Autobiography of Malcolm X edited by Alex Haley (Penguin, 1970)
One of the most influential African-American leaders, Malcolm X, goes from the streets of Harlem, to the right hand of Elijah Muhammad and leader of the Nation of Islam. Shortly before his assassination, he travelled on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and embraced orthodox Islam.
Buy this book

The Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Karen Armstrong (HarperCollins, 2001)
Armstrong delves deeply into the often-violent histories of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, exploring the rise of fundamentalist enclaves in all three religions.
Buy this book

Even Angels Ask: A journey to Islam in America by Jeffery Lang (Amana Books, 1997)
Professor Lang explores the many questions that concern Western Muslims, both converts and immigrant children.
Buy this book

Everything Understanding Islam Book: A complete and easy-to-read guide to Muslim beliefs, practices, traditions and culture by Christine Huda Dodge (Adams Media Corporation, 2003)
Offers an introduction to Islam, including discussion of the life of Muhammed, Muslim daily life, and the five pillars of practice.
Buy this book

The Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain: Parekh Report (Profile Books, 2000)
Covers all aspects of Britain's multi-ethnic future: religion, immigration, crime, educational policy, housing, racial violence, the arts, policing and prison policy. It also covers all minorities, including Irish, Asian, Jewish, Caribbean and African.
Buy this book

The Infidel Within: The history of Muslims in Britain, 1800 to the present by Humayun Ansari (C Hurst & Co, 2003)
A broad and integrated history of Muslims in the UK.
Buy this book

Introduction to Shi'i Islam: The history and doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism by Moojan Momen (Yale University Press, 1985)
An excellent introduction to Shi'a Islam, dealing with its history and development, and the differences between Sunni and Shi'a traditions.
Buy this book

Islam, the Middle East and the New Global Hegemony by Simon Murden (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2002)
Focuses on the encounter between the Islamic vision of society, with its emphasis on community and social control, and the Western liberal vision of economic freedom and individual choice.
Buy this book

Islam, the Straight Path by John L Esposito (Oxford University Press, 1997)
Introduces the faith, beliefs and practices of Islam throughout history. The author is an internationally renowned expert on Islam. This third edition has been updated with new material to reflect the diversity of Muslim cultures.
Buy this book

Muhammad, Messenger of Allah: Ash-Shifa of Qadi'Iyad translated by Aisha Abdurrahman Bewley (Madinah P, 1992)
Perhaps the most frequently used and commented upon handbook in which the Prophet's life, his qualities and his miracles are described in detail.
Buy this book

Muslims in Britain by Humayun Ansari (Minority Rights Group International, 2002)
Covers Muslims' access to education, employment and housing in Britain as well as discussing their diverse and changing identities, participation in politics and campaigns around education. Gives an outline of the conflicts of Shariah law and English law and looks at Islamophobia, particularly after 11 September.
Buy this book

Muslim Marriage Guide by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood (Amana Publications, 2000)
Offers candid advice on the emotional, spiritual, and sexual aspects of marital life.
Buy this book

The Noble Quran: A new rendering of its meaning in English by Abdalhaqq Bewley and Aisha Bewley (Bookwork, 1999)
The standard English translation of the Qur'an.
Buy this book

Teach Yourself Islam by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood (Hodder Arnold Teach Yourself, 2003)
A comprehensive guide to the world's second largest faith, written by a practising Muslim, writer, and teacher. Covers the life of Mohammed, the Qur'an, Muslim worship and way of life, the history of Islam; Shi'ite Islam, Sufism and Islamic mysticism.
Buy this book

Understanding My Muslim Neighbour: Questions and answers on Islam and its followers by Michael Nazir-Ali and Christopher Stone (Canterbury Press Norwich, 2002)
Michael Nazir-Ali draws on his experience of growing up in a Muslim country and his many years as a Christian minister in the West to answer commonly asked questions about Islam and its followers.
Buy this book

Unveiling Islam: An insider's look at Muslim life and beliefs by Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner (Kregel Publications, 2004)
Outlines how, after 11 September, many in the West are trying to understand a religion that could take the lives of so many innocent people. The authors are both Sunni Muslims.
Buy this book

Western Muslims and the Future of Islam by Tariq Ramadan (Oxford University Press Inc, USA, 2003)
The author claims that a silent revolution is sweeping Islamic communities, as Muslims actively seek ways to live in harmony with their faith within a Western context.
Buy this book

Women in Islam: The Western experience by Anne-Sofie Roald (Routledge, 2001)
Investigates the debate in both the Muslim world and the West, on the position of women in Islam. The author illustrates how Islamic perceptions of women and gender relations change in Western Muslim communities, and are responsive to culture and context, rather than being rigid and inflexible.
Buy this book