Islam For Beginners

Five times a day, close to a billion people turn to the Ka'aba in submission to Allah/God. In the seventeenth century the religion of Islam was revealed to the prophet Mohammad through the Holy Koran. Since then, Islam has spread to every center of the world.

Starting with the life of the prophet Mohammed, Islam For Beginners details the historic beginnings of Islam and its spread throughout the Middle East and Africa on to the European and American continents. It describes the major achievements of the Muslim community worldwide and examines the influence Islam has had on other cultures. In keeping with Islamic tradition, the illustrations in the book are rendered in two-dimensional silhouettes and shadows and include the repetitive, extendible patterns representative of Islamic expression.

N.I. Matar was born in Beirut, Lebanon, graduated American University of Beirut with distinctions, and later received his Ph.D. at Emmanuel College. He’s taught writing and English at numerous universities, including American University of Beirut, University of Minnesota, Harvard University, and British Academy. He has published several works about Islam and Middle Eastern history in various academic journals, and has edited and translated books about Arabic culture.