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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian religions
According to Islamic tradition, Allah created three types of
beings: angels, made of light; humans, made of earth; and jinn,
made of smokeless fire. Supernatural, shape-shifting, intelligent
and blessed with free will and remarkable powers, jinn have over
the ages been given many names - demon, spirit, ghoul, genie, ifrit
and shaitan. Believed in by hundreds of millions of people
throughout the world and from all faiths, jinn have played a
particularly central role in the literature, culture and belief
systems of the Middle East and the Islamic world. Legends of the
Fire Spirits explores through time and across nations the enduring
phenomenon of the jinn. From North Africa to Central Asia, from the
Mediterranean to sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, this riveting,
often chilling, yet reasoned book draws on ancient testimonies,
medieval histories, colonial records, anthropologist's reports and
traveller's tales to explore the different types of jinn, their
behaviour, society, culture and long history of contact with
humankind. It documents their links with famous figures in history
such as King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and illustrates the
varied and vivid portrayals of jinn in world literature. In
essence, Legends of the Fire Spirits demonstrates the colourful
diversity of human culture and the durability of faith and is a
magnificent and indispensable portrayal of the rich folklore of the
Islamic world.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the focus of love and
devotion for one fifth of humanity. Even outsiders cannot deny his
political genius and great statesmanship as the founder of a new
world order and the stimulus for a succession of brilliant and
progressive civilisations. But a study of his life in these terms
overlooks arguably his most essential qualities - his mercy and
benevolence. Internationally renowned Islamic scholar, Dr Muhammad
Tahir-ul-Qadri has produced a work unrivalled in its comprehensive
treatment of the subject matter, illustrating the merciful
character of the Prophet in all its aspects, towards humans and
more generally towards all beings. Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri has reproduced
a solid corpus of references from the Qur'an, along with reliable
Hadith, specially selected for authenticity and relevance. All
sources are meticulously referenced in Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri's
characteristic style. This book shows how in spite of immense
hardships and painful ordeals, the mercy and compassion of the
Prophet remained to the fore, even towards those who opposed and
persecuted him. For Muslims, this book will be a means to celebrate
the magnanimous personality of the Prophet and an incentive to
instil the great qualities of the Prophet in their own lives, while
non-Muslims and academics will discover how these qualities as
described in the Islamic literature have caused the Prophet to
occupy his preeminent position in the religious consciousness of
Muslims.
The Greek myths are among the world's most important cultural building
blocks and they have been retold many times, but rarely do they focus
on the remarkable women at the heart of these ancient stories.
Stories of gods and monsters are the mainstay of epic poetry and Greek
tragedy, from Homer to Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, from the
Trojan War to Jason and the Argonauts. And still, today, a wealth of
novels, plays and films draw their inspiration from stories first told
almost three thousand years ago. But modern tellers of Greek myth have
usually been men, and have routinely shown little interest in telling
women’s stories. And when they do, those women are often painted as
monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil. But Pandora – the first woman,
who according to legend unloosed chaos upon the world – was not a
villain, and even Medea and Phaedra have more nuanced stories than
generations of retellings might indicate.
Now, in Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, Natalie Haynes –
broadcaster, writer and passionate classicist – redresses this
imbalance. Taking Pandora and her jar (the box came later) as the
starting point, she puts the women of the Greek myths on equal footing
with the menfolk. After millennia of stories telling of gods and men,
be they Zeus or Agamemnon, Paris or Odysseus, Oedipus or Jason, the
voices that sing from these pages are those of Hera, Athena and
Artemis, and of Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Eurydice and Penelope.
The emancipation of the Jews of England was largely complete when
George III came to the throne in 1760. Free to live how and where
they wished, the Jews had been specifically exempted from the
provisions of the 1753 Marriage Act which made Christian marriage
the only legal option for all others. The effect of this exemption
was to put the matrimonial causes of the Jews of England
exclusively in the hands of their Rabbis and Dayanim (Jewish
ecclesiastical judges) for the next one hundred years. No Bet Din
(Jewish ecclesiastical court) anywhere in the world has left such a
complete record of its transactions -- matrimonial and proselytical
-- as that contained in the extant Pinkas (minute-book) of the
London Bet Din from 1805 to 1855. In all other matters, including
the offences punishable by transportation, Jews were subject to the
jurisdiction of the civil courts. Of the estimated 150,000 convict
transportees shipped to the Australian penal colonies, some seven
hundred were Jews. Matrimonial and related matters involving twenty
of these miscreants are recorded in the Pinkas. Jeremy Pfeffer
recounts the history of the London Bet Din during these years as
revealed by the Pinkas record and relates the previously untold
stories of this group of Jewish convict transportees and their
families.
