Healing Neen: One Woman's Path to Salvation from Trauma and Addiction


Tonier Cain - 2014
    In just 15 years, she had been arrested 83 times with 66 convictions. Neen had–and lost–four children, she was a crack addict, a prostitute, and desperately lost. But as long as she had breath, she would still have hope. One day, after 19 years hustling on the streets of Annapolis, Neen's crumb of hope turned into a seed of trust. "Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten…" – Joel 2:25 (NASV) Healing Neen isn't just another story about victims and survivors or recovery and redemption; ultimately, it is a story of Good News and a testament to God's grace and presence. It is the story of a woman's path to salvation and a propitious glimpse into the potential buried deep within some of society's most vulnerable people. "See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven, their angels always see the face of my Father, who is in heaven." – Matthew 18:10 (ESV) But this story isn't just about Neen; it's about the value of human life, the depth of suffering, and the heights of grace. It is a convincing cri de Coeur for better practices in the way we treat and counsel those caught in the cycles of trauma, addiction, and serial incarceration. Neen brings us face-to-face with the ubiquitous corruption, neglect, and abuse in some of the systems meant to safeguard at-risk women and children, yet she leaves us with hope that things can change for the better. Today, Tonier Cain's calling is to help save thousands of other "Neens" across the nation. She is a leading advocate for trauma-informed care in prisons and mental health facilities. She is a champion for examining and improving the way we help one another toward redemption, and she is the voice of compassion and promise for so many still living on the fringe who need to hear, "where there's breath, there's hope."

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.

An Ordinary Man's Guide to Radicalism


Neyaz Farooquee - 2018
    If ‘they’ were to say I was friends with him, how would I deny it? I had very few friends in school, but who would believe that?You can alter your future, but how do you change your past?--19 September 2008, the Batla House encounter. That one day changed the life of a young man from Inderwan Bairam in Bihar’s Gopalganj district. An over-protected childhood in the village, an ambitious migration to Delhi as a young boy for better education, an undisciplined and shiftless adolescence – all of this history is flattened out into one tiny slice of Neyaz Farooquee’s identity: Muslim. From Jamia Nagar. Who lived practically next door to the Terrorists who had been killed in the encounter. A Potential Terrorist himself? How, after all, does a man prove that he is (and not merely pretending to be) a Normal Human Being?Sardonic and wise, Farooquee scrapes out the unvarnished truth about identity and stereotypes, about life in a ghetto, and the small and big disappointments that make up an ordinary life.A necessary book for our troubled times.

When Shovels Break


Michael J. Shank - 2013
    Struggles, discouragement, and John's improper expectations of what God was "supposed" to do for his life caused John to leave his faith and the Lord's body, the church. John went back into every form of sin imaginable: alcoholism, drug abuse, adultery, and pornography - just as a dog returns to its vomit. John's shame and guilt, his failure to provide for his family, and the loss of all hope that God could ever forgive him brings John to a terrifying moment... holding a shotgun to his chin. He starts to pull the trigger. Can God forgive this wretch of a man? Is it possible for John to be restored and to be able to return to Jesus Christ? This raw, gritty, true story grabs the reader from beginning to end. It is a story about the real life of a discouraged Christian, and it is a story of hope, love, and the redemption found through the grace of God!

Things That Shatter: A Memoir


Kaighla Um Dayo - 2019
     I saw a universal traumatic experience that most people could never be brave enough to put on paper for the world to read... It’s a story of realization & growth... Parts will make you uncomfortable because it’s raw and the truth can hurt." - Kaitlin, The American Muslim Mama "This is a wonderful story! The strength Kaighla has maintained throughout her journey is amazing. Her understanding that "The Sheikh's" actions are incorrect and abusive, and do not reflect God's judgement of her, are the elements which I believe have helped her stay firm in Islam. I hope the strength with which she has come out of her ordeal inspires other women in these unfortunate situations."- Danish Qasim, founder of In Shaykh's Clothing In 2009, Kaighla—a young, single mother from the Midwest, and a fresh convert to Islam—married an Egyptian immigrant, the sheikh of a mosque in Brooklyn. Unbeknownst to her, he hadn't divorced his wife back home, and was about to be deported. Two years later, she moved with him, her son, and their baby girl to his hometown in rural Egypt, where she was abused and neglected—along with his first wife—for the next four years. A much-beloved speaker and imam in Brooklyn and in Dearborn, Michigan, the sheikh lectured and taught at mosques and Islamic centers around the country in the early 2000's. But across their seven-year marriage, Um Dayo’s identity and cultural heritage were systematically shattered by him, all in the name of making her the ideal "wife of the Sheikh"—and she wasn't the first or last convert to be abused by him.A story about what happens when Muslim women are broken by Muslim men, and find the courage to heal themselves through the real Islam, Things That Shatter aims to shed light on abuse and healing within the Muslim community, and to help female converts protect themselves from men like him. More than anything, this story is a convert's re-declaration of faith that there is no God but God, and it serves as a reminder that women have intrinsic worth in God’s eyes, beyond and outside of their relationships to the men in their lives.

