Best of
Islam

2013

Captive in Iran


Maryam Rostampour - 2013
    Here, prisoners are routinely tortured, abused, and violated. Executions are frequent and sudden. But for two women imprisoned for their Christian faith--Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh--this hell on earth was a place of unlikely grace as they reflected God's love and compassion to their fellow prisoners and guards. Against all odds, Evin would become the only church many of them had ever known.In Captive in Iran, Maryam and Marziyeh recount their 259 days in Evin. It's an amazing story of unyielding faith--when denying God would have meant freedom. Of incredible support from strangers around the world who fought for the women's release. And of bringing God's light into one of the world's darkest places--giving hope to those who had lost everything, and showing love to those in despair.

What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Qur'an


James R. White - 2013
    Through fair, contextual use of the Qur'an as the primary source text, apologist James R. White presents Islamic beliefs about Christ, salvation, the Trinity, the afterlife, and other important topics. White shows how the sacred text of Islam differs from the teachings of the Bible in order to help Christians engage in open, honest discussions with Muslims.

Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia's Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane


S. Frederick Starr - 2013
    Frederick Starr tells the fascinating but largely unknown story of Central Asia's medieval enlightenment through the eventful lives and astonishing accomplishments of its greatest minds--remarkable figures who built a bridge to the modern world. Because nearly all of these figures wrote in Arabic, they were long assumed to have been Arabs. In fact, they were from Central Asia--drawn from the Persianate and Turkic peoples of a region that today extends from Kazakhstan southward through Afghanistan, and from the easternmost province of Iran through Xinjiang, China.Lost Enlightenment recounts how, between the years 800 and 1200, Central Asia led the world in trade and economic development, the size and sophistication of its cities, the refinement of its arts, and, above all, in the advancement of knowledge in many fields. Central Asians achieved signal breakthroughs in astronomy, mathematics, geology, medicine, chemistry, music, social science, philosophy, and theology, among other subjects. They gave algebra its name, calculated the earth's diameter with unprecedented precision, wrote the books that later defined European medicine, and penned some of the world's greatest poetry. One scholar, working in Afghanistan, even predicted the existence of North and South America--five centuries before Columbus. Rarely in history has a more impressive group of polymaths appeared at one place and time. No wonder that their writings influenced European culture from the time of St. Thomas Aquinas down to the scientific revolution, and had a similarly deep impact in India and much of Asia.Lost Enlightenment chronicles this forgotten age of achievement, seeks to explain its rise, and explores the competing theories about the cause of its eventual demise. Informed by the latest scholarship yet written in a lively and accessible style, this is a book that will surprise general readers and specialists alike.

Signs on the Horizons: Meetings with Men of Knowledge and Illumination


Michael Sugich - 2013
    Michael Sugich, an American writer who was initiated into a traditional Sufi order over forty years ago and who lived for 23 years in the sacred city of Makkah Al Mukaramah, has kept company with some of the greatest Sufi saints of the age from many parts of the world. His book is a unique eye-witness narrative of a mystical tradition that today hides in plain sight, veiled by the turbulence and materialism gripping the Muslim world. It is a spellbinding personal memoir told with eloquence, empathy, self-effacing humor, insight and love.

200 Golden Hadith


Abdul Malik Mujahid - 2013
    Islam is based on two major sources: the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and the latter is available to us in the form of hadiths. The Prophet said, “Whoever comes to know one hadith of mine should spread it.” However, the Prophet also told us to be careful when spreading his hadiths so as not to alter any component of it, otherwise, “he can take his seat in the hellfire.”Within this book I have incorporated 200 small hadiths of the Prophet. The reason for choosing the smaller hadiths of the Prophets is so that the youth can easily become accustomed to the words of the Prophet. All the hadiths concern the important matters of the religion, which every person should have knowledge of. I have come to the realization that many youth from among the Muslims have not memorized even one hadith of the Prophet. For this reason I have chosen smaller hadiths so that they can be easily memorized by them and they can spread them to others. This way our relatives and our friends can memorize some words of the Prophet which will bring them benefit in the hereafter.This book has purposely not been organized into any specific categories. Experience through the years has taught me that this style of non-categorization is easier for the general masses who are not scholars or students of knowledge. I am also aware that many languages exists out there in which the hadiths of the Prophet have not yet been translated. This is why, Allah-willing, my intention is to have this small work translated into at least 30 different languages.

Revolutionary Iran: A History of the Islamic Republic


Michael Axworthy - 2013
    A large, well-populated and wealthy state suddenly committed itself to a quite new path: a revolution based on the supremacy of Islam and contempt for both superpowers. For over 30 years the Islamic Republic has resisted widespread condemnation, sanctions, and sustained attacks by Iraq in an eight-year war. Many policy-makers today share a weary wish that Iran would somehow just disappear as a problem. But with Iran's continuing commitment to a nuclear programme and its reputation as a trouble-maker in Afghanistan, Lebanon and elsewhere, this is unlikely any time soon. The slow demise of the 2009 'Green Revolution' shows that Revolutionary Iran's institutions are still formidable. About the author: Michael Axworthy's Iran: Empire of the Mind established him as one of the world's principal experts on this extraordinary country and in his new book, Revolutionary Iran, he has written the definitive history of this subject, one which takes full account of Iran's unique history and makes sense of events often misunderstood by outsiders. Reviews: 'Balances scholarly precision with narrative flair ... Axworthy does the best job so far of describing the Iran-Iraq war ... He revisits, and convincingly reinterprets, defining moments of the Islamic republic ... [with] scholarly rigour and first-class analysis. Anyone interested in this most complex of revolutions would do well to read [this book]' Economist 'An impressive exploration of Iran's development since 1979 into an unpredictable pseudo-democracy ... [a] calm and literate portrait of the Islamic Republic' Guardian 'If you were to read only one book on present-day Iran you could not do better than this ... Axworthy revokes the sound and fury of the revolution itself' Ervand Abrahamian, Times Higher Education 'Packed with gobbets of information and policy advice on how to deal with Iran' Telegraph '[A] meticulously fair and scholarly work ... passages from Iranian authors little known in the west as well as references to both popular and arthouse cinema bring depth [and] richness ... moving and vivid ... a very fine work that deserves to be read by anyone interested in the Middle East' Jason Burke, Observer 'Axworthy is a true Iranophile, learned in history and literature ancient and modern ... [A] subtle, lucid, and well-proportioned history ... his method casts theocracy in a refreshingly cold light, and embosses the Islamic Republic's well-established subordination of faith to power' Spectator

The Wrong Kind of Muslim: An Untold Story of Persecution & Perseverance


Qasim Rashid - 2013
    Since 9/11, terrorists in Pakistan have killed over 40,000—and counting. Often risking his life, Qasim Rashid journeys into the heart of that terrorism to unearth the untold story of those silenced by Taliban suicide bombings, secret police torture, and state sponsored religious persecution. Rashid exposes the horrifying truth about growing radicalism in Pakistan and its impact on Western security. But most importantly, Rashid uncovers the inspiring untold story of millions fighting back—and winning.

Guarding the Tongue


Darussalam - 2013
    And indeed, the servant will speak words that are displeasing to Allah, due to which he will not he given a good condition, but (instead) be thrown into the Hellfire."(Bukhari)This book highlights those sins that seem so light on the tongue yet so grave on the scale and offers practical advice on how to keep the tongue in check.

Islamophilia


Douglas Murray - 2013
    In a devastating satire on the climate of fear in the UK today, Murray’s analysis is wildly entertaining yet ultimately profound:“If absolutely everybody in the world agrees on something – from the President of the United States to most film-stars, pop-stars, Popes, Bishops, atheists, writers, film-makers, brain-boxes and everyone else – then surely they must be right. Well, no. I think they are wrong. Wildly, terribly, embarrassingly and dangerously wrong, “ writes Murray.ISLAMOPHILIA shows how so many of the celebrities above, have, at some point chosen to abandon any hope or wish to criticize Islam and instead decided to profess some degree of love for it. Love, that Murray points out in the book, is often irrational and certainly misguided: Murray is not afraid to name and shame, and the book’s tour includes novelists Sebastian Faulks and Martin Amis, Boris Johnson, South Park, Tony Blair, Ridley Scott, David Cameron, Liam Neeson, Justin Bieber, Random House Publishers, the BBC, Richard Dawkins, the Prince of Wales and even George Bush. Yes, George Bush.“They may have done this for a range of good and bad reasons. Some of them have to done it to save other people. Some of them have done it to save themselves. Some of them have done it because they are too stupid to do anything else and others because clever people can be really dumb at times.”Murray then goes to detail the extraordinary strategic cultural efforts made in recent years to “rewrite the last few millennia of history, minimising and denigrating the impact of actual scientists and promoting the claims of Islamic proselytisers” and he has fighting words for the version of history depicted by Ridley Scott and others in Hollywood.Artists and writers have been caught off-guard, he alleges, “Having poked at empty hornets nests for so many years they have forgotten the courage required to do the necessary poking at full ones.”He concludes, “Let’s be clear. For the record I don’t think everybody needs to spend their time being offensive about Islam. Not only is there no need to be offensive all the time, but most Muslims just want to get on with their lives as peacefully and successfully as everybody else. But there is an un-evenness in our societies that needs to be righted…to think that the answer to any criticism of Islam or Muslims is a delegitimizing of critics and an indulgence in self-pity is not to make an advance. It is to pave the way for self-harm. For all of us.Where people are telling lies about it we should not be fearful to correct them. And where people are fearful – and genuine reasons to be so do keep coming along – people should remind themselves of something. Which is that just as bravery in one person instils bravery in others, so cowardice in one person has a tendency to be catching.”

