Islam Books

Book SynopsisAl-Sirat al-mustaqim fi tibyan al-Qur?an al-karim (The Straight Path: A Commentary on the Holy Qur'an) is also known by the title of Tafsir al-akhawayn (Exegesis of the Two Brothers) perhaps because the work was considered a kind of brother volume' to the well-known Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. The two works are somewhat similar inasmuch as they are both short complete commentaries on the Qur'an. In his introduction, Kazaruni lays out his approach to tafsir and provides a useful explanation of the distinction between exegesis (tafsir) and interpretation (ta'wil). Throughout the work, he displays a conscious effort to rely upon sound narrations of hadith, such as those of Bukhari and Muslim. Kazaruni was a staunch adherent to the Ash''ari school of theology and was also particularly devoted to the great theologian and exegete Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 1210). Kazaruni was clearly a proponent of Sufism, yet his tafsir is by no means a Sufi exegesis'. As he explains in his introduction, his occasional references to Sufism are among the other auxiliary matters which serve to uncover some deeply buried secrets'. The same can be said of his occasional forays into language, theology, jurisprudence, history and other concerns, never with the intention of being exhaustive, but always aiming to provide, as he promises at the outset, a refreshing draught to quench the thirst of those who seek exegesis that is brief, especially those who wish to recite the Qur?an while pondering its meanings'.Al-Sirat al-mustaqim fi tibyan al-Qur?an al-karim has been translated in two volumes: Volume I includes the commentary from the first Chapter, The Opening (al-Fatiha), until the eighteenth Chapter, The Cave (al-Kahf); while Volume II includes the commentary from Chapter nineteen, Mary (Maryam), to the end of the Qur'an.

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Book SynopsisAl-Sirat al-mustaqim fi tibyan al-Qur?an al-karim (The Straight Path: A Commentary on the Holy Qur'an) is also known by the title of Tafsir al-akhawayn (Exegesis of the Two Brothers) perhaps because the work was considered a kind of brother volume' to the well-known Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. The two works are somewhat similar inasmuch as they are both short complete commentaries on the Qur'an. In his introduction, Kazaruni lays out his approach to tafsir and provides a useful explanation of the distinction between exegesis (tafsir) and interpretation (ta'wil). Throughout the work, he displays a conscious effort to rely upon sound narrations of hadith, such as those of Bukhari and Muslim. Kazaruni was a staunch adherent to the Ash''ari school of theology and was also particularly devoted to the great theologian and exegete Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 1210). Kazaruni was clearly a proponent of Sufism, yet his tafsir is by no means a Sufi exegesis'. As he explains in his introduction, his occasional references to Sufism are among the other auxiliary matters which serve to uncover some deeply buried secrets'. The same can be said of his occasional forays into language, theology, jurisprudence, history and other concerns, never with the intention of being exhaustive, but always aiming to provide, as he promises at the outset, a refreshing draught to quench the thirst of those who seek exegesis that is brief, especially those who wish to recite the Qur?an while pondering its meanings'.Al-Sirat al-mustaqim fi tibyan al-Qur?an al-karim has been translated in two volumes: Volume I includes the commentary from the first Chapter, The Opening (al-Fatiha), until the eighteenth Chapter, The Cave (al-Kahf); while Volume II includes the commentary from Chapter nineteen, Mary (Maryam), to the end of the Qur'an.

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Book SynopsisReforming Modernity is a sweeping intellectual history and philosophical reflection built around the work of the philosopher Abdurrahman Taha. Wael B. Hallaq explores how Taha’s philosophical project sheds light on recent intellectual currents in the Islamic world and puts forth a formidable critique of Western and Islamic modernities.Trade ReviewReforming Modernity is the first work that examines an under-researched contemporary Arab philosopher and his unprecedented philosophical project from the Islamic tradition, a project that presents a staunch critique of both Arab-Islamic discourses of reform as well as a staunch critique of European-American (i.e. “Western”) modernity and its malaise since the Enlightenment. Reforming Modernity, written by an international scholar on an influential philosopher, is original, timely, and a needed contribution to the field. -- Mohammed Hashas, Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose Giovanni XXIIIThe English-speaking world needs to discover the work of Abdurrahman Taha, one of the most important Muslim philosophers of our postcolonial time. Wael B. Hallaq proves himself as a profound, rigorous reader and interlocutor in Reforming Modernity, which brilliantly manifests the Moroccan thinker’s oeuvre. -- Souleymane Bachir Diagne, author of Open to Reason: Muslim Philosophers in Conversation with the Western TraditionThis is a fascinating book. Abdurrahman Taha is one of the Arab world’s best grounded and most daring thinkers, and Wael B. Hallaq’s book gives a comprehensive overview of his thought. Taha knows his Kant as well as his Ghazali, and his critique of modernity—both Western and Arab—is pitiless. He goes on to propose an Islamic modernity, Qur’ānic and ethical. Since Hallaq provides interpretation as well as exposition, this book is also part of Hallaq’s own ongoing (and equally fascinating) project of critique and reconstruction. -- Mark Sedgwick, author of Against the Modern World: Traditionalism and the Secret Intellectual History of the Twentieth CenturyIn Reforming Modernity, Wael B. Hallaq proves to be an ideal guide through the dense logic and complex language of Abdurrahman Taha, perhaps the most original Muslim philosopher of ethics and modernity unknown in the English-speaking world. Taha posits nothing less than the self-sufficiency of Islamic moral philosophy, yet his is a project at once critical of and open to other philosophies rather than mired in the futile pursuit of an Islam purged of “foreign influence.” A critical and sympathetic reader, Hallaq scrutinizes the content of these arguments, the way they are made, and how they unfold. The effect is not only to make Taha’s thought accessible, but also to invite readers to dwell within its texture and richness. Few scholars aside from Hallaq have the depth and breadth of knowledge to accomplish such a feat; we are indebted to him. -- Roxanne L. Euben, University of PennsylvaniaReforming Modernity is another great success of Hallaq. Indeed, if Hallaq is indebted to Taha having given new blood to his philosophical project, Taha ought to be indebted to Hallaq having widened his readership by introducing him accurately to the English audience. * Journal of Islamic Ethics *Recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsCitation Method and Abbreviated TitlesPreface and AcknowledgmentsIntroduction 1. “Rethinking the Islamic Tradition”: A Conceptual Framework 2. The Spirit of Modernity 3. Islamic Applications of Modernity’s Spirit4. Recasting Reason5. Religion, Secularism, Ethics: A Concept of Critique6. Sovereignty, Ethical Management, and TrusteeshipEpilogue: A New Concept of the HumanAppendix: Taha Responding Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis is a bracing, erudite, and compelling account of the moral, political, and structural features of Islamic governance and the modern state, as well as of the multiple incongruities that hamper any attempt to establish one in terms of the other. Wael Hallaq delivers a welcome rejoinder to much of the dogmatic bluster swirling around the subject of shari'a and the Islamic state. At the same time, he brings into sharp focus the often overlooked resources for reconceptualizing 'the modern project' from within both Islamic and Euro-American traditions of moral and political thought. The historical, theoretical, and political richness of this account makes The Impossible State a new standard against which any claims about the possibility of establishing Islamic governance in the contemporary world must now be evaluated. -- Roxanne L. Euben, Wellesley College A provocative and wide-ranging rumination by one of the leading scholars of Islamic law, this book poses tough questions to champions and critics of shari'a alike. Wael Hallaq makes a powerful argument for the relevance of shari'a as a moral discourse while remaining critical of its compatibility with the modern state. The Impossible State is bound to elicit debate among scholars of Islam, moral philosophy, and modernity across the Western and non-Western divide. -- Saba Mahmood, author of Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject It is an important contribution to understanding the role and potential of the shari'a in the modern world. -- Mark D. Welton Middle East Journal A philosophical and rhetorical tour de force. Choice A refreshing take on the modern state and Islamic governance. Middle East Media and Book Reviews This book brings a detailed and impassioned exploration of key debates in Islamic law and governance into sustained conversation with canonical texts in Western political and legal theory... The Impossible State makes an important theoretical contribution. -- Iza Hussin Perspectives on Politics An important, bold, and courageous intervention that stands out not just in contemporary debates on the Shari'ah in the West and the Muslim world, but in all modern writing about the subject. American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences Wael Hallaq skillfully navigates through the dominant philosophical and sociological arguments... The book is a must read for anyone even remotely dealing with conceptualisations of modernity, the state and Islamic governance. Political Studies Review An important book by a well recognized scholar on an extremely important and difficult topic. Religious Studies Review In the light of the ongoing events in the Arab world today... it is difficult to imagine a more relevant and timely contribution. Islam and Christian-Muslim RelationsTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Premises 2. The Modern State 3. Separation of Powers: Rule of Law or Rule of the State? 4. The Legal 5. The Political Subject and Moral Technologies of the Self 6. Beleaguering Globalization and Moral Economy 7. The Central Domain of the Moral Notes Glossary of Key Terms Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAcross the Islamic world, illuminating Korans from Morocco to Malaysia, and adorning mosques, mausoleums and palaces, are hidden some of the most exquisite geometrical devices ever conceived by man. In this excellent little book, geometer Daud Sutton unravels the mystery of Islamic patterns, explaining where they come from, how to draw them, and hinting at the Divine messages they encode. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.

