(Part 3) Top products from r/islam
We found 97 product mentions on r/islam. We ranked the 598 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
41. Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction
Sentiment score: 1
Number of reviews: 3
Oxford University Press USA
Show Reddit reviews42. The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists
Sentiment score: 2
Number of reviews: 3
HarperOne
Show Reddit reviews43. The Missing Martyrs: Why There Are So Few Muslim Terrorists
Sentiment score: -2
Number of reviews: 3
Show Reddit reviews44. MisGod'ed: A Roadmap of Guidance and Misguidance in the Abrahamic Religions
Sentiment score: 9
Number of reviews: 3
Used Book in Good Condition
Show Reddit reviews
47. Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy (Islam in the Twenty-First Century)
Sentiment score: 3
Number of reviews: 3
Show Reddit reviews48. How to Read the Qur'an: A New Guide, With Select Translations
Sentiment score: 2
Number of reviews: 3
Show Reddit reviews
50. God, Islam & The Skeptic Mind: A Study on Faith, Science, Religious Diversity, Ethics and Evil
Sentiment score: 1
Number of reviews: 3
Show Reddit reviews51. Islam's Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science
Sentiment score: 5
Number of reviews: 3
Used Book in Good Condition
Show Reddit reviews52. Disciplining the Soul and Breaking the Two Desires: Books XXII and XXIII of the Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ghazali Series, Bk. 22 & 23)
Sentiment score: 3
Number of reviews: 3
Used Book in Good Condition
Show Reddit reviews53. Qur'an and Woman: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman's Perspective
Sentiment score: 3
Number of reviews: 3
Oxford University Press USA
Show Reddit reviews54. Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources
Sentiment score: 3
Number of reviews: 3
Used Book in Good Condition
Show Reddit reviews55. A Treasury of Hadith: A Commentary on Nawawis Selection of Prophetic Traditions (Treasury in Islamic Thought and Civilization)
Sentiment score: 3
Number of reviews: 3
Show Reddit reviews56. Hanbali Acts of Worship: From Ibn Balban's The Supreme Synopsis
Sentiment score: 1
Number of reviews: 3
Show Reddit reviews
> You're smart enough to know the distinction between atheism and antitheism.
In terms of beliefs they are one and the same to me. Antitheism as I've understood it refers to atheists who deliberately push an anti-theistic agenda in the political and social domain.
If you're talking about Agnosticism, that's something else. Theologians have had varying ideas about what happens to those.
> Most people are more forgiving. It baffles me how Allah can be so angered at his creation for refusing to accept the word of one man over the billions that have preceded and succeeded him. Clearly He has the power to communicate directly with humans, so why doesn't He do it? Why does He insist on communicating through illiterate human proxies, being angered when large groups believe one set of proxies instead of another (e.g. Hindusim)?
I've made an attempt to paraphrase the basics of Islamic theology in some posts before, here's a copy/paste of those attempts:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23878519/theol.rtf (Open in WordPad)
> Because as we're all aware, people back then were beyond historical revisionism. It's not like he's been lionized or anything. We even have [1] pristine copies of the first biographies, written by those closest to him. These offer a lot of highly [2] accurate information about him, right?
Your knowledge of Islam is lacking. If you had read those links fully, you'd understand better.
There are three sources of knowledge on the life of the prophet.
The Qur'an isn't specific, but does contain some valuable insight.
The Seerah is historical (like a biography) but is unauthenticated.
The Hadith are painstakingly verified narrations of the Prophet's words and deeds. These make up the bulk of what we know of him and how. It's not organized into a story form at all. It's organized by legal subject and spread across collections.
Modern day biographies (a decent one in English is by Martin Lings) combine all three.
> A (literate?) merchant/shepherd deserts his wife to spend 15 years as a recluse, meditating and whatnot in some nearby cave. Upon finally coming back to civilization, he starts spouting some rubbish about [3] hearing voices in his head. Apparently he's been talking to an imaginary angel for the better part of his self-imposed exile.
He was illiterate and he never abandoned his wife for 15 years. I've never heard that before.
http://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Life-Based-Earliest-Sources/dp/0892811706
If you're going to attempt to criticize Islam, it's a good idea to have a rudimentary understanding of it. I'd strongly recommend picking this book up because it unites the three sources. Other biographies utilize only one source.
