Islam Books

Book SynopsisA fresh look at the origins and development of Islam, this is a fascinating reconstruction of the era of the first three generations of Muslims. Using a wealth of classical Arabic sources, it chronicles the lives of the Prophet Muhammad, his Companions, and the subsequent two generations of Muslims, together known as the "the Pious Forebears". Examining the adoption in contemporary times of these early Muslims as legitimizing figureheads for a variety of causes, both religious and political, Afsaruddin tries to establish where their sympathies really lay. Essential reading for anyone interested in the inception of the Islam, this important book will captivate the general reader and student alike.Trade Review"Well-researched and measured. An eloquent and cogent explanation of the historical roots and meanings of many key concepts relevant to today's discussion of contemporary Islam, including the role of jihad in the Islamic tradition. Her book should be required reading for any Muslim or non-Muslim who mistakenly believes the faith is immutable." * Washington Post *"Well-researched and measured. An eloquent and cogent explanation of the historical roots and meanings of many key concepts relevant to today's discussion of contemporary Islam, including the role of jihad in the Islamic tradition. Her book should be required reading for any Muslim or non-Muslim who mistakenly believes the faith is immutable." * Washington Post *"A nuanced and erudite portrait of early Muslim lives and ideas. This is a rich and much-needed text. Its range of scholarship, balanced statements and acute sense of the past and the present makes it required reading for both specialists and non-specialists." * The Times Higher Educational Supplement *"A nuanced and erudite portrait of early Muslim lives and ideas. This is a rich and much-needed text. Its range of scholarship, balanced statements and acute sense of the past and the present makes it required reading for both specialists and non-specialists." * The Times Higher Educational Supplement *"A thoughtful, critically informed reading of Islam's early history from a modernist perspective." * Choice *"A thoughtful, critically informed reading of Islam's early history from a modernist perspective." * Choice *"This attractive and readable book", "Afsaruddin has a clear argument, and her passion and commitment to the modernist position shine through" * Speculum - A Journal of Medieval Studies *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Writing about the "First Muslims" Chapter One: The Rise of Islam and Life of the Prophet Muhammad Chapter Two: The Issue of Succession to the Prophet Chapter Three: The Age of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs Chapter Four: the End of Rightly-Guided Leadership Chapter Five: The Age of the Companions Chapter Six: The Age of the Successors Chapter Seven: The Successors to the Successors I: Administration, Leadership, and Jihad Chapter Eight: The Successors to the Successors II: Education, Humanism, and Mystical Spirituality Chapter Nine: Constructing the Pious Forbears: Historical Memory and the Present. Part One: The Islamist Construction Chapter Ten: Constructing the Pious Forbears: Historical Memory and the Present. Part Two: The Significance of the Salaf al-Salih for the Modernists Chapter Eleven: Assessment of Islamist and Modernist Views Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe intoxicating message of Khayyam’s famous Ruba‘iyyat created an image of exotic Orientalism in the West but, as author Mehdi Aminrazavi reveals, Khayyam’s achievements went far beyond the intoxicating message within these verses. Philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and mystic – his many different identities are examined here in detail, creating a coherent picture of this complex and often misunderstood figure.Trade Review"Loved by the free-spirited, hated by his orthodox peers; a stranger in both his homeland and the West : the complexities and contradictions surrounding the life of Omar Khayyam are reconstructed for the first time in this authoritative new biography." * The Watkins Review *"Though centrally concerned with the Persiquatrains known as the Rubaiyat, he also covers Omar's career as a mathematician, astronomer and philosopher as well as his poetry in Arabi." * The Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements vi Introduction 1 1. Khayyam’s Life and Works 18 2. Reconstructing a Tarnished Image: Omar Khayyam 40 According to his Contemporaries and Biographers 3. Khayyam within the Intellectual Context of his Time 67 4. The Ruba‘iyyat 90 5. Khayyam and Sufism 134 6. Khayyam’s Philosophical Thought 157 7. Khayyam the Scientist 188 8. Khayyam in the West 204 Epilogue 278 Appendix A: Translations of the Philosophical Treatises 283 Appendix B: The Ruba‘iyyat – Edward FitzGerald’s 328 Translation Appendix C: Arabic Poems of Omar Khayyam 347 Notes 349 Bibliography 378 Index 387

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Book SynopsisWhile many in the West regard feminism and Islam as a contradiction in terms, many Muslims in the East have perceived Western feminist forces in their midst as an assault upon their culture. In this career-spanning collection of influential essays, Margot Badran presents the feminisms that Muslim women have created, and examines Islamic and secular feminist ideologies side by side. Borne out of over two decades of work, this important volume combines essays from a variety of sources, ranging from those which originated as conference papers to those published in the popular press. Also including original material written specifically for this book, Feminism and Islam provides a unique and wide-ranging contribution to the field of Islam and gender studies.Trade ReviewHumanities \ Religion Badran, Margot. Feminism in Islam: secular and religious convergences. Oneworld, 2009. 349p bibl index; ISBN 9781851685561 pbk, $29.95. Reviewed in 2010may CHOICE. Written by Badran (Georgetown Univ.), this collection of essays based on fieldwork, conference presentations, and literary historical analysis ranks among the best works investigating feminism and Islam. The first part is devoted to feminism in Egypt, and the second traces the spread of feminism in the broader Muslim world. Badran carefully balances attention to major thinkers and writers with her grasp of the issues feminists faced and addressed, along with the opponents and obstacles in their paths. She demonstrates points of divergence and convergence in her historical portrayal of the rise and growth of Islamic feminism with the two foundational methodologies of ijtihad (independent reasoning into religious texts) and tafsir (interpretation of the Qur'an). Running throughout her analysis are many crucial issues: political Islam, nationalism, education, the modernity and secularism introduced by the West, and an excellent discussion of female genital mutilation. Her discussion of "gender activism" and "Islamic feminism" (p. 219: " . . . a middle space . . . between secular feminism and masculinist Islam") is particularly helpful. The scope, clarity of argument, depth of analysis, and wealth of new information make this a very useful work. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above; general readers. -- L. J. Alderink, emeritus, Concordia College More than 35,000 academic librarians, faculty, and key decision makers rely on the reviews in Choice magazine and Choice Reviews Online for collection development and scholarly research. Choice reaches almost every undergraduate college and university library in the United States. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/choice/index.cfm * Choice *"this book excels and is bound to create more than just a splash in the midst of ongoing debates about the vexed ‘Muslim woman question’ " * Muslim World Book Review *