The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent: An Informed Response to Islam’s War with Christianity


Erwin W. Lutzer - 2013
    In this compelling new book, bestselling author Erwin Lutzer urges Christians to see this as both an opportunity to share the gospel and a reason for concern.We have now reached a tipping point—the spread of Islam is rapidly altering the way we live. These changes are cause for alarm, for they endanger our freedoms of speech and religion.At the same time, this opens an incredible door of ministry for Christians, for Muslims normally do not have access to the gospel in their own lands.In The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent, readers will discover helpful answers to these questions and more:How does Islam’s growing influence affect me personally?In what ways are our freedoms of speech and religion in danger?How can I extend Christ’s love to Muslims around me?A sensitive, responsible, and highly informative must-read!

Be Patient and Paradise Will Be Yours


Darussalam - 2013
    It is the best course of action in all situations. It is a cause for Allah’s mercy and help. It is a source of spiritual joy. The final victory in both matters of the world and Hereafter is only earned by patience and the good end belongs only to the patient ones. Our trials in this world are numerous and varied. Sometime, they comes as difficulties and some other times in forms of ease. Situations that life turns on us sometimes could stretch our will and faith to the extreame. In all situations, patience and eemaan remain our most valued companions for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:“Whoever remains patient, Allah will make him patient. Nobody can be given a blessing better and greater than patient.”(Bukhari)This book is a discussion of patience and how to develop that trait so that we might be a recipient of one of Allah’s greatest blessings

Interpretation of Dreams


Omar Khayyám - 2013
    “In this book, the author provides a definition of the word “Dream”, discusses the various types of dreams, mentions some dreams that were interpreted by the Prophet (Peace and blessings Be Upon Him), etiquette to be observed by the person who has a dream and the person who interprets it, and provides the interpretation of a large number of dreams, among some other issue related to subject. The author is the well-known erudite scholar sheikh Muhammad ibe Abd-Allah ibn Raashid Al-Bakri (d. 736 AH/1336CE). The English reader will definitely find this book highly interesting and thought-provoking.

Empires of Dirt: Secularism, Radical Islam, and the Mere Christendom Alternative


Douglas Wilson - 2013
    American exceptionalism, the belief that "America" is more than a nation, is folly. Radical Islam is obviously wrong as well, but Muslims at least own the nature of the current cultural conflict. You must follow somebody, whether its Allah, the State, or Jesus Christ. This important and timely book is an analysis of the changing face of religion and politics and also an extended argument for Christian expression of faith in Jesus Christ. This does not mean a withdrawal from politics to our own communities and churches. Instead, we Christians must take what we have learned from the wreck of secularism and build a Christendom of the New Foundation: A network of nations bound together by a formal, public, civic acknowledgement of the lordship of Jesus Christ and the fundamental truth of the Apostles' Creed. "And you could have it all,My empire of dirt..."Nine Inch NailsJohnny Cash

Description of Paradise in the Glorious Qur'an


Abdul Halim Ibn Muhammad Nassae As-Salafi - 2013
    This belief makes him eligible for enjoyment of the bliss and the happiness of the Hereafter. It is not a belief that is limited to the life of this finite and ephemeral world only as compared to the everlasting Hereafter.Rather, it is a great creed that links the life of man in this world to that of the Hereafter so that his vision will not be restricted to this world alone but extends to the Hereafter.Belief in Paradise is one of the fundamentals of faith. The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, was asked about faith and he answered, “Faith is to believe in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Messenger and in the Last Day; and to believe in pre-decree, its good and bad.”

Strategies of Prophet Muhammad


Omar Khayyám - 2013
    Not only did he change the world-view of a society, he practically moulded a nation out of a disparate group of warring tribes such that today, after 1400 years, more than 1.6 billion Muslims now live all over the world and try to follow in his foot-steps in their daily routines. Many demographers calculate that Islam will become’s the world’s largest religion by 2050. This amazing growth trajectory owes a great deal to the strategies pursued by him.

The Story of Mohammed Islam Unveiled


Harry Richardson - 2013
    It is said that truth is stranger than fiction and honestly, NO-ONE could have made this up. There are battles, murders, intrigues, rapes, assassinations, torture, intimidation, and much much more. Along the way Mohammed invented Jihad, the most effective system of conquest ever devised. Mohammed’s life story is also the key which unlocks the complexities and confusion of the Islamic religion itself. By understanding his story we quickly gain a clear insight into the Islamic religion and the incredible importance this holds for our future. This amazing book pulls no punches and brings the subject to life in a way which is both fascinating and informative. Rather than looking at Islam through a prism of Western (and by default, Christian) perspective, it takes Islam apart and explains the Islamic perspective itself. In doing so it illuminates the stark contrasts between Western and Islamic ethics and beliefs in clear and simple language which makes it a delight to read. There are no apologies, no excuses and no pretending. This is not Islam as we want it to be, this is Islam as it really is, warts and all. Every page is packed with important, but little known facts and key passages from Islam’s holy books. These are carefully arranged and then cemented into place with logical and insightful commentary which reveals the true picture, as Islamic scholars have always known it. This is the information which is never reported by the mainstream and this book will have you turning pages right to the very end. The reader is then left with an entirely new understanding of issues such as terrorism, the treatment of women, immigration and poverty. Inexplicable actions suddenly begin to make perfect sense. Seemingly insane or random behaviour fits perfectly into a well thought out and wildly successful strategy. By the end, the reader is hit with a real sense of the vital importance of this information. Millions of people, both Muslims and non Muslims are tragically affected by aspects of Islam. More than 95% of all wars and armed conflict today involve Muslims. Muslims also suffer some of the highest rates of poverty, disease, hunger, illiteracy, environmental degradation and many more crippling disadvantages. Islam is also increasingly affecting the Western World and not just through terrorism. Muslims make up 5% of the population of Denmark and yet they are estimated to absorb 50% of that countries welfare budget. Other Western countries face similar challenges. These problems all have their roots in Islam. The good news is that they can all be fixed. By tackling the subject head on, this book leaves us with the knowledge and understanding to address these problems with logical and well thought out solutions rather than hiding behind fine sounding, politically correct assumptions which have no basis in fact. Pat Fraser described it as follows: “A hard hitting book confronting a world epidemic. Using language for all ages and levels of education, the author has clearly illustrated the history and radical concepts behind one of the world’s largest and most influential religions. Written free from bias or personal agenda, it is a must read book to truly gain an understanding into the darker sides of this belief and the negative effects they have had on countries around the globe. If for greater understanding or just personal interest, this is definitely worth your time”. Ishiro Yamamoto called this “A truly informative and well researched work that should be read by all those who wish to know the real truth”.

Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism


Karima Bennoune - 2013
    In Senegal, wheelchair-bound Aissatou Cisse produced a comic book to illustrate the injustices faced by disabled women and girls. In Algeria, publisher Omar Belhouchet and his journalists struggled to put out their paper, El Watan (The Nation), the same night that a 1996 jihadist bombing devastated their offices and killed eighteen of their colleagues. In Afghanistan, Young Women for Change took to the streets of Kabul to denounce sexual harassment, undeterred by threats. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Abdirizak Bihi organized a Ramadan basketball tournament among Somali refugees to counter the influence of Al Shabaab. From Karachi to Tunis, Kabul to Tehran, across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and beyond, these trailblazers often risked death to combat the rising tide of fundamentalism within their own countries. But this global community of writers, artists, doctors, musicians, museum curators, lawyers, activists, and educators of Muslim heritage remains largely invisible, lost amid the heated coverage of Islamist terror attacks on one side and abuses perpetrated against suspected terrorists on the other.A veteran of twenty years of human rights research and activism, Karima Bennoune draws on extensive fieldwork and interviews to illuminate the inspiring stories of those who represent one of the best hopes for ending fundamentalist oppression worldwide.

Golden Stories of Accepted Prayers


Darussalam - 2013
    Allah is always ready and happy to receive prayers from anyone at any time. If you're facing any difficulties or trouble you should immediately turn to Allah for help. The best invocations are those narrated by the Prophet (S). If you don't speak Arabic, you can pray in your mother tongue. When we pray we should feel assured that Allah will accept our requests. We should do so with complete sincerity and devotion. Prayers can be made at any time, but there is a greater possibility our prayers will be accepted if we do so at specific times...

Reflections


Charles Le Gai Eaton - 2013
    From 1978 to 1996, the late Gai Eaton gave a series of talks on BBC Radio about Islam and its role in contemporary society and this account features 86 of these talks—variously titled “Reflections,” “Words of Faith,” and “Pause for Thought.” Providing a beautifully clear and accessible introduction to Islam’s central tenets, principles, and practices, this book utilizes wisdom, humanity, and humor to teach those interested in a spiritual approach to life.

Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War on Christians


Raymond Ibrahim - 2013
    Christians are being persecuted and slaughtered today.Raymond Ibrahim unveils the shocking truth about Christians in the Muslim world. Believers in Jesus Christ suffer oppression and are massacred at the hands of radicals for worshipping and spreading the gospel of the Lord.Discover the true-life stories that the media won't report in Ibrahim's Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War on Christians.

