Islam

On November 20, 1979, hundreds of gunmen stunned the world by seizing Islams holiest shrine, the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Trofimov interviews for the first time scores of direct participants in the siege, including former terrorists, and draws on hundreds of once-classified documents.On November 20, 1... More

In the tradition of "Reading Lolita in Tehran," Rodriguez tells the story of the beauty school she founds in the middle of the Afghan city of Kabul, and lifts the veil of secrecy about the vibrant women who were her students there.Soon after the fall of the Taliban, in 2001, Deborah Rodriguez went t... More

This concise and authoritative examination of the development of Islam combines history, theology, and politics to provide a succinct and comprehensive survey of the history of Islam.... More

"The Koran," the holy scripture of Islam, is the record of Muhammad's oral teaching delivered between the years immediately preceding the Hegira in AD 622 and the Prophet's death in AD 632. It has exerted untold influence upon the history of mankind. Apart from it's specifically religious content, i... More

In this brilliant look at the rise of political Islam, the distinguished political scientist and anthropologist Mahmood Mamdani dispels the notion of ‘good’ (secular and Westernized) Muslims as against ‘bad’ (premodern, fanatic) Muslims. He argues that such judgements emerge out of politics ... More

In this engaging study, Dr Amina Wadud, an Afro-American Muslim herself, introduces the feminist movement in Islam and delves into its challenges, its textual foundations in the Qur'an and its achievements. Beginning with her own place in the effort for greater justice for women in Islam, Wadud goes... More

Is Islam compatible with democracy? Despite the seemingly endless debate on this issue. Moataz Fattah’s study is a rare investigation of actual Muslim beliefs about democracy across numerous and diverse Islamic societies. Fattah’s survey analysis of more than 31.000 Muslims in 34 countries (incl... More

In "Joy," Osho posits that to be joyful is the basic nature of life. Joy is the spiritual dimension of happiness, in which one begins to understand one's intrinsic value and place in the universe. Accepting joy is a decision to "go with the flow," to be grateful to be alive and for all the challenge... More

A unique and little-known religion, Sufism follows a mystical teaching and a way of life that has had an enormous though largely unrecognized impact on both the East and West for four thousand years. This authoritative book fills a colossal gap in Western documentation of Eastern subjects.... More

A compelling insight into the origins, context, and key themes of the Sufi movement by leading scholar William C Chittick. The text covers such diverse topics as the relationship between Sufism and Islam; the spiritual properties of music and dance; and the beliefs, and key writings of the Sufi trad... More

Drawn from the first-hand accounts of eyewitnesses, Roy Mottahedeh's gripping account of Islam and politics in revolutionary Iran is widely regarded as one of the best records of that turbulent time ever written.The true story of a young mullah, his life in the sacred shrine city of Qom, and the dra... More

This challenging new book reviews the ethics at the heart of the Islamic legal system and suggests that these laws have been misinterpreted by certain sources in an attempt to control women.... More

Esack explores how the Qur'an came into being and examines its structure as a unique literary work. Blending faith, fact and an innovative approach, this is a concise guide to a major religious text, and invaluable insight into its role in the lives of Muslims.... More

Here is the astonishing history of Wahhabism, the guiding ideology behind modern Islamist terrorism. In the late eighteenth century a violently intolerant reinterpretation of Islam took root in the Arabian desert. Its followers became known, after their founder, as the Wahhabi. The creed was then e... More

Confronting such key contemporary issues as racism, justice, sexuality, and gender, this book offers a revealing insight into the real challenges faced by Muslims of both sexes in Western society.... More

The idea of jihad is central to Islamic faith and ethics, and yet its meanings have been highly contested over time. They have ranged from the philosophical struggle to live an ethical life to the political injunction to wage war against enemies of Islam. Today, more than ever, jihad signifies the p... More