The Middle Ages were a period of tremendous cultural and scientific advancement in the Islamic Empire—ideas and inventions that shaped our world. Did you know that: • The numbers you use every day (Arabic numerals!) are a Muslim invention? • The marching band you hear at football games has its roots in the Middle East? • You are drinking orange juice at breakfast today thanks to Islamic farming innovations? • The modern city's skyline was made possible by Islamic architecture? The Muslim world has often been a bridge between East and West, but many of Islam's crucial innovations are hidden within the folds of history. In this important book, Bryn Barnard uses short, engaging text and gorgeous full-color artwork to bring Islam's contributions gloriously to life. Chockful of information and pictures, and eminently browsable, The Genius of Islam is the definitive guide to a fascinating topic.
The Middle Ages were a period of tremendous cultural and scientific advancement in the Islamic Empire—ideas and inventions that shaped our world. Did you know that: • The numbers you use every day (Arabic numerals!) are a Muslim invention? • The marching band you hear at football games has its roots in the Middle East? • You are drinking orange juice at breakfast today thanks to Islamic farming innovations? • The modern city's skyline was made possible by Islamic architecture? The Muslim world has often been a bridge between East and West, but many of Islam's crucial innovations are hidden within the folds of history. In this important book, Bryn Barnard uses short, engaging text and gorgeous full-color artwork to bring Islam's contributions gloriously to life. Chockful of information and pictures, and eminently browsable, The Genius of Islam is the definitive guide to a fascinating topic.
Across 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. "e;Fascinating"e; FINANCIAL TIMES. "e;Beautiful"e; LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "e;Rich and Artful"e; THE LANCET. "e;Genuinely mind-expanding"e; FORTEAN TIMES. "e;Excellent"e; NEW SCIENTIST. "e;Stunning"e; NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.
This is the first book to present the life, times and poetry of one of the greatest poets in the Arab tradition, Abu Nuwas. Author Philip Kennedy provides the narrative of Abu Nuwas's fascinating life, which was full of intrigue and debauched adventure, in parallel with the presentation of his greatest poems, across all genres, in easy and accessible translations, giving commentary where needed.
Although the biography of Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH), has been the subject of many studies, books, references, and commentaries, the book written in Arabic by the Author, Abbas Mahmoud Al-Akkad, remains unique in the way it has addressed the personality of the Prophet (PBUH), producing such an elegant thesis. This book is not a mere citation of the acts and traditions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); rather, Al-Akkad opted to dive deeply into the traits and attributes underlying the Prophet's legacy as a manifestation of his genius, still as a human being. According to Al-Akkad, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had naturally practiced all facets of genius and greatness, because he was gifted by the talents that had made him the best preacher, politician, manager, warier, friend, and father. The Author illustrated how the Prophet (PBUH) had such lively heart, soul, and conscience that enabled him to register the irrefutable genius in every creation around him, subtle or obvious, from the air lifting of a single grain of sand to the ever-glowing sun and moon. It was such lively elements instilled in the Prophet that prepared him for the divine call and enabled him to endure the struggle associated with receiving the 'heavy' message and delivering it successfully to all mankind. And in the way the Prophet reflected upon the genius of all creations around us is a strong message to every human being to search, ponder, and listen to the wonders of Allah's creation. The Author succeeded in presenting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a human being whose human nature made him appreciative of people's weaknesses, needs, and aspirations, while catering for these astonishingly during his delivery of the message of Islam. Al-Akkad proved how the Prophet (PBUH) persisted and persevered in his call to make it a success despite all the odds, barriers, and challenges; a message to be emulated by every individual who has goals to pursue and achieve in this life and in the hereafter. The Author also showed that during only 23 years, the duration of Prophet Muhammad's mission, the world has changed forever; thanks to this one single man. Yet this change would have never been possible without the special qualities that were inculcated in the Prophet. It is these qualities that every person should strive to acquire and act upon, notwithstanding the divine preparation that qualified Prophet Muhammad for the most serious mission in history. In the course of guidance and aspiration to mankind, the way the Author presented the genius traits of the Prophet (PBUH) inspires individuals to strive for nobility and justice, societies to aim for reforms and prosperity, and nations to establish and maintain order and peace. Finally, the book shows how the Prophet (PBUH) spent all his life expending his skills, talents, and genius for the benefit of mankind, entertaining none of life's glamour; a fact that characterized all prophets before him. But in return, people will always celebrate his contribution to mankind until the end of time. Dr. Mostafa Ismail
