In his probing study of the role of death rites in the making of Islamic society, Leor Halevi imaginatively plays prescriptive texts against material culture and advances new ways of interpreting highly contested sources. His original research reveals that religious scholars of the early Islamic period produced codes of funerary law not only to define the handling of a Muslim corpse but also to transform everyday urban practices. Relying on oral traditions, these scholars established new social patterns in the cities of Arabia, Mesopotamia, and the eastern Mediterranean. They distinguished Islamic rites from Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian rites and changed the way men and women interacted publicly and privately.

In each chapter Halevi explores a different layer of human interaction, following the movement of the corpse from the deathbed to the grave. In the process he analyzes the real and imaginary relationships between husbands and wives, prayer leaders and mourners, and even dreamers and the dead. He describes how Muslims wailed for the deceased, prepared corpses for burial, marched in funerary processions, and prayed for the dead, highlighting the specific economic and political factors involved in these rituals as well as key religious and sexual divisions.

Offering a unique perspective on the making of Islamic social and religious ideals during this early period, Halevi forges a fascinating link between the development of funerary rites and the efforts of an emerging religion to carve out its own, distinct identity. "Muhammad's Grave" is a groundbreaking history of the rise of Islam and the roots of contemporary Muslim attitudes toward the body and society.

Tefillin, the black boxes and leather straps, that Jewish men wear during prayer, are curiously powerful and mysterious. Within the inky black boxes lie untold secrets. In this profound, passionate and thought-provoking text, Rav DovBer Pinson explores and reveals the multi-dimensional perspectives of Tefillin. Rav Pinson magically weaves together all dimensions of Torah;, Peshat, literal observation, to Remez, the allegorical; Derush, the homiletic, to Sod, hidden Kabbalistic, into one wonderful tapestry. Pinson reaches for the underlying unity within all wellsprings of Torah and uncovers the hidden profound mystery of the Tefillin. Inspirational and instructive, Wrapped in Majesty: Tefillin, will make putting on the Tefillin more meaningful and deepen the experience.

Whatever the need is of a moment, the answer is in God. Whatever we are feeling or desiring, all hope lies in God. If there was ever a time in our lives to get closer to God, that time is NOW. Forty days of prayer will give you a hunger for God. Forty days of prayer will make you thirst for God. Forty days of prayer will empower you with the presence of God. God delights in those who worship Him in their prayer life. Allow Him to soak you with His presence during this "consecrated" time.

In past centuries, human responses to death were largely shaped by religious beliefs. Ralph Houlbrooke shows how the religious upheavals of the early modern period brought dramatic changes to this response, affecting the last rites, funerals, and ways of remembering the dead. He examines the interaction between religious innovation and the continuing need for reassurance and consolation on the part of the dying and the bereaved.

2012 Reprint of 1944 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. The author has selected circa one hundred scriptures, followed by an explanation of why this scripture is confusing to us today, then an explanation of what the scripture means in light of the customs and conditions in Bible lands. There are illustrations and photographs to accompany the text. Scriptures are divided by subject, including: Perplexing Scriptures; Women, Garment, Peasant Men, Home Life, Clothing and Jewels, Feasts, Fields, Tombs and Tents, Gates and Trades.

Dear Reader, I compiled this booklet thinking of the whole world and how desperately we stand in need of the Holy Spirit in our own time and the time to come. We need to pray with all our heart and with true faith that through the Holy Spirit and His gifts we may receive the light of Jesus Christ to understand the whole Truth of who we are and where our destination is. My heart is with all people in need and I have confident hope that you can use this booklet to pray as a family, in a group, or alone, but always for others, because I truly believe in the power of prayer to Jesus Christ, our savior, for each other. This booklet makes for a good present to give to your family, people in prison, the homeless, the sick, orphans, widows, and people struggling through addictions of any sort. We all need the Holy Spirit in our lives. Open your heart for others. This book can aid you in your life of prayer. All proceeds from this book support the Mom's Ministry at Project Defending Life, which spiritually, financially, and through education, support low-income mothers who have chosen to raise their children. May God bless you, filling you with the Holy Spirit, and may Our Blessed Mother Mary full of Grace guide you always. -Natalia Lambert Niemczak

The Odes of Solomon are mystical psalms from the earliest Christian community, beautiful devotional songs that inspire and touch the depth of the soul.

Although little is known about Elizabeth Dabney's youth, she often said she learned the value of prayer from her mother, who always kept a family altar in their home. Mother Dabney sat down and documented for the world, her detailed thoughts and experiences about really living a life devoted to prayer and what the resulting effects would be to personal ministry.

On Saturday mornings in synagogues around the world, Torah, the fundamental Jewish text, is chanted using traditional melodies. Written word - scripture - is transformed into Song. "Torah," Joshua Gettinger writes, "is deep ancient wisdom. Chant is the voice of that wisdom, perhaps its most primal voice.... Torah teaches survival strategies for the world of today, no less than for the world of its origins. It reaches out to the human spirit on many levels and through the use of all human faculties, in word but also in music. Chant adds layers of liveliness and emotional richness to text....It is as if the music of the chant can blow away the layers of dust - millennia of interpretation and preconceptions - to gain access to the plain text and bring it to life, so that listeners in every age can hear it with fresh ears, with their own ears." Dr. Gettinger, a rural family physician by trade, advocates for a dramatic, artistic presentation of Torah, aimed at making the weekly experience of Torah both pleasurable and powerful.He suggests that Chant, both music and grammar, can be a legitimate interpretive tool, providing insight into meaning, and enriching understanding. In the second part of the book he explores a hidden story in the heart of Leviticus, a reading changed by paying attention to its music. This guide will introduce the novice and general synagogue goer to the art of chant, while providing the skilled reader with fascinating new perspectives.

