A pro-faith attempt by a Muslim woman to present a comprehensive, female-inclusive reading of the Qur'an, the sacred Islamic text.

    Compact enough to be memorized by students becoming scholars, al-Maqasid contains hundreds of rulings of personal Islamic law distilled from the most commonly asked and answered questions in schools and mosques from the time of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) down to Imam Nawawi. Widely considered the best medium-size handbook available in English for teaching the basics of Islam from a traditional perspective, this new edition has been revised and updated with a full complement of notes on a number of contemporary Muslim issues, and three major essays have been appended on why Muslims follow madhhabs, hadiths the mujtahid Imams lacked, and the place of Sufism in Islam.NUH HA MIM KELLER has studied Islamic jurisprudence, hadith, and other traditional sciences with sheikhs in Syria and Jordan since 1981. He lives and teaches in Amman.Cover: At the far Western end of Muslim lands, facing across the Atlantic, this maqam at Safi is a metaphor, in its way, of Sacred Knowledge as the redoubt of the believer between the land of this world and the sea of eternity

    Taking up the Prophet's teaching that 'Ninety-nine Beautiful Names' are truly predicated of God, the author explores the meaning and resonance of each of these divine names, and reveals the functions they perform both in the cosmos and in the soul of the spiritual adept. Although some of the book is rigorously analytical, the author never fails to attract the reader with his profound mystical and ethical insights, which, conveyed in his sincere and straightforward idiom, have made of this book one of the perennial classics of Muslim thought, popular among Muslims to this day.

    This book, appearing in English for the first time, contains the very essence of Sufism, giving a Sufi explanation of how the outward practises of Islam—prayer, fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimage—contain a wealth of inner dimension which must be discovered and enjoyed if external actions are to be performed in a manner pleasing to God. When this is achieved the soul finds true peace and the spiritual life becomes complete.

    This book mentions various matters such as the meaning of basmala, the importance of five daily prayers, and more.

    

    She then focuses on those Arab societies that played a key role in elaborating the dominant Islamic discourses about women and gender: Arabia during the period in which Islam was founded; Iraq during the classical age, when the prescriptive core of legal and religious discourse on women was formulated; and Egypt during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when exposure to Western societies led to dramatic social change and to the emergence of new discourses on women. Throughout, Ahmed not only considers the Islamic texts in which central ideologies about women and gender developed or were debated but also places this discourse in its social and historical context. Her book is thus a fascinating survey of Islamic debates and ideologies about women and the historical circumstances of their position in society, the first such discussion using the analytic tools of contemporary gender studies.

    Editorial Reviews Hixon, a disciple of both Ramakrishna's wife and his spiritual successor, provides contemporary commentary based on The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and The Great Master . This retelling in clear contemporary English requires no background knowledge and makes accessible the ideas of a most remarkable Hindu saint who worshipped Kali, the Divine Mother, but also experienced union with Jesus, Muhammad, and Allah. Hixon claims his book ``is not a conventional biography but a workbook'' to provide Ramakrishna's guidance to the spiritually inclined reader of any religious tradition and to clarify the mystical path. Hixon is self-effacing: what shines through is Ramakrishna sanctity and wisdom, as well as the devotion of his disciples. Recommended for most libraries.

    Focusing on gender symbolism, Sachiko Murata shows that Muslim authors frequently analyze the divine reality and its connections with the cosmic and human domains with a view toward a complementarity or polarity of principles that is analogous to the Chinese idea of yin/yang.Murata believes that the unity of Islamic thought is found, not so much in the ideas discussed, as in the types of relationships that are set up among realities. She pays particular attention to the views of various figures commonly known as "Sufis" and "philosophers," since they approach these topics with a flexibility and subtlety not found in other schools of thought. She translates several hundred pages, most for the first time, from more than thirty important Muslims including the Ikhwan al-Safa', Avicenna, and Ibn al-'Arabi.

    Rumi lived the quiet life of a religious teacher in Anatolia until the age of thirty-seven, when he came under the influence of a whirling dervish, Shams Tabriz, and was moved to a state of mystical ecstasy. One of the results of this ecstasy was a prodigious output of poems about the search for the lost Divine Beloved, whom Rumi identified with Shams. To symbolize this search, Rumi also invented the famous whirling dance of the Melevi dervishes, which are performed accompanied by the chanting of Rumi's poems. Professor Schimmel illuminates the symbolism and significance of Rumi's vast output and offers her own translations of some of his most famous poems.

    

    The power of Shi'ism comes from the actions of the Imam. This title is reserved exclusively for the sucessors of the prophets in their mission. The author shows that from the beginning of Shi'ite Islam until the tenth century, the Imam was primarily a master of knowledge with supernatural powers, not a jurist theologian. The Imam is the threshold through which God and the creatures communicate. He is thus a cosmic necessity, the key and the center of the universal economy of the sacred.The author presents Shi'ism as a religion founded on double dimensions where the role of the leader remains constantly central: perpetual initiation into divine secrets and continued confrontation with anti-initiation forces. Without esotericism, exotericism loses its meaning. Early Imamism is an esoteric doctrine. Historically, then, at the beginning of esotericism in Islam, we find an initiatory, mystical, and occultist doctrine. This is the first book to systematically explore the immense literature attributed to the Imams themselves in order to recover the authentic original vision. It restores an essential source of esotericism in the world of Islam.