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Book SynopsisA nuanced and highly original anarchistic interpretation of Islam, and Islamic interpretation of anarchismTrade Review'This is one of the fiercest books I've ever read. It is a call to action. It is conceptually rich and gives us new methodological tools for thinking theory and politics together. It is unrelenting in its critique of liberal assimilationist tendencies in diasporic and BIPOC knowledge production and movement organizing. Abdou is a truth-teller of the highest order. Drawing together disparate geographies and thought into a dazzling web of interconnectedness and dialogue, Islam and Anarchism proffers a kaleidoscopic vision of what could be otherwise' -- Jasbir K. Puar, author of 'Terrorist Assemblages' and 'The Right to Maim''A passionate plea for a spiritual decolonial movement. Mohamed Abdou advances a vision of Islam that is abolitionist at its core, reminding us that Islam has been and can still be a religion of the oppressed, one that is anti-capitalist, egalitarian, anti-ableist, anti-patriarchal, queer feminist and for Muslims and non-Muslims alike' -- Sherene H. Razack, Distinguished Professor and Penny Kanner Endowed Chair, Gender Studies, UCLA'An uncompromising queer-feminist vision of decolonial, abolitionist, and anti-capitalist praxis that is keyed to the pluralistic traditions of Islamic spirituality and anarchic thought' -- Iyko Day, Elizabeth C. Small Associate Professor of English and Critical Social Thought at Mount Holyoke College, MassachusettsTable of Contents1. Introduction: Panegyric Desert of the Present 2. Authoritarianism, Capitalism, & Capitalist Nation-States: Anarca-Islam's Space and Political Consciousness in Relation to Anarchism, Islam and the Capitalist-State 3. An Anti- and Non-Authoritarian Islam and an Anti- & Non-Capitalist Islam 4. (Im)Possibilities and on Becoming an Anti-Militaristic Militant 5. Conclusion: There are Only Middles, No Beginnings and No Ends: A Note On Transnational Solidarity and Standing In-Between Trump, BLM, DAPL-INM, and Tahrir

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Book SynopsisThe tenets of Islam cannot be grasped without a proper understanding of the Qur'an. In this important new introduction, Muhammad Haleem examines its recurrent themes - life and eternity, marriage and divorce, peace and war, water and nourishment - and for the first time sets these in the context of the Qur'an's linguistic style. Professor Haleem examines the background to the development of the surahs (chapters) and the ayahs (verses) and the construction of the Qur'an itself. He shows that popular conceptions of Islamic attitudes to women, marriage and divorce, war and society, differ radically from the true teachings of the Qur'an.Trade Review'Has a breadth of reading and attention to style that readers will welcome ... Articulately presents ways in which contemporary Muslims understand their scriptures.' - Choice; 'Understanding the Qur'an is a priceless book, and I use it enthusiastically for my classes. For many of my students, Muhammad Abdel Haleem's introduction is their first contact with Qur'an interpretation, so it is really important to be able to assign them such an excellent piece of scholarship that is so easily readable and accessible.' - Natana J. DeLong-Bas, Lecturer in Theology, Boston College, and Visiting Lecturer in Islamic Studies, Brandeis UniversityTable of ContentsPreface The Qur’an Al-Fatiha: the Opening of the Qur’an Water in the Qur’an Marriage and Divorce War and Peace in the Qur’an Tolerance in Islam Life and Beyond Paradise in the Qur’an The Face, Divine and Human, in the Qur’an Adam and Eve in the Qur’an and the Bible The Story of Joseph in the Qur’an and the Bible The Qur’an Explains Itself: Surat al-Rahman Dynamic Style: Iltifat and Some Other Features Conclusion Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This carefully researched book provides a thorough analysis . . . [as well as] a new perspective on the study of Muhammad and makes a significant contribution to the scholarly literature. Recommended." * CHOICE *"This book should be required reading for any scholar or graduate student of early Islam or Late Antiquity." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments The Caliphs, 632–809 Introduction: The Making of the Historical Muhammad PART I. BEFORE THE SIRAH-MAGHAZI LITERATURE 1. The Earliest Evidence Three Early Non-Muslim Testimonies to Muhammad Revisiting the Doctrina Iacobi The “Keys to Paradise” in Late Antique Religious Discourse The “Keys to Paradise” in Early Islamic Preaching The Doctrina Iacobi and the Historical Muhammad 2. Muhammad the Merchant The Earliest Depictions of Muhammad as a Merchant Muhammad’s Occupation in the Hadīth and Sīrah-Maghāzī Literature Muhammad as a Trader in Arabic Sources Muhammad and the Monk The Merchants of Mecca PART II. THE BEGINNINGS OF HTE SIRAH-MAGHAZI LITERATURE 3. The Beginnings of the Corpus The Umayyads and the Beginnings of the Sīrah-Maghāzī Tradition `Abd al-Malik ibn Marwān and `Urwah ibn al-Zubayr 4. The Letters of `Urwah ibn al-Zubayr The Chains of Transmission for `Urwah’s Letters A Translation of the Letters Attributed to `Urwah ibn al-Zubayr Letter 1. From the Persecutions in Mecca to the Hijrah to Yathrib Letter 2. Khadījah’s death and the Prophet’s marriage to `A'ishah Letter 3. The Battle of Badr Letter 4. On al-Hudaybiyah, a Gloss on Q. Mumtahinah 60:10–12 Letter 5. The Conquest of Mecca and al-Tāʾif Letter 6. On the Hums Letter 7. `A'ishah’s Accusers Letter 8. On Khuwaylah, the wife of Aws ibn al-Sāmit, a Gloss on Q. Mujādalah 58:1–4 Letter 9. On the Prophet’s Marriage to a Sister of al-Ash`ath ibn Qays 5. The Court Impulse Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī and the Umayyads The Corpus of Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī Ibn Ishāq and the Abbasids The Corpus of Ibn Ishāq PART III. LOCATING THE SIRAH-MAGHAZI LITERATURE IN LATE ANTIQUITY 6. Prophecy and Empires of Faith Prophecy and the Rhetoric of Empire The Vision of Heraclius Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī’s Christian Source Translatio Imperii in the Early Sīrah-Maghāzī Literature 7. Muhammad and Cædmon Cædmon’s Call and The Iqraʾ Narrative From Muhammad’s Call to Cædmon’s Call Mechanisms of Narrative Influence The Iqra' Narrative—Early, but not Historical Excursus: Alternative Accounts of Muhammad’s First Revelation Epilogue: The Future of the Historical Muhammad Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe authoritative account of the sectarian division that for centuries has shaped events in the Middle East and the Islamic world. In 632, soon after the prophet Muhammad died, a struggle broke out among his followers as to who would succeed him. The majority argued that the new leader of Islam should be elected by the community''s elite. Others believed only members of Muhammad''s family could lead. This dispute over who should guide Muslims, the appointed Caliph or the bloodline Imam, marks the origin of the Sunni-Shii split in Islam. Toby Matthiesen explores this hugely significant division from its origins to the present day. Moving chronologically, his book sheds light on the many ways that it has shaped the Islamic world, outlining how over the centuries Sunnism and Shiism became Islams two main branches, particularly after the Muslim Empires embraced sectarian identity. It reveals how colonial rule institutionalised divisions between Sunnism and Shiism both on the Indian subcontTrade ReviewAmbitious...undoubtedly an admirable study...an accessible introduction to the historical context that underpins the modern Middle East * Tariq Mir, BBC History Magazine *a remarkable, ambitious and successful survey of Sunni-Shii relations that will be the definitive single-volume study of the subject for years to come. * Eamonn Gearon, Times Literary Supplement *clearly written, nuanced and meticulously documented * Malise Ruthven, Literary Review *a truly ambitious book in its historical and geographic scope...This book should be read by any expert who deals in the Middle East * Francis Ghiles, Esglobal *A useful correction to religious pigeonholes about Muslims, and to the easy-going prejudice that sectarian differences can never make things right with the Islamic world. * Michiel Leezenberg, NRC Handelsblad *Matthiesen's masterful survey of Sunni-Shiite relations in history is firmly grounded in the primary sources and ranges more widely geographically than is common in other works on the subject, including South Asia. The author avoids the glib truisms that have come to dominate discussion of this subject, while giving us thought-provoking, contextual insights into one of the key flash points within Islamic civilization. * Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History and Director, Program in Arab and Muslim American Studies, University of Michigan *Ambitious in its historical as well as geographical scope, this is the first truly global account of the intimate and sometimes also violent relationship of Sunni and Shia in the making and remaking of Islam. * Faisal Devji, Professor of Indian History, University of Oxford *Table of ContentsPrologue: From Karbala to Damascus PART I THE FORMATION OF SUNNISM AND SHIISM, 632-1500 Chapter 1 After the Prophet Chapter 2 Sunni Reassertion and the Crusades Chapter 3 Polemics and Confessional Ambiguity PART II THE SHAPING OF MUSLIM EMPIRES, 1500-1800 Chapter 4 The Age of Confessionalisation Chapter 5 Muslim Dynasties on the Indian Subcontinent Chapter 6 Reform and Reinvention in the 18th Century PART III EMPIRE AND THE STATE, 1800-1979 Chapter 7 British India and Orientalism Chapter 8 Ottoman Reorganisation and European Intervention Chapter 9 The Mandates Chapter 10 The Muslim Response PART IV REVOLUTION AND RIVALRY, 1979- Chapter 11 The Religion of Martyrdom Chapter 12 Export and Containment of Revolution Chapter 13 Regime Change Chapter 14 The Arab Uprisings Conclusion: Every Place is Karbala BIBLIOGRAPHY ENDNOTES

