(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best quran books

Yeah me too I got this message

This is in regards to your post/comment on /r/Islam.

I would post on your thread but since I belong a peaceful sect of Islam which lives by the motto "love for all, hatred for none", my posts are automatically down voted by the couch potato scholars in that subreddit. So I send a pm to anyone who inquires about Islam.

There are 73 sects (http://www.real-islam.org/73_8.htm) within Islam and I belong to the /r/Ahmadiyya Muslim sect of Islam. We are persecuted by the main stream Muslims, yet despite their efforts, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the fastest growing sect of Islam (Independent research conducted by Oxford University confirms Ahmadiyyat as the fastest growing sect of Islam). Ahmadiyyat is the only Muslim sect to be unanimously banned by all 72 sects of Islam. This does not come as a surprise to Ahmadi Muslims as this fulfills a 1400 year old prophecy (hadith) concerning the division of Islam into 73 sects. The prophecy states that:

> Abdullah bin Amar (RA) relates that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said "Surely things will happen to my people as happened earlier to Israelites, they will resemble each other like one shoe in a pair resembles the other to the extent that if anyone among the Israelites has openly committed adultery to his mother there will be some who will do this in my Ummah as well, verily the Israelites were divided into 72 sections but my people will be divided into 73 sections, all of them will be in the fire except one." The companions asked, 'Who are they O Messenger of Allah,' Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "They are those who will be like me and my companions."

(Hadith book Tirmdhi Hadith no 171)

> “Abu Hurayrah (RadiyAllahu Anhu) relates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: ‘The Jews were divided into 71 or 72 sects as were the Christians. My Ummah will be divided into 73 sects.”

(Al-Mustadrak)

The ruling to ban Islam Ahmadiyya was made by the representatives of the 72 sects within Islam, effectively making it 72 sects’ vs Ahmadiyyat, the 73rd sect of Islam. The prophecy is even more stunning when one considers the fact that this is the only ruling all 72 sects have ever unanimously agreed upon, never before or after have the 72 sects agreed collectively on any such rulings.

Persecution faced by Islam Ahmadiyya Muslims:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECdBnE-Kj7k
   
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLcNTI8u3Pw
   
   Our communities main website which contains everything you need to know about us is, www.alislam.org, however, I will do my best to present a small introduction to Ahmadiyyat for you in this message.
   
   The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded in 1889 and it spans over 195 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions. Islam Ahmadiyya is the only Islamic organization to believe that the long-awaited Messiah has come in the person of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) (1835-1908) of Qadian. Ahmad (as) claimed to be the metaphorical second coming of Jesus (as) of Nazareth and the divine guide, whose advent was foretold by the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (sa). What differentiates Islam Ahmadiyya from the mainstream sects is our interpretation of Islam and the application of Islamic teachings.
   
   Natural death of Jesus (as) BBC Report which supports the Ahmadiyya view:
   
   
3. Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfgtHnK9dw8
   
4. Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bz0caFz7es
   
5. Book http://www.alislam.org/library/books/jesus-in-india/index.html
   
   Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the leading Islamic organization to categorically reject terrorism in any form. Over a century ago, Ahmad (as) emphatically declared that an aggressive “jihad by the sword” has no place in Islam. In its place, he taught his followers to wage a bloodless, intellectual “jihad of the pen” to defend Islam.
   
   Jihad in Islam according to Islam Ahmadiyya:
   
   
6. https://www.alislam.org/jihad/
   
7. (1 of 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ3KgvcwoCA
   
8. (2 of 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pl9_z4FCKA
   
   Another thing I would like to mention is that despite there being 73 sects of Islam, the Quran and the Hadiths remain constant throughout all the sects, you will find they all have the same copy of the Arabic Quran and Hadiths. Their differences stem from their interpretation of those texts and on how they practice Islam. This being said, I would like to offer you a copy of the Quran with a commentary which can open up the hidden layers of the Quran for you.
   
   http://www.alislam.org/quran/tafseer/guide.htm?region=E1
   
   There is also a shorter translation which offers a brief commentary on each verse of the Holy Quran. This version is available free of charge from Amazon and can be easily read on any tablet or phone though the kindle app.
   
