Download or read book The Walking Qur an written by Rudolph T. Ware and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2014 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Walking Qur'an: Islamic Education, Embodied Knowledge, and History in West Africa

Download or read book The Walking Qur an written by Rudolph T. Ware III and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2014-06-16 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spanning a thousand years of history--and bringing the story to the present through ethnographic fieldwork in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania--Rudolph Ware documents the profound significance of Qur'an schools for West African Muslim communities. Such schools peacefully brought Islam to much of the region, becoming striking symbols of Muslim identity. Ware shows how in Senegambia the schools became powerful channels for African resistance during the eras of the slave trade and colonization. While illuminating the past, Ware also makes signal contributions to understanding contemporary Islam by demonstrating how the schools' epistemology of embodiment gives expression to classical Islamic frameworks of learning and knowledge. Today, many Muslims and non-Muslims find West African methods of Qur'an schooling puzzling and controversial. In fascinating detail, Ware introduces these practices from the viewpoint of the practitioners, explicating their emphasis on educating the whole human being as if to remake it as a living replica of the Qur'an. From this perspective, the transference of knowledge in core texts and rituals is literally embodied in people, helping shape them--like the Prophet of Islam--into vital bearers of the word of God.

Download or read book Religion as Critique written by Irfan Ahmad and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2017-11-20 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Irfan Ahmad makes the far-reaching argument that potent systems and modes for self-critique as well as critique of others are inherent in Islam--indeed, critique is integral to its fundamental tenets and practices. Challenging common views of Islam as hostile to critical thinking, Ahmad delineates thriving traditions of critique in Islamic culture, focusing in large part on South Asian traditions. Ahmad interrogates Greek and Enlightenment notions of reason and critique, and he notes how they are invoked in relation to "others," including Muslims. Drafting an alternative genealogy of critique in Islam, Ahmad reads religious teachings and texts, drawing on sources in Hindi, Urdu, Farsi, and English, and demonstrates how they serve as expressions of critique. Throughout, he depicts Islam as an agent, not an object, of critique. On a broader level, Ahmad expands the idea of critique itself. Drawing on his fieldwork among marketplace hawkers in Delhi and Aligarh, he construes critique anthropologically as a sociocultural activity in the everyday lives of ordinary Muslims, beyond the world of intellectuals. Religion as Critique allows space for new theoretical considerations of modernity and change, taking on such salient issues as nationhood, women's equality, the state, culture, democracy, and secularism.

Download or read book Jihad of the Pen written by Rudolph Ware and published by American University in Cairo Press. This book was released on 2018-12-11 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Outsiders have long observed the contours of the flourishing scholarly traditions of African Muslim societies, but the most renowned voices of West African Sufism have rarely been heard outside of their respective constituencies. This volume brings together writings by Uthman b. Fudi (d. 1817, Nigeria), Umar Tal (d. 1864, Mali), Ahmad Bamba (d. 1927, Senegal), and Ibrahim Niasse (d. 1975, Senegal), who, between them, founded the largest Muslim communities in African history. Jihad of the Pen offers translations of Arabic source material that proved formative to the constitution of a veritable Islamic revival sweeping West Africa in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Recurring themes shared by these scholars—etiquette on the spiritual path, love for the Prophet Muhammad, and divine knowledge—demonstrate a shared, vibrant scholarly heritage in West Africa that drew on the classics of global Islamic learning, but also made its own contributions to Islamic intellectual history. The authors have selected enduringly relevant primary sources and richly contextualized them within broader currents of Islamic scholarship on the African continent. Students of Islam or Africa, especially those interesting in learning more of the profound contributions of African Muslim scholars, will find this work an essential reference for the university classroom or personal library.

Download or read book What the Qur an Meant written by Garry Wills and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-12-04 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: America’s leading religious scholar and public intellectual introduces lay readers to the Qur’an with a measured, powerful reading of the ancient text Garry Wills has spent a lifetime thinking and writing about Christianity. In What the Qur’an Meant, Wills invites readers to join him as he embarks on a timely and necessary reconsideration of the Qur’an, leading us through perplexing passages with insight and erudition. What does the Qur’an actually say about veiling women? Does it justify religious war? There was a time when ordinary Americans did not have to know much about Islam. That is no longer the case. We blundered into the longest war in our history without knowing basic facts about the Islamic civilization with which we were dealing. We are constantly fed false information about Islam—claims that it is essentially a religion of violence, that its sacred book is a handbook for terrorists. There is no way to assess these claims unless we have at least some knowledge of the Qur’an. In this book Wills, as a non-Muslim with an open mind, reads the Qur’an with sympathy but with rigor, trying to discover why other non-Muslims—such as Pope Francis—find it an inspiring book, worthy to guide people down through the centuries. There are many traditions that add to and distort and blunt the actual words of the text. What Wills does resembles the work of art restorers who clean away accumulated layers of dust to find the original meaning. He compares the Qur’an with other sacred books, the Old Testament and the New Testament, to show many parallels between them. There are also parallel difficulties of interpretation, which call for patient exploration—and which offer some thrills of discovery. What the Qur’an Meant is the opening of a conversation on one of the world’s most practiced religions.