Connect more meaningfully to the cultural wisdom and occult
knowledge of the rich and thriving Celtic world. Reclaim ancestral
traditions and older ways of connecting with the earth and
spirituality by going straight to the heart of mystical traditions.
Celtic Mysticism explores the folk magic that has thrived in the
British Isles for thousands of years. With this guidebook for both
newcomers to magical practice and those searching for a concise
reference to a long history, discover how to honor your connection
to nature and the rhythms of the seasons in the Celtic way. Explore
the history behind Celtic practices, rituals, and spells and then
engage with them firsthand, forming a deeper bond with Mother
Earth. Illuminated by beautiful illustrations, this guide presents:
The lore and history of the Celts Rites and spells based in green
magic and natural cycles Meditations and rituals to bring the
ancient wisdom into modern life Key concepts, figures, and legends
of Celtic tradition As with every title in the Mystic Traditions
series, Celtic Mysticism is a celebration of a unique and beautiful
culture. As such, the subject matter and content has been treated
with the utmost care and respect to ensure an accurate and reverent
presentation that is accessible to a variety of audiences, and
serves to further educate and foster support for these rich
practices and traditions for years to come. Celtic Mysticism is
your engaging, accessible, and hands-on introduction to the deep
magic and spirituality of the Celts. The Mystic Traditions series
explores mystical and spiritual traditions and magical practices
from around the world from a modern perspective. These guides offer
concise introductions to the origins of mystical practices; explain
key concepts, figures, and legends in these traditions; and give
straightforward and engaging instruction on how to connect directly
with these practices through rituals, spells, and more. Also
available in the Mystic Traditions series: Native American
Spiritualism, Zen Buddhism.
Evie and Lottie are twin sisters, but they couldn't be more
different. Evie's sharp and funny. Lottie's a day-dreamer. Evie's
the fighter, Lottie's the peace-maker. What they do have in common
is their Jewishness - even though the family isn't religious. When
their mother gets a high-profile job and is targeted by antisemitic
trolls on social media, the girls brush it off at first - but then
the threats start getting uglier. . . What We're Scared Of is a
taut thriller, a tale of sibling friendship and rivalry - and a
searing look at what happens when you scratch beneath the surface.
Bardskull is the record of three journeys made by Martin Shaw, the
celebrated storyteller and interpreter of myth, in the year before
he turned fifty. It is unlike anything he has written before. This
is not a book about myth or narrative: rather, it is a sequence of
incantations, a series of battles. Each of the three journeys sees
Shaw walk alone into a Dartmoor forest and wait. What arrive are
stories - fragments of myth that he has carried within him for
decades: the deep history of Dartmoor itself; the lives of distant
family members; Arthurian legend; and tales from India, Persia,
Lapland, the Caucasus and Siberia. But these stories and their
tellers don't arrive as the bearers of solace or easy wisdom. As
with all quests, Shaw is entering a domain of traps and tests.
Bardskull can be read as a fable, as memoir, as auto-fiction or as
an attempt to undomesticate myth. It is a magnificent,
unclassifiable work of the imagination.
Enter a world of ancient secrets, old money, new ambitions and the
discovery of priceless treasure in this revelatory new biography.
Between November 1922 and spring 1923, a door to the ancient
Egyptian world was opened. The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun
would be the most astonishing archaeological find of the century,
revealing not only the boy pharaoh's preserved remains, but
thousands of finely crafted objects, from the iconic gold mask and
coffins to a dagger made from meteorite, chalices, beautiful
furniture and even 3000-year-old food and wine. The world's
understanding of Ancient Egyptian civilisation was immeasurably
enhanced, and the quantity and richness of the objects in the tomb
is still being studied today. Two men were ultimately responsible
for the discovery: Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter. It was Lord
Carnarvon who held the concession to excavate and whose passion and
ability to finance the project allowed the eventual discovery to
take place. The Earl and the Pharaoh tells the story of the 5th
Earl of Carnarvon. Carnarvon's life, money and sudden death became
front-page news throughout the world following the discovery of the
tomb, fuelling rumours that persist today of 'the curse of the
pharaohs'. His beloved home, Highclere Castle, is today best-known
as the set of Downton Abbey. Drawing on Highclere Castle's
never-before-plumbed archives, bestselling author Fiona, the
Countess of Carnarvon, charts the twists of luck and tragedies that
shaped Carnarvon's life; his restless and enquiring mind that drove
him to travel to escape conventional society life in Edwardian
Britain.
Endorsed by WJEC/Eduqas, the Student Book offers high quality
support you can trust. / Written by an experienced teacher and
author with an in-depth understanding of teaching, learning and
assessment at A Level and AS. / A skills-based approach to
learning, covering content of the specification with examination
preparation from the start. / Developing skills feature focuses on
what to do with the content and the issues that are raised with a
progressive range of AO1 examples and AO2 exam-focused activities.