   http://www.amazon.ca/Holy-Quran-Maulana-Muhammad-Ali-ebook/dp/B0050CPG66/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406097300&sr=8-1&keywords=ahmadiyya+quran
   
   Just a side note, the commentary is necessary as Islam has two texts of great importance, first and foremost is the Quran and second to that are the Hadiths (sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) recorded by his disciples after his death). Consider the Quran as the Law and hadith a guide on how to apply said law. The commentary which I provided above does an excellent job of using both sources to relay the hidden meanings of verses for the reader, which only open up after a careful study of both the Quran and Hadith.
   
   Also, I would like to recommend a book for your reading pleasure; it talks of the origins of almost all major religions of the world and also takes on contemporary philosophies and compares them to Islam. It also does an excellent job of covering topics such as evolution and other major scientific theories and shows how not one contradicts Islam. Also, everything is backed up by references, so nothing is taken out of thin air.
   
   http://www.alislam.org/library/books/revelation/index.html
   
   The following are links to videos and articles which you might find helpful:
   
   

• Islam Ahmadiyya view on evolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr2jR-MZxFY
  
  
• Islam Ahmadiyya on Sharia Law (debate): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTYrjFE6Rcg
  
  
• Islam Ahmadiyya view on Apostasy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD8HdSPTJjY
  
  
• Will non-Muslims go to hell?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTF0Eu-2iIA
  
  
• Islam Ahmadiyya concept of Heaven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB37arZ2aFA
  
  
• Islam Ahmadiyya concept of Hell: https://www.alislam.org/library/links/00000017.html
  
  
• Islam Ahmadiyya understanding of Dajjal (Antichrist):
  
  

1. https://alislam.org/library/browse/book/The_Essence_of_Islam/?l=English&p=3#page/279/mode/1up
   
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZqqm-M7HBA
   
   

• Islam Ahmadiyya on Jinn:
  
  

1. (1 of 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfsU8840Ik4
   
2. (2 of 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-57b4v5t48
   
3. https://www.alislam.org/library/books/revelation/part_5_section_3.html
   
   

• Islam Ahmadiyya on finality of Prophet-hood:
  
  

1. (1 of 3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr3af4zi9XY
   
2. (2 of 3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T57UpjhQfYk
   
3. (3 of 3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptZuCJDJ0qY
   
   

• Short documentary on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):
  
  

1. (1 of 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf4QKSicCu8
   
2. (2 of 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS_jOPY5Q8A
   
   

• Collection of debates held at various Universities and Colleges by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Student Association: http://www.reddit.com/r/ahmadiyya/comments/1co8q2/the_amsa_ahmadiyya_muslim_students_association/
  
  
• Short documentary on Drugs and Alcohol: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYW2qemfcGI
  
  If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask in /r/Ahmadiyya or www.alislam.org. Have a wonderful day :)
  
  This message is not sponsored by /r/Ahmadiyya or www.alislam.org. This message is being sent by an Ahmadiyya member who is enthusiastic about sharing his beliefs with the world. Please do not reply to this account as there will be no reply; for answers to your queries, please refer to the sources listed above. Thank you.

Shabir Ally is a scholar I tend to turn towards to when it comes to topics in relation to violence in the Quran. Through him I learnt that Islam's methodology of warfare is nigh parallel to the 'Just War Theory' which encompasses Jus ad Bellum (right to go to war) and Jus in Bello (right conduct in war). When we implement Islamic theory of warfare, we find that

> Militant Islamic groups fail to meet seven out of eight Islamic jus ad bellum requirements for just war
source


I also find him most comfortable for Christians to approach for unlike other more well known preachers of Islam, Ally has a very sympathetic view of Christianity and has love for the Bible. He tends to put in context certain verses in relation to violence and has rather liberal values regarding the veiling of women and capital punishments against homosexuality and apostasy. Though we cannot completely call him a modernist, he fits in that comfortable median where both progressives and conservatives can agree with him and non-Muslims won't feel intimidated by him.


