This clearly written book introduces the essentials of each dimension and then shows how each has been embodied in Islamic institutions throughout history.

    Adil Salahi's compelling biography traces the life of the Prophet Muhammad from his birth and childhood to the triumph of Islam and its hold on Arabia. The author sets this against a fascinating historical backdrop. His careful analysis of the Prophet's life is written with today's Muslim and non-Muslim readers in mind: Muslims will further their comprehension of their faith, and non-Muslims will come to understand the love Muslims have for their Prophet.

    Basing itself on the realisation that it is binding on every Muslim to follow the Qur'an and Sunna, it explains the scholars' view that this is best achieved by following great Mujtahids, and that amateur efforts to derive the Shari'a from the revealed sources will lead to distortions of the Revelation.Divided into two sections, one giving the main argument in straightforward terms, and the other providing detailed notes to back up the argument, this book is necessary reading for every Muslim who wishes to follow the Qur'an and the Sunna accurately and completely [From the book cover].

    Here the trials and triumphs of the early Muslims as individuals are well-portrayed. Their various paths to Islam - sometimes direct, sometimes long and tortuous, their devotion to the noble Prophet, their endeavours in peace time and their exploits in war - all serve to cast them in a heroic mould. This is the first of two (formerly published as a series of three) books based on original Arabic sources and written in a style that is lively and often gripping. The lives of the Sahabah or Companions of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, is a rich storehouse of knowledge, guidance and inspiration. The men and women whose stories are told here helped to lay the foundations of a new world order, and it is only fitting that they should be more widely known.

    No book of its kind, in profundity as well as magnitude of scope and comprehensive grasp of modern intellectual challenges facing the contemporary Muslim World, appeared in the last century. The book deals with the fundamental question of the nature of ‘worldview’ according to Islam — a question that has never really been raised in our time. The author proposes that the nature of the worldview of Islam is not merely the mind’s view of the physical world and of man’s historical, social, political and cultural involvement in it, as has been misunderstood in the minds of secular, contemporary Muslim scholars generally, and particularly those preoccupied with the social and political sciences, but it should bear upon the Muslims’ ideas about ‘change’, ‘development’, and ‘progress’. The fundamental elements of the worldview of Islam, together with the key terms and concepts that they unfold, are elaborated in detail in this book.

    But who was Jesus of Nazareth? Was he God, Son of God, Son of Mary, a prophet of God or a mythical figure that never existed? As followers of Christ, how do we comprehend the reality of his mission and message?This audiobook presents an objective and analytical examination of the life of Jesus based on revealed scriptures and supported by references from major Western scholarly texts. It offers a precise, yet scholarly and comprehensive analysis of the person, mission and message of Jesus Christ.Coming from a Christian background and holding a PhD in Theology from Saint David's College (University of Wales), the author is well-placed to guide the sincere Christian through a process of questioning, critical thinking and drawing logical conclusions based on established facts.

    Study of Islamic canonical decisions (Fatwas) issued in India during the last hundred years.

    Through the exploration of the lives of the 40 Masters of the Naqshbandi Order, the reader is taken on a spiritual journey deep into the self.

    Although his primary interest was the esoteric tradition of Islam, Corbin was also a lifelong student of the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg. The first essay, "Mundus Imaginalis, or The Imaginary and the Imaginal," clarifies Corbin's use of the term he coined, mundus imaginalis, or "the imaginal world." This important concept appears in both Swedenborgian and esoteric Islamic spirituality. The second piece, "Comparative Spiritual Hermeneutics," compares the revelation of the internal sense of the sacred boks of two distinct religions, Christianity and Islam.

    While exploring the spiritual and psychological processes of transformation, this book offers practical guidelines to help the seeker. Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart is a valuable introduction to a dynamic spiritual path that is attracting growing interest in the West.

    Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, contains a vast body of knowledge concerning the inner development of the complete human being. Among the greatest of Sufi masters, Hadrat 'Alî (598-661 CE), cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, is regarded as a paragon of compassion and virtue and a master of both exoteric and esoteric knowledge. He was not only a great warrior, statesman, and scholar, but also a devoted husband and father. Success in this life, 'Alî teaches, is bestowed on those who maintain generosity, intelligence, perseverance, integrity, and calm reflection. As for success in the hereafter, 'Alî says, "God, the Glorified, admits to Paradise anyone, at will, for truthfulness of intention and goodness of innermost thoughts." This book contains four hundred of Hadrat 'Alî's teachings, showing how people can use the everyday realities of their lives to cultivate wisdom and well-being, both temporal and eternal, offering a path to living and dying with grace.

    It is the biography of Prophet Muhammad's life and a remarkable product which does more than educate; it draws the listener into the story through Yusuf Islam's wonderful voice and the latest sound-effect technology. It includes many exquisite photographs. The audio products are available seperately. Ages 10 to Adult.

    This work, originally written in Arabic, represents a synthesis of the Islamic intellectual disciplines authoritative in the 18th century. In order to argue for the rational, ethical, and spiritual basis for the implementation of the hadith injunctions of the Prophet Muhammad, Sh?h Wal? All?h develops a cohesive schema of the metaphysical, psychological, and social knowledge of his time. This work provides an extensive and detailed picture of Muslim theology and interpretive strategies on the eve of the modern period and is still evoked by numerous contemporary Islamic movements.

    Although the later Sufi writings by mystics such as Rumi are known and available in translation, access to the crucial early period of Islamic mysticism has been far more limited.This volume opens with an essay on the place of spirituality within the Islamic tradition. Immediately following are the foundation texts of the pre-Sufi spirituality: the Qur'an passages most important to the mystical tradition; the accounts of Muhammad's heavenly ascent (Mi'raj); and the crucial work of early poets in setting a poetic sensibility for speaking of union with the divine beloved.The volume then presents the sayings attributed to the key early figures of Islamic spirituality: Ja'far as-Saddiq, the Sixth Imam of the Shi'ite Tradition; Rabi'a, the most famous woman saint of classical Islam; Muhasibi, the founder of Islamic moral psychology; Bistami, whose sayings on mystical union have generated fascination and controversy throughout the Islamic tradition; Tustari, a pioneer in the mystical interpretation of the Qur'an; Junayd, who helped place Sufi mysticism at the center of the Islamic tradition; Hallaj, famous for his ecstatic utterances and martyrdom; and Niffari, whose sayings are considered among the deepest mystical expressions within Islam.The sayings of these pioneers are embedded in the later stratum of analytical and synoptic writings of later Sufi thinkers: Sarraj; Sulami; Qushayri; and 'Attar. Extensive portions of these writers are translated into English for the first time.

    It is considered to be one of his most important works because it sets out the principles of actual Sufi mystical practices, shedding light on the sacred invocations, and associated practices, such as the spiritual retreat. Written in a clear, lucid style, it offers a glimpse into the Sufi world of the 7th Islamic century and allows us to see almost at first hand how the novice was guided by the Sufi Shaykh and, above all, the purpose and preparation involved in engaging in the invocation, dhikhru'llah. Ibn Ata' Allah sets out to define it, to explain its nature and power, to show its results and to prove that it is part of the Prophet's Sunna, or practice. The author goes to great lengths to point out many Qur'anic verses where dhikru'llah is mentioned and cites many noted authorities.

    Daughter of Another Path reveals some of the reason and thought process that led these daughters into a new journey in their spiritual life,

    In a fascinating way, the author leads us step by step to what he considers the true import of Shatibi's views concerning jurisprudence.

    Here the trials and triumphs of the early Muslims as individuals are well-portrayed. Their various paths to Islam - sometimes direct, sometimes long and tortuous, their devotion to the noble Prophet, their endeavours in peace time and their exploits in war - all serve to cast them in a heroic mould. This is the first of two (formerly published as a series of three) books based on original Arabic sources and written in a style that is lively and often gripping. The lives of the Sahabah or Companions of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, is a rich storehouse of knowledge, guidance and inspiration. The men and women whose stories are told here helped to lay the foundations of a new world order, and it is only fitting that they should be more widely known.

