Over the centuries, observances of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, have traveled far from their origins at Karbala--a windswept desert plain that is now a town in present-day Iraq--where, according to tradition, Hussein, the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was brutally put to death together with seventy-two of his male companions on the tenth day of the month. For this reason, Muharram is synonymous with both the first month and the tenth day. Hussein's passion and death are considered the ultimate example of sacrifice for Shia Muslims and scores of rituals devoted to Muharram have developed during the last thirteen centuries, especially in Iran where Twelver Shi'ism became the state religion in the sixteenth century.

As Peter Chelkowski describes in "Eternal Performance," many of these rituals were exported to other lands over time. They crossed boundaries and cultures from Iran and Iraq to Lebanon, the Indian subcontinent, North America, and the Caribbean. Yet all Muharram rituals, no matter where or how they are performed, have their origins in Karbala. The transformation and transmission of these observances to their present-day forms around the world are the result of the intersection of multiple races, religions, and artistic traditions. "Eternal Performance" explores the social, political, cultural, artistic, and religious significance of Muharram rituals for millions of global observers.

Giving to God examines the everyday practices of Islamic giving in post-revolutionary Egypt. From foods prepared in Sufi soup kitchens, to meals distributed by pious volunteers in slums, to almsgiving, these acts are ultimately about giving to God by giving to the poor. Surprisingly, many who practice such giving say that they do not care about the poor, instead framing their actions within a unique non-compassionate ethics of giving. At first, this form of giving may appear deeply selfish, but further consideration reveals that it avoids many of the problems associated with the idea of "charity." Using the Egyptian uprising in 2011 and its call for social justice as a backdrop, this beautifully crafted ethnography suggests that "giving a man a fish" might ultimately be more revolutionary than "teaching a man to fish."

"Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet." - Ralph Waldo Emerson We have all come across a sentence in a book or a line of poetry that seems to jump off the page as if it has been patiently waiting for you to discover it in this precise instant. At times, the lyrics of a song or words spoken in a play can feel as if God is speaking directly to you, guiding you on your quest for truth and authenticity in this weird and wonderful life. From the words of great thinkers and quiet moments with God, to snippets of conversation with patients, and moments shared with his late-wife, Bobbie, Dr. Bernie Siegel has curated his most meaningful stories, lessons, and quotes from a lifetime of journals in No Endings, Only Beginnings. With this book, he encourages you not just to learn from his advice and experience, but to create your own book of collected wisdom - your life manual for growing, loving, and healing - as you continue to shape your personal understanding of the answers to life's big questions.

Michael Wolfe's "exemplary" (Library Journal) collection of historical writings on the Hajj, now updated with a new introduction by Reza Aslan. Since its inception in the seventh century, the pilgrimage to Mecca, or the Hajj, has been the central theme in a large body of Islamic travel literature. Beginning with the European Renaissance, it has also been the subject for a handful of adventurous writers from the West who, through conversion or connivance, managed to slip inside the walls of a city forbidden to non-Muslims. One Thousand Roads to Mecca collects significant works by observant travel writers from the East and West over the last ten centuries. The two very different literary traditions form distinct sides of a spirited conversation in which Mecca is the common destination and Islam the common subject of inquiry. Excerpted works include travel narratives by Ibn Jubayr, Ibn Battuta, J. L. Burckhardt, Richard Burton, the Begum of Bhopal, John Keene, Winifred Stegar, Muhammad Asad, Harry St. John Philby, Lady Evelyn Cobbald, Jalal Al-e Ahmad, Malcolm X, and Michael Wolfe.

Peace is not something we can buy. It is something we must learn to find within ourselves. This wise and soothing guide demonstrates how we can be "actively calm" by creating peace through meditation, and "calmly active" -- centered in the stillness and joy of our own essential nature while living a dynamic, fulfilling, and balanced life.

Practical, inspiring, and highly effective, this book empowers the reader to transform anxiety and stress into happiness and peace. Inner Peace offers a potent antidote to our fast-paced world.

La Guia de Oracion del Guerrero Espiritual es ideal para las personas que se encuentran en la busqueda de estrategias para generar cambios en su familia o en su situacion personal. Este libro es una gran fuente de sabiduria y contiene poderosas armas espirituales fundamentadas en las Escrituras, armas para lograr una transformacion a traves de la oracion. En La Guia de Oracion del Guerrero Espiritual aprenderas a aplicar las promesas biblicas en cada area de la vida: enfermedades, problemas economicos, depresion, preocupacion por los seres queridos rebeldes, desempleo, y confusion espiritual. La presente es una version revisada y mejorada de la primera edicion, las autoras Quin Sherrer y Ruthanne Garlock comparten estas oraciones con el fin de liberar a individuos y transformar territorios para la expansion del reino de Dios. Incluye: Oraciones para el guerrero espiritual. Versiculos del Antiguo y Nuevo Testamento. Traduccion por Enrique Chi. Citas Biblicas: la Reina Valera 1960 (RVR1960). The Spiritual Warrior's Prayer Guide The Spiritual Warrior's Prayer Guide is ideal for people who are in search of strategies to generate changes in their family or in their personal situation. This book is a great source of wisdom and contains powerful spiritual weapons grounded in Scripture, weapons to help achieve transformation through prayer. In The Spiritual Warrior's Prayer Guide you will learn to apply biblical promises in every life area: illness, financial problems, depression, concern for unruly loved ones, unemployment, and spiritual confusion. This is a revised and improved version of the first edition, the authors Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock share these prayers in order to liberate individuals and transform territories for the expansion of the kingdom of God. It includes: ? Prayers for the spiritual warrior. ? Old and New Testament verses. ? Translation by Enrique Chi. ? Scripture quotes: la Reina Valera 1960 (RVR1960).

A new edition of the classic that helped launch the Centering Prayer movement. Centering Prayer is a precious part of the ancient spiritual traditions of the West. When Finding Grace at the Center was first published in 1978, people all over the world welcomed this practical guide to a simple and beautiful form of meditative prayer. Reflections and advice on Centering Prayer's possibilities—and its pitfalls—are presented with clarity and simplicity, with a vision of the deeper life of the soul that contemplative prayer can bring about. Now, with a new foreword by Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, PhD, another generation will discover the amazing difference Centering Prayer can make in their lives.