> If this scenario were to play out today, he would be hauled away to a mental institution, and for good reason. But apparently he was sane back then, huh?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_100
Alphonse Lamartine on the Prophet (saw):
> Never has a man set for himself, voluntarily or involuntarily, a more sublime aim, since this aim was superhuman: to subvert superstitions which had been interposed between man and his creator, to render God unto man and man unto God; to restore the rational and sacred idea of divinity amidst the chaos of the material and disfigured gods of idolatry, then existing. Never has a man undertaken a work so far beyond human power with so feeble means, for he (Muhammad) had in the conception as well as in the execution of such a great design no other instrument than himself, and no other aid, except a handful of men living in a corner of the desert. Finally, never has a man accomplished such a huge and lasting revolution in the world, because in less than two centuries after its appearance, Islam, in faith and in arms, reigned over the whole of Arabia, and conquered, in God's name, Persia, Khorasan, Transoxania, Western India, Syria, Egypt, Abyssinia, all the known continent of Northern Africa, numerous islands of the Mediterranean, Spain, and a part of Gaul.
>
> If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the true criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls.
>
> On the basis of a Book, every letter of which has become law, he created a spiritual nationality which blended together peoples of every tongue and of every race. He has left us as the indelible characteristic of this Muslim nationality the hatred of false gods and the passion for the One and Immaterial God. This avenging patriotism against the profanation of Heaven formed the virtue of the followers of Muhammad; the conquest of one-third of the earth to his dogma was his miracle; or rather it was not the miracle of a man but that of reason.
>
> The idea of the Unity of God, proclaimed amidst the exhaustion of fabulous theogonies, was in itself such a miracle that upon its utterance from his lips it destroyed all the ancient temples of idols and set on fire one-third of the world. His life, his meditations, his heroic revilings against the superstitions of his country, and his boldness in defying the furies of idolatry, his firmness in enduring them for fifteen years at Mecca, his acceptance of the role of public scorn and almost of being a victim of his fellow countrymen: all these and, finally, his flight, his incessant preaching, his wars against odds, his faith in his success and his superhuman security in misfortune, his forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death: all these attest not to an imposture but to affirm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold, the unity of God and the immateriality of God: the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with the words.
>
> Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he? -- Paris 1854, Vol. II, pp. 276- 277
19 year old Muslim at a Western University here. I'll be taking a year off for 2017 but I've still experienced two years of the lite university life.
I say lite because in comparison to you I commuted from home and really didn't end up going to any parties.
I've only went to two from what I remember, my Computer Science cohort's end of camp party and a close friend's 18th.
My close friend is Hindu with a lot of Muslim friends, so he kept it alcohol free and I definitely appreciated that.
Can't say the same thing about the end of camp party but I only got a few odd looks and comments, 'you don't drink?'
I know it seems hard right now. I know you might think the only way to make friends is by parties but it's definitely not.
You have to look with effort and genuinely entwine your hobbies, careers and interests with people to spark up a friendship.
I met good friends from classes, at the praying place, doing hackathons as a team and even doing projects together.
Not going to parties hasn't bothered me at all honestly. I advise you that you stop going to them and transition to more productive events. As a warning though, you are risking your faith by continually being in that environment.
I still am surrounded by alcohol during some events. I'm fine with it considering that it's the culture here. I just people I don't drink. I even make a few alcoholic references or jokes! Thanks to The Simpsons!
So it'll be fine. The Muslim event you went to, pleaaase stop thinking of everyone as hardcore religious Muslims - perhaps that's the problem.
The people there are just normal guys like you and me. Some consider themselves as gamers, others are sporty with soccer or cricket, a lot love movies and a little may hate movies.
So my point is to not think of it as a hardcore religious event if it's just a socialising one. Just chill, say Salam and open up a conversation. Perhaps a few friendships will be born that day.
Oh yeah, and of course which 19 year old doesn't think about sex.
A few tips with that would be to start researching on the nikkah and proper Islamic route to a relationship (marriage). This isn't to make you marry but to make you understand what the future can entail. And to realise the wisdom and advantages over conventional dating.
Try fasting, always lower your gaze, keep busy and cut off all masturbation. The latter not because it's Haram but it increases your chances of zina. A sexualised mind will often not lower its gaze.
Also, a recent thing that's been surprisingly helping is studying some Islamic philosophy and history. Al-Ghazali has the perfect book for you.
It's difficult, it really is. Especially in a sexually liberal place like college. However it'll be eventually worth it.
Let's all do dua for NW97.
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_____INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM__
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___QURAN____
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____LIFE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD___
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____CHRISTIANITY, JUDAISM AND ISLAM___
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____ATHEISM AND ISLAM____
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____LEARN TO PRAY (SALAH)____
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____HADITH/SUNNAH____
Full list here
>First, I've just been going through the default English translation on quran.com[1] . Is that the best version and translation to use?