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Dr. Hoodbhoy, a nuclear physicist, eloquently and usefully draws attention to the plight of science and technology in the Muslim world and to the need to do something about it. The book also makes some other helpful insights here and there about why, after centuries of brilliant achievements, science suffered such a fate in the Muslim world. But the book also suffers from some very serious flaws in its view of Islam and analysis of Islamic history.Trade Review'A compelling and provocative analysis of the relationship between the scientific spirit and the orthodoxy of one of the great monotheistic religions. Any reader, Muslim or non-Muslim, is bound to be affected by Dr. Hoodbhoy's clear and persuasive arguments.'Edward Said'Perhaps the most important book written and published in Pakistan in recent years.'Irfan Husain, Dawn (Karachi)Table of Contents Foreword - Mohammed Abdus Salam Preface 1. Islam and Science: Are They Compatible? 2. Science: Its Nature and Origins 3. The War Between Science and Medieval Christianity 4. The State of Science in Islamic Countries Today 5. Three Muslim Responses to Underdevelopment 6. Bucaille, Nasr and Sardar: Three Exponents of Islamic Science 7. Can There Be An Islamic Science? 8. The Rise of Muslim Science 9. Religious Orthodoxy Confronts Muslim Science 10. Five Great 'Heretics' 11. Why Didn't the Scientific Revolution Happen in Islam? 12. Some Thoughts for the Future Appendix: They Call It Islamic Science Index Tables

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Book SynopsisThis book offers unique insights to prepare you for the journey to God through the wisdom of the great spiritual master Ibn Ata'illah al-Iskandari as expounded in his masterpiece al-Hikam. This is the ultimate quest of the human soul; however, without knowledge of the spiritual path, the journey will be more challenging and full of obstacles.

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Book SynopsisProfound illnesses call for profound remedies, and when nothing less than radical change will do, courage is essential to survival. Authentic traditional Islam provides a holistic and historically proven alternative. In this timely book, Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi shows that the revealed knowledge is the source of traditional wisdom, and that the Islamic faith and civilization has a verifiable track record of healing individual and social disintegration. The author presents a penetrating diagnosis of the illness of humanity today, together with a fascinating overview of the Islamic metaphysic, unearthing its spiritual and moral values and its timeless relevance and applicability. Man And The Universe is a compelling and urgently needed piece of writing about what we human beings are, where we stand, and what we can do about it.

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Book SynopsisIn "The ProductiveMuslim" Mohammed Faris, the founder of ProductiveMuslim.com, provides this practical framework that helps urban global Muslims lead a productive lifestyle Spiritually, Physically, and Socially. Combining his love for Islam with modern productivity techniques, in this book, Mohammed will teach you: - How spirituality can boost your productivity . - How to manage your sleep, nutrition, and fitness (spiritually, physically, and socially) - How to be socially productive outside your home and community . - How to manage your focus in an age of distractions - How to build productive habits and routines - How to manage your time and invest in your hereafter - How to be productive during RamadanTrade Review"For personal productivity, I don't give my email out. But one person I've remained in communication with all these years is Mohammed Faris. Time and again he has impressed me with his commitment to productive action. He walks his talk. And because he has concentrated on this topic for so long, his productivity distinctions are invaluable." Muhammad Alshareef Founder, AlMaghrib Institute & DiscoverU "Mohammed and his team at Productive Muslim provide great productivity advice - on working well, living well, and applying the Islamic face in a modern and practical way. It's always really inspiring working with him - he's a true Productivity Ninja." Graham Allcott Managing Director, Think Productive

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Book SynopsisEACH OF YOU ARE A SHEPHERD AND EACH OF YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIER FLOCK This profound statement by Prophet Muhammad (s) compels us to recognise that we are all leaders at some level. But what makes someone a good leader? And how does each and everyone of us measure up against the leadership standards set by the Prophet? This book presents a well researched leadership framework combined with extensively applied contemporary practitioner case studies for the first time to readers interested in a Sirah (prophetic life) based universal model for good leadership. Drawing upon scholarly findings from eastern and western sources, and having examined an extensive range of works on Sirah, an original framework of eleven prophetic leadership qualities are presented with an entire chapter devoted to each. Well known and lesser known events from the Sirah are explored and analysed like never before, and viewed with a specialist leadership lens, extracting insights on effective people management, authentic leadership and succeeding against the odds. Each chapter on leadership qualities offers not only what the quality means and where it can be found in the life of the Prophet, but how one can develop those qualities within themselves as well.

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