She then focuses on those Arab societies that played a key role in elaborating the dominant Islamic discourses about women and gender: Arabia during the period in which Islam was founded; Iraq during the classical age, when the prescriptive core of legal and religious discourse on women was formulated; and Egypt during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when exposure to Western societies led to dramatic social change and to the emergence of new discourses on women. Throughout, Ahmed not only considers the Islamic texts in which central ideologies about women and gender developed or were debated but also places this discourse in its social and historical context. Her book is thus a fascinating survey of Islamic debates and ideologies about women and the historical circumstances of their position in society, the first such discussion using the analytic tools of contemporary gender studies.

    An alternative perspective into topics such as identity, love, education, community, and self-worth.

    Feelings of shock, horror, repulsion, pity or even fear are not uncommon. But have you ever wondered who it is behind the veil and what makes her tick? Ever wondered what her life is really like and whether her dreams, hopes and aspirations differ from yours? From My Sisters' Lips offers a rare glimpse into the lives of a community of women, most of whom are converts to Islam, and invites you to share their joys, sorrows, convictions and faith. When Na'ima B Robert abandoned her western lifestyle and embraced Islam six years ago, it was not a decision taken lightly. Yet soon after she took her first tentative steps towards covering, she felt empowered; no longer judged on physical appearances alone, no longer seeking the approval to feel beautiful — or using her looks to wield power over men — the experience effected her greatly. Before long she grew in confidence and courage. As she says, "Something just clicked." I thought, "Good, don't look; don't compare me with your latest squeeze, don't try and guess my measurements - my body is my own business!"' From My Sisters' Lips offers a glimpse into the lives of just some of the extraordinary women who, like herself, have chosen to live behind the veil. What emerges is a vivid and intimate portrait of a sisterhood; as they speak candidly and with conviction on a diverse range of subjects ranging from marriage to motherhood, stereotypes, submission and self-image, we hear the strong, proud voices of those who are seldom heard.

    Through the study and application of mental laws, you can find the way to health, harmony, peace, and prosperity; scientific prayer is the practice of the Presence of God.

    Dr. Mark A. Gabriel allows you to walk side by side with Jesus and Muhammad from their births to their deaths. You will discover that both were prophesied over as children, endorsed by their cousins, rejected by their hometowns, and assisted by twelve disciples. With an understanding of their biographies, you are prepared to compare their teachings, including: •How they described themselves •How they responded to challenges from Jews •The healings and miracles they performed •Guidelines for acceptable prayer •When to fight an enemy •What they taught about women Dr. Gabriel's balanced historical comparison will shatter false images and give you new insight into the influence of Jesus and Muhammad in the world today.

    Simple fables in easy language but with deep underlying morals. Each story comes with a beautiful hand drawn illustration.A Blessed Olive Tree is a series of short stories that will take you on a spiritual journey. It begins by exploring the reason for our existence, and then it moves on to highlight the reasoning behind the five pillars of Islam. After touching upon "Shariah" (the religious law), you will enter the land of "Tariqa" (the mystical path) to explore love, loving, and being loved. You will then come across "Haqiqa" (the truth), and find answers to some of the queries in your mind. You will finally experience the land of "Marifa" (gnosis), and catch a glimpse of the ultimate connection with the Divine. This entire journey is covered in twenty simple short stories."A sufi literary masterpiece" (Muslim revert and author Adam Hafiz, UK)"Truly a treasure"(Ayanna, Reviewer on Goodreads, USA)"A wise book"(Manar, #7 top reviewer on Goodreads, Iraq)"perfect for teaching younger readers, and reminder for older readers"(Khurram Alavi, #10 best reviewer on Goodreads, UK)"So inspiring for all Muslims and non Muslims."(Fatima Haleem, #17 best reviewer on Goodreads, Iraq)"All short stories are based on Islamic facts and taking roots from Quran"(Necmi Coban, #45 top reader on Goodreads, Turkey)"...gave a very deep impact to my heart.It has been long since I felt so at ease with myself and my thoughts changed."(Sizarifalina Ali, #30 best reviewer on Goodreads, Malaysia)"After almost each story I felt warmth in my heart"(Arezoo Alipanah, #99 top reader on Goodreads, Iran)"The sequence...oh this is genius."(Shabrina Fadhila, Reviewer on Goodreads, Indonesia)"...each story containing heartfelt lessons of hope, faith, struggle, success and happiness."(Phi T. Waani, #83 best reviewer on Goodreads, Pakistan)"An exceptional read that was"(Tarik Mahtab, #72 best reviewer on Goodreads, Bangladesh)"Reading this book feels like reading a fairy tale 1001 nights!"(Arvia Maharhani, #53 best reviewer on Goodreads, Indonesia)"Metaphorical stories feeding one's spirit with faith"(Rabbia Riaz, #39 best reviewer on Goodreads, Pakistan)"I was taken on a journey which became more enjoyable with each turn of the page."(Saima, Reviewer on Goodreads USA)"...help Muslims and non-Muslims to understand Islam better"(Aya, #41 best reviewer on Goodreads, Egypt)"...told in a fun way that doesn't require reading huge volumes of religious texts"(Hafsa, #17 best reviewer on Goodreads, Kenya)"...this book came as a ray of sunshine or noor in these devastating times."(Nafisa Tarannum, #46 top reviewer on Goodreads Bangladesh)"This was good, great, interesting, Charmin, magical"(Abdel Rahman Amin, #75 top reviewer on Goodreads, Egypt)"This is indeed a metaphorical masterpiece"(Ain Mc, Reviewer on Goodreads Malaysia)

    Explains the history, doctrines, and beliefs of the Islamic faith; outlines the life and philophies of Muhammad; describes Islamic contributions to the arts and sciences; and describes its rituals, prayers, and holidays.