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWinner of the 2016 Best First Book in the History of Religions, American Academy of Religion One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016 "Anyone interested in exploring the intricacies and complexities of Islam as a religion, philosophical system and social text should study the new bookWhat Is Islam?... [A] perfect antidote to our present discourse."--Hussein Ibish, New York Times "One can't but be impressed by the grandeur of Ahmed's vision."--Malise Ruthven, London Review of Books "This is an enduring and timely work well worth the effort for those interested in discerning the essence of Islam beyond the seeming paradoxes of its own representations."--Publisher's Weekly "A bold new conceptualisation of Islam that reflects its contradictions and rich diversity."--Bookseller Buyer's Guide "[A] major new study ... a strange and brilliant work, encyclopedic in vision and tautly argued in the manner of a logical proof, yet pervaded by the urgency of a political manifesto."--The Nation "We can be grateful ... that Ahmed managed to complete this extraordinary work. Scholars from east and west will be under his influence for years to come."--Sameer Rahim, Prospect "In this monumental work, the late Shahab Ahmed sought new answers to important questions: How does one understand what Islam is? How does one study it meaningfully? ... This volume will be central to the study of Islam and of religion more broadly for the foreseeable future."--Choice "Remarkable."--Damian Howard, The TabletTable of ContentsList of Illustrations xi Preface xiii Part One Questions What Is Islam? 3 Chapter 1 Six Questions about Islam 5 Part Two Conceptualizations Chapter 2 Islam as Law, islams-not-Islam, Islamic and Islamicate, Religion and Culture, Culture and Civilization 113 Chapter 3 Religion and Secular, Sacred and Profane, Theocentric and Anthropocentric, Total Social Fact, Family Resemblance 176 Chapter 4 Culture, Meaning, Symbol System, Core and Nucleus, Whatever-Muslims-Say-It-Is, Discursive Tradition, Orthodoxy, Process 246 Part Three Re-Conceptualizations Chapter 5 Hermeneutical Engagement, Pre-Text, Text, and Con-Text, Meaning-Making for the Self, Spatiality of Revelation, Hierarchy, Exteriority-Interiority, Public and Private, Language and Vocabulary, Ambivalence and Ambiguity, Metaphor and Paradox 301 Chapter 6: Applications and Implications: Coherent Contradiction, Exploration, Diffusion, Form and Meaning, Modern 405 The Importance of Being Islamic 542 Works Cited 547 Index 593

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Book SynopsisJean Sasson grew up in a small town in America's deep south before moving to the Middle East in 1978 to work at a prestigious royal hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In 1985, she met Princess Sultana, who inspired the widely acclaimed Princess Trilogy. Jean later worked as freelance writer in Lebanon and Kuwait, conducting interviews with Kuwaitis who survived the first Gulf war, as well as high ranking Kuwaiti officials before, during and after the War. Her affection for the Middle East has been the motivation for a number of her books and Jean has spent her career sharing the personal stories of many courageous women. Princess: Stepping Out Of The Shadows is the latest book in the bestselling Princess series.Trade ReviewA very human look at the struggle of the Kurds in Iraq and one woman's heroism. * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisEmbark on a journey through the various stages of life, from marriage to divorce and widowhood, to witness how women living within the Islamic tradition are endowed with the right to safeguard their financial independence. This comprehensive exploration confronts an ongoing disconnect between Islamic law and Muslim family dynamics to equip men and women alike with the knowledge and tools to uphold an important body of Islamic financial laws. Importantly, the book fosters a deep understanding of how Islamic financial empowerment plays a pivotal role in shaping not just the lives of women and their family members, but society as a whole.Finally and perhaps most crucially, this book highlights the need for fiqh scholars to review past Islamic rulings that were meant to achieve justice and prevent harm in their own historical contexts, and to then develop Islamic rulings with the same goals in today''s settings.

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Book SynopsisA Times History Book of the Year 2022A TLS Book of the Year 2022Exhilarating and whip-smart' THE SUNDAY TIMESFrom award-winning writer Edward Wilson-Lee, this is a thrilling true historical detective story set in sixteenth-century Portugal.A History of Water follows the interconnected lives of two men across the Renaissance globe. One of them an aficionado of mermen and Ethiopian culture, an art collector, historian and expert on water-music returns home from witnessing the birth of the modern age to die in a mysterious incident, apparently the victim of a grisly and curious murder. The other a ruffian, vagabond and braggart, chased across the globe from Mozambique to Japan ends up as the national poet of Portugal.The stories of Damião de Góis and Luís de Camões capture the extraordinary wonders that awaited Europeans on their arrival in India and China, the challenges these marvels presented to longstanding beliefs, and the vast conspiracy to silence the questions these posed abouTrade Review PRAISE FOR A HISTORY OF WATER ‘[An] exhilarating book… passionate… employing prose as luscious as it is meticulous… delightful’The Guardian ‘Erudite and engrossing…the book combines literary flair with deep historical insight… One of its many strengths is its vivid characterisation of people and places, not least those of Lisbon life high and low’The Times ‘This exhilarating and whip-smart book…presents two competing visions of global history through the lives of two Portuguese travellers…This book is itself something of a wonder: beautifully written and utterly mesmerising. I loved every page’The Sunday Times ‘Enthralling throughout’ The Economist ‘A wonderful – and wonder-full – recreation of a crucial episode in European history…the book has a rare beauty: written with elegant restraint, its every page is rich in a numinous sense of vanishings and misunderstandings’Daily Telegraph ‘Fascinating, elegantly written’The Spectator ‘A fascinating, ingenious and wonderfully readable book, brilliantly conceived… The book is a triumph.’ David Abulafia, Literary Review ‘A very few times in the course of a reader's life a book appears that shatters one's assumptions about how and why things came to pass. A History of Water is one such book. A mind-blowing achievement’Alberto Manguel, author of The Library at Night ‘A truly engrossing read. Wilson-Lee has the rare knack of re-visiting even the most familiar places as if they were being discovered for the first time. His prose is rich, fluent, absorbing, and free from any affectation’Fernando Cervantes, author of Conquistadores ‘This is a terrific book’Gabriel Josipovici, author of What Ever Happened to Modernism? ‘I adored this… This is a dazzling, encyclopaedic history’Dennis Duncan, author of Index, A History of The

