John L. Esposito is University Professor, Professor of Religion and International Affairs and of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. He is the author or editor of more than 45 books, including What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam and The Future of Islam and is Editor in Chief of Oxford Islamic Studies Online.

Natana DeLong-Bas is Associate Professor of Theology at Boston College and the author of Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad.

"This book could not be more timely. It provides a clear, lucid and scholarly guide to Shariah which should shatter the ignorant myths that surround it with an aura of evil. If we wish to win hearts and minds it is essential that we learn what is actually in them and not rely on what we imagine might be there. This eminently accessible introduction will help people to do just that." --Karen Armstrong, author of Islam: A Short History

"The authors balance a big-picture perspective of the origins and place of sharia in Muslim societies ... Some of the best sections discuss the similarities and differences among the five major Islamic legal schools of interpretation, a look into contemporary polling data on Muslim opinions, and a broad review of how injunctions from scripture and tradition have been applied or misapplied around the world." -- Publishers Weekly

"This volume offers a much needed discussion of hotly debated issues such as the status of women, gender issues, family life, freedom, human rights, war, jihad, peace, criminal law, and justice in light of sharí'ah ... Though it is purposefully written for the awareness of the general public, it is still recommended for students, political analysts, policy makers, and religious leaders in the West as well as elsewhere in the world." -- Reading Religion, American Academy of Religion

"An excellent introductory discussion of Shariah ... Like other books in Oxford's What Everyone Needs to Know series, the question-answer format makes this work easy to reference and focuses the user's reading." -- Booklist