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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian sacred works & liturgy > Sacred texts > General
Dhammapada means "the path of dharma," the path of truth, harmony,
and righteousness that anyone can follow to reach the highest good.
Easwaran's translation of this classic Buddhist text is the
best-selling edition in its field, praised by Huston Smith as a
"sublime rendering." The introduction gives an overview of the
Buddha's teachings that is penetrating and clear - accessible for
readers new to Buddhism, but also with fresh insights and practical
applications for readers familiar with this text. Chapter
introductions place individual verses into the context of the
broader Buddhist canon. Easwaran is a master storyteller, and his
opening essay includes many stories that make moving, memorable
reading, bringing young Siddhartha and his heroic spiritual quest
vividly to life. But Easwaran's main qualification for interpreting
the Dhammapada, he said, was that he knew from his own experience
that these verses could transform our lives. This faithful
rendition brings us closer to the compassionate heart of the
Buddha.
This commentary on a selection of daily chants offers an important
perspective upon some of the core tenets of Buddhist thought and
teaching. The Venerable Myoko-ni surveys some of the key chants,
including The Repentance Sutra, The Heart Sutra, and The Four Great
Vows, assessing their origins, and the meaning that lies behind
their creation and interpretation. An invaluable guide to all
engaged in Buddhism and some of its key daily practices.
This book presents an intellectual history of today's Muslim world,
surveying contemporary Muslim thinking in its various
manifestations, addressing a variety of themes that impact on the
lives of present-day Muslims. Focusing on the period from roughly
the late 1960s to the first decade of the twenty-first century, the
book is global in its approach and offers an overview of different
strands of thought and trends in the development of new ideas,
distinguishing between traditional, reactionary, and progressive
approaches. It presents a variety of themes and issues including:
The continuing relevance of the legacy of traditional Islamic
learning as well as the use of reason; the centrality of the
Qur'an; the spiritual concerns of contemporary Muslims; political
thought regarding secularity, statehood, and governance; legal and
ethical debates; related current issues like human rights, gender
equality, and religious plurality; as well as globalization,
ecology and the environment, bioethics, and life sciences. An
alternative account of Islam and the Muslim world today,
counterbalancing narratives that emphasise politics and
confrontations with the West, this book is an essential resource
for students and scholars of Islam.
An essential companion to a timeless spiritual classic The Lotus
Sutra is among the most venerated scriptures of Buddhism. Composed
in India some two millennia ago, it asserts the potential for all
beings to attain supreme enlightenment. Donald Lopez and Jacqueline
Stone provide an essential reading companion to this inspiring yet
enigmatic masterpiece, explaining how it was understood by its
compilers in India and, centuries later in medieval Japan, by one
of its most influential proponents. In this illuminating
chapter-by-chapter guide, Lopez and Stone show how the sutra's
anonymous authors skillfully reframed the mainstream Buddhist
tradition in light of a new vision of the path and the person of
the Buddha himself, and examine how the sutra's metaphors,
parables, and other literary devices worked to legitimate that
vision. They go on to explore how the Lotus was interpreted by the
Japanese Buddhist master Nichiren (1222-1282), whose inspired
reading of the book helped to redefine modern Buddhism. In doing
so, Lopez and Stone demonstrate how readers of sacred works
continually reinterpret them in light of their own unique
circumstances. An invaluable guide to an incomparable spiritual
classic, this book unlocks the teachings of the Lotus for modern
readers while providing insights into the central importance of
commentary as the vehicle by which ancient writings are given
contemporary meaning.
Walk the path of holiness, stir your faith in God, and break free
from the bonds of a sinful nature with Joyce Meyer's Galatians
commentary, featuring inspiring questions and space for your
reflections. Paul's letter to the church at Galatia speaks largely
to how important it was to Paul that the people embrace unity in
Christ, no matter their differences. Galatians teaches that we're
only justified by faith in Christ only and encourages us to pursue
a life of holiness, not in our own strength, but in the knowledge
of God's empowering grace in our lives. In this comprehensive study
tool, Joyce Meyer offers an in-depth look at Galatians and
emphasizes that we are not only saved by faith, we must learn to
live by faith as well.
