WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT ISLAM SECOND EDITION This page intentionally left blank WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT ISLAM SECOND EDITION JOHN L. ESPOSITO 1 1 Oxford University Press, Inc., publishes works that further Oxford University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education. Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offi ces in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Copyright © 2011 by Oxford University Press, Inc. Published by Oxford University Press, Inc. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 www.oup.com Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Esposito, John L. What everyone needs to know about Islam / John L. Esposito. — 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-19-979413-3 (hardcover) — ISBN 978-0-19-979423-2 (ebook) 1. Islam--Essence, genius, nature. I. Title. BP163.E85 2011 297—dc22 2010044252 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper For Jean, Who Makes All Things Possible This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS PREFACE xiii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xvii General Information 3 Why do we need to know about Islam? 3 Are all Muslims the same? 3 How many Muslims are there, and where do they live? 4 Faith 5 What do Muslims believe? 5 Why do Muslims say they are descended from Abraham? 6 How did Islam originate? 7 What is the Muslim scripture? 9 Why is Arabic so important in Islam? 10 What role does Muhammad play in Muslim life? 11 Was Muhammad a prophet like the prophets in the Bible? 12 Why is so much known about Muhammad’s life? 12 Why do Muslims object to images of Muhammad? 14 Did Muhammad have multiple wives? 15 viii Contents What do Muslims believe about a worldwide Muslim community (ummah)? 16 What are the core beliefs and practices that unite all Muslims? 18 What do Muslims do on the pilgrimage to Mecca? 22 What is the Kaaba? 23 What is the signifi cance of Mecca? 24 How do Muslims pray? 25 Do Muslims believe in angels? 27 How do Muslims view the Day of Judgment? 28 Do Muslims believe in heaven and hell? 29 What are Muslim women promised in the afterlife? 31 Do Muslims believe in saints? 31 Do Muslims believe in sin and repentance? 32 What do Muslims believe about Mary and Jesus? 33 Do Muslims have a Sabbath like Jews and Christians? 35 Do Muslims have a weekly worship service? 35 Do Muslims have religious holidays or holy days? 36 Does Islam have a clergy? 37 What is a mosque? 38 What is an Islamic center? 40 What is a madrasa? 40 Are there any divisions in Islam? 42 What is the difference between Sunni and Shii Muslims? 48 What are the divisions among Shii Muslims? 51 Who is the Aga Khan? 52 What is Wahhabi Islam? 53 What is Salafi Islam? 55 Is there a difference between Muslims and Black Muslims? 57 Who are the Sufi s? 61 Who are these Islamic fundamentalists? 63 Contents ix Is Islam medieval and against change? 65 Is Islam compatible with modernization? 67 Are there any modern Muslim thinkers or reformers? 68 Islam and Other Religions 72 Do Muslims believe Islam is the only true religion? 72 What about Muslim religious intolerance? 73 How is Islam similar to Christianity and Judaism? 76 How do Muslims view Judaism? Christianity? 77 Why do Muslims persecute Christians in Muslim countries? 78 Haven’t Jews and Christians always been enemies of Islam? 81 Who won the Crusades? 87 Are Muslims involved in interfaith dialogue? 90 Customs and Culture 95 Why does Islam separate men and women? 95 Are women second-class citizens in Islam? 97 What do Muslims say about women’s rights? 101 What kinds of roles did women play in early Islam? 104 Why do Muslim women wear veils and long garments? 105 Why do Muslim men wear turbans or caps? 109 Why do Muslim men wear beards? 109 Does Islam require circumcision? 110 Is the practice of Muslim arranged marriages changing? 111 Can Muslim men have more than one wife? 112 Can Muslims marry non-Muslims? 113 What does Islam have to say about domestic violence? 114 How does Islam treat divorce? 116 Why are Muslims reluctant to shake hands? 118