Book picks similar to
Islamic Life & Thought by Seyyed Hossein Nasr


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The Network of Thought


Jiddu Krishnamurti - 1982
    "We human beings have been 'programmed' biologically, intellectually, emotionally, psychologically through millions of years," he asserts, "and we repeat the pattern of the programs over and over again." His aim in The Network of Thought is to help clarify and free us from such programming, from the inner bonds that have restricted genuine awareness throughout the course of human existence."

The Twelve Powers


Charles Fillmore - 1999
    All books in the Unity Classic Library series feature hardcover binding with gold engraving, colorful endpapers, library nameplate page, author photograph, and biography. The series makes a beautiful display on a library shelf, and each book is a respected addition to any metaphysical collection.This book offers two Unity favorites in one volume: Charles Fillmore's The Twelve Powers of Man is a metaphysical look at twelve expressions of the divine inherent in each of us. Expressions such as love, faith, strength, zeal, imagination, and others are discussed. In Christ Enthroned in Man, Cora Fillmore helps the reader put the twelve powers to practical use by outlining exercises to develop faith and willpower, recognize and use intuition, and let go of unwanted conditions in the body and in life situations.

An Ordinary Dude's Guide to Meditation


John Weiler - 2017
    Many written by monks, and some written by hippies and spiritual gurus. But how many are written by an ordinary dude? Someone who is just like you: someone who has a day job, whose preferred outfit is jeans and a t-shirt, and enjoys knocking back a few beers on Friday night? I'm as ordinary as they come. The only difference...I've been meditating for over 13 years. And I want to show you how you can too—in a straightforward language that any ordinary dude or dudette can understand. Over a decade of practice, meditation has transformed my life, bringing more peace, calm and clarity into it than I could have ever imagined when I started at the age of 19. And now I want to share how meditation can do the same for you.

The Qur'an: A New Translation


Anonymous - 2005
    It is the fundamental and paramount source of the creed, rituals, ethics, and laws of the Islamic religion. It is the book that ‘differentiates’ between right and wrong, so that nowadays, when the Muslim world is dealing with such universal issues as globalization, the environment, combating terrorism and drugs, issues of medical ethics, and feminism, evidence to support the various arguments is sought in the Qur'an. This supreme status stems from the belief that the Qur'an is the word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad via the archangel Gabriel, and intended for all times and all places.The Qur'an was the starting point for all the Islamic sciences: Arabic grammar was developed to serve the Qur'an, the study of Arabic phonetics was pursued in order to determine the exact pronunciation of Qur'anic words, the science of Arabic rhetoric was developed in order to describe the features of the inimitable style of the Qur'an, the art of Arabic calligraphy was cultivated throughwriting down the Qur'an, the Qur'an is the basis of Islamic law and theology; indeed, as the celebrated fifteenth-century scholar and author Suyuti said, ‘Everything is based on the Qur'an’. The entire religious life of the Muslim world is built around the text of the Qur'an. As a consequence of the Qur'an, the Arabic language moved far beyond the Arabian peninsula, deeply penetrating manyother languages within the Muslim lands––Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Indonesian, and others. The first sura (or section) of the Qur'an, al-Fatiha, which is an essential part of the ritual prayers, is learned and read in Arabic by Muslims in all parts of the world, and many other verses and phrases in Arabic are also incorporated into the lives of non-Arabic-speaking Muslims.Muslim children start to learn portions of the Qur'an by heart in their normal schooling: the tradition of learning the entire Qur'an by heart started during the lifetime of the Prophet and continues to the present day. A person attaining this distinction becomes known as a hafiz, and this is still a prerequisite for admission to certain religious schools in Muslim countries. Nowadays the Qur'an is recited anumber of times daily on the radio and television in the Muslim world, and some Muslim countries devote a broadcasting channel for long hours daily exclusively to the recitation and study of the Qur'an. Muslims swear on the Qur'an for solemn oaths in the law-courts and in everyday life.

