This book explains the concept of Islamic "da'wah," or missionary activity, as it has developed in contemporary Western contexts. Poston traces the transition from the early "external-institutional" missionary approach impracticable in modern Western society, to an "internal-personal" approach which aims at the conversion of individuals and seeks to influence society from the bottom upwards. Poston also combines the results of a questionnaire-survey with an analysis of published testimonies to identify significant traits that distinguish converts to Islam.

The 'War on Terror' ushered in a new era of anti-Muslim bias and racism. Anti-Muslim racism, or Islamophobia, is influenced by local economies, power structures and histories. However, the War on Terror, a conflict undefined by time and place, with a homogenised Muslim 'Other' framed as a perpetual enemy, has contributed towards a global Islamophobic narrative. This edited international volume examines the connections between interpersonal and institutional anti-Muslim racism that have contributed to the growth and emboldening of nativist and populist protest movements globally. It maps out categories of Islamophobia, revealing how localised histories, conflicts and contemporary geopolitical realities have textured the ways that Islamophobia has manifested across the global North and South. At the same time, it seeks to highlight activism and resistance confronting Islamophobia. -- .

Horse of Karbala is a study of Muharram rituals and interfaith relations in three locations in India: Ladakh, Darjeeling, and Hyderabad. These rituals commemorate an event of vital importance to Shia Muslims: the seventh-century death of the Imam Husain, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the battlefield of Karbala in Iraq. Pinault examines three different forms of ritual commemoration of Husain’s death--poetry-recital and self-flagellation in Hyderabad; stick-fighting in Darjeeling; and the “Horse of Karbala” procession, in which a stallion representing the mount ridden in battle by Husain is made the center of a public parade in Ladakh and other Indian localities. The book looks at how publicly staged rituals serve to mediate communal relations: in Hyderabad and Darjeeling, between Muslim and Hindu populations; in Ladakh, between Muslims and Buddhists. Attention is also given to controversies within Muslim communities over issues related to Muharram such as the belief in intercession by the Karbala Martyrs on behalf of individual believers.

Islamic Psychology: The Basics is a jargon-free and accessible introduction that explores psychology from an Islamic perspective, and provides a foundation level overview of the fundamental principles and practices of Islamic psychology. The book introduces concepts, models, approaches, themes, and theories you need to know to study the mind, soul, and behaviour based on Islamic scripture. Offering an overview of Islamic psychology and what Islamic psychologists do, chapters address key topics including the history of the evolution of the science of the soul, and the psychology of human behaviour and experiences. Rassool examines the concepts of the Fitrah, the Nafs (Self), the Aql (Intellect), the Ruh (Soul) the Qalb (Heart), and the concept of Islamic healing and spiritual interventions. Other themes include the Qur'an and psychology, models and approaches in Islamic psychology, interpreting Islamic psychology for modern times, and the contemporary scope of the practice of Islamic psychology. Outlining the challenges and solutions of the development of Islamic psychology and potential future trends, and including features to aid learning, this is the ideal introductory book for students in Psychology, Islamic Psychology, and Islamic Studies, as well as professionals including counsellors and therapists, and anyone interested in psychology from an Islamic perspective. Dr. G.Hussein Rassool is a Professor of Islamic Psychology & Consultant at the Riphah Institute of Clinical and Professional Psychology/Centre for Islamic Psychology, Riphah International University.

First published in 2008. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In this volume Henry Corbin emphasizes the differences between the exoteric and esoteric forms of Islam. He also reveals that whereas in the West philosophy and religion were at odds, they were inseparably linked, at least during this period, in the Islamic world.

A valuable section of notes and appendices includes original translation of numerous Sufi treatises.

This collection of essays by one of the best known contemporary Muslim scholars writing in English covers many facets of Islamic life and thought. The author has brought together studies dealing with the practical as well as intellectual aspects of Islam in both their historical and contemporary reality. The contemporary significance of themes such as religion and secularism, the meaning of freedom, and the tradition of Islamic science and philosophy is given particular attention.

Originally published in 1962, this volume is a historical summary which describes the main events in the rise and evolution of this world religion and indicates its significance for present-day relations between the faiths.

