Muslims believe that the Qur'an represents the words of God as revealed by the Angel Gabriel to Muhammad over a period of approximately twenty-three years, beginning in 610 AD, when he was forty, and concluding in 632 AD, the year of his death. All of it came from the mouth of one man. More people read the Quran than any other book ever written.This new edition of the book has been published to help Muslims not fluent in Arabic to understand the meaning of the words. It includes an English translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali and a transliteration into Roman text by Abdul Haleem Eliyasee.However, it is important to remember at all times that the authoritative text is the Quran itself. These translations and transliterations are only intended to be helpful guides. They are not substitutes for the original.Every Muslim is required to read and understand the Quran to the extent of his ability. The words "To The Extent of his ability" is key. Obviously, a man who cannot speak Arabic and who is poorly educated will not be able to achieve the same level of understanding that a highly literate and educated native speaker of Arabic can. Nevertheless, even the poorly educated man must try to read and understand the actual words of the Quran. There is no Pope or supreme authority in Islam. Every man is his own authority. This is what Muslims believe.

The writer has logically and in a beautiful manner proved that Quran Majeed is a balanced book, it is a miracle and proof of its being a book of God. In this book, Shah Al-Abidi has given common knowledge examples-of Urdu and Persian couplets, Bhagat Kabeers dohas, Mian Muhammed Bakhsh's and Hazrat Shah Sultan Bahoos philosophical poems and references from Maulana Roam, and put them in relevant manner thus enhancing the beauty, interest and value. I believe that lovers of Quran Kareem will find this book as a beautiful and invaluable presentation. This represents an aspect of Quran Majeed and the readers will find aiding strength to their faith. I hope, this book will become known and ever lasting. I pray to Almighty God that the writer, Mr. Akhter Moeed Shah Al-Abidi, had ongoing service to Quran Majeed, its readers and humanity. Abdul Khaliq Aawan Retired Director General, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation

This book offers a novel approach for the study of law in the Judean Desert Scrolls, using the prism of legal theory. Following a couple of decades of scholarly consensus withdrawing from the "Essene hypothesis," it proposes to revive the term, and suggests employing it for the sectarian movement as a whole, while considering the group that lived in Qumran as the Yahad. It further proposes a new suggestion for the emergence of the Yahad, based on the roles of the Examiner and the Instructor in the two major legal codes, the Damascus Document and the Community Rule. The understanding of Essene law is divided into concepts and practices, in order to emphasize the discrepancy between creed, rhetoric, and practices. The abstract exploration of notions such as time, space, obligation, intention, and retribution, is then compared against the realities of social practices, including admission, initiation, covenant, leadership, reproof, and punishment. The legal analysis yields several new suggestions for the study of the scrolls: first, Amihay proposes to rename the two strands of thought of Jewish law, formerly referred to as "nominalism" and "realism," with the terms "legal essentialism" and "legal formalism." The two laws of admission in the Community Rule are distinguished as two different laws, one of an association for a group as a whole, the other as an admission of an individual. The law of reproof is proven to be an independent legal procedure, rather than a preliminary stage of prosecution. The methodological division in this study of thought and practice provides a nuanced approach for the study of law in general, and religious law in particular.

On Thursday as they ate the Passover meal with Jesus, the disciples believed that the kingdom was coming and they were on the front end of a revolution. Then came the tragedy of Friday and, somehow even worse, the silence of Saturday. They ran. They doubted. They despaired. Yet, within the grave, God's power was still flowing like a mighty river beneath the ice of winter. And then there was Sunday morning. Real, raw, and achingly honest, A Glorious Dark meets readers in the ambiguity, doubt, and uncertainty we feel when our beliefs about the world don't match up to reality. Tackling tough questions like Why is faith so hard? Why do I doubt? Why does God allow me to suffer? and Is God really with me in the midst of my pain? A. J. Swoboda puts into sharp focus a faith that is greater than our personal comfort or fulfilment. He invites readers to develop a faith that embraces the tension between what we believe and what we experience, showing that the very tension we seek to eliminate is where God meets us.

In this publication new light is shed on the Qumran community, its organisational structure, its ultra conservative way of life, and how its leaders interpreted the books of the Old Testament by compiling their own commentaries. Emphasis is also placed on facilitating an understanding of references in the Gospels whilst providing an insight into a community that existed parallel to the New Testament community, and to which some of Jesus' followers could have belonged.