Purification of the Mind


عبد القادر الجيلاني - 1997
    These discourses, like the ones found in some of his other books, would have been transcribed by some of his listener. There are a number of surviving manuscripts of the book. The language of Shaikh 'Abd Al-Qadir's discourses is often permeated by symbolic references, metaphorical images, and poetic expressions. This style, which is characteristic of the Shaikh's discourses, reflects a number of facts. First, the Shaikh often speaks about spiritual matters that are completely unfamiliar to the layperson and which the language is incapable of describing with accuracy. These, in the Shaikh's words, are states, stations, visions, and experiences that "no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and has never occurred to any human being." Second, the Shaikh's words spring as much from his heart as from his mind, describing feelings as well as thoughts. He is forced to use common words to describe feelings that are known only to those who have had those spiritual experiences. No language is equipped enough to describe these feelings, in the same way that no words can assist in describing color to one born blind because it requires visual experience. Third, the Shaikh often speaks about secret and intimate spiritual issues that he does not want to or cannot fully disclose, thus wrapping his words in metaphors. The words of Shaikh Al-Jilani do not describe one spiritual state and are not targeted at one person. They paint a fascinating picture of a myriad of spiritual states and stations and apply to people of very different beginnings, paths, and ends. The destination is the same, but the routes are different. Also different wayfarers end their journeys at different points. What is good for someone might not good for another, and what is required of two different people might be completely different, even though both have the same goal. This is why understanding the Shaikh's words and their applications is a science in its own right. As Sufis say: "The ways to Allah are as many as the creatures." The words of the Shaikh remain as relevant to the seeker of the truth and nearness to God as they were when he uttered them almost one thousand years ago. For sure, the world has changed a lot, but man's nature has not, and the diseases of his heart remain the same. The Shaikh's words address these diseases and show man the way to salvation. His words lived a thousand years and will live to the day when this transient world is no more and is replaced by the permanent one. Like all beacons of truth, the Shaikh has been the target of attacks of the ignorant, the narrow minded, and the misguided. As happened to others who understood Islam to be about works of the heart not acts of the body, this pious servant, whose life was fully dedicated to serving his Lord, has often been accused of distorting the message of Prophet Muhammad by those who wanted to hijack Islam and turn it into a spiritless, legalistic system to serve their worldly ambitions. But, as history has been confirming everyday, the voice of truth can never be silenced and the words of wisdom will remain inerasable. It is ignorance of this fact, as well as mistaking falsehood for truth, that must have made some misguided individuals to use terrorism against the Shaikh as they bombed his shrine in Baghdad on 28th May 2007, damaging parts of it. These and similar criminals do not realize that what made great masters such as Shaikh 'Abd Al-Qadir live forever is not buildings that commemorate them or books written about them, but the teachings and examples they set that live in people's minds and love for God that they helped them develop in their hearts. This is why almost one thousand years after his departure from this world people still feel immensely honored to serve the Shaikh and his sacred cause, including making his words more accessible to people.

The Fourteen Infallibles


Sayed Ammar Nakshawani - 2012
    Sayed Ammar Nashawani's lectures on the biographies of the fourteen infallible figures in Shi'a Islam.An invaluable resource that represents a Shi'a view of the history of Islam, the Prophet and Imams for the present day audience. This excellent book will be of benefit to many in understanding the true nature of Islam and also illustrate how the illustrious figures as representing and manifesting universal human values that can serve humanity at large

Fazail-E-Amaal, Vol. 1


Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi - 2002
    It is a two-volume compilation of several books, primarily written by the Indian scholar Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi His title Shekul Hadees. An English translation of the title is The Virtues of Good Deeds.The text consists of selected verses of the Qur'an, Hadiths, commentary thereon, and other material. The book is a compilation of different previous books written by same author. It has been translated into English, Persian, Bengali, and many other languages. It is popular in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and among South Asian immigrants in the United States and UK. It is mainly used by the Tablighi Jamaat for taalim (teaching) purposes. Objective of which is to bring Ehtesaab (consider the rewards of good deeds before committing them) into ones life.This book provides basic information of Islam. It is credited with transforming lives of numerous people wordwide and bring serenity and peace in the hearts.It is said to be the most widely read book about Islam after Quran and the Sihah Sitta.Contents of Volume 1:- Hikayat-e-Sahabah (Stories of the Sahabah) - Fazail-e-Quran (Virtues of the Quran) - Fazail-e-Namaz (Virtues of Salah) - Fazail-e-Zikr (Virtues of Dhikr) - Fazail-e-Tabligh (Virtues of Tabligh) - Fazail-e-Ramadhan (Virtues of Ramadan) - Musalmano-ki-Maujudah-Pasti-ka-Wahid-Ilaj (Muslim Degeneration and its Only Remedy) by Ihtisham ul-Hasan KandhalviSome publishers append an additional book:Fazail-e-Durood (Virtues of Durood) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fazail-e...