Great Swan: Meetings with Ramakrishna


Lex Hixon - 1992
    Editorial Reviews Hixon, a disciple of both Ramakrishna's wife and his spiritual successor, provides contemporary commentary based on The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and The Great Master . This retelling in clear contemporary English requires no background knowledge and makes accessible the ideas of a most remarkable Hindu saint who worshipped Kali, the Divine Mother, but also experienced union with Jesus, Muhammad, and Allah. Hixon claims his book ``is not a conventional biography but a workbook'' to provide Ramakrishna's guidance to the spiritually inclined reader of any religious tradition and to clarify the mystical path. Hixon is self-effacing: what shines through is Ramakrishna sanctity and wisdom, as well as the devotion of his disciples. Recommended for most libraries.

The Big Bang, Philosophy and God


Caner Taslaman - 2006
    With this book, the author adds to the debate revolving around the 'anthropic principle' by developing the 'world principle.' The author offers the reader an original critique of materialist philosophy, ancient Greek philosophy, and in particular of Kant and Hawking, making this book highly informative and thought-provoking. The reader not only finds answers to questions about the meaning of our existence, but also gains new insights into science, philosophy and theology.

Having Fun the Halal Way: Entertainment in Islam


Abu Muawiyah Ismail Kamdar - 2011
    Combine this with the exponential advances in technology, and the result is an increasing number of ways to amuse ourselves.As a result of such advances, Muslim react in a variety of manners towards entertainment. Some label entertainment as completely forbidden. This sometimes includes parents who say no to almost everything that their young ones deem to be ‘fun’, without providing them with suitable alternatives. Others, who do not want to take this extreme approach, fall into the trap of excessive use of – and even addiction to – various sources of entertainment, without any limits.In Having Fun the Halal Way, Ismail Kamdar explores the teachings of Islam regarding entertainment. Drawing upon the Quran, the Sunnah and the understanding of the righteous scholars of Islam, he provides a detailed and balanced analysis of the topic. He not only explains the detriments of the current entertainment industry, but also suggests alternative means to have a good time with friends and family members.

If You'll Let Me


B. Love - 2018
    He’d given me my first taste of love, and he helped me to see just how stupid our hearts could be. Because of Cory, I learned that love was the only thing we couldn’t see in the physical that could completely screw up the physical – mainly our hearts. Love had the ability to break your heart into small pieces and feed it to the idiot you loved just to make him stronger while you grew weak. If love wasn’t for the weak, may I never be strong. – Nola Williams For Nola Williams, until she achieves every dream and goal on her to-do list, love was to be avoided at all costs. That had been an easy task… until she met Logan Hart. Not only is Logan devilishly handsome, wealthy, and charming, but he also has the power to help Nola achieve her dreams in a fraction of the time it would take for her to do it on her own. In exchange for her dreams, Logan is asking for Nola’s hand, heart, and commitment, and they all seem to be an easy trade in the beginning. As their exchange unfolds, Nola finds herself wondering if her dreams were worth the risk of tying herself to a man like Logan. A man who has an effortless ability to seep into the crevices of her cracked heart. The problem? Their union is only to last for a year, and though the world thinks it’s real, Nola and Logan know it’s fake. Will she be able to leave Logan with her dreams and her heart unscathed, or will she learn firsthand how love has the power to destroy just as her father did?

Ganesha's Secret: Different People See God Differently


Devdutt Pattanaik - 2018
    He is worshipped before one starts any project. He is supposed to remove all obstacles, all unforeseen hurdles. His elephant head, viewed symbolically, makes a lot of sense. The elephant head indicates power.’ For a peaceful and prosperous 2018, this chapter titled, Ganesha’s Secret: Different people see God differently, is mandatory.

Dysfunctional Family Values


Raegan Dennis - 2018
    The only issue was, somewhere along the line, life caused her to forget how to pray. Raised by a mother that despised her after the death of her grandmother, Mia lost all faith in the God that her grandmother taught her so much about. Kain came along at the right time and saved Mia from her mother's wrath. But when her woman's intuition starts sounding alarms she begins to see Kain for who he really is. Mia knew she could never trust her mother, but when she has to pull her trust away from Kain the heartbreak is unbearable. Secrets are revealed, the drama unfolds, and the only way Mia will get through this is to remember what her grandmother taught her.

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.

Daily Wisdom: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad


Abdur Raheem Kidwai - 2010
    With 365 traditions covering the whole year, Daily Wisdom explores Islamic morals and manners in all aspects of everyday life. Beautifully presented, this ideal gift item is a must for every home. Abdur Raheem Kidwai is professor of English at the Aligarh Muslim University in India and a well-known author of many works on the Qur'an and Islam.

Islam Beliefs and Practices


Yasmin Malik
    It contains : - Biography of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), his companions, his wives and children. - Belief. - Pillars of Islam. - Political, economic, ethical and legal system of Islam in brief. - Sources of law. - Fiqh. - Translation of selected Suras, Verses and Ahadith.

The Road to Allah


Jalaluddin Rakhmat - 2007