Just before dawn one winter's morning, a hijacked jetliner explodes above the English Channel. Through the falling debris, two figures, Gibreel Farishta, the biggest star in India, and Saladin Chamcha, an expatriate returning from his first visit to Bombay in fifteen years, plummet from the sky, washing up on the snow-covered sands of an English beach, and proceed through a series of metamorphoses, dreams, and revelations.
The teachings, style and impact of the Qur'an have always been matters of controversy, among both Muslims and non-Muslims. But in a modern context of intercultural sensitivity, what the Qur'an says and means are perhaps more urgent questions than ever before. This major new book by one of the world's finest Islamic scholars responds to that urgency. Building on his earlier groundbreaking work, the author challenges misinterpretations of particular Qur'anic verses from whatever quarter. He addresses the infamous 'sword' verse, frequently cited as a justification for jihad. He also questions the 'tribute' verse, associated with the Muslim state subjugating Jews and Christians; and the idea of Paradise in the Qur'an, often viewed by the West as emphasising merely physical pleasures, or used by Islamic fighters as their just reward for holy war. The author argues that wrenching the verses out of the context of the whole has led to dangerous ideologies being built on isolated phrases which have then assumed afterlives of their own. This nuanced, holistic reading has vital interfaith ramifications.
The thoughtful reader of the Qur'ān will probably pause in confusion, for how does one reconcile this verse with tens of other verses that call for tolerance, such as Q 2.256 (Pickthall trans.): "There is no compulsion in religion...." The baffled reader encounters two contrasting spirits, as if facing the conflicted protagonist of Robert Louis Stevenson's novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. A kind of schizophrenia seems incarnated in the Qur'ān with its verses of peace (which resemble the character of Dr. Jekyll) and its verses of killing (which reflect the character of Mr. Hyde), and the reader is left to ponder these questions:Why does the Qur'ān's text present a double personality?How can a Muslim take the Qur'ān as the guide for living one's life when it has two contrasting spirits?Which should the Muslim follow: the verses that reflect Jekyll or Hyde?
The first book to examine the controversial Qur'anic phrase which divides Christianity and Islam. According to the majority of modern Muslims and Christians, the Qur'an denies the crucifixion of Jesus, and with it, one of the most sacred beliefs of Christianity. However, it is only mentioned in one verse - 'They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, rather, it only appeared so to them' - and contrary to popular belief, its translation has been the subject of fierce debate among Muslims for centuries. This innovative work is the first book devoted to the issue, delving deeply into largely ignored Arabic sources, which suggest that the origins of the conventional translation may lie within the Christian Church. Arranged along historical lines, and covering various Muslim schools of thought, from Sunni to Sufi, "The Crucifixion and the Qur'an" unravels the crucial dispute that separates the World's two principal faiths.
Noted Indian writer and polymath Ram Swarup explores the meaning of Islam through the words of the Sahih Muslim, considered by Muslims to be one of the most authoritative of the collections of "traditions" (Arabic Hadith) about the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Like the Koran, these traditions are believed to be divinely revealed by Allah and they complement the verses of the Koran, in many cases expanding upon them and explaining the context of their revelation. As Swarup notes in his introduction, to Muslims the Hadith literature represents the Koran in action, stories of "revelation made concrete in the life of the Prophet." Among the orthodox they are considered as sacred as the Koran itself.Swarup is plainly skeptical of the claim that the Hadith literature is divinely inspired. In the introduction he says, "The Prophet is caught as it were in the ordinary acts of his life - sleeping, eating, mating, praying, hating, dispensing justice, planning expeditions and revenge against his enemies. The picture that emerges is hardly flattering. . . . One is . . . left to wonder how the believers, generation after generation, could have found this story so inspiring. The answer is that the believers are conditioned to look at the whole thing through the eyes of faith. To them morality derives from the Prophet''s actions. . . .his actions determine and define morality."The Sahih Muslim, a massive work consisting of 7,190 traditions divided into 1,243 chapters, is hardly accessible to the average reader; so Swarup quotes representative selections that touch upon the main tenets of Islam: faith, purification, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, marriage and divorce, crime and punishment, religious wars (jihad), paradise, hell, repentance, and many other features of the religion.To non-Muslims this work provides many insights into the mindset of the average Muslim who is raised on these traditions about Muhammad. It also underscores the gulf that exists between the sanctum of orthodox Islam and an increasingly secularized Westernized world.
Aysha A. Hidayatullah offers the first comprehensive examination of contemporary feminist Qur'anic interpretation, exploring its dynamic challenges to Islamic tradition and contemporary Muslim views of the Qur'an.
"WARNING - Only read this book if you're ready. If you're Muslim, I'm going to question everything you and your family believe about Islam"In a book, the first of its kind, researcher, and ex-Muslim Adam Wadi writes with compassion and brutal honesty explaining to his mother and father why he left Islam in this 'atheist confessional'.Providing direct and piercing arguments, Wadi uncovers why we think we need religion, Islam's flaws as a religion, and why God likely does not exist.Join Wadi on a journey of discovery, challenging commonly held beliefs such as: Why religions are so popular The Quran's credibility Prophet Muhammad as a role model The Prophets' stories: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses & Jesus Religion's battle with science Women's rights The fear of Sharia law Gay Muslims Alcohol, cigarettes and sex in Islam Islamic Terrorism Censorship in Islam Islamization of the world Morality, spirituality and the meaning of life without religion and many more topics to provide you with the comprehensive collection of arguments against following ancient laws in a modern world.Citing historians, scientists and the Quran throughout, Atheism for Muslims is a compelling compilation of talking points about Islam, the existence of God, and our desire for a better future.Scroll to the top of the page and select the buy button to learn more
Modern scholars of most major religious traditions, who seek gender egalitarian interpretations of their scriptural texts, confront a common dilemma: how can they produce interpretations that are at once egalitarian and authoritative, within traditions that are deeply patriarchal? This book examines the challenges and resources that the Islamic tradition offers to Muslim scholars who seek to address this dilemma. This is achieved through extensive study of the intellectual history of a Qur'anic verse that has become especially contentious in the modern period: Chapter 4, Verse 34 (Q. 4:34) which can be read to permit the physical disciplining of disobedient wives at the hands of their husbands. Though this verse has been used by historical and contemporary Muslim scholars in multiple ways to justify the right of husbands to physically discipline their wives, progressive and reformist Muslim scholars and activists offer alternative and non-violent readings of the verse. The diverse and divergent interpretations of Q. 4:34 showcases the pivotal role of the reader in shaping the meaning and implications of scriptural texts. This book investigates the sophisticated and creative interpretive approaches to Q. 4:34, tracing the intellectual history of Muslim scholarship on this verse from the ninth century to the present day. Ayesha S. Chaudhry examines the spirited and diverse, and at times contradictory, readings of this verse to reveal how Muslims relate to their inherited tradition and the Qur'anic text.
This is the first translation of the Quran by an American woman. It is a universal and inclusive translation with the hope that Islam will be better understood in the West. She also challenges the use of the wowrd "to beat" in 4: 34 as meaning "to go away" which is how the Prophet of Islam understood the word as it has historically justified violence against and abuse of Muslim women. "This interpretation must change," she says, "and revert to the way the Prophet understood it."