Abu Bakar as-Siddiq (R.A)


Darussalam - 2013
    During the Prophet's lifetime, Abu Bakr was an exemplary soldier on the battlefield; upon the Prophet's death, Abu Bakr (R) remained steadfast and, through the help of Allah, held this nation together. When others suggested keeping Usaamah's army back, Abu Bakr insisted - and correctly so - that the army should continue the mission which the Prophet (S) had in mind. When people refused to pay Zakaat, and when the apostates threatened the stability of the Muslim nation, Abu Bakr was the one who remained firm and took decisive action against them. These are just some of the examples of Abu Bakr's many wonderful achievements throughout his life. I have endeavored to describe all of the above in a clear and organized manner. But more so than anything else, I have tried to show how Abu Bakr's methodology as a Muslim and as a ruler helped establish the foundations of a strong, stable, and prosperous country - one that began in Al-Madeenah, extended throughout the Arabian Peninsula, and then reached far-off lands outside of Arabia. Throughout the brief period of his caliphate (about 2 years), Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (R) faced both internal and external challenges; the former mainly involved quelling the apostate factions of Arabia and establishing justice and peace among the citizens of the Muslim nation; and the latter mainly involved expanding the borders of the Muslim nation by spreading the message of Islam to foreign nations and conquering those nations that stood in the way of the propagation of Islam. During the era of his caliphate, Khalifah Abu Bakr As Siddeeq (R) sent out armies that achieved important conquests; for example, under the command of Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed (R) the Muslim army gained an important victory in Iraq. And the Muslim army achieved other important victories under the commands of Al-Muthannah ibn Haarithah (R) and Al-Qa'qaa ibn 'Amr (R). In short, the victories achieved during the era of Abu Bakr's Caliphate paved the way for victories that later took place after Abu Bakr's death. I have tried to analyze the above-mentioned conquests and to break down the reasons why they were such monumental successes. I particularly pointed out Abu Bakr's contributions to those conquests: His military strategy, the leaders he chose, the letters through which he communicated with them, and so on. Dr. Ali Muhammad As-Sallaabee

Daily Wisdom: Islamic Prayers and Supplications


Abdur Raheem Kidwai - 2013
    With 365 prayers covering the whole year, this is a must for every home. With accompanying Arabic text, and the prayers fully referenced, this book is also an authentic and reliable compilation.Abdur Raheem Kidwai is a professor of English at the Aligarh Muslim University in India and the well-known author of many works on the Qur'an and Islam.

The Caliphate of Banu Ummaiya


Ibn Kathir - 2013
    This book focuses on the tenure that took place after the wonderful time of “Khulfa-e-Rashidan” (the four caliphs) which took out the Arabian Peninsula from the darkness of associating ilahs (gods) with Almighty Allah swt. This book discusses the tenure and the reign time of Banu Umaiyyah starting from 40th Hijri to 132nd Hijri year. In this book the author Ibn e Kathir explains the biography of the caliphs, the merits of their ruling times, major and minor events that took place during their reign, the year by year happenings and the transition of the government bodies known as Caliphs. All of the narrations and references are very much authentic as this phase of Islamic history is very much manipulated and distorted by historians of Islam. As Al-Bidayah Wan Nihayah (The Beginning and The End), by the renowned and famous scholar Abu Al-Fida Imad ad-Deen Isma’eel bin Umar ibn Katheer, is considered as one of the most authoritative sources on Islamic History

A Muslim's Romantic Journey


Kitty Crackers - 2013
    All her life she kept herself pure for her faith and her future husband. Although having never had experienced love, and occasionally doubting whether she will, Safia feels herself growing impatient being single. She then sends her family to search for 'the one.' Trusting her family, she decides to say yes to the first person her family finds for her. She believes she will get married and face all her problems with her husband by her side. Is it really as simple as that?Yusuf feels a void in his heart. He tries to deny it, but he knows his mother's not proud of him. He knows she wishes he could be a little more modern like his brother. He wanted his family to find him a wife while he could focus on his deen (faith), but his idea of a wife clashes with his mother's. Seeing that his family were struggling to find him someone he likes, he decides to take matters into his own hands. But is he rushing into decisions without thinking?

Hujr Ibn Adi: A Victim of Terror


Sayed Ammar Nakshawani - 2013
    He was sentenced to death by the Umayyad Caliph Muawiyah I for his unwavering support and praise for Ali, the first Imam of the Shias. Read this exception story in to the life of a Sahaba who was executed for his love of Imam Ali.

Nahjul-Balagha : Path of Eloquence, Vol. 1


علي بن أبي طالب - 2013
    al-Jibouri, Translator of this book, has so far written, edited and translated 57 books and other publications, not counting this one. Details and some front cover images of these publications are included on pages 43 – 89 of his other book titled Mary and Jesus in Islam which AuthorHouse has already published (ISBN 9781468523201 or 9781468523218). He earned his graduate degree in English from an American university, taught English in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United States and is presently preparing Volume Two of his book titled Allah: The Concept of God in Islam, the first volume of which has already been published by Authorhouse (ISBN 9781468532722, 9781468532739 or 9781468532746). He is also working on Volume One of his other major work titled Dictionary of Islamic Terms. This book is not an ordinary one at all. Actually, millions of intellectuals worldwide regard its eloquence, language and contents as being next in importance only to the Holy Qur'an, and you will find out why when you read it. It is the compilation of the sermons, letters and axioms of Ali ibn Abu Talib, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet of Islam, who lived from 600 – 660 A.D. and played a major role in shaping the society and politics not only of his time but of all time to come. There are many editions of this great book in at least two dozen languages, and Yasin T. al-Jibouri has for some time been editing one of them. This book is for people who wish to ""live"" the first Islamic century in all its upheavals, controversies, civil wars and religious fervor. It may serve as a guide for those who wish to discover the complexity, beauty and richness of the Arabic language. Or it may be sought by people who wish to lead a life of happiness and fulfillment, since it provides all of this and more, and you are free to judge for yourself."

Divine Love: Islamic Literature and the Path to God


William C. Chittick - 2013
    So argues esteemed professor of medieval Islam William C. Chittick in this survey of the extensive Arabic and Persian literature on topics ranging from the Qur’an up through the twelfth century. Bringing to light extensive foundational Persian sources never before presented, Chittick draws on more than a thousand pages of newly translated material to depict the rich prose literature at the center of Islamic thought.

Rekindle Your Life - Inspiring True Stories


Muhammad Al-'Arifi - 2013
    Rekindle Your Life centres upon encouragement towards good deeds and noble characters, abstinence from sins by giving reminders in a very beautiful way about Paradise and its delight, the reality of death, turning to Allah in repentance and enlightening faith through inspired, true and wonderful stories from various aspects of life past and present.

Islam Is a Foreign Country: American Muslims and the Global Crisis of Authority


Zareena Grewal - 2013
    Devoutly religious and often politically disaffected, these young men and women are in search of a home for themselves and their tradition. Through their stories, Grewal captures the multiple directions of the global flows of people, practices, and ideas that connect U.S. mosques to the Muslim world. By examining the tension between American Muslims' ambivalence toward the American mainstream and their desire to enter it, Grewal puts contemporary debates about Islam in the context of a long history of American racial and religious exclusions. Probing the competing obligations of American Muslims to the nation and to the umma (the global community of Muslim believers), Islam is a Foreign Country investigates the meaning of American citizenship and the place of Islam in a global age.

The Thistle and the Drone: How America's War on Terror Became a Global War on Tribal Islam


Akbar Ahmed - 2013
    More than ten years later, the results are decidedly mixed. Here world-renowned author, diplomat, and scholar Akbar Ahmed reveals an important yet largely ignored result of this war: in many nations it has exacerbated the already broken relationship between central governments and the largely rural Muslim tribal societies on the peripheries of both Muslim and non-Muslim nations. The center and the periphery are engaged in a mutually destructive civil war across the globe, a conflict that has been intensified by the war on terror.Conflicts between governments and tribal societies predate the war on terror in many regions, from South Asia to the Middle East to North Africa, pitting those in the centers of power against those who live in the outlying provinces. Akbar Ahmed's unique study demonstrates that this conflict between the center and the periphery has entered a new and dangerous stage with U.S. involvement after 9/11 and the deployment of drones, in the hunt for al Qaeda, threatening the very existence of many tribal societies.American firepower and its vast anti-terror network have turned the war on terror into a global war on tribal Islam. And too often the victims are innocent children at school, women in their homes, workers simply trying to earn a living, and worshipers in their mosques. Battered by military attacks or drone strikes one day and suicide bombers the next, the tribes bemoan, "Every day is like 9/11 for us."In The Thistle and the Drone, the third volume in Ahmed's groundbreaking trilogy examining relations between America and the Muslim world, the author draws on forty case studies representing the global span of Islam to demonstrate how the U.S. has become involved directly or indirectly in each of these societies. The study provides the social and historical context necessary to understand how both central governments and tribal societies have become embroiled in America's war. Beginning with Waziristan and expanding to societies in Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and elsewhere, Ahmed offers a fresh approach to the conflicts studied and presents an unprecedented paradigm for understanding and winning the war on terror.The Thistle and the Drone was the 2013 Foreword Reviews Gold winner for Political Science.

O My Son


Darussalam - 2013
    They should correct their children's errors and most importantly guide them to live a life that is pleasing to Allah and teach them a means of achieving it. Allah points these duties to parents, particularly the fathers, In His book (the Qur'aan) when he gave the example of Luqmaan and his son. 'And (remember) when Luqmaan said to his while he was advising him: "O my son! join not in worship others with Allah. Verily! joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed. "Luqmaan (31:13). Our success as parents is determined largely by how well we are able to discharge those responsibilities Allah has placed on us regarding out children. this book explains different aspects of the advice of Luqmaan to his son and its significance for a successful life.

The Rights of Parents (The Muhammad Mawlud Adab Series)


Muhammad Mawlud - 2013
    He was a brilliant scholar who mastered all of the Islamic sciences, including the inward sciences of the soul. He was known for his knowledge and piety. Shaykh Muhammad Mawlud mastered the ability to transfer immense amounts of much needed knowledge to the masses by means of simple texts such as this text on Rights of Parents. Rami Nsour al-Idrisi has studied Islamic sciences since 1998 under the guidance of a number traditional scholars in Mauritania. His teachers have given him Ijaza (traditional teaching license) in various subjects including Islamic Law, Creed and spirituality.

Traitor?