    A collection of over 1000 rare accounts of the Blessed Companions of God's Messenger Muhammad ﷺ based on the classic 10th century wok of Imam Abu Na'im al-Asfahani (948-1038 C.E.) Hilyat al-Awliya wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya.

    This book covers a wide range of basic information such as the meaning of Tawhid (Islamic monotheism), the categories and implications of Shirk (polytheism), the regulations of prayer, and Islamic morals and manners. As the title implies, these are truly essential lessons for everyone who is concerned with the correctness of his Islamic beliefs and acts of worship.

    Challenging the view expressed by conventional scholarship that emphasizes the marginalization of Muslim women, the author asserts that gender issues are right at the heart of the political process in Iran. The implications of the study bear on the position of women throughout the Middle East and in the developing countries generally.

    In spite of this, there is the likelihood of errors, havig inadvertently been overlooked, to err is human

    But how often is Malcolm X understood as a religious leader, a man profoundly affected by his relationship with Allah? During Malcolm's life and since, the press has focused on the Nation of Islam's rejection of integration, offering an extremely limited picture of its ideology and religious philosophy. Mainstream media have ignored the religious foundation at the heart of the Nation and failed to show it in light of other separatist religious movements. With the spirituality of cultic black Islam unexplored and the most controversial elements of the Nation exploited, its most famous member, Malcolm X, became one of the most misunderstood leaders in history.In On the Side of My People, Louis A. DeCaro, Jr. offers the first book length religious treatment of Malcolm X. Malcolm X was certainly a political man. Yet he was also a man of Allah, struggling with his salvation--as concerned with redemption as with revolution.Drawing on a wide variety of sources, including extensive interviews with Malcolm's oldest brother, FBI surveillance documents, the black press, and tape-recorded speeches and interviews, DeCaro examines the charismatic leader from the standpoint of his two conversion experiences--to the Nation while he was in jail and to traditional Islam climaxing in his pilgrimage to Mecca. Examining Malcolm beyond his well-known years as spokesman for the Nation, On the Side My People explores Malcolm's early religious training and the influence of his Garveyite parents, his relationship with Elijah Muhammad, his often overlooked journey to Africa in 1959, and his life as a traditional Muslim after the 1964 pilgrimage. In his critical analysis of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, DeCaro provides insight into the motivation behind Malcolm's own story, offering a key to understanding how and why Malcolm portrayed his life in his own autobiography as told to Alex Haley. Inspiring and necessary, On the Side My People presents readers with a Malcolm X few were privileged to know. By filling in the gaps of Malcolm's life, DeCaro paints a more complete portrait of one of the most powerful and relevant civil rights figures in American history.

    Interspersed with excerpts from the Qur'an, these stories detail the prophets' trials as testimonies of their faith.

    

    It is designed to prepare the jurist for the task of the mujtahid, the independent jurist, who derives the law and lays down precedents to be followed by the judge in the administration of justice.

    Likewise a person’s craving after attainment of status and position – then this will generally prevent the good, dignity and honour of the Hereafter – and may lead a person into pride and to looking down upon and having contempt for others. What is shown by this valuable treatise is applicable to this time of ours and provides a cure for those ailing souls afflicted with love of wealth, who will expend all their efforts in order to amass it – not caring whether they earn it in a way permitted by the Sharee’ah or in a way not permitted. So the Muslim should awaken from this negligence which is caused by the influence of wealth and status and should not miss the opportunity to Allaah and feel remorse for what he has missed before it is too late. The treatise was previously printed [in Arabic] within Ar-Rasaa’il – Muneeriyyah which was published by Muhammad Muneer ad-Dimashqee in the year 1346.

    The authenticity of some of which is not established; on the contrary they are mere innovations. And others are some optional or obligatory acts that are not done in their proper positions or in the appropriate manner. No doubt that plotting away false beliefs and miconceptions from peoples' minds and hearts by establishing truth instead, is one of the greatest paths of calling to that which is good [i.e. calling to Allâh].

