One of the most influential books in the history of literature, recognized as the greatest literary masterpiece in Arabic, the Qur'an is the supreme authority and living source of all Islamic teaching, the sacred text that sets out the creed, rituals, ethics, and laws of Islam. Yet despite the growing interest in Islamic teachings and culture, there has never been a truly satisfactory English translation of the Qur'an, until now.This superb new translation of the Qur'an is written in contemporary language that remains faithful to the meaning and spirit of the original, making the text crystal clear while retaining all of this great work's eloquence. The translation is accurate and completely free from the archaisms, incoherence, and alien structures that mar existing translations. Thus, for the first time, English speaking readers will have a text of the Qur'an which is easy to use and comprehensible. Furthermore, Haleem includes notes that explain geographical, historical, and personal allusions as well as an index in which Qur'anic material is arranged into topics for easy reference. His introduction traces the history of the Qur'an, examines its structure and stylistic features, and considers issues related to militancy, intolerance, and the subjection of women.Clearly written and filled with helpful information and guidance, this brilliant translation of the Qur'an is the best available introduction to the faith of Moslems around the world.About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up to date bibliographies for further study, and much more. Read more

One of the most influential books in the history of literature, recognized as the greatest literary masterpiece in Arabic, the Qur'an is the supreme authority and living source of all Islamic teaching, the sacred text that sets out the creed, rituals, ethics, and laws of Islam. First published in 2004, M. A. S. Abdel Haleem's superb English translation has been acclaimed for both its faithfulness to the original and its supreme clarity. Now Haleem's translation is published side-by-side with the original Arabic text, to give readers a greater appreciation and understanding of the holy book.Revised for the new edition, this translation is written in contemporary language that remains true to the meaning and spirit of the original, making the text crystal clear while retaining all of this great work's eloquence. It is now set page-for-page against the most widespread traditional calligraphic Arabic text, for the benefit of Muslims who wish to make the connection between the translation and the Arabic text, as well as Arabic readers and non-Arabs learning to read the Qur'an in Arabic. As in the original volume, the translation is completely free from the archaisms, incoherence, and alien structures that mar other translations. Furthermore, Haleem includes notes that explain geographical, historical, and personal allusions as well as an index in which Qur'anic material is arranged into topics for easy reference. His introduction traces the history of the Qur'an, examines its structure and stylistic features, and considers issues related to militancy, intolerance, and the subjection of women. This brilliant bilingual edition of the Qur'an is the best available English-language translation. It has been approved by Al-Azhar University, the oldest Muslim university and the world's leading institution for the study of Arabic and Islam. Read more

A detailed look at the fast-growing field of Islamic banking and financeThe Art of Islamic Banking and Finance is a modern American take on what it means to incorporate Islamic finance principles into everyday banking and investment techniques by introducing a new brand of banking for all people of all faiths: The Riba-Free (RF) banking.The author is considered the father of RF (Islamic) banking in America. He has been a banker and an Imam/scholar for over 40 years in America since 1968. He started the tedious process with a finance company, LARIBA, in Pasadena, California in 1987. This is the first book ever in the field to trace the origins of prohibiting the renting of money at a price called interest rate and over-indulging in debt. The book reviews in great details the theological foundations of prohibiting interest in the Jewish Bible, the Christian Bible, and the Qur'aan. The author then discusses money and how fiat money is created, the role of the Federal Reserve, and the banking system in America. The book also discusses for the first time ever how to include an important aspect of RF (Islamic) finance using commodity indexation and marking the items to be financed to market in order to avoid participating in economic "bubbles." The author discusses how these rules work, how they affect consumer behavior, and how they change the role of the banker/financier.Covers a new pioneering model that is based on the Law (Shari'aa) and how it is applied in every transaction from joint ventures and portfolio management to home mortgages and personal financingShows how to incorporate the Law (Shari'aa) into American financing and banking systemsPoints to RF (Islamic) finance and banking as a way to emphasize socially responsible investingThe Art of Islamic Banking and Finance also includes a discussion on the emergence of a culture of RF (Islamic) banking and finance today, which is based on the real Judeo-Christian-Islamic spirit and very effective when compared to twentieth-century models that use financial engineering and structuring techniques to circumvent the Law (Shari'aa). The book also includes case studies based on the actual experience of the author and detailed analysis of the superior results realized by applying this new brand of banking to financing. Read more

