The First Muslims reconstructs the first century of Islam to offer a fascinating exploration of the origins and development of the religion. Using a wealth of classical Arabic sources, it chronicles the lives of the Prophet Muhammad, his Companions, and the subsequent two generations of Muslims, together known as the "Pious Forbears".

Mernissi recounts the extraordinary stories of fifteen queens and reflects on the implications for the ways in which politics is practiced in Islam today, a world in which women are largely excluded form the political domain.

The Guide for the Perplexed (Hebrew:Moreh Nevuchim, Arabic: dalalat al ha'irin) is one of the major works of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides, or the Rambam. It is the main source of his philosophical views.