Islam is studied and discussed today on a scale never before witnessed. But to what extent is Islam truly understood in the west? And what is driving its rapid growth? The world's second largest religion, with a faithful of some 1.4 billion, is spreading fast, with a surprisingly high rate of conversion in western countries. An accessible introduction to Islam, Gardens of Delight engagingly explores the core tenets of this much misunderstood religion, and draws on recent events in Europe to examine the wider role of religion in an increasingly secular corner of the world. From Ridley Scott's film Kingdom of Heaven to the extraordinary public mourning for Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, Tawfiq illustrates the various and unexpected prisms through which Islam can be observed. Tawfiq argues that Islam, far from representing one side of an impending 'clash of civilisations', is actually the very embodiment of spiritual enlightenment and tolerance, which enables Muslims and Christians to live in a state of harmony, and mutual understanding.

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Idris Tawfiq