""The connectivity fostered by globalization coupled with the increased tension generated by the tragedies of September 11th and other terrorist atrocities have created an intellectual hunger on both sides of the divide between the West and the Islamic world. Americans, Europeans, and others in "the West" want adequate and reliable information about Islam and the Muslim world. But what they get is often misleading, distorted and sensationalized. To offset this, those of us who know something about these subjects have been working overtime to correct the inaccuracies and to stop the flow of misinformation. Many religious leaders and scholars in the Muslim world are on a similar quest. They want to know how people in non-Muslim countries learn about Islam, the Qur'an, and the fundamentals of Muslim faith and practice because they, too, are fully aware of the falsehoods and fabrications that often pass for the truth in many American and European media outlets, whether news media or social media. Even more urgently, they seek to present a counter-narrative to the perverse and corrupted versions of Islam preached by groups like the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Boko Haram. Hope this book will be helpful in their efforts. ""-- Provided by publisher.

Part I : The book and why it matters -- Part II : Major messages and themes -- Part III : experiencing by sound, sight, and touch -- Part IV : Interpretation, influence, and global diffusion -- Part V : What does the Qur'an say about ...?.