In hierdie publikasie word nuwe lig gewerp op die Qumran-gemeenskap, die struktuur waarin hulle georganiseer was en hul ultrakonserwatiewe leefwyse. Die wyse waarop hul leiers die boeke van die Ou Testament geinterpreteer het, blyk uit die kommentare wat hulle geskryf het. Hierdie publikasie help die leser om verwysings in die evangelies beter te begryp en bied insig in 'n gemeenskap wat in dieselfde tyd as die Nuwe-Testamentiese gemeenskap geleef het en waaraan sommige van Jesus se volgelinge moontlik behoort het.

This collection of insights about The Book of Mormon adds to and complements the author's legal publications about freedom of conscience, evidence and comparative constitutional law. The book includes insights distilled from contemporary anthropology, careful analysis of the doctrine of resurrection taught in The Book of Mormon, philosophical questions about the rule of law which inform life in contemporary society, and how reflection on the pervasive New Testament intertexuality in The Book of Mormon should increase the knowledge of modern readers. Important reading for scholars of religion and faith, and particularly those interested in understanding the beliefs and practices of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world.

'A leader's ability to achieve anything great for God begins in his or her heart and mind.' --John C. Maxwell Effective leadership starts with healthy, clear thinking. Successful leaders know how to focus on the essentials. Best-selling author and leadership specialist John C. Maxwell shares meditations sure to challenge us as leaders to reach our full potential as servants of God. In this 30th anniversary edition of his very first book, we learn that 'our ability to achieve anything great for God begins in our hearts and minds.' Ready for a change of heart? Ready to be transformed by the renewing of your mind? Increase your effectiveness as both leader and servant as you 'think on these things.

David Shulman and Velcheru Narayana Rao offer a groundbreaking cultural biography of Srinatha, arguably the most creative figure in the thousand-year history of Telugu literature. This fourteenth- and fifteenth-century poet revolutionized the classical tradition and effectively created the classical genre of sustained, thematically focused, coherent large-scale compositions. Some of his works are proto-novellas: self-consciously fictional, focused on the development of characters, and endowed with compelling, fast-paced plots. Though entirely rooted in the cultural world of medieval south India, Srinatha is a poet of universal resonance and relevance. Srinatha: The Poet who Made Gods and Kings provides extended translations of Srinatha's major works and shows how the poet bridged gaps between oral (improvised) poetry and fixed literary works; between Telugu and the classical, pan-Indian language of Sanskrit; and between local and trans-local cultural contexts. Srinatha is a protean figure whose biography served the later literary tradition as a model and emblem for primary themes of Telugu culture, including the complex relations between sensual and erotic excess and passionate devotion to the temple god. He established himself as an ''Emperor of Poets'' who could make or break a great king and who, by encompassing the entire, vast geographical range of Andhra and Telugu speech, invented the idea of a comprehensive south Indian political empire (realized after his death by the Vijayanagara kings). In this wide-ranging and perceptive study, Shulman and Rao show Srinatha's place in a great classical tradition in a moment of profound cultural transformation.

Life is full of subtle, unsuspected, hidden perks, ready to make their presence known at the turn of a corner to cheer us, to lift us, to change our attitudes, to give our souls a reason to celebrate. Don't miss them. Don't let them pass by unnoticed. Celebrate those perks one by one, day after day. Celebrate living. Throw thou a party and invite me. Come with a joyful heart, ready to have the time of your life. I'll bring the streamers―"You Bring the Confetti "

We have a choice, says Luci Swindoll. We can trudge through our lives, shoulder to the wheel, worried and stressed and hassled. Or we can choose to really live―to celebrate life's richness, its beauty, its pleasures and perks. In this delightful book, Luci challenges us to choose the second option. She urges us to be on the lookout for reasons to celebrate, and she assures us that those reasons are everywhere to be found. With wise insight, droll wit, and an irresistable sense of fun, she invites us to:

• savor the wonder of the present moment
• appreciate our milestones (even birthdays )
• relish our mealtimes
• cherish our friendships
• rejoice in our reunions
• widen our knowledge
• find purpose in our work
• revel in our accomplishments
• enjoy our imaginations
• seek out beauty everywhere
• cherish our American heritage
• and above all, give thanks to the reason and source of all our celebrations

More than just a reminder to celebrate, this book itself is a celeration of life's infinite and joyful possibilities. It's a wisdom-filled, enthusiastic exploration of what it means to live fully and appreciatively―and it comes with a promise that if you bring the confetti . . .God brings the joy

With characteristic eloquence and insight, Buechner presents a three-part series of reflections that probe, through the course of one day, the innermost mysteries of life. Blending an artist's eye for natureal beauty, the true meaning of human encounters, and the significance of occurances (momentous or seemly trival), with a wealth of personal, literacy, biblical, and spiritual insights, he offers a matchless opportunity for readers to discover the hidden wisdom that can be gleaned through a heightened experience of daily life.