Search results for ""Author Ziauddin Sardar""
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Reading the Qur'an
Few books have had a more profound impact on human history than the Qur'an. It shapes the beliefs, lives and behaviour of over 1.5 billion Muslims, who regard it as the Word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Speaking directly to Muslims, it has been the basic source of law, morality and politics for over 1,400 years. Almost everything that happens in a Muslim society is a direct or indirect product of what the Qur'an says. But what does the Qur'an really say? How should it be read and interpreted? What is the significance of its teachings, if any, for the 21st century? In this enlightening and highly readable book, Ziauddin Sardar, one of the foremost Muslim intellectuals of our time, offers a refreshingly new interpretation of the Qur'an. Emphasising plurality and inclusiveness, Sardar demonstrates the importance of reading the verses of the Qur'an in the context in which they were revealed, and highlights the relevance of its teachings for today. Sardar reads the Qur'an from several perspectives.He begins with the traditional, verse-by-verse interpretations and subsequently shows how the multilayered verses and stories of the Sacred Text are open to a number of different and more enlightening interpretations. He also reads the Quran thematically, exploring its basic concepts and themes, painting a dynamic picture of the kind of society that the Qur'an aims to create. Also scrutinised is what the Qur'an says about such contemporary topics as power and politics, the rights of women, suicide, domestic violence, sex, homosexuality, the veil, freedom of expression and evolution. Throughout, Sardar uses several different methods, from traditional exegesis to hermeneutics, critical theory and cultural analysis to draw fresh and contemporary lessons from the Sacred Text. He shows what the Qur'an means to individuals like himself, why its interpretation has been so controversial throughout history, and how translations can be used to promote misunderstanding as well as enlightenment. Argumentative and lively, Reading the Qur'an is an insightful guide to understanding the Sacred Text of Muslims in these conflict-ridden and distressing times.Whatever one believes or does not believe, the central importance of the Qur'an in today's globalised world cannot be ignored.
£12.99
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Critical Muslim 34: Artificial
It’s not just intelligence that’s going artificial! Numerous elements of our everyday life reek of inauthenticity. Even the grass we walk on and the plants we decorate our homes with demonstrate how the artificial has permeated our lives in ways we do not often give a thought to. In this issue of Critical Muslim, we explore how the artificial controls our lives—from the cities we live in to the online lives in which we immerse ourselves at every free moment. Challenges will be explored: AI has irrevocably changed the way we work and increased the ease with which we spend money. Notions of desire and freedom dissolve or fall by the wayside. Fake news and the lies we continue to tell ourselves give the phoney impression that everything is situation normal—yet the truth is anything but. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.
£13.49
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Critical Muslim 26: Gastronomy
What is halal? Does Islam have a particular flavour? Is culture transferred through gastronomy? In this issue we resist intoxication by wine and soberly sample the culinary delights of the Muslim world—then and now. By exploring the more obscure delicacies of international cuisine, we confront the underbelly of gluttony and ask why the Muslim world is so indulgently carnivorous. We go back to nature on an organic farm and consider whether going organic will save the world and promote the true spirit of Islam.
£16.07
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Critical Muslim 24: Populism
The rise of populism in the US and Europe is the focus of this issue of Critical Muslim. It will explore issues and trends that led to Brexit and the emergence of President Trump. There will be essays on American populism, the emergence of far right movements in France, the Netherlands and Scandinavia, the impact of rising Islamophobia on Muslim communities in the US and Europe, the characteristics of charismatic leaders, the skills of demagoguery, fake and not-so-fake news, populist Muslim preachers, and the representation of 'white trash' in films. Plus reviews, fiction, poetry and our list of top ten demagogues.
£16.07
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Critical Muslim 42: Liberty
We are often led to believe that liberty is synonymous with freedom--but is that really so? And what does it entail? In this issue of Critical Muslim, we explore who defines the liberty we are told we enjoy, and how our worldviews impact the ways we assert our liberty. How can we achieve a balance between individual liberty and social responsibility? How do we establish the public good, and which groups among us are asked to curtail their liberty for collective benefit? Just what is the connection between freedom of speech, rights of minorities, and state security? Has the notion of liberty been rendered meaningless? If liberty involves freedom for all to do as they wish, what dangers does it raise for the society as a whole? Should faith communities expect to confine their liberty to the law of the land in which they reside, even if this is contrary to their religious values? Our writers explore these and other questions to understand how we construct our understanding around the idealised notion of liberty. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centres on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.