    The two prophetic religions have a long history of conflict but they also share a common spiritual perspective. Almost from their birth, they have been systematic persecutors of pagan religions, cultures and nations. In the heyday of their domination, they acquired great prestige and their viewpoint prevailed also in judging the victims. In this book, the author questions the victors' standard of judgement and looks at their religious premises afresh. He discusses monotheism and prophetism - the ideology of a god who has a chosen people (and also chosen enemies), but whom they know only indirectly through a favoured intermediary; he discusses the doctrines of a single life and a single judgement; he discusses the dogmas of iconoclasm, jihad, Missions and conversion. He looks at all these basic concepts and practices of prophetic religions from the viewpoint of the Yoga, and finds that they have little spiritual merit. The author also discusses yogic and non-yogic samadhis, and how the two project their own respective revelations, gods and ethical codes. He holds that the god of prophetic religions is not a spiritual being but he embodies a fanatic and intolerant idea.

    It opens with an excellent historical outline of Islamic Spain, divided into sections by period; each section is written by a leading scholar and followed by a discussion of the characteristic arts, architecture, fortifications, and so forth. The subsequent four articles on the Alhambra itself give the best analysis of the subject in English. The catalog is precisely reproduced, with photographs of the highest quality. That it collects in one volume artworks that are so widely dispersed is a major achievement, especially because there is no institute in Spain devoted to the art of the Islamic centuries. Designed for both scholar and lay reader, it is the most important volume to be produced on the subject and belongs in every art and academic library for its contribution to both history and art.

    This was a few days after my arrival in America. It took me years to realize that in America other kinds of walls, mainly invisible, existed. I had to learn about their presence, respect their sovereignty, abide by their rules. I could not neglect them, trespass them. I could not disregard them. This meant not only learning the English language but also mastering the metalanguage, the verbal and nonverbal codes of interactions, the different systems and styles of communication.

    

    This volume presents an inspired litany of praise to the Virgin Mary by a contemporary Sufi master. The love of the author for this blessed figure, revered in both Christianity and Islam, may also sow a spiritual seed in the heart of the sympathetic reader.

    Had India been completely conquered and converted to Muhammadanism, its people would have taken pride in the victories and achievements of Islam. Conversely, had India succeeded like Spain and France to repulse the Muslims for good, its people would have forgotten about Islam and its rule.

    Islam: System of Life2. Religions are Systems of Life3. The Hideous Schizophrenia4. End of White Man's Rule5. The Alarm6. The Saviour7. The Religion of the Future

    

    This great modern mystic, Sheikh Muzaffer Ozak, reveals the richness and power of the practice of Sufism, at home in the contemporary world, but supported by its deep traditional foundations.

    First, every detail mentioned has been traced back to original sources, whose authenticity has been discussed extensively in the footnotes. Second, the events of the Prophet's life have been related to modern times and lessons drawn for the benefit of those who happen to face similar situations in their struggle to spread the Prophetic message.

    In the introduction, Chodkiewicz provides a good deal of documentation for the often heard claim that Ibn Arabi has been the most influential thinker in Islam over the past seven hundred years. He shows that this has been true, not only among the intellectual elite, but also among the common believers. He explains why a few Muslims have considered Ibn al-Arabi the greatest heretic of Islam, while for many others he is Islam's greatest spiritual teacher.In the main body of the book, Chodkiewicz demonstrates that Ibn Arabi's writings are firmly grounded in the Koran. In doing this he also shows that Ibn Arabi's Koranic roots run far deeper than has heretofore been imagined. He explains that principles of Ibn Arabi's Koranic hermeneutics with unprecedented clarity, and in bringing out the primary importance of the Shaykh's magnum opus, The Futuhat Makkiyya, he solves a good number of riddles about the text that have puzzled modern readers.Chodkiewicz's work shows how, for Ibn Arabi, the iniatory voyage is a voyage in the divine word itself.

    It is a collection of many pieces of wise advice that do not fit neatly into the discourses in that book. In it are answers to questions put to him by disciples and those who attended the discourse sessions, extemporaneous advice, and most importantly, the Shaikh discusses the high level of aspiration possible for the ordinary person, and the way to accomplish it.

    Classical work on Islamic creed.

    This book gives a an answer to every questions like What is Life?, What is death?, What is the composition of the soul?, After death where does the soul goes? etc....

    A devout Muslim who strongly believed in peacefully coexisting with the West, Nursi inspired a faith movement that has played a vital role in the revival of Islam in Turkey and now numbers several million followers worldwide. While Nursi's ideas have been afforded considerable analysis, this book is the first to situate these ideas and his related activities in their historical contexts. Based on the available sources and Nursi's own works, here is a complete and balanced view of this important theologian's life and thought.