Then there is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf whose book, Moving the Mountains, I love. He uses the Quran as a basis for pluralistic Islamic societies and provides proof from Quranic text that Muslims and other religious groups are all brethren. He further goes on to denounce the title of 'Muslim' and urges us to follow the Prophet (P.B.U.H)'s example of considering oneself a 'believer', one in the same path as his Christian and Jewish brethren as compared to one of separate identity. Johnathan A.C Brown is another great scholar of Islam one can follow. Though I do feel he has, from time to time, certain conservative leanings, he has a great understanding of the text, contexts and rationalizes more troublesome prospects quite well such as verse 4:34.


I primarily follow female scholars. Asma Lamrabet is one I adore and oft visit her website when it comes to feminist topics. She provides very convincing arguments against patriarchal readings of Islam with evidence from historical texts, hadith literature and the Quran itself. She also has this book one could read for a feminist approach to the Quran. I became a feminist not through any Western feminist texts but rather after reading the Quran and this view is echoed by Asma Barlas. You can read her book "Believing Women" in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur'an. She goes onto further suggest that the Quran is an 'anti-patriarchal' text which is a rather extreme statement to say in a world where Islam and patriarchy are considered nigh synonymous (even to Muslims) but she argues her points convincingly.


You can also check out Amina Wadud who focuses on strictly progressive and egalitarian interpretations of the Quran. Here is a PDF to her book Quran and Women. If you wish, you can also read Laleh Bakhtiar's translation of the Quran which, as other female scholars, approaches it with a feminist perspective. You can find it here. In her translation of verse 4:34 you will not find any mention of whipping or beatings which immediately contrasts from more patriarchal approaches to it. Kecia Ali, Leila Ahmed, Ziba Mir-Hosseini (whose website you can visit here), Fatima Mernissi are all great female scholars to read and research over for feminist views on Islam. Ziba immediately differentiates Islam and fiqh on her website which is a rather crucial distinction Islamophobes tend to be unaware of and, like her peers, approaches feminism through Islam rather than in spite of it.


Let me also recommend some neutral voices which are distanced from biases towards Islam. Though Garry Wills is not a scholar of Islam (he is, in fact, Roman Catholic), his book 'What the Quran Meant' is great for non-Muslims for it contextualizes violent verses and provides evidence that the Quran is inherently peaceful as any other faith book. Similarly, I found Lesley Hazleton's (who is agnostic) presentations on the Prophet (P.B.U.H) quite lovely as well such as this one where she goes to talk on his peaceful nature and his attempts to avoid conflict. Karen Armstrong too (a Christian woman) is a writer I respect whose biography on the Prophet (P.B.U.H) provides a peaceful perspective on him.


Now, let me go ahead and recommend some classic scholars of Islam to provide evidence that liberality is not a new found condition within the religion but has been present through its inception. We first find evidence of flexibility in Ibn Abbas' (R.A)'s tafsir of the Quran who was a companion of the Prophet (P.B.U.H). While we cannot call it a progressive or even feminist interpretation, it is known for being rather flexible. You can find evidence of it in his interpretation of 4:34 where he condemns painful or 'exaggerated' lashing of one's wife (providing evidence that 4:34 was not there to enforce abuse but to give sets of rulings to deter and eradicate the abuse culture in Pre-Islamic Arabia). You can read it here. After this I will recommend Ibn Arabi who is considered by some to be the first feminist thinker. He used to support the idea of female Imams and had said that women and men were absolutely equal. He based his propositions on the Quran and Hadith. Imam Abu Hunaifa is the founder of one of the four most prominent fiqh schools of thought, the Hanafi school and shows a rather liberal approach to homosexual relations as compared to his counterparts. He also wished to create acceptance of Christians and Jewish groups within Muslims though his readings of the Quran. Following him is Shah Wali Ullah who sought to bring progression within Islamic societies. He feared Muslims binding themselves to subjective interpretations of Islam and sought to free them from atavistic binds. He propagated ijtihad (individual rational judgement) and preached that Shariah must change with the times and with circumstances for Quran's beauty is in its infinite malleability (as Reza Aslan puts it)

I am late. I had to take a break from all the snipers who flooded in after the recent debate. It can be exhausting trying to defend your belief among non-believers. I am sure you were in similar position at certain point in life. Even if it's not with religion but with ideas or sports teams.