It is better to rely on a translation that has at least a brief introduction and some footnotes that describe the author's word choices and interpretive framework. For example, AJ Arberry's translation flows beautifully and makes significant allusion to Judeo-Christian symbols. Muhammad Asads is probably the most sophisticated in that he always cross-references with the dominant commentaries of the Islamic tradition. I always recommend his work first because it translates the idiomatic expressions culturally and not literally. For example, how do you translate "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"? He translates idioms and then explains the meaning in a footnote. You can also try Abdel Haleem, although I don't rely on it much. I really recommend Muhammad Asad, because he is not only a scholar, but a Western jewish convert who lived among the Arab bedouins for a long time. He can translate cultures very well. Also, you can order a free hard copy from CAIR with beautiful calligraphy inlays, parallel transliteration and original Arabic.
>Second, what context should I keep in mind while reading it?
I recommend How to Read the Quran by Dr Carl Ernst.
> Do many people today think it should be taken word-for-word literally?
Please don't. This is how Christian fundamentalists read the Quran, not how Muslims have traditionally read the Quran. In the past, some scholars talked about reading the Quran literally, but what they meant by "literally" was not what some unlearned literalists think of today. This probably makes little to no sense, but the point is, don't read it literally.
>Is there anything else I should be reading alongside the Quran to help me better understand it?
A good biography of Muhammad perhaps. Karen Armstrong, Tariq Ramadan, Martin Lings, and many more have published great books. Dr. John Brown's Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction may be a good one to start with.
>Is it typical for Muslims to read the Quran?
Unfortunately no. Most muslims in the world do not understand Arabic. So when "millions read it in the month of Ramadan" as a comment said elsewhere, they recite it without understanding. However, compared to Christians, Jews or any other scripture-based religion, Muslims as a whole spend way more time with their scripture.
I'm around Jesuit priests all day, and I don't think even they come close to daily devotions of the average muslim layperson. I don't even consider them very devotional, but that's my opinion.
>Would you mind if you suggested a list of books I may read to get a different perceptive on Islam?
I can certainly try. I was a voracious reader as a teenager, but much of what I read went over my head. For example, Huck Finn is an entirely different read at 25 than at 14. Still, you are most certainly smarter than I was as a teenager :). Here's a few things that ought to help. Of course, take it all with a grain of salt and, as always, you are not obligated to agree with everything. Nuance is a subtle, lost art these days.
I'd first start with Huston Smith's Islam: A Concise Introduction. It's basically the chapter on Islam from his seminal classic, The World's Religion. Also, he felt compelled to publish it separately after 9/11. Smith is easily one of the foremost scholars of religion for the last 100 or so years. While deceptively small, this book provides a generous overview of Islam devoid of partisanship and doctrinal quibbles. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the book. I certainly was.
Another small book that allowed me to begin exploring the vital role women played and continue to play in Islam is Amina Wadud's Quran and Woman. Do I agree with all that Wadud says? No, but that is not the point when we explore. The aim is discover, not to find corroboration to previously held ideas - that is the vital imperative to learning and to growth.
Another quite controversial and sometimes acerbic site that has many important things to say about Islam and what so many of us have sometimes falsely construed to be Islam is the following site: https://asharisassemble.com/ Certainly posting it here all but insures downvotes followed by some flaming. I think you will find reasonable answers to many of your questions that will also reaffirm your faith in Islam. Again though, none of us have to agree with all that is being said, it's about pursuing knowledge and exploring.
>“Go in quest of knowledge even unto China.” - Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
>“One learned man is harder on the devil than a thousand ignorant worshippers.” - Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Again, start small. You have your whole life ahead of you to explore and grow. There are headier books available and in time you may find those more palatable and to your liking as you grow. Salaams :).
First off, I would recommend you read a book called "God,Islam, and the Skeptic mind". Read it cover to cover, and see if you still have doubts. The link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/God-Islam-Skeptic-Mind-Religious/dp/1497360021
Brother/Sister you have tough questions and ideally someone more experienced should answer them.
With regards to evolution: TL:DR Yes, it is. https://www.quora.com/Islam-Are-Islam-and-the-theory-of-evolution-compatible
With regards to Dua : http://decodingeden.com/why-allah-not-answer-my-prayers-why-allah-abandons-ignores-me/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To_95hHpods
With Regards to the Abrahamic region and Mesopotamia: The Quran mentions that a prophet and his message was sent to every group of people. If you look at it this way you see the frequent occurence of a main all powerful god in many different religions.