/ Questions and Answers section provides practice questions with
student answers and examiner commentaries. / It provides a range of
specific activities that target each of the Assessment Objectives
to build skills of knowledge, understanding and evaluation. /
Includes a range of features to encourage you to consolidate and
reinforce your learning.
The first account of one of the world's most pressing humanitarian
catastrophes. This eye-opening book reveals how China has used the
US-led Global War on Terror as cover for its increasingly brutal
suppression of the Uyghur people. China's actions, it argues, have
emboldened states around the globe to persecute ethnic minorities
and severely repress domestic opposition in the name of combatting
terrorism. Within weeks of the September 11 attacks on New York and
Washington, the Chinese government announced that it faced a
serious terrorist threat from its largely Muslim Uyghur ethnic
minority. Nearly two decades later, of the 11 million Uyghurs
living in China today, more than 1 million have been detained in
so-called re-education camps, victims of what has become the
largest program of mass incarceration and surveillance in the
world. Drawing on extensive interviews with Uyghurs in Xinjiang, as
well as refugee communities and exiles, Sean Roberts tells a story
that is not just about state policies, but about Uyghur responses
to these devastating government programs. Providing a lucid and
far-reaching analysis of China's cultural genocide, The War on the
Uyghurs allows the voices of those caught up in the human tragedy
to be heard for the first time. -- .
From the end of the 15th century until the 18th, Spanish Jews
carried on Jewish practices in the shadow of the Inquisition. Those
caught were forced to recant or be burnt at the stake. Drawing on
their confessions and trial documents, this book tells their story.
Reflect on wit and wisdom from the Zen masters with the definitive
guide to finding your inner peace. Find true balance with the
wisdom of the Zen masters as your guide. Full of infinite wisdom to
help you nurture your inner self and bring balance into your life,
this pocket-size guide is the perfect gift book for anyone looking
to bring themselves to a higher level of understanding about the
world.
The Holy Qur,an was the revealation given to Prophet Muhammad
(P.B.U.H.) from Allah (God)by way of the Angel Gabriel (S.R.A.)
approx. 1400 A.D.
This four-volume compendium delves into topics such as the theology
of rights in Islam, comparative explorations, and a historical
study of human rights in Muslim-majority societies spanning Africa,
the Middle East, and South and South East Asia during the 20th and
early 21 centuries. Moreover, it explores how Muslim women and men
have understood their faith and evolving notions of rights and
liberties. Volume 1 analyzes the relationship between religion and
human rights along with "Western" and "Islamic" human rights
schemes. Volume 2 traces early and later Muslim responses to human
rights during the 20th century. Volume 3 considers the political
context in the struggle for human rights in Muslim societies by
focusing on state-society relations. Volume 4 explores shari'ah and
contemporary human rights controversies by surveying subjects such
as: women's rights which is described as the locomotive of societal
change, apostasy and blasphemy laws, as well as LGBT and labor
rights.
A fascinating journey into Islam's diverse history of ideas, making
an argument for an Islamic Enlightenment today In Reopening Muslim
Minds, Mustafa Akyol, senior fellow at the Cato Institute and
opinion writer for The New York Times, both diagnoses "the crisis
of Islam" in the modern world, and offers a way forward. Diving
deeply into Islamic theology, and also sharing lessons from his own
life story, he reveals how Muslims lost the universalism that made
them a great civilization in their earlier centuries. He especially
demonstrates how values often associated with Western Enlightenment
-- freedom, reason, tolerance, and an appreciation of science --
had Islamic counterparts, which sadly were cast aside in favor of
more dogmatic views, often for political ends. Elucidating complex
ideas with engaging prose and storytelling, Reopening Muslim Minds
borrows lost visions from medieval Muslim thinkers such as Ibn
Rushd (aka Averroes), to offer a new Muslim worldview on a range of
sensitive issues: human rights, equality for women, freedom of
religion, or freedom from religion. While frankly acknowledging the
problems in the world of Islam today, Akyol offers a clear and
hopeful vision for its future.
An extraordinary evocation of the desert and its people by a woman
who dressed as a man in order to travel alone and unimpeded
throughout North AfricaIn 1897 Isabelle Eberhardt, at the age of
20, left an already unconventional life in Geneva for the Morroccan
frontier. Gripped by spiritual restlessness and the desire to break
free from the confinements of her society she traveled into the
desert, and into the heart of Islam. Her experiences inspired a
profound self-examination, anda book that today isregarded as one
of the true classics of travel writing. In the current political
climate, it is also a book uncannily current in its treatment of
the culture of Islam in North Africa. One of the most astonishing
travel documents of all time, this book is also a feminist classic
in its own right."
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