Anyway, I made reference to NYC and its past because I needed a reference point. Just as a polygraph machine needs a reference point. After all, you are not arguing about objective morality. Morality, according to you changes with time and culture. What worked 1400 years ago does not work today. That's the core of your argument. If we were talking about this subject 200 hundred years ago, we would be at the opposite ends of our table. One of the reasons secular societies think they have it right, while Muslims do not is because of their economical power. If today somehow China ruled the world economically, we probably would have a different outlook on these issues. But I digress. Let's get on with actually answering your concerns.

> http://corpus.quran.com/translation.jsp?chapter=4&verse=34

I am going to take Yusuf Ali's translation because that's the book I have. While the verse you linked has the translation, it does not have the footnote.

Translation:

> Men are the protectors (545) and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard.(546) As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first),(547) (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly);(547-A) but if they return to obedience, seek not against them(548) Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all).

Footnote:

> 545 Qawwam: one who stands firm in another's business, protects his interests, and looks after his affairs; or it may be, standing firm in his own business, managing affairs, with a steady purpose (Cf. 4:135 and 2:228).
546 Or the sentence may be rendered: "and protect (the husband's interests) in his absence, as Allah has protected them. If we take the rendering as in the text, the meaning is: the good wife is obedient and harmonious in her husband's presence, and in his absence guards his reputation and property and her own virtue, as ordained by Allah. If we take the rendering as in the note, we reach the same result in a different way: the good wife, in her husband's absence, remembering how Allah has given her a sheltered position, does everything to justify that position by guarding her own virtue and his reputation and property.

> 547 In case of family jars four steps are mentioned, to be taken in that order: (1) perhaps verbal advice or admonition may be sufficient; (2) if not, sex relations may be suspended; (3) if this is not sufficient, some slight physical correction may be administered; but Imam Shafi'i considers this inadvisable, though permissible, and all authorities are unanimous in deprecating any sort of cruelty, even of the nagging kind, as mentioned in the next clause; (4)- if all this fails, a family council is recommended in 4:35 below.

> 547-A The word "daraba" is used in the Qur'an with about 17 different meanings including avoid, separate, leave, travel etc. The Qur'an is best interpreted through the deeds and sayings of the Prophet. The fact that the Prophet never battered or spanked any wife and detested any such action, gives credence that the meaning here intended here by "wadribuhunna" is to stay away from a discordant wife in the hope that this will let her realize an impending separation and divorce. (Eds.)

> 548 Temper, nagging, sarcasm, speaking at each other in other people's presence, reverting to past faults which should be forgiven and forgotten-all this is forbidden. And the reason given is characteristic of Islam. You must live all your life as in the presence of Allah, Who is high above us, but Who watches over us. How petty and contemptible will our little squabbles appear in His presence!

Source: Couldn't find it at openlibrary.org, so here's amazon. Page: 44.

What's wrong with that verse? It is perfectly fine. Only thing can be problematic about this verse is the word strike or beat (depending on the translation), if it is not understood with its historical context. To understand it, we have to understand Classic Arabic. In which colloquial context was the word used? Since we can't go back in time, we look at the Sunnah or the example of the Prophet. If hitting or striking one's wife was the proper way to deal with conflicts, then there would be an example of it. However, the Prophet did not treat his wives in such manner. If you want a full lecture on the topic, check out Dr. Jonathan Brown.

> As far as I know, Quran only speaks about divorce from the man's angle. Its left to interpretation and probably sunnah as to the women's options. I'd be happy to know if I am wrong about this. If you read these, you'll notice it is only talking to men about men. I noticed this when I first read the Quran.