    The author analyzes instances of judicial disagreement between the early jurists, and clarifying that the disagreements or differences over the points of law and procedure between those jurists, never led them to lose sight of the higher purposes of the Shari'ah or their responsibilities 'Although this book may more appropriately be titled The Ethics of Disagreement between the Classical Jurists, it nonetheless serves as a useful introduction to the subject of disagreement in general. It also lays down for contemporary Muslims many commendable example of forebearance and understanding on the part of some of the greatest personalities and scholars in Muslim history. In this lies the utility of this book. And it is the revival of this spirit that allows contemporary Muslims to look forward to the future with hope.' Dr. Taha Jabir al `Alwani Table of Index Note on Arabic Terms Preface Introduction to the English Edition Chapter One: The Malaise of Discord Chapter Two: The Spectrum of Disagreement Chapter Three: The Historical Context (1) Chapter Four: The Historical Context (2) Chapter Five: The Historical Context (3) Chapter Six: Juristic Perspectives Chapter Seven: Reasons for Differences Chapter Eight: Knowledge and Refinement Chapter Nine: After the Illustrious Age Chapter Ten: The Way Forward Glossary

    The author finds it efficacious to combat social and political upheavals which are brought about by prolonged political revolutions, associated with autocratic oppression and economic deprivation. This second of two volumes starts with a brief discussion of the mystical philosophy of Ibn Arabi. The work then deals with the Qadiriyya, Shattariyya, Naqshbandiyya and the Chichtiyya orders. It also analyses the role of Indian sufis in the wider Islamic world.

    It has proved essential to the direction which civilization in medieval Europe took. In this monumental, collected work, all major aspects of Islamic civilization in medieval Spain, including its influence on medieval Christianity, are dealt with in a comprehensive manner. This indispensable compendium is highly recommended to experts and to everyone interested in the legacy of Muslim Spain. It offers a variety of information and presents it in an encyclopedic fashion, combining a high level of scholarship and a wide range of subject that bring this period of Arab-Islamic history to life. It is the first study in any language to deal with all major aspects of Islamic civilization in medieval Spain.

    This instructional guidebook, used by the world's largest population of Muslims, is a vital source for those interested in modern Indian social and intellectual history, in Islamic reform, and in conceptions of gender and women's roles.The Bihishti Zewar was written in northern India in the early 1900s by a revered Muslim scholar and spiritual guide, Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi (1864-1943), to instruct Muslim girls and women in religious teachings, proper behavior, and prudent conduct of their everyday lives. In so doing, it sets out the core of a reformist version of Islam that has become increasingly prominent across Muslim societies during the past hundred years. Throughout the work, nothing is more striking than the extent to which the book takes women and men as essentially the same, in contrast to European works directed toward women at this time.Its rich descriptions of the everyday life of the relatively privileged classes in turn-of-the-century north India provide information on issues of personality formation as well as on family life, social relations, household management, and encounters with new institutions and inventions. Barbara Metcalf has carefully selected those sections of the Bihishti Zewar that best illustrate the themes of reformist thought about God, the person, society, and gender. She provides a substantial introduction to the text and to each section, as well as detailed annotations.

    However, and although its message and central theme have been stated in unambiguous terms, its translation fails to impart the same meaning with the same effect. Additionally, the Qur’an deals with every subject of human concern and gives guidelines for application to life and society. This increases its scope widely, and requires on the part of the reader's knowledge of various disciplines for proper appreciation of its message. It is specially important to know how the Qur’an was understood by those who received it first: Prophet Muhammad (SAW), on whom be Allah’s peace, and his immediate followers. Second in order of interest and importance would be to know how the scholars of Islam have understood it in every age.

    Missing from this body of scholarship, however, has been a comprehensive analysis of the intellectual and ideological cornerstones of one of the most dramatic revolutions in our time. In this remarkable volume, Hamid Dabashi brings together, in a sustained and engagingly written narrative, the leading revolutionaries who have shaped the ideological disposition of this cataclysmic event. Dabashi has spent over ten years studying the writings, in their original Persian and Arabic, of the most influential Iranian clerics and thinkers.Examining the revolutionary sentiments and ideas of such figures as Jalal Al-e Ahmad, Ali Sharicati, Morteza Motahhari, Sayyad Abolhasan Bani-Sadr, and finally the Ayatollah Khomeini, the work also analyzes the larger historical and theoretical implications of any construction of "the Islamic Ideology." Carefully located in the social and intellectual context of the four decades preceding the 1979 revolution, Theology of Discontent is the definitive treatment of the ideological foundations of the Islamic Revolution, with particular attention to the larger, more enduring ramifications of this revolution for radical Islamic revivalism in the entire Muslim world.This volume will be of interest to Islamicists, Middle East historians and specialists, as well as scholars and students of "liberation theologies," comparative religious revolutions, and mass collective behavior. Bruce Lawrence of Duke University calls this volume "a superb and unprecedented study.... In brilliant figural strokes, he arrays EuroAmerican sociological theory as the crucial backdrop of a deeper understanding of contemporary Iranian history."

    This fascinating, fast-moving overview of contemporary events shows why the Temple is significant in Bible prophecy and how, more than ever, Israel is ready to rebuild.