In the acclaimed book Muslim Evangelism, Phil Parshall devotes one chapter to "bridges" which can assist in facilitating understanding between Islam and Christianity. In Bridges to Islam he expands that key chapter into a book. The most promising bridges can be found not in orthodox Islam, contends the author, but in "folk Islam", which is less well known in the West but which influences about 70 percent of the world's Muslims. "Popular Islam consists largely of people who desire to know God and to be accepted by him", writes the author. "They have a high view of one God who is . . . all-powerful and merciful." The mystical Sufis press for a more satisfying personal relationship with Allah. These teachings and aspirations, argues the author, have immense potential as bridges, which he has personally witnessed spending many years ministering among Muslims. This thorough and in depth study of ways to bridge folk Islam will be invaluable to missionaries, students, and those interested in reaching Muslims for Christ.
Miriam Adeney introduces you to women such as Ladan, Khadija, Fatma and others from around the world. You'll learn about their lives, questions and hopes. And you'll gain new understanding of why Muslim women come to Christ.
"A Christian guide to the Qur'an will prepare Christians to understand the central messages of the Qur'an in simple terms, and illustrates how knowledge of Islam's sacred text can provide bridges to religious understanding and evangelism."--From back cover
Bridges' translation aims to help non-Arabic readers in pondering the Qur'an (tadabbor). The translators focused not only on translating what God meant to say, but also on translating how He spoke. There are three main new features in this translation that make it unique: 1. It is the first translation which includes the ten Qira'at (modes of recitation). The main text is written in accordance with the Qira'a of Asem, narrated by Hafs. Variations from that are presented in footnotes denoted by 'Q'. The translation presents around 30% of the variations of the Qira'at--those which affect the meaning. 2. It is the first translation that takes into consideration the Qur'anic phenomenon of grammatical shifts, whether in verb tenses, numbers, or pronouns. These are a great source of pondering for the reader. 3. To denote whether a pronoun like 'you' or an imperative verb like 'say' is plural, dual, or singular, the translators did not impose their understanding on the reader by adding text between brackets like (O Prophet) to denote singular form, or (O mankind) to denote plural form. Rather, this distinction was achieved by adding a superscript after pronouns and imperative verbs. For example: youpl is used for a plural pronoun, yousg for a singular pronoun, and youdl for a dual pronoun.
An American imam offers answers for today's toughest questions about Islam, and a vision for a reconciliation between Islam and the West. One of the pressing questions of our time is what went wrong in the relationship between Muslims and the West. Continuing global violence in the name of Islam reflects the deepest fears by certain Muslim factions of Western political, cultural, and economic encroachment. The solution to the current antagonism requires finding common ground upon which to build mutual respect and understanding. Who better to offer such an analysis than an American imam, someone with a foot in each world and the tools to examine the common roots of both Western and Muslim cultures; someone to explain to the non-Islamic West not just what went wrong with Islam, but what's right with Islam. Focused on finding solutions, not on determining fault, this is ultimately a hopeful, inspiring book. What's Right with Islam systematically lays out the reasons for the current dissonance between these cultures and offers a foundation and plan for improved relations. Wide-ranging in scope, What's Right with Islam elaborates in satisfying detail a vision for a Muslim world that can eventually embrace its own distinctive forms of democracy and capitalism, aspiring to a new Cordoba - a time when Jews, Christians, Muslims, and all other faith traditions will live together in peace and prosperity.