Centering on the first extant martyr story (2 Maccabees 7), this
study explores the "autonomous value" of martyrdom. The story of a
mother and her seven sons who die under the torture of the Greek
king Antiochus displaces the long-problematic Temple sacrificial
cult with new cultic practices, and presents a new family romance
that encodes unconscious fantasies of child-bearing fathers and
eternal mergers with mothers. This study places the martyr story in
the historical context of the Hasmonean struggle for legitimacy in
the face of Jewish civil wars, and uses psychoanalytic theories to
analyze the unconscious meaning of the martyr-family story.
The Ramayana is one of the great epics of the ancient world, with
versions spanning the cultures, religions and languages of Asia.
Its story of Rama's quest to recover his wife Sita from her
abduction by Raavana, the Lord of the Underworld, has enchanted
readers and audiences across the Eastern world for thousands of
years. Daljit Nagra was captivated by his grandparents' Punjabi
version as a child, and has chosen to rejuvenate the story for a
new generation of multicultural, multi-faith readers. By drawing on
scenes originating in versions such as those from Cambodia, Laos
and Thailand, as well as the better-known Indian Ramayanas, and by
incorporating elements of Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain and secular
versions, Nagra creates a consciously multicultural Ramayana. This
dazzling version is both accessible and engaging, written in
Nagra's typically vibrant and eclectic language, and bursting with
energy, pathos and humour.
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Sahih Muslim (Volume 6)
(Paperback)
Abul-Husain Muslim; Introduction by Imam Nawawi; Notes by Imam Nawawi; Edited by Adil Salahi
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R489
Discovery Miles 4 890
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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Imam Nawawi's commentary on Sahih Muslim is one of the most highly
regarded works in Islamic thought and literature. Accepted by every
sunni school of thought, and foundational in the Shaafi school,
this text, available for the first time in English, is famed
throughout the Muslim world. After the Qur'an, the prophetic
traditions are the most recognised source of wisdom in Islam.
Amongst the collected Hadith, Sahih Muslim is second only to the
the collection of Imam Bukhari. With a commentary by Imam Nawawi,
whose other works are amongst the most widely-read books on Islam,
and translated by Adil Salahi, a modern scholar of great acclaim,
this immense work, finally available to English readers, is an
essential addition to every Muslim library, and for anybody with an
interest in Islamic thought.
The Biblical World is a comprehensive guide to the contents,
historical settings, and social context of the Bible. This new
edition is updated with several new chapters as well as a new
section on biblical interpretation. Contributions from leading
scholars in the field present wide-ranging views not just of
biblical materials and their literary and linguistic context, but
also of the social institutions, history and archaeology, and
religious concepts. New chapters cover topics such as the
priesthood and festivals, creation and covenant, ethics, and family
life, while a new section on biblical interpretation discusses
Jewish and Christian bible translation and key thematic emphases,
and modern reader-response and cultural approaches. This revised
edition of The Biblical World offers an up-to-date and thorough
survey of the Bible and its world, and will continue to be an
invaluable resource for students and scholars of the Hebrew Bible
and New Testament and their history and interpretation, as well as
anyone working on the societies, religions, and political and
cultural institutions that created and influenced these texts.
