"The Condemnation of Pride and Self-Admiration" is the twenty-ninth chapter of "Revival of the Religious Sciences", a monumental work written by the jurist Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali (d.1111). Perhaps the most important chapter in the "Revival", "The Condemnation of Pride and Self-Admiration" delves into the fundamental spiritual ailments and major impediments of the soul, namely pride and self-admiration. From the beginning of the work, Ghazali states that both pride and self-admiration are forms of spiritual disease. He treats of pride in Part One, firstly condemning this ailment with verses from the Qur'an, describing how it manifests outwardly, how the virtue of humility represents its opposite, what it is and what its symptoms are, as well as the seven reasons for the cause of pride and the root cause of pride in self-admiration. As an antidote, Ghazali offers examples of true humility, showing the manner by which the seven causes of pride can be dealt with, balancing these observations out with a warning against false humility. In Part Two Ghazali discusses self-admiration, condemning it as he did pride in Part One, showing the various ways it manifests inwardly, how it causes negligence, delusion and complacency, how each can be remedied, that self-admiration does not always lead to proud actions, and how the cure lies in the Qur'an, the teachings of the Prophet, proofs based on sound reasoning, as well as recognising that knowledge is a blessing from God.

A series of enlightening discourses delivered in Cape Town, South Africa, by the leader of the Qadiri-Shadhili-Darqawi Tariqa in explanation of two Qur anic passages and various Sufic texts and qasidas. Among the poems he examines are the famous Khamriyya of Ibn al-Farid and qasidas from the Diwan of Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Habib. A pure Su c treatise, this book contains, among many other things, a de nitive statement on the vital technical term khayal as used by Shaykh Ibn al- Arabi al-Hatimi, correcting Orientalist misconceptions about it and providing a real framework within which to understand the true processes of Divine illumination.

Three Translations of the Koran (Al-Qu'ran) side-by-side with each verse not split across pages. This book compiles three English translations of the Koran, by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Marmaduke Pickthall and Mohammad Habib Shaki, in three columns, aligned so it is possible to read across and compare translations for each verse.

How is hostage space constructed? In this age-long procedure found in conflicts around the world, strange forms of terror and intimacy arise, particularly in the contemporary Islamic cultures of Chechnya, Albania, and Bosnia. This book investigates the modes of desire and politics found in kidnapping, in order to reveal the voices of victims and kidnappers that often remain closed up. Dejan Lukic explores the spaces where hostages and hostage takers come into contact - spaces of accident, sacrifice, hope, and catastrophe - or, in other words, the spaces that announce utopias bound to fail. In this book, the figures of the victim, the terrorist, the sovereign, the resistance fighter and the witness - among others - emerge with a new face; one that will contribute to our understandings of what it means to act politically and ethically today.

This decisive account of the role of nonviolence in Islam and Muslim societies, both historically and in current times, chronicles an often-obscured but longstanding pacifist tradition. "Islam" Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today provides a rebuttal to general misperceptions about the religion by documenting its rich tradition of nonviolence. To that end, the book examines the sources of Islam-the Qur'an, the main religious text of Islam, and the Hadith, the deeds and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. It contests the prevalent notion that Islam is built on violence in part by illuminating the role of the tolerant, mystical tradition of Sufism in Islam, while at the same time examining the misunderstood place of jihad in the religion. The book is not, however, a historical or theological treatise. Rather, it focuses on the tradition of nonviolence in modern Muslim societies. By spotlighting recent peaceful protest movements in Muslim communities, the book underscores the truly global and multicultural nature of the Islamic tradition of nonviolence. The findings here will be invaluable for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, revealing an alternative tradition both can embrace. Voices of leading nonviolence activists, such as Nobel Peace Prize-winner Shirin Ebadi, Mubarak Awad, Gene Sharp, and rock star Salman Ahmad, that make the history of nonviolent activism immediate and up to date A bibliography listing a wide array of source materials

Recent arguments surrounding the meaning and message of the Qur'an often focus on whether or not it supports or exhorts violence. Such arguments, though, tend to ignore the fact that the scriptures found there speak to various aspects of life and living. The Qur'anic Narrative attempts to show that the Qur'an has an inspiring message that aims to enlighten the path of those who embrace it and guides them through the journey of life. Exploring various themes related to everyday experiences, Safi reveals the meaning of the Qur'an with regard to issues of spirit, faith, charity, patience, fasting, salvation, pride, charity, moral discipline, and other relevant topics.

In an attempt to recapture the Islamic spirit promoted in the Qur'an, this book offers an approach that speaks to areas of life many people are concerned about. It pastes together a narrative that is more consistent and more representative of the overall Qur'anic message, which, the author contends, is ultimately one of peace and hope. Safi places the Qur'an in context, too, by examining its meaning to early recipients of the scriptures and its place in that particular social and historical context. He continues by updating that meaning for modern readers and adherents, relating the intended meaning to an evolving human audience and to contemporary experiences. The author contends that extremist readings are misinterpretations and that those who may view the Qur'an as a holy text that encourages, even demands, violence are incorrect. Ultimately, readers will come away from this work with a broader appreciation of the Qur'an and its intended meaning and message.

