Religion : Islam

We've all read about the laws and politics of Islam, but Sufism is the poetry and romance of the world's fastest growing religion. This ascetic and mystical movement within Islam dates from the early 9th century. It has a long and respected tradition of rejecting worship motivated by the desire for heavenly reward or the fear of punishment, insisting rather on the love of God as the sole valid form of adoration. Nasr is the preeminent Sufi scholar in the U.S., and in the tradition of Martin Buber's I and Thou, here provides the beliefs and vision of the mystical heart of Islam. Sufism has made significant contributions to the spread of Islam and the development of various aspects of Islamic civilization (e.g., the Sufi poet Rumi is the best–selling poet in America). Many conservative Muslims disagree with many popular Sufi practices, particularly saint worship, the visiting of tombs, and the incorporation of non–Islamic customs. Consequently, in recent centuries Sufism has been a target for Islamic reformist and modernist movements. Here is the book that will present the ideas and principles held dear by this peaceful, loving tradition within Islam, along with a history of Sufi saints and schools of thought. Sufism is a much needed corrective to the extremist Muslim fundamentalists who capture the headlines and taint our perception of the world's fastest growing religion. more...

Price: $11.95

Focuses on three major themes from Islam: migration, pilgrimage and travel. Discussed separately, they are linked by the fact that they examine the cosmopolitan Islamic social order which emerged in a large part of the Afro-Eurasian land mass and that they reflect Muhammad's call to seek knowledge. more...

Price: $71.95

Free excerpts are available for this ebook: Download Free Excerpt for Adobe Reader Download Free Excerpt for Microsoft Reader Download Free Excerpt for Palm Reader As the specter of religious extremism has become a fact of life today, the temptation is great to allow the evil actions and perspectives of a minority to represent an entire tradition. In the case of Islam, there has been much recent confusion in the Western world centered on distorted portrayals of its core values. Born of ignorance, such confusion feeds the very problem at hand. In The Heart of Islam one of the great intellectual figures in Islamic history offers a timely presentation of the core spiritual and social values of Islam: peace, compassion, social justice, and respect for the other. more...

Price: $10.95

Much of the political turmoil that has occurred in Afghanistan since the Marxist revolution of 1978 has been attributed to the dispute between Soviet-aligned Marxists and the religious extremists inspired by Egyptian and Pakistani brands of "fundamentalist" Islam. more...

Price: $12.95

The Greek pandocheion, the Arabic funduq, and Latin fondaco were ubiquitous institutions in the Mediterranean sphere that operated as hostelries for travellers and evolved into centres of trade between Muslim and Christian regions. Professor Constable traces their complex evolution across space and culture from late antiquity to the middle ages. more...

Price: $60.00