Download or read book Yaseen written by Nurjan Mirahmadi and published by Sufi Meditation Center Society. This book was released on 2019-01-03 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has been granted the highest of stations by Allah (the Divine) and nowhere is it clearer than in the heart of the Holy Qur'an, Surat YaSeen. This brilliant composition masterfully explains the virtues of Surat YaSeen including seeking guidance and the decoding of Arabic words, all illuminated by over 400 full-colour images.

Download or read book The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam And the Crusades written by Robert Spencer and published by Regnery Publishing. This book was released on 2005-07-01 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents a critical analysis of the differences between Christianity and Islam and maintains that Islam contains a political agenda which endorses violence and aggression against non-Muslims.

Download or read book Quran written by Talal Itani and published by ClearQuran.com. This book was released on 2014-08-17 with total page 517 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perhaps the best Quran English translation. It is clear, easy to read, and very faithful to the Arabic original. It closely follows the Arabic text, and often reminds the reader of the Arabic original. It uses today's English language, and today's English vocabulary, thus it is easy to read and understand. The flow is smooth, the sentence structure is simple, the meaning is clear. This Quran translation has no interpretations, no footnotes, and no explanations. It is a pure translation of the Quran, from Arabic to English, and it does not try to emphasize any school of thought. The text purely and accurately translates the Holy Quran, from Arabic, into contemporary English. It was translated by a Muslim, who saw firsthand the miracles inside the Quran. His native language is Arabic; his everyday language is American English. For 15 years, he studied the Quran. For many years, he translated speech between his mother and his wife. For a living, he develops quality software. This Quran translation is available in two editions. This edition (A) uses the word "Allah" to refer to the Creator. Edition (B) uses the word "God". Quran Sura 91. The Sun. ash-Shams. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 1. By the sun and its radiance. 2. And the moon as it follows it. 3. And the day as it reveals it. 4. And the night as it conceals it. 5. And the sky and He who built it. 6. And the earth and He who spread it. 7. And the soul and He who proportioned it. 8. And inspired it with its wickedness and its righteousness. 9. Successful is he who purifies it. 10. Failing is he who corrupts it. 11. Thamood denied in its pride. 12. When it followed its most wicked. 13. The messenger of Allah said to them, "This is the she-camel of Allah, so let her drink." 14. But they called him a liar, and hamstrung her. So their Lord crushed them for their sin, and leveled it. 15. And He does not fear its sequel. The Quran is the last Book from the Creator. It contains guidance, mercy, and healing. The Quran is a blessing, within reach.

Download or read book The World in a Book written by Elias Muhanna and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-28 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on the author's dissertation (doctoral)-- Harvard University, 2012.

Download or read book Muhammad s Body written by Michael Muhammad Knight and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2020-08-06 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Muhammad's Body introduces questions of embodiment and materiality to the study of the Prophet Muhammad. Analyzing classical Muslim literary representations of Muhammad's body as they emerge in Sunni hadith and sira from the eighth through the eleventh centuries CE, Michael Muhammad Knight argues that early Muslims' theories and imaginings about Muhammad's body contributed in significant ways to the construction of prophetic masculinity and authority. Knight approaches hadith and sira as important religiocultural and literary phenomena in their own right. In rich detail, he lays out the variety of ways that early believers imagined Muhammad's relationship to beneficent energy—baraka—and to its boundaries, effects, and limits. Drawing on insights from contemporary theory about the body, Knight shows how changing representations of the Prophet's body helped to legitimatize certain types of people or individuals as religious authorities, while marginalizing or delegitimizing others. For some Sunni Muslims, Knight concludes, claims of religious authority today remain connected to ideas about Muhammad's body.

