An Overview
The primary meaning of Islam is submission or commitment to the Will of God. At the second level, it refers to a religion, a system of beliefs and practices. At the third level, it refers to a culture and civilization created by Muslims. Islam, the second largest of world religions, has guided millions of people over the last 14 centuries to live full and productive lives and given consolation during misfortune and tragedy. Today Muslims number more than one billion and are scattered all over the world but are concentrated in the area stretching from Morocco to Indonesia and from Central Asia to sub-Saharan Africa. In recent years, Islam has grown significantly in Europe and North America as a result of Muslim immigration and local conversion. Many Westerners have been attracted to Islam and find that it satisfies their spiritual needs. This entry will primarily focus on Islam as a religion during its classical period (Shepard 2009; Esposito 2011)....
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Poonawala, I.K. (2013). Islam: An Overview. In: Runehov, A.L.C., Oviedo, L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8265-8_603
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