Steve D. Fraade offers a new translation, with notes, and detailed
commentary to the Dead Sea Scroll most commonly called the Damascus
Document, based on both ancient manuscripts from caves along the
western shore of the Dead Sea, and medieval manuscripts from the
Cairo Geniza. The text is one of the longest and most important of
the Dead Sea Scrolls. Its importance derives from several aspects
of its contents: its extensive collections of laws, both for the
sectarian community that authored it and for the rest of Israel;
some of the oldest examples of scriptural interpretation, both
legal and narrative, both implicit and explicit, with important
implications for our understanding of the evolving status of the
Hebrew canon; some of the clearest expressions, often in hortatory
form, of the community's self-understanding as an elect remnant of
Israel that understands itself in dualistic opposition to the rest
of Israel, its practices, and its leaders; important expressions of
the community's self-understanding as a priestly alternative to the
sacrificial worship in the Jerusalem Temple; expressions of an
apocalyptic, eschatological understanding of living as the true
Israel in the "end of days;" important expressions of attitudes
toward woman, sexual activity, and marriage; importance for our
understanding of ancient modes of teaching and of ritual practice;
importance for the study of the history of the Hebrew language and
its scribal practices. The volume contains a substantial
introduction, dealing with these aspects of the Damascus Document
and locating its place within the Dead Sea Scrolls more broadly as
well as the historical context of ancient Judaism that gave rise to
this text.
So what exactly is Islam? And what does the Koran (Qur'an), Islam's
most sacred text, REALLY teach? Professor Khalid Sayyed presents
this insightful and comprehensive study, that will undoubtedly shed
light on a number of problematic themes concerning the practice and
philosophy of Islam in today's world. This attractively-priced
paperback version, fully indexed, is a must for any serious student
of Islam..... A review from Dr Syed Husain, Cambridge University:
"To my mind, what makes THE QURAN'S CHALLENGE TO ISLAM most welcome
is the author's desire to avert clashes caused by misunderstandings
about Islam today. Illustrating the author's ground-breaking
research, this unusual piece of work convincingly acquaints the
Muslim as well as the non-Muslim world with what Islam is and what
it really means. Sayyed very clearly highlights the differences and
conflicts which the Muslim Holy Scripture has with the conventional
beliefs of Islam."
An essential companion to a timeless spiritual classic The Lotus
Sutra is among the most venerated scriptures of Buddhism. Composed
in India some two millennia ago, it asserts the potential for all
beings to attain supreme enlightenment. Donald Lopez and Jacqueline
Stone provide an essential reading companion to this inspiring yet
enigmatic masterpiece, explaining how it was understood by its
compilers in India and, centuries later in medieval Japan, by one
of its most influential proponents. In this illuminating
chapter-by-chapter guide, Lopez and Stone show how the sutra's
anonymous authors skillfully reframed the mainstream Buddhist
tradition in light of a new vision of the path and the person of
the Buddha himself, and examine how the sutra's metaphors,
parables, and other literary devices worked to legitimate that
vision. They go on to explore how the Lotus was interpreted by the
Japanese Buddhist master Nichiren (1222-1282), whose inspired
reading of the book helped to redefine modern Buddhism. In doing
so, Lopez and Stone demonstrate how readers of sacred works
continually reinterpret them in light of their own unique
circumstances. An invaluable guide to an incomparable spiritual
classic, this book unlocks the teachings of the Lotus for modern
readers while providing insights into the central importance of
commentary as the vehicle by which ancient writings are given
contemporary meaning.
This third volume of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition completes the
Zohar's commentary on the book of Genesis. Here we find spiritual
explorations of numerous biblical narratives, including Jacob's
wrestling with the angel, Joseph's kidnapping by his brothers, his
near seduction by Potiphar's wife, his interpretation of Pharaoh's
dreams, and his reunion with his brothers and father. Throughout,
the Zohar probes the biblical text and seeks deeper meaning-for
example, the divine intention behind Joseph's disappearance, or the
profound significance of human sexuality. Divine and human
realities intertwine, affecting one another. Toward the end of
Genesis, the Bible states: Jacob's days drew near to die-an
idiomatic expression that the Zohar insists on reading
hyperliterally. Each human being is challenged to live his days
virtuously. If he does, those days themselves are woven into a
garment of splendor; at death, they "draw near," enveloping him,
escorting him to the beyond. Sefer ha-Zohar (The Book of Radiance)
has amazed and overwhelmed readers ever since it emerged
mysteriously in medieval Spain toward the end of the thirteenth
century. Written in a unique Aramaic, this masterpiece of Kabbalah
exceeds the dimensions of a normal book; it is virtually a body of
literature, comprising over twenty discrete sections. The bulk of
the Zohar consists of a running commentary on the Torah, from
Genesis through Deuteronomy.
