A Handbook of Islam is an abridged edition of the work The Religion of Islam, a renowned research work first published in 1936, with sub­sequent editions published till the present time. The Religion of Islam is a comprehensive book which divides its extensive treatment of Islam into three parts: (1) the sources of Islam, (2) the principles or doctrines of Islam, and (3) the practices of Islam relating to both the spiritual and the material aspects of human life.

In this abridgment, discussions on the more advanced topics in The Religion of Islam have been omitted as being of interest only to scholars and researchers, and certain matters of detail have been condensed. In the chapter on 'The State and Penal Laws' a supplement by the Editor has been added, dealing with some recent issues. References to the original sources as given by the author have been checked and improved where necessary.

The formatting design has been amended, using indented quotations and notes at ends of chapters, to make the book easier to read for the ordinary reader.