Terry C. Holdbrooks Jr. - 2013
    Holdbrooks, Jr. had a lot of expectations from joining the military. He hoped to become a better American, a better soldier, a better person. He would never have thought, in his wildest atheist dreams, that he would become a Muslim. "Traitor?" is the story of an American soldier's journey to Islam having found it in the 'armpit of the world', Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Muhammad The Merciful


Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri - 2013
    Even outsiders cannot deny his political genius and great statesmanship as the founder of a new world order and the stimulus for a succession of brilliant and progressive civilisations. But a study of his life in these terms overlooks arguably his most essential qualities - his mercy and benevolence. Internationally renowned Islamic scholar, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has produced a work unrivalled in its comprehensive treatment of the subject matter, illustrating the merciful character of the Prophet in all its aspects, towards humans and more generally towards all beings. Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri has reproduced a solid corpus of references from the Qur'an, along with reliable Hadith, specially selected for authenticity and relevance. All sources are meticulously referenced in Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri's characteristic style. This book shows how in spite of immense hardships and painful ordeals, the mercy and compassion of the Prophet remained to the fore, even towards those who opposed and persecuted him. For Muslims, this book will be a means to celebrate the magnanimous personality of the Prophet and an incentive to instil the great qualities of the Prophet in their own lives, while non-Muslims and academics will discover how these qualities as described in the Islamic literature have caused the Prophet to occupy his preeminent position in the religious consciousness of Muslims.

Not Peace But a Sword: The Great Chasm Between Christianity and Islam


Robert Spencer - 2013
    A much-needed rejoinder to those who dream of an easy alliance between the two faiths.

The Modest Muslimah & Her Hijaab


Nisaar Nadiadwala - 2013
    Nisaar Nadiadwala, a prominent writer on comparative social system, and a public speaker on socio-educational topics from Islamic perspective draws attention to the hidden dangers that have adverse effects on girls.This book exposes the reasons behind the dangers to modesty. These dangers come from decent appearing Cyber Romeos, careers in which women work shoulder to shoulder, head to head with non-Mahram (unrelated) men, vulgar entertainment, college festivals, etc...It is essential that the Educated Modest Muslimah be cautioned of these dangers...

Therapy from the Quran and Hadith


ابن كثير - 2013
    This has been motivated by the need for a therapeutic approach to treating mental illness that is ideologically acceptable within the boundaries of Shari'ah. This has become a concern not only for Muslim therapists and their patients but in fact for all Muslims, as part of their adherence to Islam and towards improving their Iman. Muslim psychologists around the world are working hard at developing faith -based models of therapy that are acceptable to their peers and Muslim scholars alike. This book is precisely that; An easy-to-use collection of Qur'anic ayaat and authentic ahadith and their interpretations, that allow bi idh nillah individuals to challenge distressing psychological thoughts and behaviors. Written by an experienced clinical psychologist, the text may be used as a therapeutic aid or reference for clinicians or simply as a general guide to character development. The use of analogy means that the book is relevant to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike with the aim of using guidance from Islam to alleviate difficulties and to improve our understanding of human distress. Only the Creator best knows the creation.

Imam al-Ghazali: A Concise Life


Edoardo Albert - 2013
    It also reveals why, after years of success, he left behind his prestigious teaching position and became a penniless traveler trying to experience the peace of a contented inner life.With illustrations, photographs, and maps, the rich and diverse world that produced al-Ghazali is vividly brought alive.Edoardo Albert is a London-based writer of Italian and Sri Lankan extraction.

Be Steadfast


Darussalam - 2013
    Such sections make us wonder whether we can remain steadfast and much on! Narrated Sufyaan Ibn Abdullah (R.A): " I said to Messenger of Allah, 'Messenger of Allah, tell me something to which i should hold fast. He said: 'Affirm' My Lord is Allah' and then be steadfast'. then I said: 'Messenger of Allah, what is that you are most afraid of in my case? He took hold of his tongue and said: 'of this'. "(Tirmidhee)" This book, Insha Allah, gives a concise insight into what it means to be steadfast, the king of sections that necessitate being steadfast and the various ways and means of keeping steadfast in our faith.

The Brotherhood: America's Next Great Enemy


Erick Stakelbeck - 2013
    While we focus on al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah, it's actually the Muslim Brotherhood, the world’s oldest, most influential, and most anti-American Islamist group, that has become the preeminent voice and power in the Muslim world.Hiding behind a cloak of respectability and expensive Western suits, the Muslim Brotherhood is installing vehemently anti-American governments and power structures throughout the Middle East and the world, as we sit back and cheer for the "democracy" of the Arab Spring.In his new book, The Brotherhood: America’s Next Great Enemy, Erick Stakelbeck teaches us the frightening truth about this dangerous group, from his first-hand experiences investigating the Brotherhood for eleven years, interviewing its members and visiting its mosques and enclaves.In The Brotherhood, Stakelbeck:Reveals how the Obama administration has put the Brotherhood on the threshold of power at every turnExamines the alarming ramifications for America, Europe and Israel of the Brotherhood’s rapid riseWarns against the West’s—particularly the Left’s—shortsighted, naïve and deadly embrace of the Ikhwan andTraces the group from its violent roots to its current strategy of “stealth jihad”With Middle Eastern unrest only growing hotter, and saber-rattling at the West only growing louder, the Muslim Brotherhood’s growing global clout will remain on the front burner of American national security challenges. Revealing and disconcerting, The Brotherhood is a must-read for every American hoping to remain in a free America.

The Holy Qur'an


Abdul Mannan Omar - 2013
    Translation made EASY to Understand. Pure, Simple, Literal and very faithful to the Arabic Text. NO hindrance in the reading flow. NO distraction to the footnotes. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. This translation is pure, simple, literal and faithful to the Arabic Text. There are no distracting footnotes and the translation is very easy to understand. The team of Muslim scholars who translated this work include the first woman to translate the Holy Quran into English. This translation includes the original Arabic text, an extensive Subject Index, an eighty page Glossary, and an eloquent Introduction to the Holy Quran. Clearness, ease of understanding and accuracy are the main aims of the translation. Ideal for indepth study. Hundreds of important Quranic words explained, in the light of classical Arabic Lexicons/Dictionaries. List of Books of References are also included which were used in th

Trials and Tribulations


Imam ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah - 2013
    People often see, and hear of, the believers being afflicted with adversity and tribulation, and conversely they often see, and hear of the disbelievers attaining leadership and wealth in this world. This leads them to mistakenly believe that well-being in this world is only reserved for the disbelievers.A believer may face many trials and tribulations that test his faith, patience and endurance. In a world full of conflict and war, with many also suffering from personal and family problems, shaytan causes a person to question many things. If a Muslim is tried with a difficulty, then the reasons for this are many - including one's own sin, which arise from leaving something obligated in Islam or comitting an act that is prohibited.Trials are also a means of Allaah purifying and aiding His servants, ennobling them and granting well-being through His Wisdom. The most severely of those who were tried were the Prophets and then those closest to them in following their guidance.

The Great Scholars of The Deoband Islamic Seminary


Muhammad Taqi Usmani - 2013
    This is a translation of the book Akabir-i-Deoband Kya Thay by the Justice of Pakistan, Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani.

A Treasury of Virtues: Sayings, Sermons, and Teachings of Ali, with the One Hundred Proverbs, attributed to al-Jahiz


Al-Qadi al-Qudaʿi - 2013
    454 H/1062 AD) of sayings, sermons, and teachings attributed to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 40 H/661 AD). 'Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, the first Shia Imam and the fourth Sunni Caliph. An acknowledged master of Arabic eloquence and a sage of Islamic wisdom, Ali was renowned for his words, which were collected, quoted, and studied over the centuries, and extensively anthologized, excerpted, and interpreted.Of the many compilations of 'Ali's words, A Treasury of Virtues arguably possesses the broadest compass of genres, and the largest variety of themes. Included are aphorisms, proverbs, sermons, speeches, homilies, prayers, letters, dialogues and verse, all of which provide instruction on how to be a morally upstanding human being. The shorter compilation included here, One Hundred Proverbs, is attributed to the eminent writer al-Jahiz (d. 255 H/869 AD). This volume presents a new critical edition of the Arabic based on several original manuscripts, the first English translation of both these important collections, and an extended introduction.

Muhammad: An Authentic Overview of His Life and Mission


Mustafa Umar - 2013
    Yet, many people have little to no understanding about the founder of one of the world's largest and fastest growing religions. English speaking people have very few reliable and authentic resources which provide an overview of Muhammad's life. This book is designed to fill that void and not only serve as an introduction to Islam but also to establish a foundation through which the reader may sift through the negative propaganda against the man and his message.

Nahjul-Balagha Part 2


علي بن أبي طالب - 2013
    You may read this book carefully and should you be interested to have further study on such publications you can contact us through www.shia.es Naturally, if we find you to be a keen and energetic reader we shall give you a deserving response in sending you some other publications of this Organization.

Hunting for the Word of God: the quest for the original text of the New Testament and the Qur'an in light of textual and historical criticism


Sami Ameri - 2013
    After a revolutionary renaissance in the field of biblical textual criticism, however, they began to doubt the genuineness of the entire text.No longer are we able to claim the authenticity of even one passage from the New Testament. The whole Christian edifice is now in danger. Conversely, today the authenticity of the Qur’ānic text is also being challenged by questioning the Islamic version of the preservation of the Muslim holy book, and the preservation of the canonical readings of the original text.In the last decade, some missionaries started using the recent discovery of Qur’ānic manuscripts in Sana’a (Yemen) to claim that there had been an early corruption of the text.This book aims at taking its readers on a journey through the latest academic research on the topic, in the hope of bringing them as close as possible to the heart of the debate. It also has, as its objective, to provide the most satisfactory answers to the most bewildering questions readers may have about the authenticity of the two texts in question—the New Testament and the Qur’an. The author’s expertise in both areas, the Biblical and Qur’ānic, will enable the reader to gain solid knowledge of the subject matter tackled in this book.