With regards to the unlimited wives in jannah, I have no idea where you got this. "Although there are various views regarding how many women especially world women a man will have, the sound narration regarding the issue is the sound hadith in Bukhari and Muslim. According to that hadith, every man in Paradise will be given two “grace wives with transparent skins” and nobody will be left unmarried there ". Furthermore it isnt just the men whom get companions, the women get male companions. "It is known that when a group of women and men are addressed together or when explanations regarding both women and men are made in Arabic, the masculine gender is used."http://www.questionsonislam.com/question/does-sexual-life-exist-paradise
With regards to your music and art, there is a difference of opinion. Most scholars agree that music is haram, but some make exeptions if the content isnt haram. With regards to art, it isnt banned. Islamic cultures have produced brilliantly beautiful art.
With regards to humans settling in space there is a fatwa regarding this: "In preparation for Malaysia's Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor trip to the ISS in 2007, the National Fatwa Council created "Muslim Obligations in the International Space Station" outlining permissible modifications to rituals such as kneeling when praying (not required in space), facing Mecca when praying (left to the astronaut's best abilities at the start of prayer), and washing (a wet towel will suffice).[13]"
You seem to have a lot of misconceptions, and for these I feel deep sympathy. Your caretakers failed (or perhaps were too ignorant) to teach you islam (and explain it instead of saying "just cuz"). To quote the Quran there is no compulsion in our religion.
Hadith book collections such as Al-Buhkari are basically a collection of hadiths organized topically. It doesn't provide much in the department of context and what rulings can be derived from each hadith. some hadiths were valid for a set period of time for specific circumstances and then the rule changed later. Scholars call this "Al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh" and it is found in the hadith as well as the Quran.
My point is that books like Al-Buhkari are meant as raw data for scholars who study the context and the reasons and the conclusions of rulings in the hadith. Not for the layman to causally read through.
If you want to read hadiths that are organized for the layman here are a few suggestions from the sidebar:
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____LIFE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD____
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____HADITH/SUNNAH____
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^^credit ^^for ^^preparing ^^the ^^list ^^goes ^^to ^^/u/LIGHTNlNG
^
> He says the Bible is the true word of God because every book in the Bible has the same topic
That's not a good litmus test. Having the same topic or message is not a miracle. You would have to include books like Frankenstein into the canon since it was also a continuation of the story of Adam and his fall.
>He also says that everything prophesised by the Bible eventually came true, like the destruction of Babylon
Every empire crumbles. This is not hard to predict.
> I still consider myself an atheist but I want to know God.
Ask God to guide you. If He guides you to the Quran (and it sounds like He has) then pour over it like any researcher looking for answers. When you feel you've exhausted it, move on. You don't need to learn Arabic, but you should know how to read the genre of literature that is the Quran. I highly recommend to everyone Carl Ernst's How to Read the Quran. I assigned this to my university students along with Michael Sells Approaching the Quran.
But to answer you question in brief, the first revelation of the Quran begins "Read! In the Name of your Lord who creates, He creates humanity as an embryo"
You are still an embryo in the womb of the Quran where all your human faculties are being nurtured. If you become aware of your fleeting and transitory existence, then God's message to you has succeeded in transforming you.
On this topic :
> Regarding the science behind the Qur'an, I'm under the impression most of it now, has been proven false or somewhat skewed in it's meaning. I've read some books on it but not many so I'm no expert.
This book, Islam's Quantum Question, perfectly answers most questions about the over-done science in every verse of the quran phenomenon.
r/islam also discussed this topic the other day using_the_quran_as_a_book_of_science
(Also avoid anything associated Harun Yahya. Too much bs is intermingled with borrowed right-wing christian rhetoric which isn't exactly islam's stance on anything).
> For evolution :
Islam's Quantum Question also does a great job clearly showing how to even the casual reader there is far more material in the Quran that one could use in support of evolution than you could ever find against it.
(If you don't like buying books you can find the pdf somewhere. but i would support the author)
> Homosexuality :
Your sexual feelings themselves aren't forbidden - it's your actions that are. For example, even if you're heterosexual you are not allowed to go around humping anyone or thing you want. A good chunk of Islam is about release from yourself, personal struggle and control of your actions. But more on that from others in this thread.
It's not easy but it's part of the test. Remember Allah is aware of Everything you do. I'd recommend reading books such as Controlling your Desires by imam Ghazali.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Al-Ghazali-Disciplining-Soul-Breaking-Desires/dp/0946621438
Or something like this to increase your connection with Allah.
http://www.khanqah.co.za/pdf/connection_with_allah.pdf
Not sure about your personal situation but is marriage an option?
