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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian sacred works & liturgy > Sacred texts > General
This new verse translation of the classic Sanskrit text combines
the skills of leading Hinduist Gavin Flood with the stylistic verve
of award-winning poet and translator Charles Martin. The result is
a living, vivid work that avoids dull pedantry and remains true to
the extraordinarily influential original. A devotional, literary,
and philosophical masterpiece of unsurpassed beauty and imaginative
relevance, The Bhagavad Gita has inspired, among others, Mahatma
Gandhi, J. Robert Oppenheimer, T. S. Eliot, Christopher Isherwood,
and Aldous Huxley. Its universal themes life and death, war and
peace, sacrifice resonate in a West increasingly interested in
Eastern religious experiences and the Hindu diaspora."
The Inner Chapters are the oldest pieces of the larger collection
of writings by several fourth, third, and second century B.C.
authors that constitute the classic of Taoism, the Chuang-Tzu (or
Zhuangzi). It is this core of ancient writings that is ascribed to
Chuang-Tzu himself.
An exploration of storytelling and narrative devices in the
Qur'anIn this book, Leyla Ozgur Alhassen approaches the Qur'an as a
literary, religious and oral text that affects its audience. She
looks at how Qur'anic stories function as narrative: how characters
and dialogues are portrayed; what themes are repeated; what verbal
echoes and conceptual links are present; what structure is
established; and what beliefs these narrative choices strengthen.
And she argues that in the Qur'an, some narrative features that are
otherwise puzzling can be seen as instances in which God, as the
narrator, centres himself while putting the audience in its place.
In essence, this makes the act of reading an interaction between
God and the audience.Qur'anic Stories demonstrates that a
narratological and rhetorical approach to the canonised text can
contribute new insights to our understanding of the Qur'an and its
worldview.
Let the wisdom of Colossians transform relationships in every area
of your life -- home, church, and even the world -- with this study
guide from renowned Bible teacher Joyce Meyer. Paul's letter to the
Colossians reminds us that as we have died with Christ, we also
need to die to our sins. It encourages us that because we have also
been raised in Him, we must submit to Jesus and adopt qualities
motivated by Christian love. In this comprehensive study tool,
Joyce Meyer's commentary on Colossians affirms the Lordship of
Christ and offers practical advice on family, relationships, and
faith.
In a global context of widespread fears over Islamic radicalisation
and militancy, poor Muslim youth, especially those socialised in
religious seminaries, have attracted overwhelmingly negative
attention. In northern Nigeria, male Qur'anic students have
garnered a reputation of resorting to violence in order to claim
their share of highly unequally distributed resources. Drawing on
material from long-term ethnographic and participatory fieldwork
among Qur'anic students and their communities, this book offers an
alternative perspective on youth, faith, and poverty. Mobilising
insights from scholarship on education, poverty research and
childhood and youth studies, Hannah Hoechner describes how
religious discourses can moderate feelings of inadequacy triggered
by experiences of exclusion, and how Qur'anic school enrolment
offers a way forward in constrained circumstances, even though it
likely reproduces poverty in the long run. A pioneering study of
religious school students conducted through participatory methods,
this book presents vital insights into the concerns of this
much-vilified group.
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.
Reading the Qur'an in the Twenty-First Century considers the
development of Qur'anic interpretation and highlights modern
debates around new approaches to interpretation. It explores how
Muslims from various theological, legal, socio-political and
philosophical backgrounds think about the meaning and relevance of
the Qur'an, and how their ideas apply in the contemporary world.
