The author, a former member of the British Diplomatic Service, was brought up as an agnostic and embraced Islam at an early age after writing a book (commissioned by T.S. Eliot) on Eastern religions and their influence upon Western thinkers. As a Muslim he has retained his adherence to the perennial philosophy which, he maintains, underlies the teachings of all the great religions.The aim of this book is to explore what it means to be a Muslim, a member of a community which embraces a quarter of the world's population and to describe the forces which have shaped the hearts and the minds of Islamic people. After considering the historic confrontation between Islam and Christendom and analysing the difference between the three monotheistic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), the author describes the two poles of Muslim belief in terms of 'Truth' and 'Mercy'--the unitarian truth which is the basis of the Muslim's faith and the mercy inherent in this truth. In the second part of the book he explains the significance of the Qur'an and tells the dramatic story of Muhammad's life and of the early Caliphate. Lastly, the author considers the Muslim view of man's destiny, the social structure of Islam, the role of art and mysticism and the inner meaning of Islamic teaching concerning the hereafter.Throughout this book the author is concerned not with the religion of Islam in isolation, but with the very nature of religious faith, its spiritual and intellectual foundations, and the light it casts upon the mysteries and paradoxes of the human condition.

    For the first time in the West, the author presents the secret principles and practices of this divine science, based on the 800-year tradition of the Chishti Order. Among the many topics covered are dietary recommendations of the Prophet, the preparation of herbal formulas, healing with essential oils, illnesses arising at various stages of the soul's evolution, fasting and prayer, talismans, and the "infallible remedy."

    Drawn from the first-hand accounts of eyewitnesses, Roy Mottahedeh's account of Islam and politics in revolutionary Iran is widely regarded as one the best records of that turbulent time ever written.

    Azami's work examines the sources used by Schacht to develop his thesis on the relation of Islamic law to the Qur'an, and exposes fundamental flaws in Schacht's methodology that led to the conclusions unsupported by the texts examined. This book is an important contribution to Islamic legal studies from an Islamic perspective.

    Passages from the Qur'an are used throughout to reinforce the stories. The material is authentic and the style lively and attractive. Although the book has been written for children of 10 to 15 years of age, it can be usefully read by anyone as an introduction because of its completeness and clarity. There are 32 colour illustrations although there has been no attempt to portray either the Prophet or his Companions. The illustrations are representative of traditional Islamic life as lived in many Arab countries and portray scenes that have occurred in those countries for over a thousand years.

    Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

    This book discusses the foundations of Sufism, including the Qur’an, the Hadith, pilgrimage, and prayer, as well as a study of the rise of Islam. The companion book Islamic Spirituality: Manifestations delves more deeply into the different ways that Sufism is lived out around the world, with attention to the various sects and their writings.

    

    Indispensable to the Western observer for a full understanding of the complexities of the conflicts in the Middle East, this study analyzes and documents the historical, social, and spiritual realities of the dhimmi peoples -- the non-Arab and non-Muslim communities subjected to Muslim domination after the conquest of their territories by Arabs.

    

    In setting forth and contrasting the key notions of both faiths, the author illuminates the reasons for their differences as well as the underlying unity and universality of their metaphysical truths.

    

    This is a study of the goals, nature and operations of the monetary system of Islam, which has justice as one of its most indispensable objectives.