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Book SynopsisDrawing upon Muslim Europe's own voices, institutions, and experiences, this compelling work reframes the debates on European secularism, the historic role of Shari'a law in diverse European states, Muslims and Nazis, Muslims and Communists, and the contributions of Muslims to Europe today.Trade ReviewSouth-eastern Europe...played host to long-simmering tensions of state-making, community-building and religious resistance amid the ruins of empire. Emily Greble's important new book analyses many of these themes, using the history of Muslims in south-eastern Europe—and later Yugoslavia—from the 'long post-Ottoman transition' through the Second World War as her case study....Greble's book should spur Europeanists to pay much more attention to this regional history, which has had a large impact on the history of the continent in various ways.... Greble has certainly succeeded in her wider effort to reveal how Europe's Muslim communities helped define a 'modern political order' that existed 'within European history, not alongside, outside or on the peripheries of it', and which European historians specializing in other regions—including the readers of this journal—would do well to keep more firmly in view. * Paul Betts, German History *Books of the Year 2022 * Tony Barber, Financial Times *Despite having a significant presence in Europe since the eighth century CE, Muslims continue to be seen above all else as Muslims rather than citizens of the nation-state they inhabit. Greble addresses how Muslims in the Balkans, specifically former Yugoslavia, were viewed by the state and how they interacted with it. Beginning in 1878, the author examines how Muslims, rather than being brought into Serbia's secular society, were tied more closely to religion through the state's maintenance of Islamic socioreligious law. The Muslim community's distinct legal structure left it struggling to negotiate its political belonging until the post-WW II period....Ultimately, under Tito, the Shariʽa legal order was eliminated, transforming Islam from a legal issue into a cultural idea. This work's great strength is Greble's approach to the topic from a Muslim perspective, instead of viewing Muslims as Europe's Other, which is, unfortunately, the norm. * Choice *Greble makes adroit use of rich material drawn from numerous archives in Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia, and supplements this with wide reading. * Mark Mazower, Times Literary Supplement *Greble's important book casts modern Europe's history in a fresh perspective by concentrating on the continent's indigenous Muslims. * Tony Barber, Financial Times Best summer books of 2022: History *[A] fascinating new book... By reorienting our perspective, Greble reveals how vital it is to see Muslims as part of modern European history rather than outside it, how they were never "relics of a non-European past" but instead vital actors in Europe's tortured modernisation. She also raises important questions about the continued unwillingness of states across the globe to "accept the existence and possibility of Muslim citizens", from toxic political discourse in Europe and America to brutal persecution in India, China, and Myanmar. This important book asks difficult questions about both past and present. * Christopher Kissane, Irish Times *The salient strength of this book is Greble's foregrounding of Muslim voices and insistence on defining them as European... Readers should relish her triumphant restoration of Muslim agency...In the end, we discover a European history that includes Islam and, in the process, might need to rethink what exactly 'Europe' is. * Theodora Dragostinova, History Today *Greble's nuanced retelling of the region's social and political landscape has renewed urgency. Her work serves as a refreshing intervention to the literature on various fronts. It subverts stereotypical assumptions promulgated by the 'Eastern Question', whereby Muslims are portrayed as a simple ethnic minority living under colonial rule. Instead, Greble shows how they are a marginalized indigenous group that is by no means a monolithic, homogeneous entity... Greble's neatly crafted thesis serves as a counterpunch to a decades-long clash-of-civilizations discourse, which pits Muslims of the region as Ottoman outsiders to be scapegoated as and when deemed necessary... Ultimately, the author offers a complex perspective not only of Balkan Muslims and their lived experiences, but also, the implications of this upon wider society and the states themselves. * Maryyum Mehmood, The World Today *It takes a bold book to ask 'Who is a European?', a question that nonetheless dominates European politics today, both domestically and in the corridors of power in the European Union. This scholarly and meticulously researched history of the Muslim populations of Europe between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries pays special attention to the Balkans.... Emily Greble's book demonstrates that Muslims are by no means a recent addition to Europe's states and societies, but have been part of them for much longer than contemporary headlines about immigrants, foreign workers and refugees.... In other words, the author turns the perspective that the state is the one that assigns a place to Muslims, since she emphasizes that they themselves are the ones who have the purpose of defining themselves and positioning themselves as citizens within a European framework. * Francis Ghilès, Esglobal *Bringing together European and Shari'a law, cultural, social and political history, this striking account spans seven decades as it treats Islam as indigenous to Europe, and shows that Muslims have long been part of European history, politics and society. Greble...challenges our notion of what it is to be a citizen of Europe. * The Bookseller (Editor's Choice) *In a well-documented account, laced with personal stories, Greble outlines how more than a million Ottoman Muslims became citizens of the new European states from 1878 until after the Second World War It is a story of citizenship, exclusion and the changing meaning of minority rights and religious freedom. How Muslims have not only experienced Europe's turbulent history, but have also played a crucial role in the development of social norms and political, ethical and legal structures on our continent... Greble's appeal is therefore 'to reintegrate Muslims into the story of European history and end their recurring exclusion'. Because if Muslims and the Making of Modern Europe makes one thing clear: Muslims are not guests here or engaged in a 'great replacement' of the white population. Muslims have always been part of Europe, which they then and still regard as their home. * Inaki Onorbe Genovesi, de Volkskrant *Focusing on the historic place of Muslims in southeastern Europe, and on the contradictory ways states have attempted to categorize and manage them, this brilliant study confronts readers with the pressing question of who exactly constitute 'the Europeans.' * Pieter M. Judson, author of The Habsburg Empire: A New History *Greble shows that far from being a recent addition to European societies, Muslim populations have been integral to European states and societies for much longer than contemporary headlines on immigrants, guest workers, and refugees would suggest. In this important study Greble reveals the ways in which Muslims have been at the heart of the making of law, politics, and society in modern Europe. * Mustafa Aksakal, Georgetown University *In this bold study, Emily Greble addresses the question 'Who is European?' by showing the organic place and active participation of Muslims throughout modern European history. Using the example of the former Yugoslav space until the 1940s, her thorough research deftly overturns the usual perspective of the state assigning a place for Muslims. Instead, she emphasizes the agency of Muslims seeking to define and place themselves as citizens within a European framework. * Maria Todorova, author of Imagining the Balkans *Emily Greble's Muslims and the Making of Modern Europe is an erudite and meticulously researched history of Europe's Muslim populations in the twentieth century. Greble teaches us that we will not be able to understand the genealogies of secularism, nationalism, liberalism, citizenship, and human rights without the crucial significance of Muslims in the making of modern Europe. This will prove an indispensable scholarly intervention to shatter the extremist ideologies that rely on the narratives of the clash of civilizations. * Cemil Aydin, author of The Idea of the Muslim World: A Global Intellectual History *Muslims and the Making of Modern Europe is an engaging story with significant archival, geographic, and chronological breadth. Greble offers new comparative insights into how religious "minority" communities navigated Europe's turbulent interwar years, while opening up paths for further research. Above all, her book is a reminder of how important it is for scholars to think beyond entrenched geographical boundaries and to center overlooked voices in scholarship. * Joshua Donovan, Reading Religion *This study offers some new food for thought for the study of Islamic institutions under non-Muslim state rule by showing the different interpretations and implementations of European minority rights for Muslims in Southeastern Europe. * Translated from H-Soz-Kult *This is a book about the lives of Muslims in what used to be Yugoslavia-in particular, what is today Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia...This is a book rich in information. * Maurits Berger, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Glossary of Islamic Terms List of Foreign Place Names Introduction Part I: The Long Post-Ottoman Transition, 1878-1921 Chapter 1: Muslim Rights and Political Belonging after the Congress of Berlin Chapter 2: Confessional Sovereignty and the Formation of a Muslim Legal Other Chapter 3: Survival and Autonomy: Lessons of the Balkan Wars and the First World War Chapter 4: Second or Third Class Citizens: Becoming Minorities after World War I Part II: Yugoslav Experiments in Nation-Building, 1918-1941 Chapter 5: The Shari'a Mandate and Yugoslav Nation-Building Chapter 6: "The Bonfire of Muslim Unity": Misfortunes of Yugoslav Democracy and Authoritarianism Chapter 7: Islamic Legal Revivalism and the Crisis of Europe Part III: War and Political Reordering, 1941-1949 Chapter 8: "Back to Islam!": The Promise and Possibility of Hitler's Europe Chapter 9: The Eradication of the Shari'a Legal Order in Tito's Yugoslavia Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisV. S. Naipaul was born in Trinidad in 1932. He came to England on a scholarship in 1950. He spent four years at University College, Oxford, and began to write, in London, in 1954. He pursued no other profession.His novels include A House for Mr Biswas, The Mimic Men, Guerrillas, A Bend in the River, and The Enigma of Arrival. In 1971 he was awarded the Booker Prize for In a Free State. His works of nonfiction, equally acclaimed, include Among the Believers, Beyond Belief, The Masque of Africa, and a trio of books about India: An Area of Darkness, India: A Wounded Civilization and India: A Million Mutinies Now.In 1990, V. S. Naipaul received a knighthood for services to literature; in 1993, he was the first recipient of the David Cohen British Literature Prize. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. He lived with his wife Nadira and cat Augustus in Wiltshire, and died in 20Trade ReviewSceptical, enquiring, sharply observant and unfailingly stylish. * Guardian *Peerless . . . the human encounters are described minutely, superbly, picking up inconsistencies in people’s tales, catching the uncertainties and the nuances . . . there is a candour to his writing, a constant precision at its heart. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisIslamic Psychology or ilm an-nafs (science of the soul) is an important introductory textbook drawing on the latest evidence in the sub-disciplines of psychology to provide a balanced and comprehensive view of human nature, behaviour and experience. Its foundation to develop theories about human nature is based upon the writings of the Qur'an, Sunna, Muslim scholars and contemporary research findings.Synthesising contemporary empirical psychology and Islamic psychology, this book is holistic in both nature and process and includes the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of human behaviour and experience. Through a broad and comprehensive scope, the book addresses three main areas: Context, perspectives and the clinical applications of applied psychology from an Islamic approach.This book is a core text on Islamic psychology for undergraduate and postgraduate students and those undertaking continuing professional development in Islamic psychology, psychotherapy and counselling. Beyond this, it is also a good supporting resource for teachers and lecturers in this field.Trade Review"Islamic Psychology is a fast-growing discipline. The present book is a pioneering effort to create a bridge between the conventional psychology, which I regard as reductionist, and Islamic approach which is holistic and deals with total human being. I strongly recommend it as a text for graduate programmes in Psychology." — Professor Dr Anis Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, Riphah International University. Pakistan"This pioneering work encompasses a variety of psychological topics from an Islamic perspective and is an essential text for students as well as practitioners of Islamic Psychology. I congratulate the author for a job well done." — Professor Dr Amber Haque, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Doha, Qatar"Prof G. Hussein’s book on Islamic Psychology is a blend of contemporary psychology and Islamic Psychology. The author has distinctively focused on the biological basis of behaviour grounded in Islamic teachings. I presume the mentioning of clinical supervision in this book is a unique contribution, which wasn’t mentioned in the Islamic psychology books previously." — Professor Dr Muhammad Tahir Khalily, Vice president Academics and Professor of Clinical Psychology International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan "Islamic Psychology is a fast-growing discipline. The present book is a pioneering effort to create a bridge between the conventional psychology, which I regard as reductionist, and Islamic approach which is holistic and deals with total human being. I strongly recommend it as a text for graduate programmes in Psychology." — Professor Dr Anis Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, Riphah International University, Pakistan"This pioneering work encompasses a variety of psychological topics from an Islamic perspective and is an essential text for students as well as practitioners of Islamic Psychology. I congratulate the author for a job well done." — Professor Dr Amber Haque, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Doha, Qatar"Prof G. Hussein’s book on Islamic Psychology is a blend of contemporary psychology and Islamic Psychology. The author has distinctively focused on the biological basis of behaviour grounded in Islamic teachings. I presume the mentioning of clinical supervision in this book is a unique contribution, which wasn’t mentioned in the Islamic psychology books previously." — Professor Dr Muhammad Tahir Khalily, Vice president Academics and Professor of Clinical Psychology International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan Table of ContentsPART I: ISLAMIC PSYCHOLOGYChapter 1: Islamic Psychology: Context, Definitions and PerspectivesChapter 2: A Brief History of Islamic Psychology Origins and HeritageChapter 3: Perspectives of Human NaturePART II: BIOLOGICAL & DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGYChapter 4: Biological Basis of BehaviourChapter 5: Developmental and Reproductive BehavioursChapter 6: Life Span Development: From Conception to DeathChapter 7: Learning, Conditioning and ModellingPART III SOCIAL & PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGYChapter 8: Social Psychology: Social Cognition, Attitude and PrejudiceChapter 9: Personality DevelopmentChapter 10: Affective Behaviour: EmotionChapter 11: Drive Behaviour: MotivationChapter 12: Prosocial Behaviour: Altruism and Helping BehavioursPART IV: COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGYChapter 13: State of Consciousness, Sleep and DreamingChapter 14: Memory: Nature, Types, Stages and MemorisationChapter 15: Reason, Wisdom and IntelligencePART V: HEALTH PSYCHOLOGYChapter 16: Health Psychology: Models and PerspectivesChapter 17: Health Psychology Model: An Islamic PerspectiveChapter 18: Health Promotion: An Effective Tool for Global HealthChapter 19: Biological, Psychological, Social and Spiritual approaches of AggressionChapter 20: Stress, Coping Strategies and InterventionsPART VI: GENERAL & ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGYChapter 21: The Psychology of AddictionChapter 22: Mental Health, Spirituality and Possession Chapter 23: Models and Approaches to DisabilityChapter 24:The Anatomy of Islamic PsychotherapyPART VII: POSTSCRIPT Chapter 25: Decolonising Psychology and its (Dis)Contents: Educational Development and Clinical SupervisionChapter 26: Challenges and Solutions in Islamic PsychologyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe crusades are often seen as epitomising a period when hostility between Christian West and the Muslim Near East reached an all time high. As this edited volume reveals, however, the era was one which saw both conflict and cohabitation.Tackling such questions as whether medicinal and architectural innovations came to Europe as a direct result of the Crusades, and why and how peace treaties and intermarriages were formed between the different cultures, this distinguished group of contributors reveal how the Holy Wars led on the one hand to a reinforcement of the beliefs and identities of each side, but on the other to a growing level of cultural exchange and interaction. This volume breaks new ground in not only exploring the conflict between the Christian and the Muslim worlds, but also the impact of this conflict on the cultural evolution of European and Near Eastern thought and practices. Utilising the latest scholarship and original studies of the sources, this survey sheds new light on the cultural realities of East-West relations and marks a new departure for studies of the crusades. Contributors include John France, Yehoshua Frenkel, Chris Wright, Natasha Hodgson, A.V. Murray, Sini Kangas, LÃan NÃ ChlÃirigh, Susan Edgington, JÃrgen KrÃger, Yvonne Friedman and Bernard Hamilton.Trade Review'The articles published here aim to explore a relatively neglected area: the cultural history of the Crusades and how they shaped European identities. All ten are lively and accessible but they are also exhaustively footnoted. They both synthesise previous work and bring new insights of their own ... So while this book will be of interest to researchers in the field, it will also be useful for teaching the crusades especially to those teachers who wish to go beyond the stereotyped ‘clash of cultures’ and explore complexity and diversity in the ways that human societies interact.' – Jonathan Harris, Reviews in History'Conor Kostick should be congratulated for gathering such a stimulating, varied yet unified collection.' - Christopher Tyerman, Hertford College, University of Oxford, UK'Kostick has produced a useful collection that shows how much and how little the Crusades impacted on all the peoples involved. The articles should be useful to anyone who needs to know that the Crusades were never an all-or-nothing proposition." - Laurence W. Marvin, Canadian Journal of History'A volume that spans subjects as diverse as warfare, propaganda, diplomacy, medicine, architecture, literature, and "national identity." Refreshingly, the volume embraces a range of perspectives - not only the Latin/Frankish one but also Byzantine, Islamic, and even Armenian... The essays themselves will certainly be useful to graduate students and scholars who are focusing on the Crusades.' - Brian A. Catlos, Religious Studies ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction Conor Kostick 1. Warfare in the Mediterranean Region in the Age of the Crusades 1095-1291: A Clash of Contrasts John France 2. Muslim Responses to the Frankish Dominion in the Near East (1098-1291) Yehoshua Frenkel 3. The Crusades and the Byzantine Empire Chris Wright 4. Conflict and cohabitation: marriage and diplomacy between Latins and Cilician Armenians c.1097-1253 Natasha Hodgson 5. National Identity, Regional Identity and Language in the Crusades to the Holy Land, 1096-1192 A.V. Murray 6. Inimicus Dei et Sancti Christianitatis? Saracens and their Prophet in Twelfth-century Crusade Propaganda and Western Travesties of Muhammad’s Life Sini Kangas 7. Western perceptions of the Byzantine Empire in the aftermath of the First Crusade Léan Ní Chléirigh 8. Oriental and Occidental Medicine in the Crusader States Susan Edgington 9. Architecture of the crusaders in the Holy Land: the First European Colonial Architecture? Jürgen Krüger 10. Peacemaking: Perceptions and Practices in the Medieval Latin East Yvonne Friedman Afterward Bernard Hamilton