The book: reflects on one of the most dominant approaches to
interpretation in the pre-modern period, textualism, and the
reaction to that in Muslim feminist readings of the Qur'an today.
covers issues such as identifying the hierarchical nature of
Qur'anic values, the criteria for the use of hadith in
interpretation, fluidity of meaning and ways of ensuring a degree
of stability in interpretation. examines key Qur'anic passages and
compares pre-modern and modern interpretations to show the evolving
nature of interpretation. Examples discussed include: the authority
of men over women, the death of Jesus, shura and democracy, and
riba and interest. Abdullah Saeed provides a practical guide for
interpretation and presents the principal ideas of a contextualist
approach, which situates the original message of the Qur'an in its
wider social, political, cultural, economic and intellectual
context. He advocates a more flexible method of interpretation that
gives due recognition to earlier interpretations of the Qur'an
while also being aware of changing conditions and the need to
approach the Qur'an afresh today.
Millions of non-Muslims know the name of the Muslim scripture,
whether it is written as "Qur'an" or "Quran" or "Koran." But for
most, that is all they know. Many have fallen victim to the mass of
misinformation that circulates about the Qur'an. Others may have
tried to read the Qur'an, but the text itself is tough to decipher.
With no sense of context, chronology, or interpretive history, many
would-be readers of the Qur'an quickly give up the effort. As for
those trying to find out what the Qur'an says about any particular
subject or issue, they, too, soon discover that this is not a
simple or straightforward undertaking. A clear, concise
introduction to the holy book that guides the lives of 1.6 billion
people on our planet, this brief volume opens the world of the
Qur'an to interested readers who want to know where this scripture
came from and how it has achieved a profound influence in today's
world. Writing in an easy-to-read question-and-answer format, Jane
McAuliffe, one of the world's foremost scholars of the Qur'an,
introduces readers to this important text by discussing its
origins, structure, themes, interpretations, and what it has to say
about a host of critical contemporary issues. Where did the Qur'an
come from? Do Muslims believe that the Qur'an is God's own word?
How do Muslims study the Qur'an? What does the Qur'an say about
God? About family? About ethics? About violence? By answering the
questions that many people have about the Qur'an and its role in
Muslim faith, this book offers an invaluable resource for anyone
who is curious about one of the world's most important faiths.
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Salawat of Tremendous Blessings
(Paperback)
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani; Commentary by Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil Haqqani, Shaykh Abdallah Ad-Daghestani
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R249
R203
Discovery Miles 2 030
Save R46 (18%)
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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"Salawat of Tremendous Blessings" is a compilation of daily and
weekly supplications and invocations devoted to Prophet Muhammad
that contain specific, immense benefits for supplicants. Taken from
authentic Arabic sources, prayers featured in this work have been
recited for centuries by Muslims around the world. This book
provides easy-to-pronounce English transliteration of Arabic text,
along with English explanations of their benefits as mentioned by
renowned Islamic scholars and mystics. Includes supplications
(salawat, darood) recited for specific purposes, such as to heal
from ailments and afflictions, to lessen burdens, or to see Prophet
Muhammad in a dream.
This definitive sourcebook presents more than sixty authoritative
new translations of key Islamic texts. Edited and translated by
three leading specialists, Classical Islam features eight
thematically-linked sections covering the Qur'an and its
interpretation, the life of Muhammad, hadith, law, theology,
mysticism and Islamic history. The new edition has been expanded to
cover a fuller range of material illustrating the growth of Islamic
thought from its seventh-century origins through to the end of the
medieval period. It includes illustrations, a glossary, extensive
bibliography and explanatory prefaces for each text. Classical
Islam is an essential resource for the study of early and medieval
Islam and its legacy.
This book challenges the dominant scholarly notion that the Qur'an
must be interpreted through the medieval commentaries shaped by the
biography of the prophet Muhammad, arguing instead that the text is
best read in light of Christian and Jewish scripture. The Qur'an,
in its use of allusions, depends on the Biblical knowledge of its
audience. However, medieval Muslim commentators, working in a
context of religious rivalry, developed stories that separate
Qur'an and Bible, which this book brings back together. In a series
of studies involving the devil, Adam, Abraham, Jonah, Mary, and
Muhammad among others, Reynolds shows how modern translators of the
Qur'an have followed medieval Muslim commentary and demonstrates
how an appreciation of the Qur'an's Biblical subtext uncovers the
richness of the Qur'an's discourse. Presenting unique
interpretations of 13 different sections of the Qur'an based on
studies of earlier Jewish and Christian literature, the author
substantially re-evaluates Muslim exegetical literature. Thus The
Qur'an and Its Biblical Subtext, a work based on a profound regard
for the Qur'an's literary structure and rhetorical strategy, poses
a substantial challenge to the standard scholarship of Qur'anic
Studies. With an approach that bridges early Christian history and
Islamic origins, the book will appeal not only to students of the
Qur'an but of the Bible, religious studies and Islamic history.