This is an easy one. The Qur'an is understood as God speaking to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. The Surah you mentioned starts with O Prophet, addressing Muhammad (pbuh). So, the Qur'an is not speaking to all men, rather one specific man. Some Muslims are confused about this as well. In order to appeal to Christians, they'll say things like... "Well, the Qur'an mentions Jesus' name more than Muhammad's name." That's because God is speaking to Muhammad about Jesus. There's a difference. God is not going to mention Muhammad's name every time He speaks to him.

When God wanted to be specific about men and women's duty, he mentions it explicitly. For example, the hijab and waiting period for divorce, etc. It is my understanding, there's no difference otherwise. For example, a woman asked the Prophet about prayer and how she should pray. The Prophet replied saying, "Pray as I pray."

I am not going to go through the Wikipedia article. I don't have the expertise to challenge or agree to the claims. I glanced at the references and it's mostly someone's interpretation of the verses from the Qur'an and the Hadith. I am not sure if they have the credentials to make the said interpretations. They also cited some Islamic countries' divorce laws. Which isn't always Islamic, just because they said so. They could be right, they could be wrong. I don't know. I am not a mufti.

> I'm very impressed that you seem to know the innermost thoughts and psychology of women strippers and adult actresses. I dont so I'll accept your opinion on this.

Haha. I'm glad you're impressed. I don't have the expertise. However, I watched couple of documentaries on the porn industry. This being the most recent one. You should give it a watch. These are real pornstars' opinions, not mine. Some women do enjoy it, most do it because it's the last resort. Porn is an ugly industry ran mostly by men. Have you watched porn? No self-respecting woman wants to be treated that way. But then again, I am not a woman. I also worked with perverted old men. Who want women to be more "free" as in revealing and flirtatious, so they can get their dicks wet. They are not interested in women's rights or equality; they sure hide behind the facade. Although, my sample size is pretty low. So we'll just leave them as my opinion on the matter. Feel free to be impressed! :)

(Running out of space... continued on a new reply.)

Wa 'alaykum as salam wa rahmatul lahi wa barakatuh

I hope you're okay and in good health, brother /u/alienz225 - May Allah cure you and firm you upon the deen.

Bismillah...

Arabic books:

• Kitab At-Tawheed - Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahab - PDF
  
  
• Al-Qawaa'id Al-Arba'a - Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahab - PDF
  
  
• Talbees Iblees [Devil's Deception] - Ibn Al-Jawzi - PDF
  
  
• 'Umdat Al-Fiqh - Ibn Qudaamah - PDF
  
  English books:
  
  
• Don't be Sad - A'id al Qarni - Buy from Amazon
  
  
• A Thematic Commentary on The Qur'an - Muhammad Al-Ghazali - Buy from Amazon
  
  
• Riyadul Saliheen - Imam An-Nawawi - English Commentary.
  
  
• Lost Islamic History - Firas Al-Khateeb. Buy from Amazon
  
  
• 40 Ahadith - Imam An Nawawi - Buy from Amazon -- AMAZING!!!!!!
  
  
• Gems and Jewels - Abdul Malik Mujahid -- Buy from Amazon
  
  
• Talbees Iblees [Devil's Deception] - [Translated by Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips] - PDF
  
  ---
  
  Some of the best books, after the book of Allaah [i.e The Qur'an] in: Aqeedah, Hadeeth, Tafseer, Arabic Language, Seerah, Methodology of Da'wah etc According to Sheikh Muhammad Bazmool (May Allah preserve him):
  
  
• Tafseer for the beginner - Tafseer Al Baghawi - PDF - Arabic -- Then you can move onto reading Tafsir Ibn Kathir, even.
  