This work was originally published in 1966. Long regarded as a classic, this volume argues that Afghani and 'Abduh should be considered subverters rather than reformers of Islam. It addresses the spread of concealed unbelief and atheism in Muslim society towards the end of the nineteenth century, and shows how both Afghani and 'Abduh, while making a show of their piety, really held esoteric beliefs quite incompatible with orthodox and traditional Islam.

Originally published in 1964, this volume gathers together extracts from many of Arberry's best-known works and supplements them with a selection of previously unpublished translations. The material therefore presents a vivid picture of the richness and variety of Islamic civilization from its origins to the late twentieth century.

Originally published in 1986, this volume deals with the historical, philosophical and psychological concepts found in Islamic medical practices, and covers Islamic ideas on physiological, pathological, curative and preventative medicine. This was the first systematic study of Islamic medicine to be published in the English language and continues to have much relevance at a time when interest both in Islamic thought and in alternatives to conventional medicine is strong.

What is happening in Islam is of concern to more than Muslims. The Qur'an is the prime possession of Muslims: how then, are they reading and understanding their sacred Book today? This volume, originally published in 1985, examines eight writers from India, Egypt, Iran and Senegal. Their way with the Qur'an indicates how some in Islam respond to the pressures in life and thought, associated in the West with thinkers such as Kierkegaard, Marx, Camus, Kafka, Jung, Fanon and De Chardin.

Originally published in 1967, this Companion is designed to help readers of the Qur'an by giving them necessary background information. An account is given of ideas peculiar to the Qur'an, and the main variant interpretations are noted. A full index of Qur'anic proper names and an index of words commented on has been provided. Based on A J Arberry's translation, this Companion can be used with other translations, or indeed with the original text, since the verses are numbered.

Originally published in 1958, this volume covers important aspects of Islamic history and culture: Arabia before the Prophet The Prophet The Koran and Islam The Caliphate From the Caliphate to the end of the Ottoman The Crusades The Maghreb Muslim Spain The Sharia Philosophy The Sciences Literature The Arts Problems of the Twentieth Century Arab World

The essays in this volume deal with three fundamental problems in Islamic civilization; the growth among Muslims of a consciousness of belonging to a culture; the unity of Muslim civilization as expressed in literature, political thought, attitude to science and urban structure; and the interaction of Islam with other civilizations.

In secular Europe the veracity of modern science is almost always taken for granted. Whether they think of the evolutionary proofs of Darwin or of spectacular investigation into the boundaries of physics conducted by CERN's Large Hadron Collider, most people assume that scientific enquiry goes to the heart of fundamental truths about the universe. Yet elsewhere, science is under siege. In the USA, Christian fundamentalists contest whether evolution should be taught in schools at all. And in Muslim countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Pakistan and Malaysia, a mere 15 per cent of those recently surveyed believed Darwin's theory to be 'true' or 'probably true'. This thoughtful and passionately argued book contends absolutely to the contrary: not only that evolutionary theory does not contradict core Muslim beliefs, but that many scholars, from Islam's golden age to the present, adopted a worldview that accepted evolution as a given. Guessoum suggests that the Islamic world, just like the Christian, needs to take scientific questions - 'quantum questions' - with the utmost seriousness if it is to recover its true heritage and integrity. In its application of a specifically Muslim perspective to important topics like cosmology, divine action and evolution, the book makes a vital contribution to debate in the disputed field of 'science and religion'.

This book shows that Dante's project for" "the establishment of a peaceful global human community founded on religious pluralism is rooted in the Arabo-Islamic philosophical tradition--a tradition exemplified by al-Farabi's declaration that "it is possible that excellent nations and excellent cities exist whose religions differ." Part One offers an approach to Dante's "Comedy" in the light of al-Farabi's notion of the relation between religion and imagination. Part Two argues that, for Dante, the afterlife is not reserved exclusively for Christians. A key figure throughout is the Muslim philosopher Averroes, whose thinking on the relation between religion and philosophy is a model for Dante's pragmatic understanding of religion. The book poses a challenge to the current orthodoxies of Dante scholarship by offering an alternative to the theological approach that has dominated interpretations of the "Comedy" for the past half century. It also serves as a general introduction to Dante's thought and will be of interest to readers wishing to explore the Islamic roots of Western values.