What is Islam (Goodword)


Maulana Wahiduddin Khan - 2013
    And it is in submission to God and living a God­oriented life that man finds complete fulfilment and purpose of life. When he discovers God and worships Him, when he remembers Him, when his mind is turned towards Him with full concentration, when he makes a request or a plea, he establishes a contact with his Creator. In the words of the Hadith, at that particular moment he comes to whisper with his Lord. He has the tangible feeling that he is pouring his heart out to God and that God in turn is answering his call. He starts receiving inspiration from God. This is the beginning of living a God­Oriented Life and the development of a positive personality.

A Blessed Valley: Wadi Hadramawt and the 'Alawi Tradition


Mostafa al-Badawi - 2013
    Their tradition and chains of transmission remain unbroken to this day.Today, there are hundreds of thousands of 'Alawi's all over the world, a good number of whom are authoritative scholars, and many of whom achieve sanctity, whether or not they reveal to the external observer anything of their inner states.Their influence in the Islamic world is bound to remain substantial in the foreseeable future, if not, as once stated by Imam al-Haddad, until the appearance of the Mahdi. It is in order to illustrate the continuity of their pattern of knowledge and sanctity and connect it to their current influence that this book has been written.

The Sufi Enneagram: The Secrets of the Symbol Unveiled (Institute of Traditional Psychology)


Laleh Bakhtiar - 2013
    

Stories of the Sahaba


Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi - 2013
    A tattered scabbard was strapped around his chest and the spear hung from a scorched leather strap. Big, circular patches patterned his shield of cowhide. Rustam's sentries rushed to his mount and rugged at the reins. "Alright!" they said. He rode onto the golf embroidered rug, defiantly. He purposefully looked around until he found what he was looking for. Grabbing the thick cushions, he implanted them on his spear and fed the reins into the holes to tie his mount. Then, in quick motion, he struck his spear into the rug and lowered himself onto the ground. Rustam was awed by the odd behavior of the Bedouin. Could these be the same Arabs who lived as vessels of the Persian Empire? "What brings you here?"Rustam asked, "Allah sent us to take our humankind from servitude to creation to servitude to Allah," the Sahabi Rabi R.A. replied, "and to bring humankind out from the drudgeries of this world toward the justice of Islam."This anthology features stories of the Sahaba R.A. to inspire us to illustrate the meaning of humanity and love for Allah and His last Prophet P.B.U.H. We must read these stories repeatedly and inculcate love for the Sahaba R.A. in our hearts, for love of Sahaba R.A. invites love for the blessed Prophet PBUH and love for the blessed prophet PBUH invites the love of Allah.The lives of the Sahaba RA were nonfictional saga of love for Allah, fearlessness, selflessness, valiance, humility, and austerity. Their mission: to secure the Din of Allah and preserve it until the Day of Judgment. They are an inspiration for the whole of humankind - Muslim or not - and teach us the true meaning of honor, justice, and peace. Had these inhabitants of the Next World not have been sent, this world would have come to an end, laid waste by the treacheries, ingredients, and conspires Mankind hatched on itself.....

Arts & Crafts of the Islamic Lands: Principles Materials Practice


Khaled Azzam - 2013
    Created by The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, one of the world’s leading schools for the study of Eastern and Western crafts, this book combines detailed information on techniques and materials with discussion of the philosophical and historical background of the cultures that have contributed to Islamic arts.The book covers a range of artworks and media from intricate geometric drawing, decorative Kufic calligraphy, and Persian miniature painting to ceramics, wood parquetry, mosaics, and glassblowing. Common tools and materials, such as gesso panels, gilding, and brush and wasli paper are presented along with information on their historical significance. Each chapter introduces a principle, tool, or technique along with examples of masterworks found across the Islamic world before providing a fully illustrated step-by-step guide to creating specific designs.

Educating Muslim Women: The West African Legacy of Nana Asma’u 1793-1864


Beverly Mack - 2013
    Her example as an educator is still followed: the system she set up in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, for the education of rural women, has not only survived in its homeland—through the traumas of the colonization of West Africa and the establishment of the modern state of Nigeria—but is also being revived and adapted elsewhere, notably among Muslim women in the United States.This book, richly illustrated with maps and photographs, recounts Asma'u's upbringing and critical junctures in her life from several sources, mostly unpublished: her own firsthand experiences presented in her writings, the accounts of contemporaries who witnessed her endeavors, and the memoirs of European travelers. For the account of her legacy the authors have depended on extensive field studies in Nigeria, and documents pertaining to the efforts of women in Nigeria and the United States, to develop a collective voice and establish their rights as women and Muslims in today's societies.Beverley Mack is an associate professor of African studies at the University of Kansas. She is co-editor (with Catherine Coles) of Hausa Women in the Twentieth Century and co-author (with Jean Boyd) of The Collected Works of Nana Asma'u, 1793–1864 and One Woman's Jihad: Nana Asma'u Scholar and Scribe.Jean Boyd is former principal research fellow of the Sokoto History Bureau and research associate of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. She is the author

The Islamic Antichrist


John Preacher - 2013
    In this book we will show conclusively that only Islam can fill the role of the Antichrist. You will be shown how Islam is trying to revive its Islamic Caliphate in the Middle-East, which perfectly fulfils the role of the Biblical Empire of the Beast. And also how Islam is planning to create a New Islamic World Order, through Global Jihad, which will begin with the conquering of Jerusalem. We’ll compare Muslim tradition about the Last Days and Christian end time scripture, only to discover some shocking revelations, that have remained hidden until now, which will tear the veil and mystery off the end days for good. Finally you’ll discover what the Real Mark of the Beast is, and how it connects to 666. Even the book of Revelation has been made easy to understand.

Muslim Knights - Volume 1 (Knights of Arabia, #3)


Aisha Bilal - 2013
    Abdullah is offered wealth, he is starved, he is threatened with torment and death and then finally given an irresistible offer.Story #10: Suhaib bin Sinan - The first Roman Muslim is pursued across the desert by greedy and vengeful Qurashi men who wish to either murder him or rob him, preferably both.Included in the ebook are two maps. One showing the locations of cities and areas mentioned in these stories. The other illustrating the remarkable journey of Salman Al-Farisi.This book is approx. 13,000 words in length.

The Camel in the Sun


Griffin Ondaatje - 2013
    It often has to climb steep dunes, run when it is exhausted, and wait in the hot sun while Halim sits in the shade talking to the other merchants. One day the camel is overwhelmed by sadness and finds itself in tears. But still Halim shows no sympathy.When they arrive in the beautiful garden-filled city of Medina where the Prophet lives, the merchant refreshes himself with food and drink and then naps on a pillow of sand, once again leaving the tired camel to stand alone in the burning sun. But when the Prophet sees the camel's plight, everything changes. Halim finally empathizes with the camel's pain and suffering.The Camel in the Sun was inspired by a Muslim story told to the author when he was in Sri Lanka. That story was a retelling of a hadith, and this book was respectfully inspired by both the retelling and a translation of the hadith itself. It is an unforgettable story about empathy. It is beautifully, respectfully and sensitively illustrated by Linda Wolfsgruber, whose images and earthy palette reflect her time spent in the Middle East.

Qaddumi's Elementary Hanbali Primer: 100 Issues of Instruction according to the Hanbali school


Musa Ibn Isa al-Qaddumi - 2013
    'Isa Al-Qaddumi's elementary primer details one hundred and six questions on the topics of Tahara, Salat, Sawm, Zakat, and Hajj. Known for its brevity and clarity, this treatise bring the objectives of the school into the reach of the novice. The work before you features the full Arabic text, a side by side translation into the English language, and brief explanatory notes.

The Shi'ite Creed


Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips - 2013
    

Educating Children: Classical Advice for Modern Times


Imam Al-Ramli - 2013
    The advice it contains draws on traditional sources, the experience of the translator and the reflections of people from various walks of life. The author of the poem, Riyadatul Sibyan, is the famed 16th Century jurist, Imam Al-Ramli. Its translator, Abdul Aziz Ahmed, is an experienced teacher who studied both classical Islamic texts with renowned scholars and modern psychology and pedagogy.The book discusses child development from the point of choosing a spouse to the child's attaining maturity. It contains explanation of key concepts such as adab, 'sql and role models. There are practical examples and reflections on real situations, as well as explations of Prophetic traditions.

Fatima, Daughter of Muhammad


Christopher Paul Clohessy - 2013
    During her life she was impoverished and weak, neglected, marginalized, and divested of justice: but her reward in heaven comprises incalculable riches, all those in heaven will bow their heads to her, and her company will be the angels and the friends of God. Here, for the first time, her story is told.

The Essential Pearls & Gems of Ibn Taymiyyah


ابن تيمية - 2013
    His thoughts and arguments are still relevant today, at a time that is in many ways similar to his own era. The ummah is in turmoil, faced with decline and confusion, seeking a way out and beginning to realize, after trying so many isms and ideologies, and after being exposed to Raafidi propaganda and corrupt ideas, that the only way to escape this situation is to go back to the path of the Salaf, the path of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Sahabah.In this book, Dr. Muhammad Ibn Abd ar-Rahman al-'Arifi has selected material from the huge corpus of Ibn Taymiyyah's work and made it accessible to the ordinary reader so that he may learn about the thought of this great scholar of Islam.

The Canonization of Islamic Law: A Social and Intellectual History


Ahmed El-Shamsy - 2013
    It shows how an oral normative tradition embedded in communal practice was transformed into a systematic legal science defined by hermeneutic analysis of a clearly demarcated scriptural canon. This transformation was inaugurated by the innovative legal theory of Muḥammad b. Idrīs al-Shāfiʿī (d. 820 CE), and it took place against the background of a crisis of identity and religious authority in ninth-century Egypt. By tracing the formulation, reception, interpretation, and spread of al-Shāfiʿī's ideas, the author demonstrates how the canonization of scripture that lay at the heart of al-Shāfiʿī's theory formed the basis for the emergence of legal hermeneutics, the formation of the Sunni schools of law, and the creation of a shared methodological basis in Muslim thought.