Billions of people in the world have not yet heard the good news about Jesus Christ. How can we reach them? Follow the adventures of the author as she journeys into the lives of Muslims, seeking and discovering how to effectively deliver the saving message of Jesus Christ to those who need to hear it. Delve into the culture and faith of Muslims, and emerge with a perspective that will reshape the way you reveal the Savior to the world. Bridges of Love and Understanding is an inspiring witness of the unstoppable power of Jesus Christ and his deep love that reaches to the ends of the earth. -Learn the easiest way to share the gospel with anyone-Gain insight and understanding about Muslims-Be thrilled by true stories of Jesus's love that knows no bounds"As a sojourner living in an Islamic culture, Davis often begins conversations with physicians, students, and taxi drivers, by asking: 'What do you love about God?'-a question that many Muslims answer with an enthusiasm and passion that might surprise us. In recounting such fascinating encounters and the relationships that often follow, Davis invites Christian readers to ask: what shall we make of those who are in the 'wrong religion' but have 'the right kind of faith?' "Bold, engaging, discerning, scripturally informed, and eminently practical, her book is candid, disarming, and a delight to read-and reread. Davis offers us a refreshing alternative to agenda-laden apologetics. She offers us, instead, a guide and testimony revealing how to walk in step with the Spirit Who moves upon all flesh to draw all persons to Christ and to one another." -Skip Horton-Parker, PhD; London School of Theology; St Leo University
Discover God's Heart for Muslims: Investigate Islam through this positive and hopeful 640-page book. Encountering the World of Islam explores the Muslim world and God's plan for Muslims. Read from a collection of writings about the life of Muhammad, the history of Islamic civilization, Islamic beliefs, Muslims today, and the everyday lives of Muslims from Morocco to Indonesia. Gain insight from 80 different practitioners into diverse Muslim cultures and worldviews as well as Christian outreach toward Muslims, our response to Islam, and prayer for the Muslim world. This book is used as the textbook for the Encountering the World of Islam course. Revised, updated, and expanded for 2014.Fifty-seven new articles, highlights, maps, and tables.Fully indexed and cross-referenced.Over 100 additional pages of free online articles at the companion website.Features: Reading Assignments: Each lesson includes an average of 35 pages of reading, plus additional articles online (available after free registration for access). Highlights: Brief readings focusing on specific topics of interest to the reader are found throughout the book, including: Concepts: Important biblical or cultural concepts the student should know.Outreach: Appropriate ways for reaching out to Muslims.People Groups: Overviews of the major ethnic Muslim affinity blocks, illustrated with descriptions of characteristic people groups from each block.Pray Now: Guides to praying for Muslims within each lesson.Quotes: Quotations from "the experts" illustrating important lesson points.Qur'an: Important verses and concepts from the Qur'an.Stories: Narrative accounts from the lives of Muslims and Muslim-background believers.Women: Specific issues that affect the lives of Muslim women.Ponder This: Introductory questions help set the mental stage for entering each lesson. Explore: Recommendations for deeper exploration of lesson topics. Discussion Questions: Application questions to use in class activities, provide ideas for forum postings, or simply serve as points for individual reflection. Learn More: Additional activities which may be assigned by your professor or completed just for fun, including reading, watching, praying, visiting, eating, listening, meeting, shopping, and browsing the internet. Glossary: Unfamiliar terms or concepts are cross-referenced and included in the 40-page glossary. Pronunciation Guide: Help with pronouncing non-English words found throughout the text. Common Word List: Key words that occur frequently throughout the book. Illustrations: 110 illustrations, maps, and tables. Index: Comprehensive and extensively cross-referenced topical index, as well as separate Bible and Qur'an indices. Bibliography: Complete, scholarly collection of the authors, readings, and highlights that appear in the book. Resources for teaching: Example lectures and PowerPoint presentations for the materials in Encountering the World of Islam are available in the Instructor Resources area of our companion website.
Responding to the relative failure of Christians to evangelize Muslims, Phil Parshall poses difficult questions about what is and is not essential to the Christian witness in Islamic contexts.
A bold new conceptualization of Islam that reflects its contradictions and rich diversity What is Islam? How do we grasp a human and historical phenomenon characterized by such variety and contradiction? What is "Islamic" about Islamic philosophy or Islamic art? Should we speak of Islam or of islams? Should we distinguish the Islamic (the religious) from the Islamicate (the cultural)? Or should we abandon "Islamic" altogether as an analytical term? In What Is Islam?, Shahab Ahmed presents a bold new conceptualization of Islam that challenges dominant understandings grounded in the categories of "religion" and "culture" or those that privilege law and scripture. He argues that these modes of thinking obstruct us from understanding Islam, distorting it, diminishing it, and rendering it incoherent. What Is Islam? formulates a new conceptual language for analyzing Islam. It presents a new paradigm of how Muslims have historically understood divine revelation—one that enables us to understand how and why Muslims through history have embraced values such as exploration, ambiguity, aestheticization, polyvalence, and relativism, as well as practices such as figural art, music, and even wine drinking as Islamic. It also puts forward a new understanding of the historical constitution of Islamic law and its relationship to philosophical ethics and political theory. A book that is certain to provoke debate and significantly alter our understanding of Islam, What Is Islam? reveals how Muslims have historically conceived of and lived with Islam as norms and truths that are at once contradictory yet coherent.