Personally for me it would be a combination of not even letting the thoughts enter my mind (seeking refuge from shaytan) combining with some dhikr.
Also, try to attend congrational prayers and dhikr, as being around others with the same focus can strengthen the heart.
Ultimately pray that Allah gives you the strength to persevere.
Martin Lings' Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources is popular for good reason.
But the best history book I've seen is the work of Dr. Ali M. Sallabi.
It's two volumes and like 2000 pages but it's fascinating read.
I have it on PDF if you want it.
**
For understanding context, Dr. Jonathan Brown is an excellent resource. He's got several books, including his most recent Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy (he's already working on 2nd edition lol...)
>I have hit a low point in life. Maybe not rock bottom, but getting there. I just feel so empty and listless. Something I really wanted didn't work out and now I don't know where to go from here. I know have so much to be thankful for and I try to remember it often, but why do I feel like this? I have achieved "material success" in most people's eyes and yet I feel so useless and stuck. Like my life is going nowhere, like it has no meaning and I am wanting and aching and longing for something to fill this emptiness inside of me and I look for it in other people or in material objects and each time I am let down. Idk what this void is and how to fill it. I feel so empty inside, like there's a black hole in my heart.
I recommend listening to Yasmin Mogahed's lectures about this. Like this one: https://youtu.be/u-nf4lRxmXc
Her book is exactly about having that empty feeling that you're describing: http://www.amazon.com/Reclaim-Your-Heart-Yasmin-Mogahed/dp/0985751207
The most basic book in Islamic theology is Aqeedah Tahawiyyah. Here's a PDF.
Not quite a book, but after that, I'd recommend this audio series by Yasir Qadhi. Goes into some more tangible aspects of theology. After that, this commentary on Aqeedah Tahawiyyah if you really want to learn about detailed theological matters (this is more philosophical than practical).
It's a decent translation, but I prefer Zaki Hammad's The Gracious Qur'an
Study Qur'an, I'd stay away from. If you want some commentary, I'd recommend Abdullah Yusuf Ali's commentary here.
This is a better book of hadith to start out with.
Not a problem at all. I'd recommend a small book I translated called Qaddumi's Elementary Primer followed by Musa Furber's translation of Ibn Balban's text. John Starling has a text coming out soon as well which will be a great addition to the genre. Using these three books, I recommend you get as strong as possible in the Arabic and in the language of the Jurists, then transition to studying directly from Arabic works like Umdat al-Fiqh and Dalil al-Talib.
CodeReaper,
All statements of the Prophet ﷺ are equal in that if he said it, we follow it without question. However, the recording of those statements is of varying authenticity. They range from certain statements we know for sure he didn't say (called mawdu' or fabricated) to ones we are sure he did say (called sahih or authentic).
The best place to start would be the compilation of 40 hadith written by Imam an-Nawwawi. Here's an edition with commentary or you can read them online here.
Hope that helps,
TheMuslimShrink
Islam has perhaps the most fascinating and the most complex form of jurisprudence known to man. Encompassing two branches of the faith (Shia and Sunni), five legal schools (Hanafi, Hanbali, Jafari, Shafi'i, and Maliki), and over 1400 years of legal interpretations, Islamic law has a lot of baggage to consider when interpreting and reinterpreting surahs so many centuries after they were revealed.
One of my favourite Muslim scholars, Fazlur Rahman, developed a method of interpretation that was meant to deal with issues like this (verdicts passed by Muhammad and the early Muslim community that seem incompatible with modern values) by bypassing the baggage of 14 centuries and going straight to the source: the Qur'an.
Rahman's method was called the "Double Movement" method of interpretation. The steps were:
In short, we move from the present situation to the past, look for inspiration in the Qur'an, separate the meaning of the verdict from its context, and then move back to the present situation and apply the meaning we distilled from the Qur'an.
It was Rahman's belief that the Qur'an should be reinterpreted by every generation of Muslims to ensure that it's meaning would be preserved and not corrupted by beliefs and interpretations that no longer held any relevance.
It should also be noted that he did not believe that Muslims should only reinterpret each verse as it suited them; he believed that the Qur'an should be reinterpreted according to the current context as a whole. He understood the Qur'an to be a coherent whole (a way of life) and not something that could be cherry picked (something some modernists and fundamentalists are guilty of). An example of someone who has reinterpreted the Qur'an according to this method is Amina Wadud.
