"This book would be a wonderful addition to a church library or a good supplement to a textbook list for a freshman- or sophomore-level university couse on the fascinating world of Islam."--Restoration Quarterly"News coverage of the Arab world has expanded and improved in the last two years.... The Oxford Dictionary of Islam may be your best bet short of reading a pile of books, or living next door to a professor of Islamic studies. John L. Esposito, professor of religion and international affairs at Georgetown University, has assembled an impressive team of contributors who have produced a concise, accessible reference volume. With more than 2,000 entries, it covers almost anything you might want to look up, and some crucially important things you might not think to."--The New York Times, Education Life