The book of Esther was a conscious reaction to much of the
conventional wisdom of its day, challenging beliefs regarding the
Jerusalem Temple, the land of Israel, Jewish law, and even God.
Aaron Koller identifies Esther as primarily a political work, and
shows that early reactions ranged from ignoring the book to
'rewriting' Esther in order to correct its perceived flaws. But few
biblical books have been read in such different ways, and the vast
quantity of Esther-interpretation in rabbinic literature indicates
a conscious effort by the Rabbis to present Esther as a story of
faith and traditionalism, and bring it into the fold of the grand
biblical narrative. Koller situates Esther, and its many
interpretations, within the intellectual and political contexts of
Ancient Judaism, and discusses its controversial themes. His
innovative line of enquiry will be of great interest to students
and scholars of Bible and Jewish studies.
This volume brings together the work of a group of Islamic studies
scholars from across the globe. They discuss how past and present
Muslim women have participated in the struggle for gender justice
in Muslim communities and around the world. The essays demonstrate
a diversity of methodological approaches, religious and secular
sources, and theoretical frameworks for understanding Muslim
negotiations of gender norms and practices. Part I (Concepts) puts
into conversation women scholars who define Muslima theology and
Islamic feminism vis-a-vis secular notions of gender diversity and
discuss the deployment of the oppression of Muslim women as a
hegemonic imperialist strategy. The chapters in Part II (Sources)
engage with the Qur'an, hadith, and sunna as religious sources to
be examined and reinterpreted in the quest for gender justice as
God's will and the example of the Prophet Muhammad. In Part III
(Histories), contributors search for Muslim women's agency as
scholars, thinkers, and activists from the early period of Islam to
the present - from Southeast Asia to North America. Representing a
transnational and cross-generational conversation, this work will
be a key resource to students and scholars interested in the
history of Islamic feminism, Muslim women, gender justice, and
Islam.
A collection of 40 Hadith (sayings) of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
focusing on the notion of social justice in Islam.
"The Essentials of Buddhist Meditation" is a classic Buddhist
meditation instruction manual deeply rooted in the Indian Buddhist
"calming-and-insight" meditation tradition. Within its tradition,
it is the universally-acknowledged standard
beginning-to-intermediate meditation manual, one which offers
perhaps the most reliable, comprehensive, and practically-useful
Buddhist meditation instruction currently available in English. The
author of "The Essentials" is the sixth-century monk and meditation
master, Shramana Zhiyi (Chih-i), one of the most illustrious
figures in the history of Chinese Buddhism. Master Zhiyi is famous
for his role in the founding of the Tiantai teachings lineage and
for his authorship of a quartet of meditation manuals of which this
is one. The translator of this volume is the American monk, Bhikshu
Dharmamitra, a translator of numerous classic works from the Indian
and Chinese Buddhist traditions.
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Jeremiah
(Hardcover)
Binyamin Lau
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R583
R522
Discovery Miles 5 220
Save R61 (10%)
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In Jeremiah: The Fate of a Prophet, Rabbi Dr. Binyamin Lau breaks
down the Book of Jeremiah, rearranging its chapters according to
historical events and the chronology of the prophet's life. This
groundbreaking reconstruction turns the biblical narrative from a
collection of disjointed prophecies into a thrilling account of
warring empires and nationalistic struggle, social decay and
political intrigue, soaring hope and crushing despair.
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