Islam, the West and the Challenges of Modernity


Tariq Ramadan - 2000
    The book argues that Muslims, nurished by their own points of reference, can approach the modern epoch by adopting a specific social, political, and economic model that is linked to ethical values, a sense of finalities and spirituality. Rather than a modernism that tends to impose Westernization, it is a modernity that admits to the pluralism of civilizations, religions, and cultures.Table of Contents:ForewordIntroductionHistory of a ConceptThe Lessons of HistoryPart 1: At the shores of Transcendence: between God and ManPart 2: The Horizons of Islam: Between Man and the CommunityPart 3: Values and Finalities: The Cultural Dimension of the Civilizational Face to FaceConclusionAppendixIndexTariq Ramadan is a professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford and a visiting professor in Identity and Citizenship at Erasmus University. He was named by TIME Magazine as one of the one hundred innovators of the twenty-first century.

An Introduction to Islam


Frederick Mathewson Denny - 1985
    An Introduction to Islam, Third Edition, provides students with a thorough and unified topical introduction to the global religious community of Islam. It places Islam within a cultural, political, social, and religious context and examines its connections with Judeo-Christian morals. The text's integration of the doctrinal and devotional elements of Islam enables students to see how Muslims think and live--engendering understanding and breaking down stereotypes. An Introduction to Islam, Third Edition also reviews pre-Islamic history so students can see how Islam developed historically.

Islam: The Straight Path


John L. Esposito - 1988
    The author, an internationally renowned expert on Islam, traces the development of this dynamic faith and its impact on world history and politics, discussing the formation of Islamic belief and practice (in law, theology, and mysticism) and chronicling the struggle of Muslims to define and adhere to their Islamic way of life. This third edition has been updated throughout and is enhanced by new material in order to more accurately reflect the true diversity of Muslim cultures. A study of Pakistan has been added to the existing country-by-country survey, broadening the scope of the volume beyond the countries of the Middle East for the first time. A new section on Islam in the West explores the significance of the Muslim presence in the U.S., Great Britain, and Europe, examining some of the issues it has raised. Noteworthy figures, including Malcolm X, Warith Deen Muhammad, and Louis Farrakhan, are also considered. In the final chapter, Esposito discusses modern Muslim thinking on such issues as religious pluralism, democracy, and human rights. Lucidly written and expansive in scope, the third edition of Islam: The Straight Path provides keen insight into one of the world's least understood religions and is ideally suited for use in courses on Islam, comparative religions, and Middle Eastern history and culture.

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.

The Pocket Rumi


Kabir Helminski - 2012
    Readers have thrilled to his ecstatic songs of divine union for more than eight hundred years. Here is a collection of the best of Rumi’s poetry.

The Cartoon History of the Universe III: From the Rise of Arabia to the Renaissance


Larry Gonick - 2002
    Larry Gonick's celebrated series The Cartoon History of the Universe is a unique fusion of world history and the comics medium, a work of serious scholarship and a masterpiece of popular literature. Praised by historians as a narrative and interpretive tour de force, Gonick's clever illustrations deliver important information with a deceptively light tone, teaching us about the people and events that have shaped our world. This long-awaited new volume covers the Middle Ages around the globe, including the origin and spread of Islam; West Africa and the cross-Saharan trade; Central Asia and the Byzantine Empire; the European Dark Ages and the Crusades; the Mongol conquests; the Black Death; the Ottoman Empire; the Italian Renaissance; and the rise of Spain, leading up to Columbus's departure for the New World. Highlighting key events and retrieving oft-neglected historical connections, Gonick offers an historical survey that is at once multicultural, humanistic, skeptical, and laugh-out-loud funny.

The Last Barrier


Reshad Feild - 1993
    Starting as a London antique dealer, Feild comes into contact with the enigmatic Hamid, a Sufi teacher who leads him into a world of mystery, knowledge, and limitless love. On his journey, which takes him to the mystical sites of Turkey, Feild is forced to confront his own inner weaknesses and falsehoods. Hamid and the events of his search take him again and again into confrontation with the limits of his own being, enabling him to shed the false conditioning that lies between himself and his true nature. This hard-to-put-down adventure is a travelogue in more ways than one. It tells of Feild's exhilarating explorations into mystical Turkey, a land of whirling dervishes and the tombs of great saints, but also a world that opens into the divine love that lies at the heart of all.