Offering an analysis of Christian-Muslim dialogue across four
centuries, this book highlights those voices of ecumenical tone
which have more often used the Qur'an for drawing the two faiths
together rather than pushing them apart, and amplifies the voice of
the Qur'an itself. Finding that there is tremendous ecumenical
ground between Christianity and Islam in the voices of their own
scholars, this book ranges from a period of declining ecumenism
during the first three centuries of Islam, to a period of resurging
ecumenism during the most recent century until now. Among the
ecumenical voices in the Christian-Muslim dialogue, this book
points out that the Qur'an itself is possibly the strongest of
those voices. These findings are cause for, and evidence of, hope
for the Christian-Muslim relationship: that although agreement may
never be reached, dialogue has led at times to very real mutual
understanding and appreciation of the religious other. Providing a
tool for those pursuing understanding and mutual appreciation
between the Islamic and Christian faiths, this book will be of
interest to scholars and students of Islam, the Qur'an and the
history of Christian-Muslim relations.
Exploring the subjectivity of the Qur'an's meaning in the world,
this book analyses Qur'anic referencing in Muslim political
rhetoric. Informed by classical Arabic-Islamic rhetorical theory,
the author examines Arabic documents attributed to the 'Abbasid
Caliph al-Ma'mun (r. 813-833), whose rule coincided with the
maturation of classical Islamic political thought and literary
culture. She demonstrates how Qur'anic referencing functions as
tropological exegesis, whereby verses in the Qur'an are
reinterpreted through the lens of subjective experience. At the
same time socio-historical experiences are understood in terms of
the Qur'an's moral typology, which consists of interrelated
polarities that define good and bad moral characters in mutual
orientation. Through strategic deployment of scriptural references
within the logical scheme of rhetorical argument, the Caliph
constructs moral analogies between paradigmatic characters in the
Qur'an and people in his social milieu, and situates himself as
moral reformer and guide, in order to persuade his audiences of the
necessity of the Caliphate and the religio-moral imperative of
obedience to his authority. The Ma'munid case study is indicative
of the nature and function of Qur'anic referencing across
historical periods, and thus contributes to broader conversations
about the impact of the Qur'an on the shaping of Islamic
civilization. This book is an invaluable resource for those with an
interest in Early Islamic History, Islam and the rhetoric of
contemporary Middle East regional and global Islamic politics.
Qur'anic Studies Today brings together specialists in the field of
Islamic studies to provide a range of essays that reflect the depth
and breadth of scholarship on the Qur'an. Combining theoretical and
methodological clarity with close readings of qur'anic texts, these
contributions provide close analysis of specific passages, themes,
and issues within the Qur'an, even as they attend to the
disciplinary challenges within the field of qur'anic studies today.
Chapters are arranged into three parts, treating specific figures
appearing in the Qur'an, analysing particular suras, and finally
reflecting on the Qur'an and its "others." They explore the
internal dimensions and interior chronology of the Qur'an as text,
its possible conversations with biblical and non-biblical
traditions in Late Antiquity, and its role as scripture in modern
exegesis and recitation. Together, they are indispensable for
students and scholars who seek an understanding of the Qur'an
founded on the most recent scholarly achievements. Offering both a
reflection of and a reflection on the discipline of qur'anic
studies, the strong, scholarly examinations of the Qur'an in this
volume provide a valuable contribution to Islamic and qur'anic
studies.
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