    The recent postmodernist turn in anthropology has been linked to the expiation of colonial guilt. Traditional, functionalist anthropology is characteristically regarded as an accessory to the crime, and anyone critical of the relativistic claims of interpretative anthropology (as Ernest Gellner is) is likely to be charged (as he sometimes is) with being an ex post imperialist. Ernest Gellner argues that cultures are crucially important in human life as constraining systems of meaning. Cultural transition means that the required characteristics are transmitted from generation to generation, leading, he shows, to both greater diversity and to far more rapid change than is possible among species where transmission is primarily by genetic means. But the relative importance of semantic and physical compulsion needs to be explored rather than pre-judged. The weakness of idealism, which at present operates under the name of hermeneutics, is that it underplays the importance of coercion, and that it presents cultures as self-justifying and morally sovereign: this line of argument, the author demonstrates, is fundamentally flawed.

    The early jurists chose to enforce the concrete punishments but were unable to actualise the Quranic provisions on rehabilitation and repentance, presumably because implementing the mroe comprehensive outlook of the Quran required wider commitment of skills and resources that the state may not have possesse in earlier times. Now that the state is better equipped and materially more resourceful, it is in a better position to attempt a comprehensive implementation of the Quranic provisions on punishment. This would require a certain degree of originality and initiative, but it must be done if one were to avoid perpetuating a half-measured approach to the Quranic provisions on hudud, which has characterised the hudud with remarkable rigidity and stricture. If we are successful in doing this, our endeavours are certain to be more integrated, humane, and also more relevant to the concerns of the society in which we live.The present enquiry by my friend and colleague, Professor Dr. Mohammad Hashim Kamali represents a valuable step forward. He has reached an important conclusion after a thorough discussion (of the Hudud Bill of Kelantan): the Bill is a product of undiluted imitation taqlid failing to acknoledge the contemporary realities of society and make necessary adjustments to some of the fiqhi formulations of pre-modern times....the author deals in depth with the concept of the hudud in general, and its different manifestations in particular areas... I hope that his serious research and clear vision would reach the widest range and the deepest effect in Malaysia and in the whole world.Dr. Muhammad Fathi OsmanVisiting ProfessorInternational Islamic University, Malaysia

    Despite the rich complexity of their social, cultural, and ethnic differences, they are often portrayed in monolithic terms. Such stereotyping, fueled by the resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism, has proved detrimental to Muslim women in their campaign for human rights. This book is the first detailed study to emphasize Muslim women's rights as human rights and to explore the existing patriarchal structures and processes that present women's human rights as contradictory to Islam. Academics and activists, most of whom live in the Muslim world, discuss the major issues facing women of the region as they enter the twenty-first century. They demonstrate how the cultural segregation of women, contradictory and conflicting legal codes, and the monopoly on the interpretation of religious texts held by a select group of male theologians, have resulted in domestic and political violence against women and the suppression of their rights. The contributors focus on ways and means of empowering Muslim women to participate in the general socialization process as well as in implementing and evaluating public policy.

    

    It begins by tracing the struggle over women's rights in the Arab world, particularly the gradual improvement in women's access to education--the first area in which women made significant gains. Subsequent chapters discuss Arab women writers' remarkable talents and determination to overcome the barriers of a male-dominated culture; survey the 1950s and 1960s, during which women's writing gained momentum and more women writers emerged; and address the shift in emphasis and attitude that women's literature underwent in the late 1960s, especially following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, when women novelists began to place more stress on international politics.Zeidan adapts Western-based feminist literary theory to a discussion of Arab women's literature but refrains from imposing that theory inappropriately on literature whose context differs significantly. He compares the women's movements in Arab and Western cultures and the development of women's literature in those cultures, and uses these comparisons to highlight similarities and differences between them as well as to consider how one affected the other. His analysis culminates in the early 1980s--the end of the formative years--when women's writing had become a familiar part of Arabic literature in general and a positive reflection on the collective Arab consciousness.