This volume of Encyclopaedia Islamica is the sixth of a projected 16-volume set, largely consisting of an abridged and edited translation of the Persian Da'irat al-Ma'arif-i Buzurg-i Islami, one of the most comprehensive sources on Islam and the Muslim world, to which a number of original articles, written specifically for the English edition, have been added. One of the unique features of this work of reference lies in the attention it gives to Shi'i Islam and its rich and diverse heritage, which makes it complementary to other encyclopaedias. In addition to providing entries on important themes, subjects and personages in Islam generally, it offers the Western reader an opportunity to appreciate the various dimensions of Shi'i Islam, the Persian contributions to Islamic civilisation, and the spiritual dimensions of the Islamic tradition.

This volume contains biographical articles on a number of major Muslim scholars such as the great philosopher and polymath, Abu Nasr Muhammad al-Farabi, as well as the 9th/15th-century Persian philosopher, theologician and gnostic, Jalal al-Din al-Dawani. It also includes historical surveys of important concepts in Islam, such as ida'wa, din, eschatology and ethics, of religious groups such as the Druze, and of cities such as Darband, Diyar Bakr and Damascus. In terms of the traditions of Sufism, there are articles on Dara Shukuh, al-Dasuqi, Abu al-Hasan al-Daylami and Dhu al-Nun al-Misri. Diverse aspects of Persian culture, such as musicology and music history, are presented in dastgah, da'ira and Darwish Khan, while Persian social and architectural history are discussed in articles such as dihqan and the Fahraj Congregational Mosque. The volume also includes entries of considerable importance for the study of Shi'ism, such as those on Fadak and the Fatimid dynasty, as well as a comprehensive article on Fatima, the wife of Imam ‘Ali and daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, and as such revered by all Muslims, especially the Shi'a Muslims.