This concise book offers a nuanced introduction to Islam in the Middle East. It presentsIslam as both a unified tradition of theological dogma and practices that transcends cultural differences and as a dynamic tradition that is historically informed, locally shaped, and continually reinterpreted.

• Offers numerous ethnographic examples from the Middle East and North Africa
• Explores key concepts, including the doctrinal foundations of Islam; the role of religious scholars; the five pillars; and Islamic "orthodoxy"
• Includes discussion of spirit-possession cults as integral part of Islamic tradition
• Introduces politics and current affairs as key elements in understanding contemporary Islamic discourse