Contrasting modern, secular society with religion and tradition in general and with Islam in particular, Gai Eaton clarifies the essential need for spirituality, religion and values based on eternal principles. The main ideas behind Remembering God are that religion is not an isolated part of human life which can be disregarded at will and without consequences; that a total rejection of the past cannot be the basis for the future and that a true link with Heaven modifies all the decisions and actions of society. The continuity and harmony of the religious perspective contrasted with the dislocation and alienation of modern society is the theme that runs throughout the book, touching on religion in principle: metaphysics, knowledge of the div! ine and of oneself, supplication, the necessity for purifying the ego; and on the application of religion to society: politics, architecture, the environment and gender relations, Charles Le Gai Eaton illustrates the subtle harmony of a religious perspective and its abiity to transform both the individual and society.

    Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

    In The First Muslim, Lesley Hazleton brings him vibrantly to life. Drawing on early eyewitness sources and on history, politics, religion, and psychology, she renders him as a man in full, in all his complexity and vitality.        Hazleton’s account follows the arc of Muhammad’s rise from powerlessness to power, from anonymity to renown, from insignificance to lasting significance. How did a child shunted to the margins end up revolutionizing his world? How did a merchant come to challenge the established order with a new vision of social justice? How did the pariah hounded out of Mecca turn exile into a new and victorious beginning? How did the outsider become the ultimate insider?        Impeccably researched and thrillingly readable, Hazleton’s narrative creates vivid insight into a man navigating between idealism and pragmatism, faith and politics, nonviolence and violence, rejection and acclaim. The First Muslim illuminates not only an immensely significant figure but his lastingly relevant legacy.

    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”.

    Seekers learn ancient spiritual practices to overcome the destructive characters such as anger, jealousy, malice, laziness, stinginess, greed, cowardice, and more. Through this training: one’s ego is subdued, the heart is filled with light, and dark thoughts and tendencies are eradicated. In this new state, one learns the hidden secrets reserved for very few about their true self, the life of this world and all creation, and existence in the Eternal Reality, where one is blessed beyond imagination.

    Discourses on Mabel Collins' "Light on the Path"

    Now, in his first book written for a wide audience, he offers a marvelous biography of the Prophet Muhammad, one that highlights the spiritual and ethical teachings of one of the most influential figures in human history.In the Footsteps of the Prophet is a fresh and perceptive look at Muhammad, capturing a life that was often eventful, gripping, and highly charged. Ramadan provides both an intimate portrait of a man who was shy, kind, but determined, as well as a dramatic chronicle of a leader who launched a great religion and inspired a vast empire. More important, Ramadan presents the main events of the Prophet's life in a way that highlights his spiritual and ethical teachings. The book underscores the significance of the Prophet's example for some of today's most controversial issues, such as the treatment of the poor, the role of women, Islamic criminal punishments, war, racism, and relations with other religions. Selecting those facts and stories from which we can draw a profound and vivid spiritual picture, the author asks how can the Prophet's life remain -- or become again -- an example, a model, and an inspiration? And how can Muslims move from formalism -- a fixation on ritual -- toward a committed spiritual and social presence?In this thoughtful and engaging biography, Ramadan offers Muslims a new understanding of Muhammad's life and he introduces non-Muslims not just to the story of the Prophet, but to the spiritual and ethical riches of Islam.

    Buried by layers of ego, fear, shame, doubt, low self-esteem, and other limitations, love can only be activated by sharing and serving unconditionally. Only then will the layers fall away and the essence of love reveal itself. Berg makes the distinction between love and need — which is a selfish product of ego — and reminds readers that only after connecting with the love within, and learning to love themselves, can they truly love someone else. This charming book, published just in time for Valentine’s Day, is also a thoughtful gift for any day of the year.

    This updated edition addresses the events of the past decade, analyzing how they have influenced Islam’s position in modern culture. Aslan explores what the popular demonstrations pushing for democracy in the Middle East mean for the future of Islam in the region, how the Internet and social media have affected Islam’s evolution, and how the war on terror has altered the geopolitical balance of power in the Middle East. He also provides an update on the contemporary Muslim women’s movement, a discussion of the controversy over veiling in Europe, an in-depth history of Jihadism, and a look at how Muslims living in North America and Europe are changing the face of Islam. Timely and persuasive, No god but God is an elegantly written account that explains this magnificent yet misunderstood faith.

    In this classic work, now updated, the author of Culture and Imperialism reveals the hidden agendas and distortions of fact that underlie even the most "objective" coverage of the Islamic world.

    But our story largely omits a whole civilization whose citizens shared an entirely different narrative for a thousand years.In Destiny Disrupted, Tamim Ansary tells the rich story of world history as the Islamic world saw it, from the time of Mohammed to the fall of the Ottoman Empire and beyond. He clarifies why our civilizations grew up oblivious to each other, what happened when they intersected, and how the Islamic world was affected by its slow recognition that Europe-a place it long perceived as primitive and disorganized-had somehow hijacked destiny.

    No book can compare in comprehensiveness, arrangement, or systematic treatment with Ibn Ishaq's work.

    Because his poems were often ecstatic love songs from God to his beloved world, many have called Hafiz the "Tongue of the Invisible."With this stunning collection of 250 of Hafiz's most intimate poems, Daniel Ladinsky has succeeded brilliantly in capturing the essence of one of Islam's greatest poetic and religious voices. Each line of THE GIFT imparts the wonderful qualities of the spiritual teacher: an audacious love that empowers lives, profound knowledge, wild generosity, and a sweet, playful genius unparalleled in world literature.

    This is a classic timeless collection of advice and teachings about the importance of love and compassion, individual responsibility and awareness of the problems in everyday life. Whoever you are, whatever your beliefs, the Dalai Lama’s words have the power to calm and inspire.

    Flying in the face of everything we thought we knew, The Islamic Enlightenment becomes an astonishing and revelatory history that offers a game-changing assessment of the Middle East since the Napoleonic Wars.Beginning his account in 1798, de Bellaigue demonstrates how Middle Eastern heartlands have long welcomed modern ideals and practices, including the adoption of modern medicine, the emergence of women from seclusion, and the development of democracy. With trenchant political and historical insight, de Bellaigue further shows how the violence of an infinitesimally small minority is in fact the tragic blowback from these modernizing processes.Structuring his groundbreaking history around Istanbul, Cairo, and Tehran, the three main loci of Islamic culture, de Bellaigue directly challenges ossified perceptions of a supposedly benighted Muslim world through the forgotten, and inspiring, stories of philosophers, anti-clerics, journalists, and feminists who opened up their societies to political and intellectual emancipation. His sweeping and vivid account includes remarkable men and women from across the Muslim world, including Ibrahim Sinasi, who brought newspapers to Istanbul; Mirza Saleh Shirzi, whose Persian memoirs describe how the Turkish harems were finally shuttered; and Qurrat al-Ayn, an Iranian noble woman, who defied her husband to become a charismatic prophet.What makes The Islamic Enlightenment particularly germane is that non-Muslim pundits in the post-9/11 era have repeatedly called for Islam to subject itself to the transformations that the West has already achieved since the Enlightenment—the absurd implication being that if Muslims do not stop reading or following the tenets of the Qur’an and other holy books, they will never emerge from a benighted state of backwardness. The Islamic Enlightenment, with its revolutionary argument, completely refutes this view and, in the process, reveals the folly of Westerners demanding modernity from those whose lives are already drenched in it.