"Al-Ghazali on Invocations and Supplications" is a translation of the ninth chapter of the "Revival of the Religious Sciences" (Ihya Ulum al-Din), which is widely regarded as the greatest work of Muslim spirituality. "Al-Ghazali on Invocations and Supplications" is probably the most commonly read compendium of personal prayers in the Muslim world, especially those concerning the remembrance of God (dhikr). "Al-Ghazali on Invocations and Supplications" is popular not only for its comprehensiveness and beauty, but also for Ghazali's analytical approach, which explores the psychological and spiritual effects of prayer and the celebration of God's Name. This work is essential reading for those who seek a spiritual life and who desire to walk the meditative and reflective path of "dhikr" prayer.---This new fourth edition of "Al-Ghazali on Invocations and Supplications" includes the invocations and supplications in Arabic for those readers who would like to use them in their prayers and a translation of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's own Introduction to the "Revival of the Religious Sciences", which gives the reasons that caused him to write the work, the structure of the whole of the "Revival", and places each of the chapters in the context of the others.

In February 2018, the 'Independent Review on Sharia Law in England and Wales' was published headed by Professor Mona Siddiqui. The review focused on whether sharia law is being misused or applied in a way that is incompatible with the domestic law in England and Wales, and in particular whether there were discriminatory practices against women who use sharia councils. It came about after years of concerns raised by academics, lawyers and women's activists. This timely collection of essays from experts, scholars and legal practitioners provides a critique and evaluation of the Inquiry findings as a starting point for analysis and debate on current British Muslim family law practices in the matters of marriage and divorce. At the heart of the collection lie key questions of state action and legal reform of religious practices that may operate 'outside the sphere of law and legal relations' but also in conjunction with state law mechanisms and processes. This cutting-edge book is a must read for those with an interest in Islamic law, family law, sociology of religion, human rights, multiculturalism, politics, anthropology of law and gender studies.

In the Fall of 1892, Alexander Russell Webb, the American consul to the Philippine Islands, resigned his post and set off for a tour of the Indian subcontinent. Webb had converted to Islam and partnered with Indian Muslims to commence an Islamic mission to the United States. Part of the agreement allowed Webb to travel to India on his way back to America and visit cities with large Muslim populations. This work encompasses his travels, including: his departure from Manila, sea voyages, stays in Singapore and Penang, and most notably, the more than two months that he spent amongst the Muslims of Rangoon, Calcutta, Bombay, Poona, Hyderabad, and Madras. During Webb's travels he met with many prominent members of the Indian Muslim community, and presented lectures on Islam to large audiences. As an American Muslim, and one of the first converts in North America to Islam, his first-person accounts provide a unique perspective and historical account of Colonial India and Indian Muslims in particular. A primary document that will prove invaluable in studying the early Muslim history of the United States and its relationship to India. Complete with historical Introduction, Notes, Bibliography, and detailed Index.

The Bible is the most influential book in Western history. As the foundational text of Judaism and Christianity, the Bible has been interpreted and reinterpreted over millennia, utilized to promote a seemingly endless run of theological and political positions. Adherents and detractors alike point to different passages throughout to justify wildly disparate behaviors and beliefs. Translated and retranslated, these texts lead both to unity and intense conflict. Influential books on any topic are typically called "bibles." What is the Bible? As a text considered sacred by some, its stories and language appear throughout the fine arts and popular culture, from Shakespeare to Saturday Night Live. In Michael Coogan's eagerly awaited addition to Oxford's What Everyone Needs to Know (R) series, conflicts and controversies surrounding the world's bestselling book are addressed in a straightforward Q&A format. This book provides an unbiased look at biblical authority and authorship, the Bible's influence in Western culture, the disputes over meaning and interpretation, and the state of biblical scholarship today. Brimming with information for the student and the expert alike, The Bible: What Everyone Needs to Know (R) is a dependable introduction to a most contentious holy book.