LibGuides: Religious Studies: Islam

Online Reference Sources

Index Islamicus This link opens in a new window
Always the best place to startCovers widest amount of journals (and books since 1981) concerning the Middle EastIncludes materials in many languagesUse * to truncateClick on Peer-reviewed tab to get academic journalsUse Get it at UC to find the items
Date Coverage: 1906-present
Materials Indexed: Journal Articles
Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World This link opens in a new window
This encyclopedia looks at Islam's role in the modern world, doing so in the context of the religion's history and development over the last 13 centuries. Containing thematic articles, biographies of key figures, definitions, illustrations, maps and more, this new encyclopedia fills a need in this key area of religious studies.
Encyclopedia of Islam This link opens in a new window
The Encyclopaedia of Islam sets out the present state of our knowledge of the Islamic World. It embraces articles on distinguished Muslims of every era and origin, on tribes and dynasties, on crafts and sciences, on political and religious institutions, on the geography, ethnography, flora and fauna of the various countries and on the history, topography and monuments of the major towns and cities. In its geographical and historical scope it encompasses the old Arabo-Islamic empire, the Islamic countries of Iran, Central Asia, the Indian sub-continent and Indonesia, as well as the Ottoman Empire and all other Islamic countries. Both the 2nd and 3rd editions of Encyclopaedia of Islam are available at this site. Note: Diacritics display properly with Mozilla Firefox, but may not with Internet Explorer. If you have difficulties with the display of diacritics, see the database help page on this subject.
Materials Indexed: Biographical Information; Essays
Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures This link opens in a new window
The Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures (EWIC) is an interdisciplinary, trans-historical, and global project. It brings together upwards of 1,000 scholars to write critical essays on women, Muslim and non-Muslim and Islamic cultures in every region where there have been significant Muslim populations. It aims to cover every topic for which there is significant research, examining these regions from the period just before the rise of Islam to the present. EWIC hopes both to offer the state of the art in the broad sweep of topics to inform the general audience and to take on cutting-edge issues to stimulate new research in new terrains.
Materials Indexed: Biographical Information; Essays
Oxford Dictionary of Islam This link opens in a new window
Designed for readers with little or no knowledge of Islam, the Oxford Dictionary of Islam provides vividly-written, up-to-date, and authoritative entries. The Dictionary focuses primarily on the 19th and 20th centuries, providing a highly informative look at the religious, political, and social spheres of the modern Islamic world. There are entries on topics of current interest such as terrorism and the Taliban, Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida, the PLO and HAMAS, but the coverage also includes biographical profiles, and entries covering major political movements, militant groups, religious sects terms from Islamic law, culture and religion, key historical events, and important landmarks. A series of entries look at Islam in individual nations, and there are discussions of Islamic views on contemporary issues.
Date Coverage: 2003 to present
Oxford Islamic Studies Online This link opens in a new window
Encompassing over 5,000 A-Z reference entries, chapters from scholarly and introductory works, Qur'anic materials, primary sources, images, maps, and timelines, Oxford Islamic Studies Online offers a multi-layered reference experience designed to provide a first stop for anyone needing information and context on Islam. The database features reference content and commentary by renowned scholars in areas such as global Islamic history, concepts, people, practices, politics, and culture, and is regularly updated.
Materials Indexed: Biographical Information; Book Chapters; Books; Images; Maps; Primary Sources

Encyclopedia Islamica -- Brill
Encyclopaedia Islamica Online is based on the abridged and edited translation of the Persian Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif-i Buzurg-i Islāmī, one of the most comprehensive sources on Islam and the Muslim world. A unique feature of the Encyclopaedia Islamica Online lies in the attention given to Shiʿi Islam and its rich and diverse heritage. In addition to providing entries on important themes, subjects and personages in Islam generally, Encyclopaedia Islamica Online offers the Western reader an opportunity to appreciate the various dimensions of Shiʿi Islam, the Persian contribution to Islamic civilization, and the spiritual dimensions of the Islamic tradition.
Encyclopedia of the Qur’ān
The Encyclopaedia of the Qur’ān Online is an encyclopaedic dictionary of qur’ānic terms, concepts, personalities, place names, cultural history and exegesis extended with essays on the most important themes and subjects within qur’ānic studies. The Encyclopaedia of the Qur’ān Online is the first comprehensive, multivolume reference work on the Qur’ān to appear in a Western language.
Encyclopaedia of the Qur’ān Online includes direct access to 62 Early Printed Western Qur’āns Online and the Electronic Qurʾān Concordance, a unique online finding aid for textual research.
Virtual Religion Index: Islamic Tradition

Encyclopaedia Iranica

Articles on people, places, terms, and topics dealing with Iranian culture
NOTE: You will need to download special fonts before you can search.
This version offers access to the articles, but not searching.
Print Version: REF DS253.E53 1982

Primary Sources

The Noble Qur'an

MSA, USC
Three English translations by Yusuf Ali, Pickthall, and Shakir. Commentary by Maududi

The Noble Quran

Arabic text with English translations by Shakir and Yusufali; English commentary by Pooya

Foundation of Iranian Studies Resources

Resources include THE CONCISE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF IRAN (in Persian), Library & Pahlavi Archives, Legal Documents, and the FIS Online Oral History Collection (requires registration)

The Koran