Muslims make up approximately 20% of the world’s population, and Islam is currently the fastest growing religion in North America. Since September 11, 2001, and particularly during the last few years, Muslims and Islam have received a great deal of attention. Still, many Americans either know very little about Islam or are unsure what to believe of the crisis-driven and often contradictory information provided by the media. In this course we will (briefly) survey the historic origins and development of Islam, consider the belief-systems that form its basis, examine some of the primary rituals practiced by Muslims, and consider what it means to be a Muslim in America and in the world today. We consider all of these aspects of Islam in the context of Religion studies, using Islam as a means to consider what Religion is, how people use the term, and why it matters.