£16.07
Granta Books Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys Of A Sceptical Muslim
Ziauddin Sardar, one of the foremost Muslim intellectuals in Britain, learned the Koran at his mother's knee in Pakistan. As a young student in London he set out to grasp the meaning of his religion, and, hopefully, to find 'paradise', his quest leading him throughout the Muslim world, from Iran to China to Turkey. Along the way he accepts that he may never reach paradise - but it's the journey that's important. At a time when the view of Islam in the West is so often distorted and simplistic, Desperately Seeking Paradise - self-mocking, frank and passionate - is essential reading.
£8.99
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Critical Muslim 39: World Order
It is a tragedy that we only appreciate what has already been lost—this is where the concept of a ‘world order’ first arises in historical memory. The ordering of the world has been a notion observed by historians and thinkers throughout the ages and around the globe. Rises and falls have provided incentives for the categorisation of civilisations, and other forms of global ordering. The West’s control of history, its power over the present, and its attempts to colonise the future are coming to an end, and a new narrative is about to emerge. Amidst environmental apocalypse, the end of Western dominance and unbridled technological advancement, this issue of Critical Muslim analyses the terms of world order, exposing its problems and limitations, and asks what will define it next, as the world begs for something truly new. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.
£16.07
Icon Books Introducing Media Studies: A Graphic Guide
The media is ubiquitous. Every day we watch hours of TV, listen to the radio, read newspapers and magazines, go to the cinema, sit in front of videos or surf the Web. These information commodities exercise enormous influence and power over all of us. Introducing Media Studies explores the complex relationship between the media, ideology, knowledge and power. It provides a scintillating tour of media history and presents a coherent view of the media industry, media theory and methods in media research. It explains how 'the audience' is constructed and how it in turn interprets the content and meaning of media representation. We also learn how to analyse film, deconstruct advertising and appreciate how TV and the press shape public opinion. The media is a condition of our existence and, in an unprecedented way, the pervading shape of our history. No one can afford to neglect a critical understanding of its omnipresence. Here is an entertaining and informative book, accessible to students and general readers concerned with the increasing power, influence and proliferation of the media.
£8.42
Icon Books Introducing Philosophy of Science: A Graphic Guide
What do scientists actually do? Is science "value-free"? How has science evolved through history? Where is science leading us? "Introducing Philosophy of Science" is a clear and incisively illustrated map of the big questions underpinning science. It is essential reading for students, the general public, and even scientists themselves.
£9.04
Icon Books Introducing Chaos: A Graphic Guide
If a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, does it cause a tornado in Texas? Chaos theory attempts to answer such baffling questions. The discovery of randomness in apparently predictable physical systems has evolved into a science that declares the universe to be far more unpredictable than we have ever imagined. Introducing Chaos explains how chaos makes its presence felt in events from the fluctuation of animal populations to the ups and downs of the stock market. It also examines the roots of chaos in modern maths and physics, and explores the relationship between chaos and complexity, the unifying theory which suggests that all complex systems evolve from a few simple rules. This is an accessible introduction to an astonishing and controversial theory.
£9.04
Icon Books Introducing Islam: A Graphic Guide
Islam is one of the world's great monotheistic religions. Islamic culture, spanning 1,500 years, has produced some of the finest achievements of humanity. Yet the religion followed by a fifth of humankind is too often seen in the West in terms of fundamentalism, bigotry and violence- a perception that couldn't be more wrong. Introducing Islam recounts the history of Islam from the birth of Prophet Muhammad in the 6th century to its status as a global culture and political force today. Charting the achievements of Muslim civilisation, it explains the nature and message of the Qur'an, outlines the basic features of Islamic law, and assesses the impact of colonialism on Muslim societies. Ziauddin Sardar and Zafar Abbas Malik show how Muslims everywhere are trying to live their faith and are shaping new Islamic ideas and ideals for a globalised world.
£9.04