A good place to start out to obtain background knowledge on any topic is with reference materials. These include encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, etc. Here are examples of reference materials for Arabic that are contained within the Queen College Libraries Collections.
The Arabic Novel by 
Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature by 
Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World
This encyclopedia looks at Islam's role in the modern world, doing so in the context of the religion's history and development over the last 13 centuries. Available both electronicaly and in print.
The New Cambridge History of Islam by
The New Cambridge History of Islam is a comprehensive history of Islamic civilization, tracing its development from its beginnings in seventh-century Arabia to its wide and varied presence in the globalized world of today. 6 volume set
The Oxford Dictionary of Islam by
The Oxford Dictionary of Islam provides vividly-written, up-to-date, and authoritative entries. The Dictionary focuses primarily on the 19th and 20th centuries, providing a highly informative look at the religious, political, and social spheres of the modern Islamic world.
Modern Standard Arabic Grammar by 
A Dictionary of Idiomatic Expressions in Written Arabic by
added 12/15/15
The Arabic Novel by 