Juz' Amma is the last of thirty equally divided sections of the Qur'an, and is comprised of its final 36 chapters (Surah 78 to Surah 114). Juz' Amma is named after its very first word ('amma / عمّ), and is the most popularly memorized section of the Qur'an due to its brief chapters and concise verses. This juz' was almost entirely revealed during the Prophet's ﷺ years in Mecca, and hence its narrative focuses on centralizing the Divine in the hearts of the believers, attaching their hearts to the events of the Last Day, and ingraining in them perseverance through trials and excellence of character.This commentary on Juz' Amma was transcribed then translated from the audio recordings of the late scholar and jurist, Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-'Uthaymeen. Its clear language and intertexual method (explaining the Qur'an with other Qur'anic passages) makes it an ideal resource for anyone seeking to better comprehend what they recite in prayer, develop their Qur'anic vocabulary, and become familiar with the fundamental principles of traditional Qur'anic exegesis.This book was compiled and published as curricula for Tajan Quran Institute (Allentown, PA, USA), but is perfectly suitable for self-study as well (in shā Allāh). All proceeds from its sales will go towards advancing the Qur'anic literacy of our students at Tajan. Read more

This lavishly illustrated volume, with many of the 300 photographs being published in colour for the first time, features 19 articles by Bernard O’Kane on a wealth of topics in medieval Islamic art. O’Kane examines controversial subjects such as the Siyah Qalam album paintings and major masterpieces of both Arab and Persian illustrated manuscripts. He analyses Egyptian and Iranian examples of decorative arts including woodwork, textiles, ceramics and metalwork, from large-scale minbars to ivory boxes. And he explores epigraphic developments in Persian and Arabic, from the 10th to the 15th centuries in Egypt and Iran. Read more

This book provides a comprehensive guide to the different aspects of deradicalization theories, programs and methods.It analyzes the practical and theoretical aspects of deradicalization programs and the methods being employed to bring extremists and terrorist back to a non-violent life. The book includes in-depth case studies on programs and former extremists, including interviews with former German neo-Nazis and families of Jihadists who have received deradicalization counselling. Using a coherent theory of radicalization and deradicalization, it integrates existing programs into a typology and methodology regarding the effects and concepts behind deradicalization. In addition, a current state of the art assessment of deradicalization programs around the world provides a collection of programs and landscapes worldwide. It thereby functions as a unique guide for practitioners and policymakers in need of evaluation or construction of such programs, as well as a resource pool for academics interested in research about deradicalization programs and processes. The major aim of this book is to consolidate the existing scholarship on deradicalization and to move the field forward by proposing a coherent theory of deradicalization, including ways to measure effectiveness, standard methods and procedures, different actors of such programs and cooperation on national and international level. In essence, this work enables the reader to identify how, when and why deradicalization programs work, how they can be built and structured, and to identify their limitations.This book will be of interest to students of radicalisation, counter-terrorism, radical Islam, criminology, security studies and IR. Read more

This popular introduction by a well-known Islamic scholar has been updated and expanded, offering a balanced portrayal of the Qur’an and its place in historic and contemporary Muslim society.Features new sections on the Qur’an and its relationship to democracy, science, human rights, and the role of womenContains expanded sections on the Qur’an in the life cycle of Muslims, and in Islamic ethics and lawIncorporates additional images and student features, including a glossary.Supported by an accompanying website (available on publication) hosting a range of additional material, including student resources, links to important websites, news stories, and moreThis title is also available as an eTextbook on the CourseSmart platform, as a Wiley Desktop Edition, or via your preferred eTextbook vendor; eTextbooks offer convenience, enhanced electronic functionality, and flexible pricing options – learn more at www.wiley.com/college/wileyflex Read more

The early Greek Cynic, Diogenes, when asked where he came from simply replied: kosmopolitēs - ‘I am a citizen of the world’. The ethical and political paradigm of cosmopolitanism is often exclusively attributed to the ancient schools of Cynicism and Stoicism. Cosmopolitanism is commonly assumed to have reached an impasse throughout the Middle Ages, only to resurface during the Enlightenment with the political philosophies of Hugo Grotius, Adam Smith, and Immanuel Kant. However, the political philosophy of Abū Naṣr al-Fārābī (870-950 CE), represents a promising avenue for the revival and expansion of cosmopolitanism. By harmonizing Plato and Aristotle with Neoplatonism and Islamic theology (kalām) in a radically innovative manner, al-Fārābī ambitiously proposes the existence of a political community extending across the entire inhabited world. This book demonstrates that the possibility and promise of al-Fārābī’s cosmopolitanism remains an enduring contribution to contemporary debates concerning the future of democracy and global political association. Read more

In Possessed by the Right Hand, Bernard K. Freamon offers a comprehensive legal history of slavery and slave-trading in Islam, considering the impact of Western abolitionism, its failure, and the implications of the rise of ISIS and Boko Haram. Read more

The emergence of the Jewish Bible commentary in the tenth century marks a turning point in Jewish intellectual history, namely, the transition from ancient rabbinic culture to the Arabized Judaism of the medieval period. This book explores a formative moment in this cultural reorientation by analyzing one of the earliest Jewish Bible commentaries. Written in Arabic in tenth-century Jerusalem, Salmon ben Yeruhim's commentary on Lamentations reveals a nuanced negotiation between the rabbinic tradition and the intellectual resources of the Islamic world.Salmon was a prominent figure among the Karaites, a Jewish movement defined by its commitments to biblical scholarship and penitential practices. For him, Lamentations is "instruction for Israel"--spiritual guidance for the Jewish community in exile--and his task is to communicate that instruction. Jewish Piety in Islamic Jerusalem explores the medieval Arabic dimensions of Salmon's project, tracing his engagement with the nascent fields of Arabic literary theory, historiography, and homiletics. The central argument of the book is that Salmon articulates a Jewish pietistic message through emergent Arabic-Islamic genres, transforming them to reflect his own religious and exegetical commitments. In this way, Salmon applies Arabic learning to the Bible at the same time that his understanding of the biblical text expands the Arabic intellectual tradition. The book advances these claims through six analytical chapters and an annotated English translation of the homilies and excursuses of Salmon's commentary. Read more

Jonathan Berkey surveys the religious history of the peoples of the Near East from approximately 600 to 1800 c.e. After examining the religious scene in the Near East in late antiquity, he investigates Islam's first century, the "classical" period from the accession of the Abbasids to the rise of the Buyid amirs. He then traces the emergence of new forms of Islam in the middle period, deftly showing how Islam emerged slowly as part of a prolonged process. Read more

In the volume amulets and talismans produced by Muslims and non-Muslims in the Islamicate world, are studied within a broader system of meaning, focussing on the complex role these objects played in pre-modern societies. Read more

This book offers an integrated study of the texts and images in illustrated Malay manuscripts on magic and divination from private and public collections in Malaysia, the UK and Indonesia. Richly illustrated, it contains rare examples of Malay painting, many of them published here for the first time. Read more

Covering the origins, key features, and legacy of the Islamic tradition, the third edition of A New Introduction to Islam includes new material on Islam in the 21st century and discussions of the impact of historical ideas, literature, and movements on contemporary trends.Includes updated and rewritten chapters on the Qur’an and hadith literature that covers important new academic researchCompares the practice of Islam in different Islamic countries, as well as acknowledging the differences within Islam as practiced in EuropeFeatures study questions for each chapter and more illustrative material, charts, and excerpts from primary sources Read more

In this critical analysis, Laetitia Nanquette explores how Iranian literature has functioned and circulated since the 1979 revolution until the present. She looks at prose productions in particular, analysing several genres and media. Taking Iran as a starting point, Nanquette explores the forms, structures and functions of Iranian literature within Iranian society. She then turns to the diaspora – with a focus on North America, Western Europe and Australia – and the world beyond Iranians to examine the current dynamics of literary production and circulation between Iranian diasporic spaces and the homeland. Read more

The Venture of Islam has been honored as a magisterial work of the mind since its publication in early 1975. In this three-volume study, illustrated with charts and maps, Hodgson traces and interprets the historical development of Islamic civilization from before the birth of Muhammad to the middle of the twentieth century. This work grew out of the famous course on Islamic civilization that Hodgson created and taught for many years at the University of Chicago. In the second work of this three-volume set, Hodgson investigates the establishment of an international Islamic civilization through about 1500. This includes a theoretical discussion of cultural patterning in the Islamic world and the Occident."This is a nonpareil work, not only because of its command of its subject but also because it demonstrates how, ideally, history should be written."—The New Yorker Read more

Just what is Islam and what does it mean to be a Muslim in the world today? Since the events of 9/11 and 7/7, Islam has become one of the most controversial and misunderstood religions in the world. Introducing Islam encourages students to put aside their preconceptions and explore this fascinating religion.William Shepard traces the history of Islam from its origins in the life and career of Mohammed, through its classical expressions, to its interactions with the West in the modern world. A chapter is devoted to each major topic, including The Quran, Islamic law, Islamic theology, and the Sufi movement, as well as community rituals and Islamic art and culture. There is a survey of modern developments and four chapters are dedicated to individual countries, Turkey, Iran, Egypt and Indonesia.Fully revised and updated, the second edition of this core textbook adds crucial material on contemporary issues such as women in Islam and democratization and human rights. Illustrated throughout, the book also includes learning objectives, a glossary of key Arabic terms, comprehensive further reading lists and critical thinking boxes, helping students to critically engage with the material in each chapter. Further teaching and learning resources are available on the companion website at www.routledge.com/cw/shepard .This book continues to be essential reading for students of Islam worldwide. Read more

In The Islamic Conception of Justice, Majid Khadduri, one of the world's preeminent authorities on Islamic justice and jurisprudence, presents his extensive study and reflection on Islamic political, legal, ethical, and social philosophy. This book is both a magisterial historical synthesis and an illumination of the beliefs and practices of modern Islam. Throughout, Khadduri discusses not only the meaning of justice in general but also how justice has undergone significant changes in the modern age. The final chapter deals with the impact of Western notions of justice, with especial emphasis on the recurrence of fundamentalist movements such as the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Pakistan, and other Islamic lands. Read more

Western Sufism is sometimes dismissed as a relatively recent "new age" phenomenon, but in this book Mark Sedgwick argues that it has deep roots, both in the Muslim world and in the West. In fact, although the first significant Western Sufi organization was not established until 1915, the first Western discussion of Sufism was printed in 1480, and Western interest in Sufi thought goes back to the thirteenth century. Sedgwick starts with the earliest origins of Western Sufism in late antique Neoplatonism and early Arab philosophy, and traces later origins in repeated intercultural transfers from the Muslim world to the West, in the thought of the European Renaissance and Enlightenment, and in the intellectual and religious ferment of the nineteenth century. He then follows the development of organized Sufism in the West from 1915 until 1968, the year in which the first Western Sufi order based on purely Islamic models was founded. Western Sufism shows the influence of these origins, of thought both familiar and less familiar: Neoplatonic emanationism, perennialism, pantheism, universalism, and esotericism. Western Sufism is the product not of the new age but of Islam, the ancient world, and centuries of Western religious and intellectual history. Using sources from antiquity to the internet, Sedgwick demonstrates that the phenomenon of Western Sufism draws on centuries of intercultural transfers and is part of a long-established relationship between Western thought and Islam. Read more

Alone among Muslim countries, Morocco is known for its own national form of Islam, “Moroccan Islam.” However, this pathbreaking study reveals that Moroccan Islam was actually invented in the early twentieth century by French ethnographers and colonial officers who were influenced by British colonial practices in India. Between 1900 and 1920, these researchers compiled a social inventory of Morocco that in turn led to the emergence of a new object of study, Moroccan Islam, and a new field, Moroccan studies. In the process, they resurrected the monarchy and reinvented Morocco as a modern polity. This is an important contribution for scholars and readers interested in questions of orientalism and empire, colonialism and modernity, and the invention of traditions. Read more