If we applied this method to the hypothetical argument you mentioned above, we would likely come to the conclusion that in our current society fining or imprisoning the offending individual would fulfill the same same intent as amputating a hand would in 6th century Arabia.
I recommend these books:
and Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time
Side note on Quran translation:
Stay away from
Try:
Misc:
Movie:
I had a professor of Islam who used to always say: "There are as many versions of Islam as there are Muslims." It all boils down to what you believe about Islam. There are those who believe that Islam is almost monolithic in its beliefs, that there is only one way to be Muslim. This belief is most commonly perpetuated by fundamentalists that export their brand of Islam out of Saudi Arabia. (For a good book about this, read here.)
The truth is that over the centuries Islamic understanding and practice has been very diverse. I can't say that a man interacting with you breaks the rules of Islam because I have no idea what he believes is the Islamic stance on the issue. For all I know he could subscribe to a version of Islam that is perfectly OK with it, so I would never pass judgement on him.
For Muslim books on the biography of the Prophet, I highly recommend:
A Biography of the Prophet of Islam: In the Light of the Original Sources, an Analytical Study
In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad
Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources
On the more academic side of his life and following centuries, I recommend:
Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction
Hadith: Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World
In God's Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire
The Death of a Prophet: The End of Muhammad's Life and the Beginnings of Islam
For the four best primary sources of his biography translated into English:
The Life of Muhammad: Al-Waqidi's Kitab al-Maghazi
The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya
The Life of Muhammad
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad
If you don't want to read the Qur'an and you want to a book that is easy to read and understand. I would recommend Muhummad: His Life Based On the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings.
It's a well written biography of the prophet Muhammad. Besides the Arabic names I think it's a very easy and quick read. It gives context and is quite thorough.
>No, because in Islam, you're Muslim only if you believe La ilaha ila Allah wa Muhammad rasool Allah (There is no god but God and Muhammad is His messenger).
In the same way, to be a Christian is to affirm the Nicene Creed.
>I just think it's strange that you're saying certain people are not Christian because they don't believe in the trinity, when there are large numbers of Christians that don't.
There are some fringe groups but the overwhelming majority of Christians are Trinitarian. There are roughly 2 Billion Christians including Non-Trinitarian believers, the Non-Trinitarians are roughly 41 million. Meaning that of all the Christians 98% are Trinitarian.
So numerically, and historically the Non-Trinitarians don't jive with mainstream Christianity.
>I'd be extremely interested in seeing your response to a book written by a Christian who became Muslim. It's entitled MisGod'ed and in it there is quite a bit of discussion of the trinity. He really takes a neutral view and looks at it historically and logically.
I'll try to remember to check it out
This is my favorite -- Al-Qur'an: A Contemporary Translation
by Ahmed Ali. I've read several different translations, and most of them use archaic English and are difficult to understand. This translation by Ahmed Ali is very easy to read and is actually quite enjoyable. I've recommended it to others and they have also said the same thing. You can buy it from amazon -- a used copy is less than $1 plus $3.99 shipping.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Al-Quran-Contemporary-Translation-Ahmed-Ali/dp/0691074992/
> I suppose what I'm trying to get to the bottom of is: How to best address what I feel is the completely baseless claim that Islam is inherently violent (I often point to a wider context of colonialism and oppression as an explanation), and also how Islam and Buddhism can benefit each other.
A great place to start is Huston Smith's seemingly innocuous little book entitled Islam: A Concise Introduction. It quickly dispels the notions of Islam as 'inherently violent' without being mired in some doctrinal labyrinth. It's taken from his chapter on Islam in his monumental work 'The World's Religions.' He published it as a separate book following 9/11. His credentials speak for themselves. As a side, I had the honor of meeting him not long ago at LMU when he received the university's Bridge Builder award.
Misinformation and ignorance fan the flames of Islamophobia more than anything else. Put another way, imagine what the world's perspective of Buddhism would be during WWII if there was as much access to (mis)information as there is today. Similar rhetoric used by the likes of ISIS was present in Japan. Take this quote from a Zen monk exhorting the virtues of Japanese imperialism during WWII:
"If ordered to] march: tramp, tramp, or shoot: bang, bang. This is the manifestation of the highest Wisdom [of Enlightenment]. The unity of Zen and war of which I speak extends to the farthest reaches of the holy war [now under way]." - From Zen At War
I hope that helps a little :).