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Book SynopsisIn this admirable book Montgomery Watt traces the influence of Islam in medieval Europe, looking in detail at commerce, science and technology, philosophy, and the development of European self-awareness.Trade ReviewProfessor Watt's book is a fascinating and stimulating introduction to a subject which is too often ignored. It includes useful notes and references. -- Hakim Adi Professor Watt's book is a fascinating and stimulating introduction to a subject which is too often ignored. It includes useful notes and references.Table of ContentsThe Islamic presence in Europe; commerce and technology; Arab achievements in science and philosophy; reconquista and crusade; science and philosophy in Europe; Islam and European self-awareness.

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Book SynopsisFarhad Daftary received his early education in Iran, Italy and England, and then undertook his university studies during 1958-1971 in the United States. He received his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Subsequently, he held various academic and governmental posts in Iran, before in 1988 joining the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, where he is currently Director and Head of the Department of Academic Research and Publications. Dr Daftary is a consulting editor of the Encyclopaedia Iranica, co-editor (with W. Madelung) of the Encyclopaedia Islamica, as well as the general editor of the Ismaili Heritage Series, the Ismaili Texts and Translations Series and the Shii Heritage Series. An authority on Ismaili studies, he has written and edited 20 books in this field, including The Ismailis: Their History and Doctrines (1990; 2nd ed., 2007); The Assassin Legends (1994); A Short History of the Ismailis (1998); IsmTable of ContentsList of maps and tables Preface I: The Ismaili Imamate in History II: The Early Imams 'Ali b. Abi Talib Husayn b. 'Ali 'Ali b. Husayn Zayn al-'Abidin Muhammad al-Baqir Jafar al-Sadiq Isma'il b. Ja'far al-Sadiq Muhammad b. Isma'il al-Maymun III: The Concealed Imams 'Abd Allah b. Muhammad, also known as Wafi Ahmad Ahmad b. 'Abd Allah, also known as Taqi Muhammad Husayn b. Ahmad, also known as Radi al-Din Abd Allah IV: The Early Fatimid Imam-caliphs al-Mahdi al-Qa'im al-Mansur al-Mu'izz al-'Aziz al-Hakim al-Zahir al-Mustansir Nizar V: The Imams at Alamut Concealed Imams: al-Hadi, al-Muhtadi, al-Qahir Hasan ala dhikrihi’l-salam Nur al-Din Muhammad, also known as A?la Muhammad Jalal al-Din Hasan 'Ala al-Din Muhammad Rukn al-Din Khurshah VI: The Early Imams after Alamut Shams al-Din Muhammad Qasim Shah Islam Shah Muhammad b. Islam Shah VII: The Imams of the Anjudan Period Mustansir bi’llah 'Abd al-Salam Shah Gharib Mirza, also known as Mustansir bi’llah Abu Dharr 'Ali Murad Mirza Dhu’l-Faqar 'Ali Nur al-Din (al-Dahr) 'Ali Khalil Allah 'Ali VIII: The Imams in the Eighteenth Century Shah Nizar Sayyid 'Ali Hasan 'Ali Qasim 'Ali Abu’l-Hasan 'Ali Shah Khalil Allah IX: The Imams in the Modern Age Hasan 'Ali Shah, Aga Khan I Agha 'Ali Shah, Aga Khan II Sultan Muhammad Shah, Aga Khan III Shah Karim al-Husayni, Aga Khan IV Glossary Select Bibliography Picture credits Index

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Book Synopsis Why should Christians engage in interfaith dialogue with Muslims? Does Islam have anything to offer Christians? What is Islamophobia, and what should we do about it? These are just some of the questions addressed in Finding Jesus among Muslims, an urgent new book from author Jordan Denari Duffner. Drawing from church teaching, the stories of saints and martyrs, and her extensive personal experiences living among Muslims in both the United States and the Middle East, Duffner explains why all Christians are called to participate in a dialogue of life with Muslims. Her intelligent and fresh approach makes Duffner a welcome voice on some of the most important social and religious questions of our day. Trade ReviewWe are enriched in our own faiths, when we fully experience people in theirs. This is an elevating and personal read that challenges each of us to look deeper into others in order to learn more about ourselves. I appreciate Jordan's genuine friendship to the Muslim community, and her sincere desire to bring people of different faiths together.Imam Omar Suleiman, President of Yaqeen Institute for Islamic ResearchThe gap between the world as it is and the world as it should be is daunting. I love Finding Jesus among Muslims because Jordan-full of passion, grit, and courage-invites all humans into one of the most important conversations happening on Planet Earth today. Read this book. Then put it down and do something about it.Dr. Joshua Graves, Preaching and teaching minister for the Otter Creek Church in Nashville, TennesseeIn a time of political division and fear, Jordan Denari Duffner offers us a refreshing work of love, compassion and understanding. Finding Jesus Among Muslims is an open invitation for all of us to better understand our shared values and the powerful beliefs that unite us. This is a work that can help all of us become peacemakers, love our neighbors, welcome strangers, and heal what has been torn apart.Martin O'Malley, Former governor of Maryland and Democratic presidential candidateWeaving together her own compelling life story with the richness of the Christian and Islamic traditions, Duffner teaches, inspires, and challenges us. This book is ideal for students and adult learners. She persuasively explains why commitment to interreligious dialogue deepens-not threatens-one's faith in profound ways. With so much religious conflict in our world, we desperately need this passionately written testimony to grace at work in all people.Kevin O'Brien, SJ, Dean, Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, Author of The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily LifeFinding Jesus Among Muslims is a beautifully written and honest testimony to the value and power of interreligious learning, grounded in Jordan Denari Duffner's own life experience, reflection, and prayer. It recounts in lucid terms the place of Islam, its piety, and friendship with Muslims in her journey as a young Catholic woman in the 21st century. That loving Islam has helped Duffner become a better Catholic will encourage many who find themselves today on the path between religions, encountering the new, yet finding their way home again. This fine addition to our growing library on interreligious learning is written with teaching in mind, and will be ideal for classroom use as well.Professor Francis X. Clooney, SJ, Parkman Professor of Divinity, Harvard UniversityJordan Denari Duffner's magnificent new book is a game-changer. A book like this could only be written by a committed Christian who shares a deep love for Muslims, and has genuinely, spiritually, and intellectually engaged both her own tradition and Islam."Professor Omid Safi, Director, Duke Islamic Studies CenterIn our world so fraught with division and despair, Jordan Denari Duffner's experiences bring a fresh insight into Muslim-Catholic relations. In addition to recounting her many positive encounters with people of the Muslim faith, Jordan shares her insights in the ways that her own Catholic faith has deepened as a result. This book is an oasis of hope and a must read by all who take seriously the need for dialogue and understanding, particularly between Muslims and Catholics.Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, Emeritus Chair of the Bishops' Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious AffairsThis is an exceptional introduction to interfaith engagement between Catholic Christians and Muslims. This book will teach you about a different religion and deepen the understanding you have of your own. Moreover, it offers practical advice for building interfaith friendships-not mention an awful lot of genuine hope!Eboo Patel, Founder and President, Interfaith Youth Core and author of Interfaith LeadershipTable of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Notes on Translation and Terms Introduction Interfaith Dialogue: Walking Together Toward Truth PART I MEETING GOD IN MUSLIMS 1 Mary, Mercy, and Basketball 2 What We Fear, and Who Gets Hurt PART II ENCOUNTERING GOD IN ISLAM 3 God Is Greater 4 The Width of a Hair PART III REEMBRACING GOD IN CHRISTIANITY 5 Arriving Where We Started 6 The Dialogue of Life Appendices A Discussion Questions B Guidelines for Dialogue with Muslims C A Joint Prayer for Christians and Muslims D Resources for Further Study E Glossary F Pronunciations and Definitions of Select Given Names Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive and innovative reconstruction of the emergence of early Muslim religion and polity in their historical, religious and ethnological contexts. Intended principally for scholars of late antiquity, Islamic studies and the history of religions, the book opens up many novel directions for future research.Trade Review'Aziz Al-Azmeh starts his excellent new book by modestly describing it as an extended essay in historical interpretation' … but in reality this is a truly massive analysis of the origins of early Islam that will challenge many contemporary assumptions … This intriguing and engaging book is a welcome addition to academia. Intended primarily for postgraduate scholars of Islam, religion and Late Antiquity, this monograph suggests many exciting new directions for future studies and empirical research.' Abdullah Drury, Islam and Christian–Muslim RelationsTable of Contents1. Late antiquity and Islam: historiography and history; 2. Gods, divine economies, and emperors; 3. Arabia and Arab ethnogenesis in late antiquity; 4. Preface to Allah; 5. Allah; 6. Paleo-Islam, 1: charismatic polity; 7. Paleo-Islam, 2: the Paleo-Muslim canon; 8. Retrospective and prospective: Islam in late antiquity and beyond.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines Turkey's ethno-religious activism and power-related political strategies in the Balkans between 2002 and 2020, the period under the rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), to determine the scopes of its activities in the region.

