Table of Contents
Part I Muslim Beliefs and Practices (or, What It's Like to Grow Up Muslim in California)
1 Starting with the Basics: What Do Muslims Eat? 3
2 Definitions and the Declaration of Faith 16
3 How Many Times a Day Do You Pray? 22
4 Fasting: The Ultimate Internal Conflict 42
5 Holidays: From Turkey Dinner to Baklava 62
6 Donating to Charity 79
7 A Muslim Pilgrim's Progress 83
8 Everyday Rules of Behavior for Muslims 92
9 Fashion Sense (or, What Muslims Wear) 100
10 Relationships Between Men and Women (or, Can I Go to the School Dance?) 111
Part II When Did Islam Start and How Did It Develop?
11 Muhammad and His Mission 119
12 How Muslims View the World: God, Angels, and Adam and Eve 134
13 The Basis of Islam: The Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the Shariah 142
14 From Sand Dunes to Spain: The Spread of Islam 155
Part III Modern Muslim Demographics
15 Who's Who: Sunni, Shi'a, Sufi, and More 173
16 Muslims: Who We Are and Where We Live 183
Notes 197
Bibliography 202
Index 208