How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror


Reza Aslan - 2009
    It is a battle not between armies or nations, but between the forces of good and evil, a war in which God is believed to be directly engaged on behalf of one side against the other. The hijackers who attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, thought they were fighting a cosmic war. According to award-winning writer and scholar of religions Reza Aslan, by infusing the United States War on Terror with the same kind of religiously polarizing rhetoric and Manichean worldview, is also fighting a cosmic war-a war that can't be won. How to Win a Cosmic War""is both an in-depth study of the ideology fueling al-Qa'ida, the Taliban, and like-minded militants throughout the Muslim world, and an exploration of religious violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Surveying the global scene from Israel to Iraq and from New York to the Netherlands, Aslan argues that religion is a stronger force today than it has been in a century. At a time when religion and politics are increasingly sharing the same vocabulary and functioning in the same sphere, Aslan writes that we must strip the conflicts of our world-in particular, the War on Terror-of their religious connotations and address the earthly grievances that always lie behind the cosmic impulse. How do you win a cosmic war? By refusing to fight in one.

Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet


Karen Armstrong - 1991
    Over the course of the following sixty years, he built a thriving spiritual community and laid out the foundations of a religion that has changed the course of world history. There is more historical data available about his life than that of the founder of any other major faith, and yet, particularly in the West, his is a consistently misunderstood story.An acclaimed authority on religious and spiritual issues, Karen Armstrong offers a balanced portrait of this revered figure. Through comparison with other prophets and mystics, she illuminates Muhammad's spiritual ideas; she uses the facts of his life, from which Muslims have drawn instruction for centuries, to make the tenets of Islam clear and accessible for modern readers of all faiths. This vivid and detailed biography strips away centuries of distortion and myth to reveal the man behind the religion.Karen Armstrong, bestselling author, scholar, and journalist, is among the world's foremost commentators on religious history and culture. Post-9/11, she has become a crucial advocate for mutual understanding between the world's major faiths. Her books include Buddha: A Biography, The Battle for God, and Islam: A Short History."Respectful without being reverential, knowledgeable without being pedantic, and, above all, readable. It succeeds because [Armstrong] brings Muhammad to life as a fully rounded human being." -The Economist

Eternity: God, Soul, New Physics


Trevelyan - 2013
    This is a book about how many of the 'big' philosophical and religious questions that have puzzled mankind for centuries can be answered by recent breakthroughs in science.

Diagrams for Living


Emmet Fox - 1968
    " Fox has inspired millions of people over the past forty years through his simple, practical guidelines. In Diagrams for Living he presents valuable keys to living a more fulfilled life drawn from the eloquent spiritual wisdom of the Bible.If we read the Bible literally, cautions Fox, we miss the eternal power and personal relevance found in its symbols, allegories, and parables. "Whether you realize it or not," he writes, "you are on every page from Genesis to Revelation." Fox shows how to read dramatic biblical stories as symbolic diagrams for living that can "show you how to overcome difficulties and problems, and how to give expression to the deep aspirations that lie hidden in your soul." This power to reveal, inspire, and guide makes the Bible's teachings adaptable to everyone at every stage of spiritual development.Sensible, contemporary, and full of reassurance, Diagrams for Living offers sage counsel from a gifted teacher.

