This is the first work to appear in any language on the tobacco controversy in the Muslim world. Dr. Batran’s study analyzes the tobacco controversy within the frame of the religious and political atmosphere of the first period of its introduction. The book sets a new standard of research in the fields of West African & Maghribian history and comparative law & religious history. About the Author DR. AZIZ BATRAN is Professor of African history at Howard University, Washington D.C. He is the author of several works including Islam and Revolution in Africa, The Qadiryya Brotherhood in West Africa and the Western Sahara. Dr. Batrans area of interest is the spread of Islam and Sufi Brotherhoods in North and West Africa and the role they played in cementing the religious, cultural and economic unity of these African regions.