The 10 Best Islam Textbooks
Special Honors
Learn Religions Learn Religions is a rich resource for those curious about the many facets of belief systems from all over the world. Their mission is to help readers explore their own faiths and those of their neighbors, as well as get a grasp on the world’s major religions. You’ll find a library of study guides, prayers, devotionals, and reference documents that offer credible and balanced coverage of prominent faiths, including Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, and Taoism. learnreligions.com
Khan Academy Whether you're in school or simply learning about Islam under your own steam, Khan Academy is an online educational platform with tons of resources to supplement your studies. You can peruse videos and articles explaining everything from the golden age, art, and the rise of empires, as well as general introductions and treatments on the origins of the religion. khanacademy.org
Editor's Notes
June 03, 2020:
Many Westerners recognize they know very little about Islam, but in an increasingly globalized world, having even a rudimentary knowledge of the faith can help in understanding current events, politics, and much more. We selected these textbooks to appeal to both serious students in school and curious laypeople who want to know more, and prioritized works penned by experts and scholars with easy-to-digest writing styles without academic jargon. For more volumes on religion, consider the titles on our list of history of Christianity books and selection of thought-provoking books about religion and spirituality.
We said goodbye to The Shambhala Guide To Sufism to add The Garden of Truth in its place. Both texts consider Sufism, but while The Shambhala Guide is written by a sympathetic Western Islamicist who doesn't participate in the practices, The Garden of Truth works to introduce the inner teachings of Sufism in the manner of classical Sufi works using contemporary language. This gives the reader a better, more intimate insight.
You'll also find Destiny Disrupted and The Story of the Qur'an joining the ranks today at the expense of The Religion And The People and Past, Present, And Future which are both fine works, however, we wanted to bring in fresh perspectives and our two new additions fit that bill. Both texts draw readers in with interesting new insights and non-Western viewpoints.
We wanted to curate books that addressed some of the myriad facets that Islam has touched, so consider creative contributions with Islamic Art and Architecture, take a dive into war and politics with Islam: Volume 1, or brief yourself on a few flashpoints with Islam: The Key Concepts.