This journal has been constructed in imitation of the copybook made for Therese Martin by her older sister Pauline (Sr. Agnes of Jesus) in 1884 to help Therese prepare for her First Holy Communion. Each day of her sixty-nine day preparation period Therese recorded the number of times she recited the included prayers and aspirations. By using her "sacrifice beads," she counted each time she overcame her own desires in order to please Jesus. Inspired by that copybook, this journal uses the same method of encouraging-and recording-daily prayers and mortifications. However, instead of using flowers to illustrate virtues, this resource uses the battle model St. Paul describes in Ephesians 6:10-17. First communicants are encouraged to arm themselves with virtues and spiritual weapons in order to fight as soldiers of Christ. The scriptural words of Jesus and St. Paul are reflected on frequently to encourage the imitation of the actions and love of Jesus and to inspire a love and knowledge of Holy Scripture.
Use this journal on its own or in conjunction with the "Communion with the Saints "family preparation program for First Communion. Create a lasting First Communion keepsake by daily recording your thoughts, prayers, and drawings. May you-like St. Therese-learn to love Jesus more deeply, thereby joining St. Paul's "holy ones" (Ephesians 6:18) in heaven.

This book describes and explains the meaning of essential articles of faith and basic forms of worship in Islam.

This book investigates the discourse on idolatry and images, especially statues, in the writings of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, with a particular focus on his numerous accounts of a contentious and at times iconoclastic relationship between Jews and images. Placing this narrative material within a wider comparative context, both Jewish and non-Jewish, demonstrates that the impression of strict aniconism uniform and categorical opposition to all figurative art emerging from Josephus is in part a rhetorical construct, an effort to reframe Jewish iconoclastic behavior not as a resistance to Roman domination but as an expression of certain cultural values shared by Jews and Romans alike. Josephus thus articulates in this discourse on images an idea of Jewish identity that functioned to mitigate an increasingly tense relationship between Romans and Jews in the wake of the Jewish revolt against Rome.

Although most historical and contemporary religions are governed by men, there are, scattered throughout the world, a handful of well-documented religions led by women. Most of these are marginal, subordinate, or secondary religions in the societies in which they are located. The one known exception to this rule is the indigenous religion of Okinawa, where women lead the official, mainstream religion of the society. In this fieldwork-based study, Susan Sered provides the first in-depth look at this unique religious tradition, exploring the intersection between religion and gender. In addition to providing important information on this remarkable and little-studied group, this book helps to overturn our mostly unexamined assumptions that male dominance of the religious sphere is universal, axiomatic, and necessary.

A special edition Machzor - High Holy Day Prayer book for use in Assisted Living and other care facilities. Supports a 30 minute - 1 hour Rosh HaShanah and a 30 minute - 1 hour Yom Kippur service with large font Hebrew, transliteration and translation. Lovely presentation with art on each page. This book combines To Life High Holy Day Prayer Book - Rosh HaShanah and To Life High Holy Day Prayer Book - Yom Kippur.

The Bountiful Harvest is a collection of psalms. The psalms in this book are inspiring, educational, and relaxing. In our chaotic world, it is very easy to become stressed and discouraged. Also, we can easily become distant from the Holy Spirit of God. Reading psalms is an excellent way to put the cares of this world behind us so that we can find inner peace. I have found no better way to relax than to reading this book. The psalms in this book will take you on an expedition into the spiritual realm. You will be challenged spiritually as you are confronted by the Holy Spirit of God. Not only will you find inner peace, you will develop a closer relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I highly recommend that you take the time to read this book. This book will help you to find the peace that only Christ can provide.

Have you ever wondered: What do the eminent scholars of Isl m have to say about the commemoration of the Prophet's birthday (Mawlid), may blessings and peace be upon him? Is the modern controversy regarding this subject really authentic? The Elite Stand in Honour of the Chosen One by Im m Ahmad Rid Kh n is a treatise that emphatically answers these questions by elaborating on the favourable dispensation accorded to this practice by over a thousand years of Isl mic scholarship. The celebrated author provides detailed evidence on the permissibility and benefit of Mawlid and standing in honour of the Prophet (Qiy m) from authentic books of Isl mic jurisprudence (Fiqh). Multiple legal edicts (Fat w ) of mainstream im ms and scholars are also used in support of this stance. In recent times, some have censured these meritorious acts simply because the Companions and their Successors (Tabi' n) never celebrated the Prophet's birthday, may blessings and peace be upon him. In a masterful demonstration of scholarship, the author refutes this position of the critics using their own evidence and logic.

The Revelations of Divine Love is a book of Christian mystical devotions written by Julian of Norwich. It is believed to be the first published book in the English language to be written by a woman. At the age of thirty, 13 May 1373, Julian was struck with a serious illness. As she prayed and prepared for death, she received a series of sixteen visions on the Passion of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Saved from the brink of death, Julian of Norwich dedicated her life to solitary prayer and the contemplation of the visions she had received. She wrote a short account of her visions probably soon after the event. About twenty or thirty years after her illness, near the end of the fourteenth century, she wrote down her visions and her understanding of them. This is the Grace Warrack translation that brought this great work the recognition it desrved.