No, because in Islam, you're Muslim only if you believe La ilaha ila Allah wa Muhammad rasool Allah (There is no god but God and Muhammad is His messenger). I just think it's strange that you're saying certain people are not Christian because they don't believe in the trinity, when there are large numbers of Christians that don't.
I'd be extremely interested in seeing your response to a book written by a Christian who became Muslim. It's entitled MisGod'ed and in it there is quite a bit of discussion of the trinity. He really takes a neutral view and looks at it historically and logically.
That verse is highly debated, and is subject to translator bias. I use a different translation which reads as thus
> The men are to support the women by
what God has gifted them over one
another and for what they spend of their
money. The reformed women are
devotees and protectors of privacy what
God has protected. As for those women
from whom you fear disloyalty, then you
shall advise them, abandon them in the
bedchamber, and separate them; if they
obey you, then do not seek a way over
them; God is High, Great.
I never use Islamqa so I can't tell you. I read books put together by scholars whose research and credentials I can research, not an anonymous gaggle of website developers and content creators.
I find Islam to be very empowering to women, more so than Muslims are. Try reading this or this.
our very own /u/joebradford has a simple zakat guide, that you can get for 10 bucks off amazon
here is his website where you can find other resources for zakat
you can also go to your local masjid, someone can assist you there.
in a lot of muslim communities, a lot of times we just go to a accountant, who also is certified in fiqh matters relating to finance and zakat, and they just help you through that.
if you cant figure it out, im sure we can get someone here to help you out.
In regards to the books, and if you care to hear about a historian's take on it, check out Johnathon Brown's Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction.
*I have the book, so if you're looking for a free copy, let me know.
Bit cheap using the cover of Prof. Jonathan Brown's upcoming book for the thumbnail: https://www.amazon.com/Slavery-Islam-Jonathan-C-Brown/dp/1786076357 :)
Good article on the topic by Prof. Brown here too: https://yaqeeninstitute.org/jonathan-brown/slavery-and-islam-what-is-slavery/
>About the knowledge of Islam:
1.1. Not really. Imams and scholars function as both sources of religious interpretation and knowledge (much like doctors do for the medical field for ex.) as well as community leaders. It's an institution that has been going on for 1400 years and I doubt it will change.
1.2. The only thing they can't do is lead men in prayer. Other than that, history is filled with female religious scholars.
>About the relation between hadith and Quran:
1.1. It can be understood and explained to a certain extent, but for much of it, critical historical context will be missing such as: reason for revelation, context in which certain events occurred, determining references to certain battles or events or people, etc. Hadith is not a text of human creation: revelation came in two parts, the first being the Qur'an and the second being the commandments of the prophet (sawa) and his words that explained and expounded on the Quran and that we are ordered to follow as the Qur'an says,
"By the star when it descends, Your companion [Muhammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred, Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed" 53:1-4
"And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty." 59:7
"And obey Allah and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon Our Messenger is only [the duty of] clear notification." 64:12
>About being Islamic in today's world:
>About the presentation of Islam:
>About the criticism of Islam:
1.1. I don't know. I think they'll either decrease or will have to change to something less takfiri of others. They have hit a critical point where irresponsible and divisive sectarian takfiri hate speech in parts of the muslim world has laid the groundwork for a lot of the problems we see today, and which was ignited by the instability caused in the Iraq war and then the Syrian civil war. The money pumping won't last forever. Again, I recommend reading the books linked above.
Besides Harun Yahha and all these b.s people in position. There are hundreds of Muslims trying to convince people other wise that in fact Islam is compatible with evolution. For instance these books specifically discuss it...http://www.amazon.com/Islamic-Theory-Evolution-Missing-between/dp/0982586701/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1369028635&sr=8-7&keywords=islam+evolution
http://www.amazon.com/Islams-Quantum-Question-Reconciling-Tradition/dp/1848855184/ref=pd_sim_b_5
Stop trying to be delusional about the issue and just accept that fact that moslems are all over the place on the issue.
Today's Ayat for Saturday, 2016-12-24 / 26 Rabi` al-awwal 1438
You will never come to piety unless you spend of things you love; and whatever you spend is known to God.
-- al-Imran 3:92 as rendered by Ahmed Ali
لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِن شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ
http://www.islamawakened.com/quran/3/92/
(please share)
IslamAwakened is now available as an Android App
My former Islam professor, Khaled Abou Fadl, used to warn us about what the long term affects of Wahhabi legal thought would have in the Muslim world back in the mid 90's when I was a student of his. There have been clerics calling for the destruction of al-Masjid al-Nabawi for years from even prominent clerics. This isn't just about ISIS, it is about the clerics and "scholars" who inspire them as well.
