Rabi'a The Mystic and Her Fellow-Saints in Islam

Rabi'a The Mystic and Her Fellow-Saints in Islam
Author: Margaret Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2010-10-31
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1108015913

Authoritative 1928 account of the extraordinary life, work and teaching of Rabi'a, a freed slave and revered female Sufi saint.

Women and Gender in Islam

Women and Gender in Islam
Author: Jin Xu
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2021
Genre: History
ISBN: 0300257317

A classic, pioneering account of the lives of women in Islamic history, republished for a new generation This pioneering study of the social and political lives of Muslim women has shaped a whole generation of scholarship. In it, Leila Ahmed explores the historical roots of contemporary debates, ambitiously surveying Islamic discourse on women from Arabia during the period in which Islam was founded to Iraq during the classical age to Egypt during the modern era. The book is now reissued as a Veritas paperback, with a new foreword by Kecia Ali situating the text in its scholarly context and explaining its enduring influence. “Ahmed’s book is a serious and independent-minded analysis of its subject, the best-informed, most sympathetic and reliable one that exists today.”—Edward W. Said “Destined to become a classic. . . . It gives [Muslim women] back our rightful place, at the center of our histories.”—Rana Kabbani, The Guardian

In the Vicinity of the Righteous

In the Vicinity of the Righteous
Author: Christopher Schurman Taylor
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 292
Release: 1999
Genre: History
ISBN: 9789004110465

A highly original and accessible study of Muslim saint veneration in medieval Egypt (1200-1500 AD). Exploring various meanings saints held for the contemporary imagination, it convincingly challenges the view of saint veneration as merely an expression of 'popular religion'.

The Penguin Dictionary of Islam

The Penguin Dictionary of Islam
Author: Azim Nanji
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2008-04-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0141920866

Islam today is a truly global faith, yet it remains somewhat of an enigma to many of us. Each and every day our newspapers are saturated with references to Islam; Quran, Taliban, Hijab, Fatwa, Allah, Sunni, Jihad, Shia, the list goes on. But how much do we really understand? Are we, in fact, misunderstanding? The Penguin Dictionary of Islam provides complete, impartial answers. It includes extensive coverage of the historical formations of the worldwide Muslim community and highlights key modern Muslim figures and events. Understanding Islam is vital to understanding our world and this text is the definitive authority, designed for both general and academic readers.

Towards Building a British Islam

Towards Building a British Islam
Author: Haifaa A. Jawad
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 203
Release: 2011-12-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1441172777

Despite the current negative image of Islam in Europe there has been a steady growth of converts to Islam over the past few decades. British converts are a highly diverse group, with different social, economic and educational backgrounds. Recently this group has grown in confidence and become increasingly active in influencing positive Islamic discourse in Britain. The book sheds light on the intellectual and spiritual contributions of some of the prominent figures of this group of 'new Muslims', and assesses their efforts in shaping Islam in British society; including: Martin Lings, Gai Eaton, Tim Winter and Hamza Yusuf. The research investigates the potential benefit 'new Muslims' can bring to bridge the gap between Muslim communities and wider British society, thus helping in the process of building mutual trust, greater cooperation and positive understanding among all parties in Britain. The work will help readers to become aware of the evolution of a "British Islam" that is more open, rooted in British values and spiritual traditions, and forms a part of the continually changing British religious landscape.

Ahmad al-Ghazali, Remembrance, and the Metaphysics of Love

Ahmad al-Ghazali, Remembrance, and the Metaphysics of Love
Author: Joseph E. B. Lumbard
Publisher: SUNY Press
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2016-10-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1438459653

Discusses the work of a central, but poorly understood, figure in the development of Persian Sufism, A?mad al-Ghaz?l?. The teachings of A?mad al-Ghaz?l? changed the course of Persian Sufism forever, paving the way for luminaries such as R?m?, A???r, and ??fi?. Yet he remains a poorly understood thinker, with many treatises incorrectly attributed to him and conflicting accounts in the historiographical literature. This work provides the first examination of A?mad al-Ghaz?l? and his work in Western scholarly literature. Joseph E. B. Lumbard seeks to ascertain the authenticity of works attributed to this author, trace the development of the dominant trends in the biographical literature, and reconstruct the life and times of A?mad al-Ghaz?l? with particular attention to his relationship with his more famous brother, Ab? Hamid al-Ghaz?l?. Lumbard’s findings revolutionize our understanding of A?mad al-Ghaz?l?'s writings, allowing for focus on his central teachings regarding Divine Love and the remembrance of God.

Islamic Spirituality

Islamic Spirituality
Author: Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 480
Release: 2013-11-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1134539029

Originally published 1987. The first part of the volume is concerned with "The Roots of the Islamic Tradition and Spirituality". These are seen to include the Qu’ran as the central theophany of Islam, the Prophet who received the word of God and made it known to mankind and the rites of Islam. The second part examines the divisions of the Islamic community with their distinctive pieties and emphases: Sunnism and Shi’ism and female spirituality. Part III is devoted to Sufism – its nature and origin, its early development, its various spiritual practices and its science of the soul.