  
• In the issues of 'Aqidah required by the Muslim - Kitab At Tawheed - Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahab [First Book - Look up there, inih]
  
  
• The Best explanation of Sahih Al-Bukhari - Fat'hul Bari - Imam Ibn Hajr Al-'Asqalaani
  
  
• Regarding the ahadeeth dealing with good ettiquettes (or manners) -- Riyadul Saliheen by Imam An Nawawi
  
  
• In the science of Hadith [Marifatu Anwaa' Uloom Al Hadeeth]
  
  
• Meanings of the word in the Arabic Language - [Mu'jam Maqayees Al-Lughaa - Ibn Faris] [BrentPurpose's Note: A good Arabic-English dictionary site is Almaany]
  
  
• Refutation against the Shia' : Minhaaj As-Sunnah - Ibn Taymiyyah
  
  
• The general prophetic guidance - [Zaadul-Ma'ad - Ibn Al-Qayyim]
  
  
• Acquaintance with the Sahabah - [Al-Isabaah' - Ibn Hajr Al-'Asqalaani]
  
  
• Seerah of the Prophet: As-Seerah - Ibn Hisham
  
  
• Explanation for Muwatta' Imam Malik - [At-'Tamheed - Ibn Abdul Barr]
  
  
• Methodology of Da'wah: Manahajul Al Anbiyaah Fid Da'wati Il-Allaah! - Shaikh Rabee'
  
  End Quote.
  
  Of course, the majority of these books are just beginner books. You could always try to find the works of Ibn Kathir and Ibn Al-Qayyim... considering their books are so well-known, it's safe to assume some of their books have English translations.
  
  A great Tafseer book is - Tafseer ibn Kathir.
  
  Also try to check out Al-Fawaa'id - Ibnul Qayyim.
  
  Lectures to follow:
  
  
• Tawheed Series - Sh. Ahmad Musa Jibril Link Here - English - Really beneficial!
  
  
• The Life of 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab - Anwar Al-'Awlaki Link here -ENGLISH
  
  I'm assuming the recommended sources will be of benefit, insha'Allah! I ask Allah to bless us and guide us and May Allah protect us from His wrath and punishment and May Allah admit us into Jannatul Firdous.
  

For anyone saying that Islam is only a political system coupled with bible verses. Political interpretations of the biography of the Prophet (pbuh) have been made in the last 100 yrs in the midst of decolonization mouvements in the middle East. Political power was not what motivated Muhammad. If it was, he would have accepted the deal the Quraich tribe came with, which was to give him any riches, any power that he wanted in exchange of stopping to proclaim that there was one God. Slaves, poor people and some youth were attracted to his message (because it was empowering) and it was causing trouble to rich and powerful members of the tribe that saw that as an assault on their honor and a challenge to their authority and customs. So to the propositions, he answered : "May you would to put the moon in one of my hand, and the sun in the other one, I would never stop to say that there is one God." Something like that. Along with reciting verses from the Quran. How about considering that he had very very few follower for 12 first years, that they were prosecuted and banned from their city only for saying that they believed in one God. I mean, what are the chances that this strategy would have been seen as the most effective and the best one to gain power over the arab tribes and form a state ? Like, seriously ? You have seen a lot of historical figures that were politically motivated that their main strategy was to proclaim that there was one God against all of people around them. Give one example of an historical figure that used that deliberate strategy to gain political power. So, read another biography that is not motivated by political ideologies applied on history. I recommend this one and a contextualized version of the Quran like this one for furthering research outside of anti-muslim or pro-islamist narratives. Peace !

>Ok let's begin at the top. Where did 2.5% of one years hoarding come from?

Here is stuff for you to review:

Al-Bukhaari (1454) narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to him this document when he sent him to Bahrain: “This is the obligatory charity that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined upon the Muslims and that Allah enjoined upon His Messenger:… for silver, one quarter of one tenth.”

Abu Dawood (1572) narrated from ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If you have two hundred dirhams and one full year has passed, then five dirhams are due on them. You do not have to pay anything - i.e. on gold -- unless you have twenty dinars; if you have twenty dinars and one full year has passed, then half a dinar is due on them, and if the number increases then work it out on this basis.”

Ibn Maajah (1791) narrated from Ibn ‘Umar and ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to take from every twenty dinars or more, half a dinar, and from forty dinars, one dinar.

Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated in al-Musannad (9966) with a jayyid isnaad from ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Nothing is due on anything less than twenty dinars; for twenty dinars, half a dinar is due; for forty dinars, one dinar is due. For anything more than that, it is to be worked out.

Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 3/291

These hadeeths indicate that the zakaah on gold and silver is 2.5%, and there is scholarly consensus on this point. Cash is a representation of gold and silver in our times just as watches and clocks are a representation of the position of the sun in the sky.

>Not derived but made up.

WRONG. These are not made up. All this just proves you've NEVER studied Zakkah with anyone. There are CLEAR hadiths mentioned about all these topics. I STRONGLY recommend you buy this book and study it WELL under the chapter of Zakkah. All the evidences are there. The only notion that is made up is to believe that there is no evidence for it. It's actually quite silly.

>And no contrary to their claims scholars are not inheritors of the rasool

Are you actually serious? Let's see what the Prophet (pbuh) has to say about this:

Abu al-Darda’ (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Scholars are the inheritors of the prophets.” [Related byTirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i, Ibn Maja, Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, and others]

Again, for your own benefit please purchase this book as well.

Being inheritors of the prophet does NOT mean inheriting risala so don't twist the meanings. Rather, it means inheriting their teachings. Read the book.

Since I answered one of the questions, I might as well provide a quick response to the others as well.


1. Yes the majority of terrorist organizations claim Islamic roots. So what? Times change and politics changes - if you looked at the majority of terrorist organizations 100 years ago you'll find that there were extremely few Islamic terrorist organizations, and most were probably communist or related to other ethnic groups. Check out how many of those Islamic countries are currently under a foreign occupation.

You might also be interested in the University of Chicago research into suicide attacks, where they find that suicide attacks are caused by foreign occupation, and not religion.

Lastly, any rudimentary study of Middle East political history will give you the answer to this question. Do some research into the Balfour Declaration, the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and the Battle of Maysaloun.
Google the roots of Lebanon, a French creation in the middle of the Middle East, intended to be a Christian homeland that went awry (the President must be a Maronite Christian according to the constitution, and the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim).

The more you look, the more you will read about colonialism, occupation, foreign intervention, and the hopes and dreams of the layperson being squashed. This kind of hopelessness drives terrorism.
See how many people mourned the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser, and you will get an idea of what the regular Arab on the street hopes for the Middle East, as opposed to what the reality is.

Oh, and don't forget to read up on the al-Saud dynasty who were given the country they named after themselves by the British.

This isn't rocket science my friend. All you need is to study political science at university level and things will begin to dawn on you at a startling pace.




2. You will know that you're reading an authentic translation of the Quran by knowing who the translator is. My personal favorite is Muhammad Asad (born Leopold Weiss). I also really love the translations of Marmaduke Pickthall (convert), and John Arberry (linguist but not a convert).

Asad translation

Pickthall translation

Arberry translation

You should also download the program Zekr if you are serious about studying the book. It's a wonderful program and lets you put multiple translations side by side so that you can compare how each scholar has translated the verse. This is the best way to pick up on translation ambiguities or mistakes.

You can also check out quranix.com - it has a few translations written side by side.

Other great resources are:

Project Root List - a catalog of root words in the Quran for the study of the true meaning of words.

The Quranic Arabic corpus - a truly wonderful resource run by the University of Leeds.

A list of common misconceptions about Islam

Quran topic search


Lastly, you should know that many of the other translations are run by the Saudi ministry of Islamic research and are printed by the King Fahd Printing complex. They fill the translations with their official interpretations and historical mumbo jumbo, and insist on things like using the word 'Allah' as a proper name, which I consider to be the height of stupidity. I would stay away from those.



3. See my previous post above.



4. See my answer to number 1. Every group uses religion to incite the people to violence. This is nothing new nor unique to Islam. In World War 2 Japan used kamikaze pilots to run suicide missions on Pearl Harbor and other targets - why is that? What caused these people to agree to this?

It comes down to human psychology and a desire for certainty.

Further research if you're interested:

John Dewey: The Quest for Certainty

Erich Fromm: Escape from Freedom

Robert Towler: The need for Certainty

and many others...

Finally I'd like to remind you that daily young troops are killing other human beings in the name of "freedom" and "democracy". The number killed in the last 10 years is in the millions.