Salafism has received scrutiny as the one of the main ideological sources for extremist violence perpetrated by jihadi groups. There is a significant corpus of literature discussing transnational jihadi networks, especially after the 9/11 attacks in the United States. These discussions include the radicalization of Salafi thought by jihadi theoreticians and 'ulama. However, Salafism is not monolithic. It contains numerous streams, and an examination of these streams is crucial to understanding its influence on Muslim societies. Besides Salafi jihadisthose who sanction violencethere are two other broad trends in Salafism: quietist and activist. Quietist Salafis endorse an apolitical tradition and find political activism in any form unacceptable. Activist Salafis advocate peaceful political change. Each stream is led by 'ulama, seen as the preservers of Salafi traditions. The quietist and activist 'ulama are active participants in their communities. Studies of such clerics have tended to be country-specific, focusing on the influence and nature of Salafism and its dynamics in those countries. In Rethinking Salafism Raihan Ismail assesses the origins, interactions, and dynamics of the transnational networks of Salafi 'ulama in the region comprising Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kuwait, showing how quietist and activist 'ulama work across borders to preserve and promote what they see as "authentic" Salafism while taking domestic circumstances of the 'ulama into consideration. The book offers a reassessment of the quietist/activist dichotomy, arguing that this dichotomy does not apply to such aspects of Salafi thought as attitudes towards the Shi'a and social matters in Muslim societies.
This updated reissue of Mark LeVine’s acclaimed, revolutionary book on sub- and countercultural music in the Middle East brings this groundbreaking portrait of the region’s youth cultures to a new generation. Featuring a new preface by the author in conversation with the band The Kominas about the problematic connections between extreme music and Islam. An eighteen-year-old Moroccan who loves Black Sabbath. A twenty-two-year-old rapper from the Gaza Strip. A young Lebanese singer who quotes Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” Heavy metal, punk, hip-hop, and reggae are each the music of protest, and are considered immoral by many in the Muslim world. As the young people and subcultures featured in Mark LeVine’s Heavy Metal Islam so presciently predicted, this music turned out to be the soundtrack of countercultures, uprisings, and even revolutions from Morocco to Pakistan. In Heavy Metal Islam, originally published in 2008, Mark LeVine explores the influence of Western music on the Middle East and North Africa through interviews with musicians and fans, introducing us to young people struggling to reconcile their religion with a passion for music and a thirst for change. The result is a revealing tour de force of contemporary cultures across the Muslim majority world through the region’s evolving music scenes that only a musician, scholar, and activist with LeVine’s unique breadth of experience could narrate. A New York Times Editor’s Pick when it was first published, Heavy Metal Islam is a surprising, wildly entertaining foray into a historically authoritarian region where music reveals itself to be a true democratizing force—and a groundbreaking work of scholarship that pioneered new forms of research in the region.
A rigorous study of the problem of evil in Islamic theology Like their Jewish and Christian co-religionists, Muslims have grappled with how God, who is perfectly good, compassionate, merciful, powerful, and wise permits intense and profuse evil and suffering in the world. At its core, Islamic Theology and the Problem of Evil explores four different problems of evil: human disability, animal suffering, evolutionary natural selection, and Hell. Each study argues in favor of a particular kind of explanation or justification (theodicy) for the respective evil. Safaruk Chowdhury unpacks the notion of evil and its conceptualization within the mainstream Sunni theological tradition, and the various ways in which theologians and philosophers within that tradition have advanced different types of theodicies. He not only builds on previous works on the topic, but also looks at kinds of theodicies previously unexplored within Islamic theology, such as an evolutionary theodicy. Distinguished by its application of an analytic-theology approach to the subject and drawing on insights from works of both medieval Muslim theologians and philosophers and contemporary philosophers of religion, this novel and highly systematic study will appeal to students and scholars, not only of theology but of philosophy as well.
Muslim convert Christine Huda Dodge possesses a unique foot-in-each-world perspective on Islam. With her comprehension of Islam and her understanding of the kinds of questions and issues that perplex Westerners, she is the perfect guide to: The life of Muhammad the Prophet The QurÆan and the Sunnah The five pillars of practice Muslim daily life Women and Islam This guide is ideal for casual readers and students alike. Authoritative, accessible, detailed, and celebratory, it covers everything from basic beliefs and practices to the Islamic influences on Western civilization.