"World Christianity in Local Context and Muslim Encounter" is a unique collection of essays in honour of David A. Kerr, who was well-known for his contributions in the areas of Christian-Muslim dialogue, Ecumenical Studies and Missions. With contributions from recognised experts in these fields, the book provides a platform for examining critical issues facing twenty-first century Christianity, with a special emphasis on contemporary Christian-Muslim relations.In Volume 1, scholars and church leaders offer insights into current trends in Local Theology and Missions from the contexts of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. Contemporary themes explored in this volume include the mission for the Church in the context of economic globalization, post-Christendom and pluralism in the West, a Chinese theology of suffering and social responsibility, Latin America as an emerging mission base, and others.Volume 2 is a veritable Who's Who of renowned Christian and Muslim scholars that have shaped the course of Christian-Muslim dialogue over the last half century. Their contributions in this volume address the pivotal issues facing Christians and Muslims today, such as Islamism, Islamophobia, Dialogue and Religious Truth Claims in Christianity and Islam, Religious Freedom, Inter-Religious Challenges to Urban Multiculturalism and others.

Latino and Muslim in America examines how so called "minority groups" are made, fragmented, and struggle for recognition in the U.S.A. The U.S. is currently poised to become the first nation whose collective minorities will outnumber the dominant population, and Latinos play no small role in this world changing demographic shift. Even as many people view Latinos and Muslims as growing threats, Latino Muslims celebrate their intersecting identities both in their daily lives and in their mediated representations online. In this book, Harold Morales follows the lives of several Latino Muslim leaders from the 1970's to the present, and their efforts to organize and unify nationally in order to solidify the new identity group's place within the public sphere. Based on four years of ethnography, media analysis and historical research, Morales demonstrates how the phenomenon of Latinos converting to Islam emerges from distinctive immigration patterns and laws, urban spaces, and new media technologies that have increasingly brought Latinos and Muslims in to contact with one another. He explains this growing community as part of the mass exodus out of the Catholic Church, the digitization of religion, and the growth of Islam. Latino and Muslim in America explores the racialization of religion, the framing of religious conversion experiences, the dissemination of post-colonial histories, and the development of Latino Muslim networks, to show that the categories of race, religion, and media are becoming inextricably entwined.

Shi'ism in America provides the first general overview of the Shi'i community in America, tracing its history, its current composition, and how Shi'a have negotiated their identity in the American context.

There are over two million Shi'is, who differ from Sunni Muslims in their understandings of the early line of succession after Muhammad, in the United States. With community roots going back sometimes close to one hundred years, Shi'is can be found in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, and Dearborn, Michigan. Early in the century, Shi'is and Sunnis sometimes arrived at the same time, worshipped together, shared similar experiences, and confronted the same challenges despite their sectarian differences.

Both tracing the early history and illuminating the more recent past with surveys and interviews, Takim explores the experiences of this community. Filling an important scholarly gap, he also demonstrates how living in the West has impelled the Shi'i community to grapple with the ways in which Islamic law may respond to the challenges of modernity. Shi'ism in America provides a much-needed overview of the history of this United States religious community, from religious, cultural, and political institutions to inter-group relations, to the experience of African American Shi'is.

This unique work takes a method of textual analysis commonly used in studies of ancient Western and Eastern manuscripts and applies it to twenty-one early Qur'an manuscripts. Keith Small analyzes a defined portion of text from the Qur'an with two aims in view: to recover the earliest form of text for this portion, and to trace the historical development of this portion to the current form of the text of the Qur'an. Small concludes that though a significantly early edited form of the consonantal text of the Qur'an can be recovered, its original forms of text cannot be obtained. He also documents the further editing that was required to record the Arabic text of the Qur'an in a complete phonetic script, as well as providing an explanation for much of the development of various recitation systems of the Qur'an. This controversial, thought-provoking book provides a rigorous examination into the history of the Qur'an and will be of great interest to Quranic Studies scholars.

How can Muslims be both good citizens of liberal democracies and good Muslims? This is among the most pressing questions of our time, particularly in contemporary Europe. Some argue that Muslims have no tradition of separation of church and state and therefore can't participate in secular, pluralist society. At the other extreme, some Muslims argue that it is the duty of all believers to resist Western forms of government and to impose Islamic law. Andrew F. March is seeking to find a middle way between these poles. Is there, he asks, a tradition that is both consistent with orthodox Sunni Islam that is also compatible with modern liberal democracy? He begins with Rawls's theory that liberal societies rely for stability on an ''overlapping consensus'' between a public conception of justice and popular religious doctrines and asks what kinds of demands liberal societies place on citizens, and particularly on Muslims. March then offers a thorough examination of Islamic sources and current trends in Islamic thought to see whether there can indeed be a consensus. March finds that the answer is an emphatic ''yes.'' He demonstrates that there are very strong and authentically Islamic arguments for accepting the demands of citizenship in a liberal democracy, many of them found even in medieval works of Islamic jurisprudence. In fact, he shows, it is precisely the fact that Rawlsian political liberalism makes no claims to metaphysical truth that makes it appealing to Muslims.

Target exam success with My Revision Notes. Our updated approach to revision will help students learn, practise and apply their skills and understanding. Coverage of key content is combined with practical study tips and effective revision strategies to create a revision guide students can rely on to build both knowledge and confidence. My Revision Notes: A-level Religious Studies Islam will help students to: - Plan and manage a successful revision programme using the topic-by-topic planner - Consolidate your knowledge by working through clear and focused content coverage - Test understanding and identify areas for improvement with regular tasks and answers - Improve exam technique through practice questions, expert tips and examples of typical mistakes to avoid