    Who Speaks for Islam? is about this silenced majority. This book is the product of the Gallup World Poll’s massive, multiyear research study. As part of this groundbreaking project, Gallup conducted tens of thousands of interviews with residents of more than 35 nations that are predominantly Muslim or have significant Muslim populations. Gallup posed questions that are on the minds of millions: Is Islam to blame for terrorism? Why is there so much anti-Americanism in the Muslim world? Who are the extremists? Where are the moderates? What do Muslim women really want? Grounded in Gallup World Poll data, not in contentious rhetoric, Who Speaks for Islam? brings data-driven evidence — the voices of a billion Muslims, not those of individual “experts” or “extremists”— to one of the most heated and consequential debates of our time.

    Taking a wholly different view, Asma Barlas develops a believer's reading of the Qur'an that demonstrates the radically egalitarian and antipatriarchal nature of its teachings.Beginning with a historical analysis of religious authority and knowledge, Barlas shows how Muslims came to read inequality and patriarchy into the Qur'an to justify existing religious and social structures and demonstrates that the patriarchal meanings ascribed to the Qur'an are a function of who has read it, how, and in what contexts. She goes on to reread the Qur'an's position on a variety of issues in order to argue that its teachings do not support patriarchy. To the contrary, Barlas convincingly asserts that the Qur'an affirms the complete equality of the sexes, thereby offering an opportunity to theorize radical sexual equality from within the framework of its teachings. This new view takes readers into the heart of Islamic teachings on women, gender, and patriarchy, allowing them to understand Islam through its most sacred scripture, rather than through Muslim cultural practices or Western media stereotypes.

    Even a word of encouragement, a compliment, a helping hand can be equally, if not more, profound. Make such acts a habit and Nature will reciprocate in kind.' In his latest book, bestselling author Om Swami suggests a definitive means to achieving true happiness: through kindness. In his signature candid style, he clarifies that the only way one can be successful in the quest to achieve happiness for oneself is to first spread happiness and show kindness to others. With real, inspiring, life-changing anecdotes, Om Swami goes on to illustrate how compassion and gentleness are intrinsically connected with humanity. The Book of Kindness will help you understand, practice and master kindness, the key to inner bliss and fulfilment, and the only means to attain the happiness that you seek.

    As in other areas of social sciences, some Muslim thinkers and scholars have developed an amazing skill for the unthinking repetition and blind copying of Western, non-Islamic ideas and practices. “In the Lizard’s Hole” is a Prophetic epitaph that describes this activity very well. Some Muslim psychologists insist dogmatically on prying even into lizard’s holes that have been partly or totally abandoned by their Western counterparts. But do Muslims really need modern psychology at all? Is modern psychology wholly Western? Is there a way in which it could be reconciled with Islam? These burning questions lie lurking behind the dilemma of Muslim psychologists.

    With an emphasis on Taqwa (God-consciousness) and Ikhlas (sincerity), Agenda To Change Our Condition is an indispensable handbook for all Muslims striving for excellence in character and self-refinement. Topics covered include: Taqwa: Its Definition and Its Benefits, The Heart and its Treatment, Practical Steps to Change Our Condition, a series of exercises for achieving Taqwa as well as three new appendices.In this updated for 2008 new edition of "Agenda to Change Our Condition," Shaykh Hamza Yusuf chalks out a program for all Muslims who want to rectify their current state of apathy and heedlessness of Allah's commands. The book includes sections on Practical Steps to Change Our Condition, Taqwa: Its Definition and its Benefits, The Heart and its Treatment (by Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-`Arabi), culminating with a series of exercises on how to attain taqwa.

    In the case of Islam, there has been much recent confusion in the Western world centered on distorted portrayals of its core values. Born of ignorance, such confusion feeds the very problem at hand.In The Heart of Islam one of the great intellectual figures in Islamic history offers a timely presentation of the core spiritual and social values of Islam: peace, compassion, social justice, and respect for the other. Seizing this unique moment in history to reflect on the essence of his tradition, Seyyed Hossein Nasr seeks to "open a spiritual and intellectual space for mutual understanding." Exploring Islamic values in scripture, traditional sources, and history, he also shows their clear counterparts in the Jewish and Christian traditions, revealing the common ground of the Abrahamic faiths.Nasr challenges members of the world's civilizations to stop demonizing others while identifying themselves with pure goodness and to turn instead to a deeper understanding of those shared values that can solve the acute problems facing humanity today. "Muslims must ask themselves what went wrong within their own societies," he writes, "but the West must also pose the same question about itself . . . whether we are Muslims, Jews, Christians, or even secularists, whether we live in the Islamic world or in the West, we are in need of meaning in our lives, of ethical norms to guide our actions, of a vision that would allow us to live at peace with each other and with the rest of God's creation." Such help, he believes, lies at the heart of every religion and can lead the followers of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) as well as other religious and spiritual traditions to a new future of mutual respect and common global purpose.The Heart of Islam is a landmark presentation of enduring value that offers hope to humanity, and a compelling portrait of the beauty and appeal of the faith of 1.2 billion people.

    By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization. PLEASE NOTE: This is key takeaways and analysis of the book and NOT the original book.  Inside this WiseMinds Key Takeaways & Analysis of The Untethered Soul  • Key Ideas from the Book • Analysis of Key Ideas • and much more! ###Keywords: Four Agreements, Gifts of Imperfection, Letting Go, Outrageous Openness, Book of Awakening, Three Pillars

    The 7 keys to live with the heart in service of others.