TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORDS 11
ABBREVIATIONS 23
TRANSLITERATION OF ARABIC WORDS 27

INTRODUCTION

1. The importance of knowing Islam 31

a) Religion of more than one billion people, b) Past dynamism,
c) Present influence, d) Vicinity, e) Political and ideological power.
2. Knowledge and investigation of Islam by non - Moslems 36
a) Byzantines Post-Byzantines, b) Western Europeans to the 18th c.
c) Development of scientific research on Islam.
3. Glimpse of the literature 50
a) Sources, b) Encyclopaedias - Dictionaries. c) Bibliographical
information, d) journals, e) General studies on Islam.

PART ONE
THE ROOTS OF ISLAM

CHAPTER ONE
BASIC RELIGIOUS SUB-LAYERS INCORPORATED IN ISLAM

1. Pre -Islamic Arabic religion 67

a) Polytheistic structure, b) Allah: the turn to a monotheistic concept,
c) Cult aspects, d) firms - Divination, e) Morals.
490 ISLAM - A GENERAL SURVEY

2. Hebrew influences 79
a) Penetration Development, b) Influences at al Hijaz.
- -

3) Christian influences 84
a) In the northern zone, b) In south Arabia, c) In al-Hijaz region.

CHAPTER TWO
MUHAMMAD, THE APOSTLE OF GOD

1. Biographical sources and tendencies of modern research.... 95

a) Contestation of sources, b) Critical studies in the 19th and 20th
centuries.
2. Outline of Muhammadth life 103
a) Period of private life (5707-610 A.D.), b) Period of prophetic
activity at Mecca (610-622 A.D.), c) Definitive shaping of Islam;
Medina period (622-632 A.D.).

CHAPTER THREE
QUR'AN: A REVELATION FROM THE LORD OF THE WORLDS
(The Poets, 26:192)

1. How the Qur'an came into being 142

a) Starting point, b) History f crystallization of the text.
2. Form - chronological problems 145
a) Division, b) Character of text, c) Dating
3) Interpretative attempts: significance of the Qur'an 150
a) Memorandums b) Translations, c) Tendencies of modern critique,
d) The soul of Islam and the Arabic Culture.

CHAPTER FOUR
HADITH: THE SECOND PILLAR OF THE HOUSE OF ISLAM

1. The formation of traditions 163

a) Birth, dissemination, b) Form, content, examples.
2. Critical treatment - Collections 178
a) Control, criteria, b) Categories, c) Collections,
d) Anthologies - Commentaries.
TABLE oF CONTEN'IN 401

PAR'i"rwo
ISLAMIC CREED AND ETHOS

CHAPTER ONE
BASIC THEOLOGICAL LINES OF THE QUR'AN

1. The foundations of faith 191

a) Strict monotheism, b) Belief in angels, c) Prophets - Muhammad the
last and highest, d) The books of prophets - the Qu'ran, e) Resurrection
of the dead and the last judgment, f) Absolute predestination of man?
2. Schematic parallelism between Islamic faith and Christian
symbols of faith 204
a) Negation of God's fatherhood, b) Rejection of the divinity of Jesus -
Fragments of heretical Christology, c) Devotion to Wirgin Mariam >,
d) Negation of Crucifixion and Resurrection; Admission of Ascension,
e) Hints respecting the Holy Spirit, f) Absolution of sins. Eschatology.

CHAPTER TWO
MOSLEM THEOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Kalain - Theology 227

a) Development factors, b) The protagonists, c) Lack of vigour
in theological preoccupation; causes.
2. Falsafah - Philosophy 235
a) Preparatory translation work, b) Phases and tendencies of Moslem
philosophy. c) Dominant theological forms, d) The contribution
of Moslem philosophy to the reinforcement of Islam.

CHAPTER THREE
CULT LIFE

1. The five pillars of the << -louse of Islam 245

a) Confession of faith: shah& lah, b) Prayer: sakih, namaz, c) Legal alms:
zakat ; charity; sackiqah, d) Fasting: sawm, e) Pilgrimage: Oil.
2. Festivals - Other forms of worship 264
a) The annual cycle of festivities, b) Shia peculiarities, c) Other types
of prayer; dhikr.
492 ISLAM - A GENERAL SURVEY

CHAPTER FOUR
ETHICS - THE LAW

1. Moral principles in the Qur'an and the Tradition 276

a) Family institutions; woman's position, b) Respect for the life, honour,
and property of the faithful, c) Provisions regarding various aspects
of personal life, d) Theory of he holy war (jllitid), e) The institution
of slavery.
2. The law and its formation 299
a) Sharica - a rule for life, b) Civic basis. c) Destination of acts,
d) Legal schools, e) The significance of hmir and ulama'.

PART THREE
EVOLUTION - RAMIFICATIONS

CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL HISTORICAL REVIEW

I. Islamic expansion 311

a) Triumphal march of the Arabs, b) Medieval period of Islam - The rise
of Mongols and Turks, c) The period of decline, d) The beginnings
of a new rise.
2) Cultural creations 321
a) Flowering of sciences, b) Development of arts.
3. Sects 331
a) The historical framework of the first rifts, b) Morality and influence
of the Khawanf, c) The progressive Muctazilah, d) The tolerant Murji'a,
e) Ahmadiyah.

CHAPTER TWO
Sit A: THE THINNER STEM OF ISLAM

1. Historical outline. Branches of Silica 342

a) Ali 's adventure subsequent phases, b) Branches
- - Influence.
2. Characteristic differences between Sunnites and Shiites 348
a) Nature and qualifications of the leader of an Islamic community,
TABLE Ole (oN . ITATs 493

b) The concept of imam, c) Singularities of legislation and behaviour,

d) Peculiar cult forms, e) Sensitivity to the sense of passion.

CHAPTER THREE
THE CURRENT OF MYSTICISM (TASA.WWUF - SOFT)

1. Starting point of Islamic mysticism 357

a) Deeper yearnings of the soul, b) Sources of influence.
2. The rise of Sufism Outline 363
a) Historical diagram, b) Basic characteristics - experience and
expression, c) Echoes of some representative personalities.
3. Moslem monastic orders (Tariqah) 374
a) General features, b) Variety of communities.

CHAPTER FOUR
CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTEMPORARY ISLAM

1. Internal tendencies and fermentations 382

a) Liberal modernization movement, b) Revivalism of Islamic orthodoxy,
c) Radical reform, d) Legislative adjustments modification of sharPa.
2. Increase of political power 392
a) Political independence, b) Emphasis on national identity,
Panislamic ideal, d) Increase of self-confidence and missionary zeal.
3. Attempts at an Islamic - Christian dialogue 399

EPILOGUE 405
COMPARATIVE CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES 408
TABLE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND MAPS 424
BIBLIOGRAPHY 427
GREEK INDEX 451
LATIN INDEX 477
CHARACTER AND DIAGRAM OF THE BOOK 485
OTHER WORKS BY THE AUTHOR 495