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Book SynopsisThe Christians that lived around the Arabian Peninsula during Muhammad's lifetime are shrouded in mystery. Some of the stories of the Prophet's interactions with them are based on legends and myths, while others are more authentic and plausible. But who exactly were these Christians? Why did Muhammad interact with them as he reportedly did? And what lessons can today's Christians and Muslims learn from these encounters? Scholar Craig Considine, one of the most powerful global voices speaking in admiration of the prophet of Islam, provides answers to these questions. Through a careful study of works by historians and theologians, he highlights an idea central to Muhammad's vision: an inclusive Ummah, or Muslim nation, rooted in citizenship rights, interfaith dialogue, and freedom of conscience, religion and speech. In this unprecedented sociological analysis of one of history's most influential human beings, Considine offers groundbreaking insight that could redefine Christian and Muslim relations.Trade Review‘A path-breaking work.’ -- The Muslim World Book Review'A historical meditation on the fascinating complexity of Christian belief systems in Arabia which would have been encountered by Muhammad. This is a valuable text on the ancient co-existence of faiths, which, while honouring each other, weren't afraid to draw lines in the sand about their differences.' -- Barnaby Rogerson, author of 'The Prophet Muhammad: A Biography''An important exploration of monotheism during Prophet Muhammad's lifetime in seventh-century multicultural Arabia, citing the many surprising crossovers between Islam, Judaism and Christianity which deserve to be better known.' -- Diana Darke, author of 'Stealing from the Saracens' and 'The Merchant of Syria''At the birth of Islam, there was a spirit of Abrahamic ecumenism--only a vague memory for some Muslims today, and totally unknown to most non-Muslims. Considine skilfully highlights that lost spirit, reminding us that religious freedom and pluralism were not alien to the world-changing mission of Prophet Muhammad.' -- Mustafa Akyol, Opinion Writer, 'The New York Times', and Senior Fellow, Cato Institute'Based on impeccable scholarship, Considine makes the compelling case that the divine message received by Prophet Mohammad came amid real-life encounters. The interactions between Muslims and Christians bring a message of unconditional regard and gracious hospitality, as relevant now as it was then.' -- Reverend Dirk Ficca, Senior Advisor, A World of Neighbours, Church of Sweden'In this highly accessible account of seventh-century Christian-Muslim relations, Considine takes us on a journey to the multi-ethnic, inter-faith Ummah of Prophet Muhammad, where freedom of religion existed for Christians and Jews. These historical lessons resonate today. A unique and timely work.' -- Josef Meri, Historian in Interfaith Relations in the Middle East, Hamad Bin Khalifa University

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Book SynopsisA stunning spiritual toolkit for Ramadan and beyond, to build healthy new habits and strengthen existing practices.This stunning illustrated journal is an opportunity for you to (re)connect with your faith and help you explore themes and concepts such as compassion, self-awareness, mindfulness, acceptance and commitment.Written by psychotherapist Humza Khan, this handy journal features an array of mindful activities and exercises to help you to prepare for Ramadan, as well as offering simple yet effective strategies to use throughout the holy month and beyond. This is your spiritual toolkit to help you to develop your discipline, build on what Ramadan entails, and work towards a more mindful approach to your faith.

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Book SynopsisThe emancipation of women cannot be complete unless it is coupled with the emancipation of men. This can only be accomplished by drawing our social values from the Qur’an and the sunnah. In this volume, the author shows that mixed social life was the pattern in the early Muslim society established by the Prophet. This author's study of authentic sayings of the Prophet Muhammad will illustrate the status of the Muslim woman that is greatly different from what is assumed in most Muslim societies today.Table of ContentsChapter One: Women in Professional Work i) Aspects Relating to Women’s Professional Work in Modern Society ii) Islamic Principles Relevant to Women’s Work in Our Times Chapter Two: Women’s Participation in Social Activity i) Women’s Social Role in Contemporary Society ii) Social Work in Modern Society iii) Islamic Principles Relevant to Women’s Social Work in Our Times Chapter Three: Political Participation by Muslim Women i) In the Land of Disbelief. ii) In the Muslim State iii) Social Aspects Relevant to Women’s Political Activity in Contemporary Society iv) Principles Relating to Women’s Political Activity in Contemporary Society A Testimony of a Contemporary Experience

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Book SynopsisIbn Taymiyya remains one of the most controversial Islamic thinkers today because of his supposed influence on many fundamentalist movements. The common understanding of his ideas have been filtered through the bits and pieces of his statements, which have been misappropriated by alleged supporters and avowed critics alike. However, most people still have limited access to his beliefs and opinions as expressed in his own writings. Epistle on Worship: Risalat Al-''Ubudiyya, aims to fill this gap by presenting an annotated translation of one of Ibn Taymiyya''s most important epistles on the theology behind the concept of worship. The introduction gives the reader an overview of his biography and situates Ibn Taymiyya in the broader world of Islamic intellectual history by explaining his methodological arguments and theological opinions. The annotated translation captures the immediacy of his ideas as they impacted his world as well as the relevancy they have for our times.

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Book SynopsisDiscussing rights and liberties in Islam, this examination focuses on three connected and complementary areas?education, work, and welfare?and how each is treated in the Qur?an. The Prophet and Pious Caliphs are used as examples as the book argues that the educated are more likely to enter the workforce and contribute to the community. Touching upon various topics, including the institutionalization of learning, the role of governments, and the responsibility to care for individuals in need, this record offers an understanding of human rights from an Islamic perspective. Those interested in Islamic Studies, law, and philosophy will be particularly intrigued.

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Book SynopsisDue to mass migration over a number of decades, many Muslims today find themselves residing as minorities in Western secular nations and as a result are searching for answers in order to live within these societies yet remain true to their faith. This book sets out to counter the idea that there are only two possibilities for Muslim minorities?isolation or assimilation?by arguing that traditional Islamic law, or fiqh as it is found in the classical schools of law, is not outdated or too inflexible to be utilized in the21st century and that ratherit can provide the means for Muslims to integrate within secular societies while maintaining a link to the sources of their religion and its legal rulings. Amjad M. Mohammed demonstrates how Islamic law, as interpreted by the Hanafi School of Law, is a multifaceted, complex legal system that takes into account both the individual?s situation and the society?s culture and customs. The concept of diyar, or political-legal jurisdictions, is discussed with special emphasis on the criteria for the application of dar al-Islam (Muslim state), dar-al-sulh (peace-treaty state), and dar al-harb (enemy state). A number of rulings for different situations that confront Muslim minorities are also included, such as working with illegal products or services, halal meat, food additives, medicines and medical interventions, financial transactions, and political participation.

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Book SynopsisImam Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti composed the Work of Day and Night (''Amal al-yawm wa''l-layla) as a guide to correct conduct and worship in accordance with the example of the Prophet and the Pious Predecessors. This book contains some of the most beautiful prayers in Islamic devotional literature, and Suyuty has provided guidance about nearly every situation that one is likely to encounter day-to-day. In it the reader will find: the prayers said upon awakening, before eating and when dressing; the acts carried out at various times of the day and between prayers; and much else. A special section is dedicated to prayers that are recommended for reading at times of need due to their widely recognised protective qualities. Work of Day and Night is invaluable for learning the Sunna of the Prophet and integrating it into one''s life, as Suyuti took great care to explain precisely how to perform each of the daily practices in accordance with the example of the Prophet Muhammad.It is hoped that this bilingual volume will enable a wider English-speaking audience to access one of the treasures of traditional Islamic knowledge and practice, and that it will provide Muslim readers with a source of inspiration in everyday life. A selection of the most beautiful and useful prayers has been transliterated and included in an appendix so that all worshippers may benefit by reciting themregardless of Arabic ability. There is also a glossary of the most important religious terms.

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Book SynopsisThe Kassims are a traditional Indian Muslim family, living in Southern Rhodesia in the 1950s and 60s, where they enjoy a wealth of new opportunities but are held down by white racism and are torn apart by their own changing values.Kulsum wants her daughters to have an education that will expand their horizons; Razaak fears that education will make the girls unmarriageable within the Khumbar caste. Feeling sidelined by Kulsum’s modernity and her other achievements, Razaak defers to his father and sends their daughters to a less sophisticated branch of the family over 1000 miles away in rural Uganda. How should Kulsum respond? In this affectionate picture of a little-documented African cultural milieu, first-time author Fatima Kara digs into her own memories of life as a Gujarati in Bulawayo, conjuring up the brilliant colours, mouth-watering foods and exotic plant life of a region she remains devoted to and wants us to love as she does. The Train House on Lobengula Street is Part One of an entrancing two-part story.