> What I'm asking is more for people who have genuine philosophical doubts about the very roots of Islam and religion in general.
Get your friend or have them get God, Islam & the Skeptic Mind: A Study on Faith, Science, Religious Diversity, Ethics and Evil. It's available on Amazon.
I also came across The Divine Reality: God, Islam & The Mirage Of Atheism on Amazon but haven't read it myself (just saw it pop up on recommended).
Quran is a weird "book". I know when I started reading it, I expected it to read like the Bible, which seemed like a reasonable expectation. If you have time for it, there are two short books about some contexts to the Quran that don't go into too much historical detail:
How to Read the Quran by Prof Carl Ernst, which talks about the Quran as a literary genre that Arabians could be familiar with, including their legends, stories, and the order and structure of the text.
and
Approaching the Quran by Prof Michael Sells, which deals more with the auditory experience of the Quran as a ritual performance. Comes with a selection of recited verses.
CS Monitor had a brief article on Ernst's book.
I'd suggest buying Jonathan Brown's book Misquoting Muhammad which provides a very good introduction to the science of hadith, the formulation of the hadith corpus, and the application of it.
OP, buy Joe Bradford's and Musa Furber's books.
Read through them and note down your questions.
Check to see if Sheikh Joe has already answered them on joebradford.net.
If not, send him an email with your question.
Check locally to see if any imams can teach you the madhab.
This is better than learning from only a book.
By unbiased do you mean things like documentaries and biographies?
https://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Critical-Lives-Yahiya-Emerick/dp/0028643712
https://youtu.be/L19x1At7bvw
https://www.maa.org/external_archive/devlin/devlin_0708_02.html
https://youtu.be/WQC-SvW0_HU
http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Theft-Wrestling-Extremists/dp/0061189030
That event is an aberration that is far removed from Islamic ethics of warfare, has absolutely no scriptural support, and has been denounced by all major scholars ad nauseum (but still people look the other way and trot out the same cliche again and again, "Why are the moderate muslims not condemning these attacks!")
In fact, it is such a small aberration that it surprises some as to why there are so few extremists among 1.5 billion muslims.
Do we draw conclusions about 1.5 Billion people based how 99% of the people are or how the 1% are?
(By the way, 1% is a very high estimate. If actually 1% of Muslims were radicalized, we're toast. They can take on the entire world's army, which is only about 21 Million strong)
Check these out.
https://www.amazon.com/Qaddumis-Elementary-Hanbali-Primer-Instruction/dp/149236049X?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc
https://www.amazon.com/Hanbali-Acts-Worship-Balbans-Synopsis/dp/1944904034/ref=sr_1_2/159-7497958-7831225?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469405426&sr=1-2&refinements=p_27%3AMusa+Furber
Here is the mobile version of your link
>Also what is this I found called, "The True Religion of God?" by Dr. AB Phillips?
Dr. Bilal Philips has some Salafi leanings but overall most of his works is a good reference point. I wouldn't take every he writes as truth.
Also Islam House is a Salafi site. Salafi are a tiny minority of Muslims in the world yet they flood the internet with their propaganda. Only recently, within last five or years or so ,has traditional scholars has begun to refute their propaganda. My advice is stay away from any person who has ties to Saudi Arabia (Umm al Qurra University,Madeenah University,Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University) until you are grounded within traditional understanding of Islam.
Moreover watch out for anything from Dar Us Salam publishers, the largest English language publishers of Islamic Books, they have been known to rewrite traditional books from scholars to suit their Salafi ideology.
My advice to start with Treatise For The Seekers Of Guidance. Which gives an overview of traditional Islamic morals and behavior. As well as English language Qur'aan,which unfortunately all them have their bias and problems with them. The only three that I can recommend are M.A.S. Abdel Haleem translation , Muhammad Asad translation or Aisha Bewley's translation. Though all of them have their problems.
A scholar recently wrote a book on exactly this topic. His name is Jonathan Brown. Check out his book.
Slavery and Islam (Oneworld Academic) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1786076357/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6ohsDb1VNJ657
>If slavery is not haram than we have a different religion my friend
Can you tell me from an authentic source if slavery is Haram, with Quran or Sunnah.
It is not. However by ijma of scholars it is haram to reestablish slavery once it's abolished in society.
>If we can not superimpose today's moral
Today's morals accept homosexuality, it's clearly haram in the Quran. Either we follow the Quran and Sunnah or society and our desires.
Islam and Slavery and I recommend a read.