Al-Kafi Book I: Intellect & Foolishness


Shaykh Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Kulayni - 2013
    Al-Kafi Book I: Intellect & Foolishness is the first in the series of thirty-five books. This English translation also features detailed, original commentary that makes a challenging text accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Whether you are a Muslim looking to deepen your understanding of your faith or an academic interested in studying the world’s fastest growing religion, al-Kafi is a must-read.Shaykh Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni (d.940 or 941 CE) was among the foremost Muslim scholars of his age. He has been praised by his contemporaries as “the most reliable of our scholars of traditions,” “an expert on traditions,” and “of the highest status, a scholar of traditions.” Another has claimed there is “a consensus on his reliability and trustworthiness.” Through his compilation of al-Kafi, al-Kulayni has had a profound influence on Islamic scholarship, making him one of the most significant and celebrated scholars of all time.

Beyond the Wire: A Soldier's Perspective on War


Ross Bryan - 2013
    Here, being Iraq. Cavalry Scout. In the Army for that matter. Perhaps if I thought long and hard enough I could remember. I knew for damn sure that I had no shortage of time to work it out. My journey had started 6,250 miles to the west in a crumbling Ohio mill town called Ashtabula. I had spent the better part of a year at a 3rd shift job in a factory on the far end of town, trying not to lose myself in the mullets and meth of the American Midwest. Then came 9/11. The images of those airplanes slamming into the NYC skyline like lawn darts playing on a constant loop on CNN. The attack had leant me a sense of purpose; I enlisted in the Army. But that wasn't it, there had been something more. Suddenly I remembered. It was the dune buggy. The video from the Army recruiting station had featured a couple of fearless, clean-cut GIs riding in a dune buggy. Come to find out, there weren't any dune buggies in Iraq. Your standard US Army bait-and-switch; join the Army, see the world. Just not any part you're gonna want to remember. Dune buggy or not, here I was. As far from Ashtabula as I could get, squinting in the dust and that godforsaken insane-colored sun; you know you're not in Kansas anymore when the sun doesn't even look right. All of it seemed to be drawing together into some kind of destiny; and before I ever saw Ohio again, before I got the chance to comprehend the paradise that Ashtabula really had been, there was Iraq. There was an eternity of gunfire and explosions and heat and blood and steel. Iraq was hell, and that was exactly where I was going.

Which God?: Jesus, Holy Spirit, God in Christianity and Islam


Mark Durie - 2013
    In Which God? Durie demonstrates that Christians have good reasons to challenge the Islamic position that Allah of the Quran is the same as the God of the Bible. Which God? compares the God of the Bible with Allah of the Quran and shows that these are different in many respects. They have such different personalities and distinct capacities that they cannot be said to be the same. More than this, the Islamic Jesus (Isa) is different in fundamental respects from Jesus of the Gospels. Durie concludes that the concept of 'Abrahamic Religions' is an unhelpful and misleading label for the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Domestic Violence and the Islamic Tradition


Ayesha S. Chaudhry - 2013
    Especially contentious is passage 4:34, which covers the legitimacy of marital violence and the subjugation of women within Islam. Scholarly opinion on the topic is heavily influenced by contemporary context, so the issue remains largely unsettled. While pre-colonial Islamic jurists permitted the use of violence against women, they still held ethical concerns about the disciplinary privileges of husbands. Consequently, the debate for these early scholars was focussed on the level of violence permitted, and how to apply the three disciplinary steps: admonishment, abandonment, and physical abuse.Ayesha Chaudhry argues that all living religious traditions are rooted in a patriarchal, social, and historical context, and they need ways to reconcile gender egalitarian values with religious tradition. Post-colonial, modern Islamic scholars that consult the Qur'an for gender-egalitarian interpretations must confront a difficult and unique debate: equality vs authority. As in many religions, authority is derived from tradition, rebelling from which results in a loss of authority in the eyes of the community.Chaudhry reveals that Muslims do not speak with one voice about Islam. Instead, Muslim scholarly discourse is spirited and diverse. The voices of contemporary Muslim scholars enrich the scope of the 'Islamic tradition'.Many recent works on Islam strive to promote a 'public relations' image of Islam. This book deals with ethical problems of domestic violence as discussed in historic and contemporary Islamic religious doctrine. The stakes are high, and very real. The author confronts the significant issue of how modern Muslims can relate to Islamic tradition and the Qur'anic text.

Things that Nullify One's Islaam


Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abdil-Wahhaab - 2013
    And also if the Muslim is not aware of them, then it is feared that he may somehow fall into one of them. It is an issue of great significance and extreme importance, since they are the very things that nullify one's Islaam and invalidate it. So then knowledge of the reasons for apostasy is very important "Included are 33 questions on the topic, answered by Shaykh Saalih himself, a number of passages from his other works in the footnotes and in separate appendixes, along with the complete text of the original "Things that Nullify One's Islaam" in Arabic. This publication is expected to have a great impact on the Muslims' understanding of their Religion, in shaa' Allaah, and cause many to take heed about vital affairs that have often been ignored or given little regard.

Akhlaaq of the Ummati


Mirza Yawar Baig - 2013
    These are a series of 6 – Khutbas given using the Ayaat of Sura Al Hujuraat which define for us the Akhlaaq of the Ummati of Rasoolullah (SAS). That is why I have named the book as such. I ask Allah (SWT) to enable us to act on what He ordered us to do and what His Nabi (SAS) demonstrated for us. For if the one who has no map is lost, there is an excuse but if the one who was given and map and a guide is still lost, then what is the remedy?

Islamophobia: The Ideological Campaign Against Muslims


Stephen Sheehi - 2013
    Using “Operation Desert Storm" as a watershed moment, Stephen Sheehi examines the increased mainstreaming of Muslim-bating rhetoric and explicitly racist legislation, police surveillance, witch-trials and discriminatory policies towards Muslims in North America and abroad. The book focuses on the various genres and modalities of Islamophobia from the works of rogue academics to the commentary by mainstream journalists, to campaigns by political hacks and special interest groups. Some featured Islamophobes are Bernard Lewis. Fareed Zakaria, Thomas Friedman, David Horowitz, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Irshad Manji, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, John McCain, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama. Their theories and opinions operate on an assumption that Muslims, particularly Arab Muslims, suffer from particular cultural lacuna that prevent their cultures from progress, democracy and human rights. While the assertion originated in the colonial era, Sheehi demonstrates that it was refurbished as a viable explanation for Muslim resistance to economic and cultural globalization during the Clinton era. Moreover, the theory was honed into the empirical basis for an interventionist foreign policy and propaganda campaign during the Bush regime and continues to underlie Barack Obama’s new internationalism. If the assertions of media pundits and rogue academics became the basis for White House foreign policy, Sheehi also demonstrates how they were translated into a sustained domestic policy of racial profiling and Muslim-baiting by agencies from Homeland Security to the Department of Justice. Furthermore, Sheehi examines the collusion between non-governmental agencies, activist groups and lobbies and local, state and federal agencies to in suppressing political speech on US campuses critical of racial profiling, US foreign policy in the Middle East and Israel. While much of the direct violence against Muslims on American streets, shops and campuses has subsided, Islamophobia runs throughout the Obama administration. Sheehi, therefore, concludes that Muslim and Arab-hating emanate from all corners of the American political and cultural spectrum, serving poignant ideological functions.

Before the Wedding: Questions for Muslims to Ask Before Getting Married


Munira Lekovic Ezzeldine - 2013
    Building a personal relationship ...

Metaphysical Penetrations: A Parallel English-Arabic Text


Mulla Sadra - 2013
    1572–1640) is one of the most prominent figures of post-Avicennan Islamic philosophy and among the most important philosophers of Safavid Persia. He was a prolific writer whose work advanced the fields of intellectual and religious science in Islamic philosophy, but arguably his most important contribution to Islamic philosophy is in the study of existence (wujud) and its application to such areas as cosmology, epistemology, psychology, and eschatology. Sadra represents a paradigm shift from the Aristotelian metaphysics of fixed substances, which had dominated Islamic philosophy, to an analysis of existence as the ultimate ground and dynamic source of things. He posits that all beings derive their reality and truth from their wujud and that a proper philosophical analysis must therefore start and eventually end with it. The present work’s focus on Sadra’s gradational ontology provides a strong foundation for the reader to understand Sadra’s other works and later texts by other philosophers working in the same field. This edition contains parallel English-Arabic texts and a new translation by preeminent scholar of Islamic philosophy Seyyed Hossein Nasr.

Reconciling Reason and Revelation in the Writings of Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328): An Analytical Study of Ibn Taymiyya's "Dar' al-ta'arud"


Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi - 2013
    'Abd al-Halīm b. 'Abd al-Salām al-Harrānī, commonly known as Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328), and his attempt to reconcile the human faculty of reason with the Divine Text of the Qur'ān and the hadīth traditions of the Prophet through his ten-volume work, Dar' ta'ārud al-'aql wa-l-naql ('Averting the Conflict of Reason with Revelation'). The work was written as a response to another work, entitled Ta'sīs al-taqdīs, authored by the Ash'arī theologian Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 606/1210).

The Qur'an: A Monotheist Translation


The Monotheist Group - 2013
    As such, all translators have belonged to one school of thought or another which clearly comes across in the interpretation of and choice of translation for specific words or verses. The Qur'an: A Monotheist Tranlation is the result of a group effort by people who do not belong to any denomination, and, for the first time in many centuries, are simply proud to call themselves Muslims as God had named centuries ago. Also, while many translators have been sincere in their rendering of the Arabic meaning of the words, they have been unable to refrain from adding comments in the form of parenthesis within the text of the translation or in the form of footnotes and appendices to reflect their views on certain verses or the views of the denomination they adhere to. The Qur'an: A Monotheist Transltion is unique in the fact that it uses neither footnotes nor comments letting the text speak for itself and delivering to the reader as close a rendition of the pure message of the Qur'an as physically possible.