Download or read book The Original Sources of the Qur n written by William St. Clair Tisdall and published by . This book was released on 1911 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Story of the Qur an written by Ingrid Mattson and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-02-18 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 women Contains expanded sections on the Qur’an in the life cycle of Muslims, and in Islamic ethics and law Incorporates 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 more This 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

Download or read book Sufis and Saints Bodies written by Scott Kugle and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2011-09-01 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Islam is often described as abstract, ascetic, and uniquely disengaged from the human body. Scott Kugle refutes this assertion in the first full study of Islamic mysticism as it relates to the human body. Examining Sufi conceptions of the body in religious writings from the late fifteenth through the nineteenth century, Kugle demonstrates that literature from this era often treated saints' physical bodies as sites of sacred power. Sufis and Saints' Bodies focuses on six important saints from Sufi communities in North Africa and South Asia. Kugle singles out a specific part of the body to which each saint is frequently associated in religious literature. The saints' bodies, Kugle argues, are treated as symbolic resources for generating religious meaning, communal solidarity, and the experience of sacred power. In each chapter, Kugle also features a particular theoretical problem, drawing methodologically from religious studies, anthropology, studies of gender and sexuality, theology, feminism, and philosophy. Bringing a new perspective to Islamic studies, Kugle shows how an important Islamic tradition integrated myriad understandings of the body in its nurturing role in the material, social, and spiritual realms.

Download or read book Young Gifted and Black written by Theresa Perry and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2004-02-02 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An important and powerful book” that radically reframes the debates swirling around the academic achievement of African-American students (Boston Review) “The solutions offered by each essay are creative, inspirational, and good old common sense." —Los Angeles Times In 3 separate but allied essays, African-American scholars Theresa Perry, Claude Steele, and Asa Hilliard examine the alleged ‘achievement gap’ between Black and white students. Each author addresses how the unique social and cultural position Black students occupy—in a society which often devalues and stereotypes African-American identity—fundamentally shapes students’ experience of school and sets up unique obstacles. Young, Gifted and Black provides an understanding of how these forces work, opening the door to practical, powerful methods for promoting high achievement at all levels. In the first piece, Theresa Perry argues that the dilemmas African-American students face are rooted in the experience of race and ethnicity in America, making the task of achievement distinctive and difficult. Claude Steele follows up with stunningly clear empirical psychological evidence that when Black students believe they are being judged as members of a stereotyped group—rather than as individuals—they do worse on tests. Finally, Asa Hilliard argues against a variety of false theories and misguided views of African-American achievement, sharing examples of real schools, programs, and teachers around the country that allow African-American students to achieve at high levels. Now more than ever, Young, Gifted and Black is an eye-opening work that has the power to not only change how we talk and think about African-American student achievement but how we view the African-American experience as a whole.

Download or read book Islam in West Africa written by Rudolph Ware and published by . This book was released on 2019-07 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Africa is likely the only continent with a Muslim majority. More than a quarter of the world's 1.7 billion Muslims live in Africa, and Islam is the religion of more than 200 million West Africans. When and how did this come to be? How has the acceptance of Islam by West Africans shaped their history? And, conversely, how have West Africans shaped Islamic thought and practice? This book provides answers by exploring-from an internal perspective-what it has meant to be a West African Muslim. It charts the past from within Islam as a system of religious meaning, showing how West Africans have utilized the doctrines and dogmas of the faith to shape history. By focusing on theology and history, this book shows how ordinary men and women have made the core principles and practices of Islam meaningful.

Download or read book The Sublime Quran written by and published by Library of Islam, Limited. This book was released on 2007 with total page 772 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first translation of the Quran by an American woman. It is a universal and inclusive translation with the hope that Islam will be better understood in the West. She also challenges the use of the wowrd "to beat" in 4: 34 as meaning "to go away" which is how the Prophet of Islam understood the word as it has historically justified violence against and abuse of Muslim women. "This interpretation must change," she says, "and revert to the way the Prophet understood it."

Download or read book Lost Islamic History written by Firas Alkhateeb and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-11-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Islam has been one of the most powerful religious, social and political forces in history. Over the last 1400 years, from origins in Arabia, a succession of Muslim polities and later empires expanded to control territories and peoples that ultimately stretched from southern France to East Africa and South East Asia. Yet many of the contributions of Muslim thinkers, scientists and theologians, not to mention rulers, statesmen and soldiers, have been occluded. This book rescues from oblivion and neglect some of these personalities and institutions while offering the reader a new narrative of this lost Islamic history. The Umayyads, Abbasids, and Ottomans feature in the story, as do Muslim Spain, the savannah kingdoms of West Africa and the Mughal Empire, along with the later European colonization of Muslim lands and the development of modern nation-states in the Muslim world. Throughout, the impact of Islamic belief on scientific advancement, social structures, and cultural development is given due prominence, and the text is complemented by portraits of key personalities, inventions and little known historical nuggets. The history of Islam and of the world's Muslims brings together diverse peoples, geographies and states, all interwoven into one narrative that begins with Muhammad and continues to this day.