Includes bibliographical references and index.; A faith for all seasons -- Bearing witness -- A global faith with local applications -- A churchless faith -- A religion of hope -- A natural religion -- Reining in one's desires -- Synergy and society -- Ottoman ethics -- The alms-tax -- The day of the dictator -- What does "Islam" mean? -- Moses, Jesus and Mohammed -- Jesus -- The essence of Christianity -- A question weakly-coupled religions -- Mohammed -- Islamic epistemology and the foundations of Islamic law -- Exoteric practices : the five pillars of Islam -- The six pillars of faith or the Moslem's creed -- Grading of actions -- On destiny prayer : the ascension for all -- The secret that is law -- The secret that is conscience -- The secret that is love -- Eight heavens, seven hells -- The fractured mirror -- Un-fracturing -- Unification -- The source of bliss -- Truth, beauty, goodness -- The music of the Koran -- The prophet of God -- Knowledge and science ethics and morality -- Gnosis -- Islam and theocracy council -- Holy law -- Islam and terrorism -- Islam and slavery -- Islam and racism -- Is Islam itself totalitarian? -- The views of a specialist -- Separation of powers -- Women's rights -- Religion : a necessity for democracy? -- Atheism means cruelty and tyranny -- The tyranny of the majority and human rights -- Organization of the Islamic community -- Why are human beings equal? -- Democracy in polytheistic societies -- Humans in the Bible -- Matter and spirit -- Humans in Islam -- The Human being is holy in Islam -- Ethics and the Democratic personality.;