Imam Hussain & the Tragedy of Karbala


Muhammad Shahid Raza Na'imi al-Ashraf - 2013
    In all corners of the Muslim world, his name lives on to represent bravery, piety and selflessness.This booklet highlights the one event that Imam Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him) was best known for, his martyrdom in Karbala. From the earliest and most reliable sources, this paper charts the events leading up to the fateful battlefield, his martyrdom and the aftermath of his sacrifice. At the end of the work, there are several appendixes related to the event, such as 'was Yazid forgiven?' and the superiority of the Day of Ashura.

Montmorency's Book of Rhymes


Abdal Hakim Murad - 2013
    Using rich and vibrant language, T. J. Winter transports us to a fabulous world of unforgettable characters while Anne Yvonne Gilbert brings the rhymes to life through her heartwarming illustrations, ensuring this book its place as a treasured classic amongst children living in both the East and the West.

The Mufti's Islamic Jew-Hatred: What the Nazis Learned from the 'Muslim Pope'


Andrew G. Bostom - 2013
    

Islamic Fashion and Anti-Fashion: New Perspectives from Europe and North America


Emma Tarlo - 2013
    The book takes a broad geographic sweep, bringing together the sartorial experiences of Muslims in locations as diverse as Paris, the Canadian Prairie, Swedish and Italian bath houses and former socialist countries of Eastern Europe. What new Islamic dress practices and anxieties are emerging in these different locations? How far are they shaped by local circumstances, migration histories, particular religious traditions, multicultural interfaces and transnational links? To what extent do developments in and debates about Islamic dress cut across such local specificities, encouraging new channels of communication and exchange? With original contributions from the fields of anthropology, fashion studies, media studies, religious studies, history, geography and cultural studies, Islamic Fashion and Anti-Fashion will be of interest to students and scholars working in these fields as well as to general readers interested in the public presence of Islam in Europe and America.

Will the Middle East Implode?


Mohammed Ayoob - 2013
    However, the recent Arab uprisings have intensified instability, turning this 'hot-spot' into a veritable tinderbox whose potential for implosion has far-reaching regional and global consequences. In this short book, leading Middle East scholar Mohammed Ayoob argues that the Arab Spring has both changed and charged some of the region's thorniest problems - from the rise of political Islam to Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Israel-Palestine conflict to rivalries between key regional powers. Exploring the sources of conflict in the Middle East and their various linkages, Ayoob offers a thoughtful and balanced assessment of whether the region is indeed destined for implosion or whether political sagacity and diplomatic creativity can bring it back from the brink.

Sahifa Sajjadiya


Ali Ibn Al-Hussain Al-Sajjad - 2013
    You may read this book carefully and should you be interested to have further study on such publications you can contact us through www.shia.es Naturally, if we find you to be a keen and energetic reader we shall give you a deserving response in sending you some other publications of this Organization.

Political Islam in the Age of Democratization


Kamran Bokhari - 2013
    The continued prominence of Islam in the struggle for democracy in the Muslim world has confounded Western democracy theorists, who largely consider secularism a prerequisite for democratic transition. In Political Islam in the Age of Democratization, Kamran Bokhari and Farid Senzai offer a comprehensive view of the complex nature of contemporary political Islam and its relationship to democracy. With a useful theoretical framework, classification of Islamists, and rich historical context, this book is a compelling and insightful analysis of Islamism and the role that religion is likely to play in any future Muslim democracy.

The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World


John A. Morrow - 2013
    The "Covenants Initiative" within the book represents a movement by Muslims, both prominent and unknown, in support of Christians under attack. These treaties desperately need to be better known among Christians, Muslims, and the general public. For scholars, this book provides much difficult-to-obtain material: facsimiles of primary sources in Arabic and Persian; corrected versions in modern Arabic typescript; and alternate translations. They now have all they need to study the covenants in depth."This narrative has the power to unite Muslim and Christian communities. A work of scholarship, its release is timely, and its content critical in fostering mutual respect and religious freedom."--IMAM FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, Chairman, Cordoba Initiative"In his indispensable contribution to the study of the Abrahamic faiths, John Andrew Morrow tells the story of how the Prophet Muhammad used his desert experiences of hospitality and protection to bring Muslims and Christians together."--JOSEPH HOBBS, University of Missouri"These letters from the Prophet Muhammad to Christian communities can serve to inspire both Muslims and Christians about our ability to live together as God's people, as friends, as neighbors, and as custodians of the same small planet."--OMID SAFI, University of North Carolina"With painstaking effort and much dedication invested in this groundbreaking work, Professor Morrow will surely manage to attract the attention of Islamic studies students and specialists."--AMAR SELLAM, Mohamed I University"This book documents what is possibly the third foundational source of Islam: the Prophet's treaties and covenants among people of the Abrahamic faiths. Dr. Morrow brings forth exceptionally important findings that dictate peaceful coexistence among Jews, Christians, and Muslims."--BRIDGET BLOMFIELD, University of Nebraska

Clandestine Political Violence


Donatella della Porta - 2013
    Oriented toward theory building, Donatella della Porta develops her own definition of clandestine political violence. Building on the most recent developments in social movement studies, della Porta proposes an original interpretative model. Using a unique research design, she singles out some common causal mechanisms at the onset, during the persistence, and at the demise of clandestine political violence. The development of the phenomenon is located within the interactions among social movements, countermovements, and the state. She pays particular attention to the ways in which the different actors cognitively construct the reality they act upon. The internal dynamics of the clandestine political organizations are devoted special attention. Based on original empirical research as well as existing research in many languages, this book is rich in empirical evidence on some of the most crucial cases of clandestine political violence.

Raising a Jihadi Generation: Understanding the Muslim Brotherhood Movement in America


John Guandolo - 2013
    McCarthy Former Chief Assistant United States Attorney, Southern District of New York Senior Fellow, National Review Institute Bestselling author, most recently, of Spring Fever: The Illusion of Islamic Democracy "John Guandolo is a national treasure." Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin, U.S. Army (retired) Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (2003-2007) Founding Member and Commander, U.S. Army Delta Force ****** Raising a Jihadi Generation is the first of its kind to examine the history, writings and practical implementation of the Muslim Brotherhood's strategic plan to overthrow the United States and the impact on the security of all Americans at the local level. It focuses on tools for professionals in the law enforcement, intelligence, and military communities. It must be understood that the Muslim Brotherhood in America prepares the ground for, supports, and facilitates jihadi operations. Once the information provided in this handbook is understood, it necessarily gives security and intelligence professionals a factual basis to address the enemy, changes what constitutes reasonable suspicion/probable cause, and transforms how this threat is approached and addressed. As this Handbook makes clear, the Muslim Brotherhood has operatives in our federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies, our military, but, most importantly, advising our senior leadership in our national security apparatus. This problem is much more a counterintelligence and espionage problem than it is a counterterrorism problem. Once the control the Muslim Brotherhood has within the U.S. government's decision-making process is understood, it becomes clear America faces an insurgency inside our homeland, which requires a very different response, especially from local law enforcement. In a counterinsurgency, the focus of the main effort is at the local level. Local police, working together with their local council, are the first line of defense against this enemy. But first you must have an educated and energized local populous. It is our hope you will read and study what is contained herein. The information has been broken down in a usable form without losing the real depth of thought and effort by our adversary. This is an enemy who is cunning, patient, well-supported and well-organized. To underestimate this enemy is to lose the war.

New Directions in Islamic Education: Pedagogy and Identity Formation


Abdullah Şahin - 2013
    Hull, University of Birmingham, United KingdomNew Directions in Islamic Education is a radical rethinking of Islamic education in the modern world. It explores the relationship between pedagogy and the formation of religious identities within Islamic education settings that are based in minority and majority Muslim contexts.Abdullah Sahin, PhD, directs the Centre for Muslim Educational Thought and Practice and is the course leader for the MEd program in Islamic education at MIHE in Leicestershire, United Kingdom.

When Peace Is Not Enough: How the Israeli Peace Camp Thinks about Religion, Nationalism, and Justice


Atalia Omer - 2013
    Born in adversity but purportedly nurtured by liberal ideals, Israel has never known peace, experiencing instead a state of constant war that has divided its population along the stark and seemingly unbreachable lines of dissent around the relationship between unrestricted citizenship and Jewish identity. By focusing on the perceptions and histories of Israel’s most marginalized stakeholders—Palestinian Israelis, Arab Jews, and non-Israeli Jews—Atalia Omer cuts to the heart of the Israeli-Arab conflict, demonstrating how these voices provide urgently needed resources for conflict analysis and peacebuilding. Navigating a complex set of arguments about ethnicity, boundaries, and peace, and offering a different approach to the renegotiation and reimagination of national identity and citizenship, Omer pushes the conversation beyond the bounds of the single narrative and toward a new and dynamic concept of justice—one that offers the prospect of building a lasting peace.

A Believer's Guide to Fasting


'Abdallah Sirajuddin al-Husayni - 2013
    The first is by Shaykh 'Abd-Allah Siraj al-Din al-Husayni, may Allah be pleased with him, from Allepo wherein the author examines the wisdom behind fasting: its obligations, etiquettes, requirements, benefits and virtues. It includes an interesting and lengthy discussion on the Night of Divine Decree (commonly referred to as the Night of Power), exploring its derivation, signifacance and virtues. The second is by a contempory scholar from Damascus, Shaykh Hisham Burhani, and primarily deals with the legal aspects of fasting: its rules and regulations in accordance with the Hanafi school of Islamic Jurisprudence. They serve as a means of providing the believer with indispensible knowledge of this pillar so that he may maximize in reaping the reward and the benefit from the blessed month of Ramadhan; in words of the author, Shaykh Hisham Burhani, Allah has not legislated for us this compulsory hunger every year for an entire month except that every individual should achieve the spiritual, health and social benefits which the legislation of fasting contains.