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Book SynopsisNabawi, is a record of the daily life of one of the great holy sites, and a study in humanity. All manner of expression and experience are found in the faces of the pilgrims the old and young men, women and children who are touched by the spirit of the place and by the devotion they have so faithfully expressed.

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Book SynopsisThe author discusses the Quranic invalidity of the interpretation of the religion by hardliners prevailing distortions in the interpretation of some of the verses that only serve divisive and extremist agendas.

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Book SynopsisText in Arabic. From Musa Al-Khwarizmi who developed algebra in 9th-century Baghdad to Al-Jazari, a 13th-century Turkish engineer whose achievements include the crank, the camshaft and the reciprocating piston, Science and Islam tells the story of one of historys most misunderstood yet rich and fertile periods in science: the extraordinary Islamic scientific revolution between 700 and 1400 CE. Science writer Ehsan Masood weaves the stories of these and other scientists into a compelling narrative, taking the reader on a journey through the Islamic empires of the Middle Ages, and their contributions to science in Western Europe.

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Book SynopsisWhether exploring the thorny issues of wives’ sexual duties, divorce, homosexuality, or sex outside marriage, discussions of sexual ethics and Islam often spark heated conflict rather than reasoned argument. In this updated and expanded edition of her ground-breaking work, feminist Muslim scholar Dr Kecia Ali asks how one can determine what makes sex lawful and ethical in the sight of God. Drawing on both revealed and interpretative Muslim texts, Ali critiques medieval and contemporary commentators alike to produce a balanced and comprehensive study of a subject both sensitive and urgent, making this an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and interested readers.Trade Review‘Relevant to most readers’ daily experience of discussion about Islam. The book is well worth reading.' * The Muslim World Book Review *‘It’s great to have a new edition of this foundational work in Muslim feminism that, ten years down the road, widens and deepens the important questions raised by the first edition.’ -- Dr. Judith Plaskow, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies at Manhattan College‘An important and daring book. It not only deals with deeply controversial issues, but also suggests principled and ethical answers within an Islamic framework.’ -- Dr. Ziba Mir-Hosseini, legal anthropologist, activist and a founding member of Musawah, the global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family‘Compulsory reading for anyone interested in grappling with the enormously challenging questions of sexual ethics in contemporary Islam.’ -- Ebrahim Moosa, Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Notre Dame‘For too long debates over sexuality and religion have lapsed into a ‘don’t ask-don’t tell’ state of mind. Professor Ali is willing to ask the tough questions.’ * Contemporary Islam Journal *"Ali is willing to ask the tough questions. A refreshing analysis of sexual ethics in Islam." * The Globe and Mail *‘In this important revised edition of Ali’s major treatise on a feminist approach to Islam, she offers a broad and comprehensive view of how sexual ethics have been defined in Islam throughout history, and how those understandings inform and define Islam today... This is a significant addition to the feminist understanding of Islam and its complex views of sexuality.’ * Publishers Weekly *"This book is a vigorous and engaging contribution to a very important dialog." * American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences *"With unwavering focus, clarity and scholarly confidence, Dr. Ali advances our understanding of profound ethical questions far beyond the apologetics and polemics of current Islamic discourse." -- Abdullahi An-Na`im - Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law at Emory UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Marriage, Money, and Sex “And according to what they spend from their wealth ... ” Sex Intermarriage Conclusion Coda 1 2 Lesser Evils: Divorce in Islamic Ethics Untying the knot Extreme circumstances Prospects for reform Conclusion Coda 2 3 “What your right hands possess”: Slave Concubinage in Muslim Texts and Discourses Islam and slavery: overview of sources and history Women, war captives, and withdrawal Conclusion Coda 3 4 Prohibited Acts and Forbidden Partners: Illicit Sex in Islamic Jurisprudence Protecting chastity: the classical texts Paternity, legal fictions, and non-marital sex in contemporary Muslim thought Conclusion Coda 4 5 Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Same-Sex Intimacy in Muslim Thought History Don’t ask, don’t tell Same-sex marriage Conclusion Coda 5 6 “Reduce but do not destroy”: Female “Circumcision” in Islamic Sources Islamic or un-Islamic? “Reduce but do not destroy” Conclusion Coda 6 7 “If you have touched women”: Female Bodies and Male Agency in the Qur’an To whom am I speaking? A difficult verse Garments for one another Conclusion Coda 7 8 The Prophet Muhammad, his Beloved Aishah, and Modern Muslim Sensibilities Apologetics and polemics Searching for solace Conclusion Coda 8 9 Toward an Islamic Ethics of Sex Afterword to the 2016 edition Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTravis Zadeh revives the work of the thirteenth-century Persian scholar Qazwīnī, whose Wonders and Rarities was for centuries one of the most influential natural histories in the world. Inviting us to embrace anew Qazwīnī’s rationalized study of nature and magic, Zadeh dramatically revises the place of wonder in the history of Islamic thought.Trade ReviewAs Zadeh concludes, reformers and modernists have closed the rich and varied archive revealed in Wonders and Rarities…In this beautifully written and engaging text, Zadeh takes his readers back to the world of surprise and enchantment that preceded this closure. -- Malise Ruthven * Financial Times *The wonders and curiosities of the Islamic imagination await discovery by a new generation of readers in this superb and very enjoyable book by Travis Zadeh. -- Orhan Pamuk, winner of the Nobel Prize in LiteratureLike al-Qazwīnī himself, Travis Zadeh has written a deliciously baggy tome, full of delights and diversions in its tour of the cosmic horizons. This is a book to get lost in, whether one wants to or not. Zadeh describes the ʿAjaʾib al-Makhlūqāt as containing a ‘world within a book.’ In his own Wonders and Rarities, he has managed something similar himself. -- Nile Green * Los Angeles Review of Books *This book about a book, like the book it describes, is a rare and marvelous thing…In his passionate and erudite mission to restore Qazwini to centre stage, [Zadeh] has given readers a book filled with its own wonder and marvels. Like his hero, he well understands the most important thing: ‘What matters is a good story.’ -- Justin Marozzi * The Spectator *Wonders and Rarities has been studied by art historians in particular, but Travis Zadeh sets it in the context of wider Islamic thought…Indeed, he faces the mammoth task of mastering the same range of disciplines as Qazwini himself, from alchemy to botany, philosophy, theology and zoology. These feats are themselves worthy of wonder. -- Helen Pfeifer * London Review of Books *A study of the wondrous, marvelous, and strange in the Islamicate context…This book contributes to our understanding of an intellectually vibrant world full of wondrous anecdotes, magic, science, and poetry. * Reading Religion *A remarkable account of how a single text captivated readers for centuries, across the boundaries of language, religion, culture, and politics. Travis Zadeh’s engrossing study uncovers, with great erudition, the genesis and many afterlives of an extraordinary book, illuminating its continued power to inspire and amaze readers in our present day. -- Richard Ovenden, author of Burning the Books: A History of the Deliberate Destruction of KnowledgeA wide-ranging and enchanting study…Zadeh has traced the history of al-Qazwini’s books in the centuries after their author’s death, their abbreviations, expansions, imitations and glorious illustrations. -- Robert Irwin * Literary Review *A magnificent and essential book. Zadeh deftly illuminates centuries of occult and natural history, restoring Qazwīnī's place in this vast world of thought. The result is an astonishing work of Islamic intellectual and cultural history, one that delves deeply into the intricacies and the pleasures of wonder without the prism of orientalism. -- Rana Safvi, author of Shahjahanabad: The Living City of Old DelhiBeautifully written and deeply researched, this book explores the religious and intellectual importance of wonder in Islamic civilization through the study of a classic text. A must-read! -- Jamal J. Elias, author of Aisha’s Cushion: Religious Art, Perception, and Practice in Islam

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Book SynopsisM. A. S. Abdel Haleem's acclaimed translation of the Qur'an is now published with the original Arabic text to give a greater appreciation and understanding of the holy book. The traditional Arabic calligraphic pages are displayed alongside the English translation; the text is accompanied by an invaluable introduction, notes, and an index.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition ''[Haleem] transforms the Holy Book's complex grammar and structure into smooth, contemporary English mercifully free from archaisms, anachronisms and incoherence. The result it both accessible and compelling...a remarkable achievement' (on the English translation)' * New Statesman *a refreshing, very useful and interesting new translation ...one of the best to have appeared in recent times. * Muslim News *[Haleem] has managed to transform the complex grammar and structure of the holy book into a form of modern English which reads easily and flows smoothly without taking liberties with the inviolable text. * The Economist *[Haleem] knows the text by heart, and his intimacy with it shows in the brevity and intuitive intelligence of his solutions. * Times Literary Supplement *accurate, sensitive, well-annotated English translation of the Qur'an. * Scotland on Sunday *

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