The Failure of Political Islam


Olivier Roy - 1992
    French political philosopher Roy demonstrates that the Islamism of today is a mix of populist politics and mixed economies of laissez-faire for the rich and subsidies for the poor, and argues that Islamic fundamentalists will never be able to reshape economics and politics in the name of Islamic un

Rumi: Past and Present, East and West


Franklin D. Lewis - 2000
    Going beyond the limits of biography, this text covers the origins, spiritual context and teachings of the great founder of the Whirling Dervishes, but also includes a study of Rumi scholarship throughout the ages, bringing this volume right up to date.

The Body Language Handbook: How to Read Everyone's Hidden Thoughts and Intentions


Gregory Hartley - 2010
    By going step-by-step from the holistic to the detailed, you'll quickly discover when body language indicates something significant, and when an itch is just an itch. You'll learn how to: -- Identify the basic mechanics of human communication. -- Observe what is culturally normal…and when ""abnormal" matters. -- Read changes in body language. -- Avoid misunderstandings. -- Project the right message. -- Protect yourself from manipulation. The Body Language Handbook will not only teach you how to read the body language of others, it will also make sure you send the signals you want to send. Increase your power of communication at the office, in a courtroom or classroom, at home, and in any social setting, even the poker table!

Instruction of the Student: The Method of Learning


Burhan al-Din al-Zarnuji - 1646
    Its author, Imam al-Zarnuji, has attracted the attention of Western men of learning for centuries, as they tried to decipher the secret behind the stunning educational success of Islamic civilization.

Inside the Soul of Islam: A Unique View into the Love, Beauty and Wisdom of Islam for Spiritual Seekers of All Faiths


Mamoon Yusaf - 2017
    Despite frequent news coverage, we remain poorly informed about the true beliefs at the heart of Islam. How many of us would be able to explain who the Prophet Muhammad was or what the Quran actually teaches?In this profound yet highly accessible book, practising Muslim Mamoon Yusaf provides a vital introduction to the essential teachings of Islam. In each short chapter he focuses on a core teaching from the Quran, such as loving kindness, resilience, gratitude or forgiveness, and shares his unique insight into how these teachings can lead to spiritual evolution in anyone, regardless of their beliefs, religion or background.Mamoon also considers the role of women in Islam, as well as the true nature and meaning of the words jihad and Shariah. Finally, touching upon current events, he demonstrates how acts of violence committed in the name of Islam are inherently un‑Islamic, and boldly concludes not only that Islam is not the cause of terrorism – Islam contains the cure for it.

Science of the Cosmos, Science of the Soul: The Pertinence of Islamic Cosmology in the Modern World


William C. Chittick - 2007
    Insisting upon a return to the ways of the ancient wisdom tradition, which saw the quest for knowledge of the soul, the world, and God as a unifying spiritual discipline, Chittick maintains that the study of Islamic texts cannot be treated separately from self-understanding. Fascinating, radical, and a true challenge to modern trends in academic study, this book opens a new debate in Islamic thought.

The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari - Arabic-English (9 Volumes)


محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري
    Imam Bukhari collected the Ahaadeeth over a period of 16 years. He stated that before writing any Hadith in this book, he performed Salat of Istikhaara (offered two Rak'at prayer for guidance from Allah), and when he was sure of its authenticity, he included that Hadith in his Sahih.There are 7563 Ahaadeeth in this great collection consisting of 9 Volumes. Each book (subtopics in each volume categorized by very broad topics such as the Book of As-Salat) contains many chapters which represent one logical unit of Ahaadeeth. Each book contains anywhere from one to 150 chapters with each chapter containing several Ahaadeeth.Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan translated this book in simple and easy language. Tremendous amounts of errors exist in the translations by other translators. To eliminate the problem Dar-us-Salam spent over 3 years in the publication of this book and presented a book which is translated into English in a very easy & simple language, so that all readers can understand it without difficulty. We wish that all the peoples of the world, and the Muslims in particular, implement the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) in their daily life.

Seven Theories of Religion


Daniel L. Pals - 1996
    It considers first the views of E.B. Tylor and James Frazer, two Victorian pioneers in anthropology and the comparative study of religion. It explores the controversial reductionist approaches of Freud, Marx, and Emile Durkheim, then explains the program of their most outspoken opponent, the Romanian-American scholar Mircea Eliade. Further on, it examines certain newer methods and ideas advanced by the English ethnographer E.E. Evans-Pritchard and by the American Clifford Geertz, two of the present century's most celebrated names in fieldwork anthropology. Each chapter offers biographical background, exposition of the theory, comparative analysis, and critical assessment. Easily accessible to students in introductory religion courses, Seven Theories of Religion is an enlightening treatment of this controversial and fascinating subject.