Islam in the School of Madina


Ahmad Al-Qalawi Ash-Shinqiti - 2013
    Shaykh Ahmad bin al-Bashir al-Qalawi ash-Shinqiti (1216 AH/1802 CE- 1276 AH/1853 CE), whose lineage can be traced to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, came from a family and tribe in present day Mauritania renowned for its knowledge and active implementation of the deen. Although he himself refrained from any sufic commentary on Ibn Ashir's work, he was recognised as a wali by the men of this science around him. Dr Yate (Cantab.) has translated works from Arabic, Persian, German and French, and, in collaboration with others, from Turkish. He teaches Arabic and Fiqh at the Weimar Institute, is a Founding fellow of The Muslim Faculty of Advanced Studies, and is active on the shariat board of the World Islamic Mint.

Characteristics of the Hypocrites


ابن قيم الجوزية - 2013
    He divided mankind into three groups in the beginning of Surah al-Baqarah: the believer, the disbeliever, and the hypocrite. He mentioned four verses concerning the believers, two verses concerning the disbelievers, and thirteen verses concerning the hypocrites due to their plenitude and the great harm and tribulation they bring to Islam and the Muslims. The harm they cause to Islam is truly severe for they claim to be Muslims, they claim to aid and support Islam, whereas in reality they are its enemies seeking to destroy it from within, covertly spreading their corruption and ignorance such that the unwary thinks that what they are upon is knowledge and right action.

Understanding Dhimmitude


Bat Ye'or - 2013
    "Bat Ye'or's pioneering studies of the Islamic concept of dhimmitude have revolutionized our understanding of Islam's past, present and future. She remains one of the few analysts in the world with the courage and insight necessary to tell the truth." -Robert Spencer, Jihad Watch "[Bat Ye'or is] the acknowledged expert on the plight of Jews and Christians in Muslim lands, and their vigorous champion." -Sir Martin Gilbert "Bat Ye'or's scholarship is highly impressive, and her analysis is as persuasive as it is terrifying. (. . .) It is imperative that these issues are openly discussed. There are, however, alarming signs of attempts in the West to shut down such discussion on spurious grounds of prejudice. This is, of course, itself a prime example of the condition of 'dhimmitude' which Bat Ye'or so graphically describes." -Melanie Phillips, Jewish Chronicle "It is not surprising that [Bat] Ye'or's study of jihad and dhimmitude has been stimulating substantial and disturbing discussion in academic and ecumenical circles. (. . .) Perhaps the single most significant contribution of the author is her definition and development of the concept of 'dhimmitude' (. . .) [Bat] Ye'or's books on dhimmitude and jihad have an essential place in the ecumenical world; ignoring them will only perpetuate illusion." -James E. Biechler, Journal of Ecumenical Studies "Bat Ye'or has enriched our understanding of how Islamic societies are structured by defining the concept of dhimmitude. Her contribution to Islam critique can't be underestimated. Yes, she and her late husband, the human rights activist and historian David Littman, are the king and queen of the genre." -Professor Johannes J.G. Jansen

Virtues of the Imam Ahmad Ibn Ḥanbal: Volume Two


Ibn al-Jawzi - 2013
    

New Thinking in Islam: The Jihad for Democracy, Freedom and Women’s Rights


Katajun Amirpur - 2013
    Introducing readers to key thinkers and activists—such as Abu Zaid, a free-thinking Egyptian Qur’an scholar; Abdolkarim Soroush, an academic and former member of Khomeini’s Cultural Revolution Committee; and Amina Wadud, an American feminist who was the first woman to lead the faithful in Friday Prayer—Amirpur reveals a powerful yet lesser-known tradition of inquiry and dissent within Islam, one that is committed to democracy and human rights. By examining these and many other similar figures’ ideas, she reveals the many ways they reject fundamentalist assertions and instead call for a diversity of opinion, greater freedom, and equality of the sexes.

Rising Soul: A Guide to Personal Development


Muhammad Mansur - 2013
    Muhammad Mansur. In his book, Dr. Mansur describes a practical step-by-step process for self-purification. This process, tarbiya, is a cornerstone of the methodology of the Muslim American Society (MAS).The beauty of this volume lies in its simple presentation of self-development as a clear process with precise, achievable goals. Young believers and Islamic workers seeking to improve themselves will find this book an invaluable companion.

Meet the Somalis


Benjamin Dix - 2013
    The stories allow readers a unique insight into what everyday life is like as a Somali in Europe. Meet the Somalis is based on the firsthand testimonies of Somalis in Europe interviewed during six months in 2013.The Somali community in Europe is a vibrant, diverse minority group, including people of Somali origin born in Europe, Somali refugees and asylum seekers, and Somalis who have migrated from one country in Europe to another. There are no accurate figures for the number of Somalis in Europe, but on the whole they are among one of the largest minority groups.The illustrated stories focus on challenges faced by Somalis in their respective cities in Europe and issues raised in the Somalis in European Cities research, including education, housing, the media, employment, political participation, and identity.Meet the Somalis depicts experiences many of us will never know, like fleeing a warzone with your children or, worse, leaving your loved ones behind. But more often, these stories portray the values shared amongst many of us, like the importance of family, well-being, and identity in an ever-changing world.

Living Out Islam: Voices of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims


Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle - 2013
    It weaves original interviews with Muslim activists into a compelling composite picture which showcases the importance of the solidarity of support groups in the effort to change social relationships and achieve justice. This nascent movement is not about being “out” as opposed to being “in the closet.” Rather, as the voices of these activists demonstrate, it is about finding ways to live out Islam with dignity and integrity, reconciling their sexuality and gender with their faith and reclaiming Islam as their own.

Leisurely Islam: Negotiating Geography and Morality in Shi'ite South Beirut


Lara Deeb - 2013
    What effects have these establishments had on the moral norms, spatial practices, and urban experiences of this Lebanese community? From the diverse voices of young Shi'i Muslims searching for places to hang out, to the Hezbollah officials who want this media-savvy generation to be more politically involved, to the religious leaders worried that Lebanese youth are losing their moral compasses, "Leisurely Islam" provides a sophisticated and original look at leisure in the Lebanese capital.What makes a cafe morally appropriate? How do people negotiate morality in relation to different places? And under what circumstances might a pious Muslim go to a cafe that serves alcohol? Lara Deeb and Mona Harb highlight tensions and complexities exacerbated by the presence of multiple religious authorities, a fraught sectarian political context, class mobility, and a generation that takes religion for granted but wants to have fun. The authors elucidate the political, economic, religious, and social changes that have taken place since 2000, and examine leisure's influence on Lebanese sociopolitical and urban situations.Asserting that morality and geography cannot be fully understood in isolation from one another, "Leisurely Islam" offers a colorful new understanding of the most powerful community in Lebanon today."

Muhammad the Messenger of Guidance: A Concise Introduction to His Life and Islam


Ahmad M. Halimah - 2013
    In Part One, the author succinctly summarises the life of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), using authentic reports from his Companions to paint a beautiful portrait of his qualities and characteristics. In addition, he examines and explains the basic pillars of faith and worship in Islam, and then goes on to discuss issues that are relevant to the Muslim nation today.Part Two brings together a wide selection of sound hadiths, or sayings of the Prophet (ﷺ). The author has carefully chosen these to cover a broad variety of topics, thus creating a useful reference that is easy to follow and comprehend. This book provides the reader with an academic perspective on Islam, which is supported by modern, eloquent translations of the original textual sources: the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ). It is an excellent resource for both the casual and the academic reader.

The Islamic-Byzantine Frontier: Interaction and Exchange Among Muslim and Christian Communities


A. Asa Eger - 2013
    For centuries, Byzantine and Islamic scholars have evocatively sketched a contested border: the annual raids between the two, the line of fortified fortresses defending Islamic lands, the no-man's land in between and the birth of jihad. In their early representations of a Muslim-Christian encounter, accounts of the Islamic-Byzantine frontier are charged with significance for a future 'clash of civilizations' that often envisions a polarised world. A. Asa Eger examines the two aspects of this frontier: its ideological and physical ones. By uniting an exploration of both the real and material frontier and its more ideological military and religious implications, he offers a more complex vision of this dividing line than has been traditionally disseminated. With analysis grounded in archaeological evidence as well the relevant historical and religious texts, Eger brings together a nuanced exploration of this vital element of medieval history.

Where the Two Seas Meet: Al-Khidr and Moses—The Qur’anic Story of al-Khidr and Moses in Sufi Commentaries as a Model for Spiritual Guidance


Hugh Talat Halman - 2013
    These commentaries, translated for the first time, discuss essential themes of Sufism as written by practicing Sufi masters. As the text reflects on both the social and psychological dimensions of the master–disciple relationship in Sufism and distinguish between the instructing master (shaykh al-ta’lim) and the mentoring master (shaykh al-suhba), a comparison is also made between the Sufi interpretation of death, immortality, compassion, and inner knowledge and Ernest Becker’s theory of the denial of death and the aspiration for both physical and symbolic immortality.

Double Bind: The Muslim Right, the Anglo-American Left, and Universal Human Rights


Meredith Tax - 2013
    It can be ordered through your local bookstores or purchased online at lulu.com. Taking the UK organization Cageprisoners as an example, it shows how to distinguish between organizations that stand for universal and inseparable human rights, and those that use the language of human rights for other purposes. It discusses “five wrong ideas about the Muslim Right”: that it is anti-imperialist; that “defence of Muslim lands” is comparable to national liberation struggles; that the problem is “Islamphobia”; that terrorism is justified by revolutionary necessity; and that any feminist who criticises the Muslim Right is an Orientalist ally of US imperialism. Double Bind will be launched in the UK on Feb. 11 and in the US on March 1. 2013

Shah Abdul Karim: Selected Songs of Shah Abdul Karim Translated into English (Bangla Bauls, #4)


Shah Abdul Karim - 2013