ISLAMIC HISTORY

The book examines how Islam rose from the obscurity of seventh-century Arabia to the forefront of modern global concerns, and it hig hlights how we know what we claim to know about Islam's rise and development. Historian Adam J. Silverstein also discusses the peopl es--Arabs, Persians, and Turks--who shaped Islamic history, and sheds light on three representative institutions--the mosque, jihad, and the caliphate--that highlight Islam's diversity over time.