong religious commitment, and legal and social vision.

Depending on source, Islam is either the second or third largest religion in the world today. Although no exact number is available, estimates of the percentage of people who are Muslims range from one in six to one in four of the world's six billion people. Explore the resources below to learn more and increase your understanding of Islam and our Muslim friends and neighbors.

Web sites

Muslim Heritage
http://www.muslimheritage.com/
"This website is a community effort to provide an educational forum to present and discuss Muslim heritage" in the areas of science, technology, arts, and civilization. Find a timeline (0-2002), feature articles (on topics such as architecture, education, engineering, and law), material about Muslim scholars, and details about significant individuals, cities, institutions, discoveries, and monuments. From the Foundation for Science Technology and Civilization (FSTC), London.

Religions of the World: Islam
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/religion/islam/islam.html
Basic beliefs and definitions, produced by E-Museum of the Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Islamic and Muslim Culture
http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/911/IslamandMuslim.html
Compiled at the Rutgers University School of Communication, Information and Library Studies.

Islamic Art
http://www.lacma.org/islamic_art/intro.htm
Includes images and narrative from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

BBC World Religions: Islam
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/
Basic background, history, glossary, news from the Muslim world, and other features on this site from the BBC.

Sister's Page of Islamic World.net
http://islamic-world.net/sister.php
Learn about women lives, roles and expectations in the Islamic faith, with articles on marriage, women's rights, dress, health, child rearing and recipes.

The Koran/Qur'an

The Holy Qur'an
http://etext.virginia.edu/koran.html
"This text is an electronically scanned version of M. H. Shakir's translation of the Holy Qur'an," prepared searchable SGML form by the University of Virginia.

A Concordance of the Qur'an
Library Reference: BP 133 .K37 1983
Word and subject index to the English translation of the sacred text.

Quran.org.uk
A site from the UK that promotes study of the Qur'an.

Library Resources

Search CLICnet or the catalog of your local public library for contemporary books on Islam and Muslim lives, beliefs and culture.

Concise Encyclopedia of Islam
Library Ref. BP 40 .G42 (1991)

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World
Library Ref. BP 40 .E252 (2004), 2 vols.

New Encyclopedia of Islam
Library Ref. BP 40 .G42 (2001)

Popular Dictionary of Islam
Library Ref. BP 40 .N48 (1992)

Religion and American Culture
Library Ref. BL 2525 .R448 (2001), 3 vols.
See vol. 1, "Islam in America," page 125+

Religions of the World
Library Ref. BL 80.3 .R45 (2002), 3 vols.