Why I Am a Five Percenter


Michael Muhammad Knight - 2011
    Misrepresented in the media as a black parallel to the Hell's Angels, portrayed as everything from a vicious street gang to quasi- Islamic revolutionaries, The Five Percenters are a movement that began as a breakaway sect from the Nation of Islam (NOI) in 1960s Harlem and went on to impact the formation of hip-hop. References to Five Percent language and ideas are found in the lyrics of wide-ranging artists, such as Nas, Rakim, the Wu-Tang Clan, and even Jay-Z. The Five Percenters are denounced by white America as racists, and orthodox Islam as heretics, for teaching that the black man is Allah. Michael Muhammad Knight ("the Hunter S. Thompson of Islamic literature" -The Guardian) has engaged this culture as both white and Muslim; and over the course of his relationship with The Five Percenters, his personal position changed from that of an outsider to an accepted participant with his own initiatory name (Azreal Wisdom). This has given him an intimate perch from which to understand and examine the controversial doctrines of this influential movement. In "Why I Am a Five Percenter," Knight strips away years of sensationalism to offer a serious encounter with Five Percenter thought. Encoded within Five Percent culture is a profound critique of organized religion, from which the movement derives its name: Only Five Percent can act as "poor righteous teachers" against the evil Ten Percent, the power structure which uses religion to deceive the Eighty- Five Percent, the "deaf, dumb, and blind" masses. Questioning his own relationship to the Five Percent, Knight directly confronts the community's most difficult teachings. In "Why I Am a Five Percenter," Knight not only illuminates a thought system that must appear bizarre to outsiders, but he also brilliantly dissects the very issues of"insiders" and "outsiders," territory and ownership, as they relate to religion and privilege, and to our conditioned ideas about race.

Sharia Law for Non-Muslims


Bill Warner - 2010
    Sharia law is based on entirely different principles than our laws. Many of these laws concern the non-Muslim.What does Sharia law mean for the citizens of this state? How will this affect us? What are the long-term effects of granting Muslims the right to be ruled by Sharia, instead of our laws? Each and every demand that Muslims make is based on the idea of implementing Sharia law in America. Should we allow any Sharia at all? Why? Why not?How can any political or legal authority make decisions about Sharia law if they do not know what it is? Is this moral?The answers to all of these questions are found in this book.

Answers To Non Muslims Common Questions About Islam


Zakir Naik - 2011
    why ispolygamy allowed in Islam?If a man is allowed to have more than one wife, then why does Islam prohibit a woman from having more than one husband?Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?How can Islam be called the religion of peace when it was spread by the sword?Why are most of the Muslims fundamentalists and terrorists?Ki l l ing an animal is a ruthless act . Why then do Musl ims consume nonvegetarian food?Why do Muslims slaughter the animal in a ruthless manner by torturing it and slowly and painfully killing it?Science tell us that whatever one eats, it has an effect on one’s behaviour. Why then, does Islam allow Muslims to eat non-vegetarian food, since eating of animals could make a person violent and ferocious?When Islam is against idol worship why do the Muslims worship, and bow downto the Kaaba in their prayer?Why are non-Muslims not allowed in the Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah?Why is the consumption of alcohol prohibited in Islam?Under Islamic law, why is a woman’s share of the inherited wealth only half that of a man?How can you prove that the Qur'an is the word of God?When all the Muslim follow one and the same Qur’an then why are there somany sects and different schools of thoughts among Muslims?All religions basically teach followers to do good deeds. Why should a persononly follow Islam? Can he not follow any of the religions?If Islam is the best religion, why are many of the Muslims dishonest, unreliable,and involved in activities such as cheating, bribing, dealing in drugs, etc.?Why do Muslims abuse non-Muslims by calling them Kafirs? Read the logical answers......

Light For The Lost Soul | Volume 1: Seeking Contentment For The Troubled Heart


Mizz Nina - 2021
    It is filled with intimate reflections from the author’s spiritual journey as a seeker of peace. It also offers guided steps for one’s spiritual development that are extracted from her knowledge-seeking pursuits with teachers of the deen and international scholars. In this life, many lights will attract us, yet they blind us, pulling us further into the darkness. But there is one light that will lead us back to peace. There is one light that will guide us to the contentment we seek.