Islam: The Religion and the People

Chapter 9: The Wider World of Islam

In the preceding chapters, attention has been focused mainly on those regions of Southwest Asia and Northern Africa that in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries came to be known as the Near East, then the Middle East, and are now frequently combined in “the Near and Middle East.”

There are good reasons for this emphasis, both historical and contemporary. It was in this region that the Islamic faith, and after it, the Islamic community, state, and civilization, first arose and became a major force in human history, contributing to it in every significant field of human endeavor.

The Middle East has always been and still remains for Muslims, wherever they may be, the birthplace and center of their faith, toward ...