Travel is an essential element of Islamic spirituality. However, in modernity, notions of what constitutes Islamic travel and recreation has expanded and Islamic travel culture has arguably gone through the same challenges as broader Islam with respect to the sacred and the profane and the relationship to modern consumerism. Islamic knowledge, performances and identities are increasingly being contrasted through material commodities and consumption practices, such as tourism and travel, and which reflect the emergence of halal, Muslim-friendly and other Islamic tourisms as a product category. This first chapter provides an introduction to the book. It first discusses the role of travel in Islam before examining some of the definitional issues involved in Muslim travel and the implications that this has for research. It then touches on some of the issues involved in undertaking research on tourism and Islam before providing an outline of the book. © 2023 selection and editorial matter, C. Michael Hall, Siamak Seyfi and S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh.