Islam and the Destiny of Man (Suny Series, Islam)

Parabola; 'Considered essential by [those] seeking to understand Islam.' (Sunday Telegraph) '...a book dealing with the most vital and crucial questions now agitating our lives.' Maryam Jameelah (Muslim World Book Review) 'This book deserves to be read over and over again.' (Muslim Education Quarterly) 'This is a beautifully written book. It offers a taste of theology, of history, of aesthetics and of eschatology blended in such way as to provide a whole and balanced image, a vision of life that is both comprehensive and thoroughly Islamic.'

Book Description; A new, revised edition, in paperback, of a highly successful book. Islam & the Destiny of Man is a wide-ranging study of the religion of Islam from a unique point of view. The author was brought up as an agnostic and embraced Islam at an early age after writing a book (commissioned by T. S. Eliot) on Eastern religions and their influence on Western thinkers. The aim of this book is to explain what it means to be a Muslim, a member of a community which embraces a quarter of the world's population and to describe the forces which have shaped their hearts and minds. Throughout the book the author is concerned not simply with Islam in isolation, but with the very nature of religious faith, its spiritual and intellectual foundations and the light it casts upon the mysteries and paradoxes of the human condition.

Architecture of the Islamic World This book is a thorough introduction that never just stays on the surface of the matter. It answers a lot of questions like "Why it was built like it was built?" In the back part of the book you find plans and short descriptions of the most important buildings, you find a lot of good photographs and even better articles on single subjects like materials or building techniques.

Alhambra In this book the author Michael Jacobs details the history of this spectacular monument-the stories of the ruling families who lived in the palaces, The capturing and recapturing of this region in Spain, and the myths that surround the Alhambra. Evocative photographs by Francisco Fernandez lead readers on a virtual journey through the various palaces, government and military buildings, mosques, baths, courtyards, and beautiful gardens that make up this mythical place.

Architecture of the Contemporary Mosque Architecture of the Contemporary Mosque Edited by Ismaïl Serageldin with James Steele. No other building is so charged with symbolism, so hemmed in by established architectural convention, and so likely to be scrutinised by friends and critics alike. From this appraisal of the complex and challenging subject of the architecture of the contemporary mosque, Ismaïl Serageldin, James Steele and many specialist contributors, proceed to offer a valuable insight into the development of this building type over the last three decades. In his introductory essays Ismaïl Serageldin provides an historical background and explanation of the development of the mosque, its constructive form, constituent parts, and place in the Muslim city.

The Art and Architecture of Islam: 650-1250 All manner of art is explored in a new edition of Islamic Art and Architecture 650-1250, which surveys works from Spain, Northern Africa and the Middle East. With new illustrations and an expanded text by the late New York University Institute of Fine Arts professor Richard Ettinghausen, Princeton University Institute for Advanced Studies history professor Oleg Grabar and Metropolitan Museum of Art Islamic art curator Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, the book traces the growth of art centers in Muslim lands and examines buildings, textiles, books, ceramics and other forms.

Al-Maqasid: Nawawi's Manual of Islam (Paperback)

The first obligation of all who are morally responsible (Ar. mukallaf, someone who has reached puberty and is of sound mind) is to know God, meaning to know that He is existent and not nonexistent; beginninglessly eternal, not originating in or subject to time or space; everlastingly abiding, not subject to end; dissimilar to and other than anything within time or space, nothing in any way resembling Him; self-subsistent, free of need for anything through which to exist or any determinant to condition Him; One, without co-sharer in His entity, attributes, or actions; possessed of almighty power, will, knowledge, life, hearing, sight, speech, such that He is almighty, and wills, knows, lives, hears, sees, and speaks.

Prayers for Forgiveness (Paperback)

The act of seeking forgiveness is what gives us the opening we need after feeling overwhelmed by the burden of sin. Forgiveness means a way out, a second chance, a feeling of hope with which to turn a new page in life. It is through the seeking of forgiveness that we begin to understand that there is no reason whatsoever to despair of the mercy of Allah. Islam encourages us to not run away in fear of Allah but rather to turn toward Allah the same way a baby would run into its mother’s lap. So lovingly does Allah, Most High, address His sinful servants: “Say (to humanity, O Muhammad): O My servants—those (of you) who have committed (sins in great) excess against their own souls—never despair of the mercy of Allah! For, indeed, Allah forgives sins, one and all. Indeed, it is He who is the All-Forgiving, the Mercy-Giving. So turn in penitence to your Lord. And submit yourselves to Him.” (al-Qur’an 39:53–54)

This collection of seventy prayers for forgiveness [istighfarat] is attributed to one of the greatest spiritual luminaries of the past, Hasan al-Basri, and it has been presented here to offer a way for us to navigate through the complications and pitfalls of this life. Set out in Arabic script, with adjoining translation in English, this edition also includes transliteration of the prayers to facilitate reading for those who are not so well-versed in Arabic.

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