I'd like to hear how you logically justify that to yourself but cannot justify people killing in the name of Islam.


Check out a pie chart on terrorism conducted in the US between 1980 and 2005 here - I think you'll be surprised.


5. This is an extremely important question.

It reminds me of this verse, one of the most important verses in the Quran:

3:7 It is He who sent down upon thee the Book, wherein are verses clear that are the Essence of the Book, and others allegorical. As for those in whose hearts is swerving, they follow the allegorical part, desiring dissension, and desiring its interpretation;

From my own studies in the Quran, it seems that law-giving verses are always written in the active voice, or the imperative form.

I have not found any written in the passive voice, although there are seemingly law-giving verses written in the passive tense.

As far as historical figures go - the trend in current Islam is to interpret the Quran highly anthropomorphically. This was not always the case. In this interpretation, themes like Adam and Eve are taken to be literal historical events.
In my research, historical events are started with the term "wa idh" (and remember when..) It is important to note that the parable of Adam does not use the "wa idh" mechanism.

A good article to read on this is in the book by M. A. Haleem, Understanding the Quran. - I highly recommend it.


Also, I don't know why you mention the verses on jihad. Jihad does not mean holy war. It's main meaning is "struggle", and it is used most often in the Quran to denote a personal struggle. Holy war in the Quran is advocated only as a defensive measure. If you take jihad verses out of context it is very easy to assume that this is not the case. If you take the verses in the context of the surahs they are in, things begin to become very clear.


Lastly, as a final, extremely important note - you seem to be very preoccupied with Islam's relation to violence. Things like terrorism and the killing of apostates.

For that, I can only supply you with this study by Duke University and the University of North Carolina, where they find that Muslims who engage in terrorism frequently know very little about Islam:

>..most of those who engage in religiously inspired terrorism have little formal training in Islam and, in fact, are poorly educated about Islam. Muslim- Americans with a strong, traditional religious training are far less likely to radicalize than those whose knowledge of Islam is incomplete.

You can download that study here

It's part of the literature complexity of the Arabic language. It's a bit tricky to grasp the importance of this when reading the first time. but you will get it after multiple readings. Sometimes, "I" is used when Allah is talking from the position of closeness, mercy and in the same sentence/paragraph, "We" can be used if an order is being given as the perspective has changed to Majesty and Authority.

Example:

If you look at the conversation of Allah with the Angels From 2:30-2:34. You will see that 30-33 is a dialogue, Angels are even kinda criticizing God's plan to create a human. In all these instances "I" is used. In verse 34, Allah is issuing a command, here "We" is used.

Sometimes a subtle point is communicated by this change, for example, 2:38 "...guidance from "me" (instead of "us").." hinting the concept of revelation via messengers is a form of mercy from Allah.

If you are interested to comprehend such complexities, I recommend this book, it deals with this subject very nicely.

As to references to the Qur'an and traditions, the Dunbar and Koroush study guides I and others recommended will give you that easily, but I still like to have a Qur'an nearby. Shoghi Effendi liked Rodwell's translation because it was ordered chronologically (which is the way Imam Ali compiled the Book and makes sense in terms of the meaning of the disconnected letters, which are stray letters set out at the beginning of certain "chapters"/Suras) and is reasonably faithful to the outward meaning of the text. Most of the translations miss the figurative and symbolic meaning of the Qur'an. Dr. Lawson points out that the Qur'an is essentially an apocalyptical (hidden meaning) text in many parts and should be read as such in https://www.amazon.com/Quran-Epic-Apocalypse-Todd-Lawson/dp/1786072270 .

I personally still use the traditional Quran by Yusuf Ali that has the Arabic text next to the English text. It has some traditional Sunni Islam commentary in the footnotes that will differ from the Baha'i teachings, but it is a pretty faithful translation. Dr. Lawson during a course today mentioned a number of translations are now available and none of the more recognized translations are considered bad.

https://www.amazon.com/Study-Quran-New-Translation-Commentary/dp/0061125865

I recommend this as you're first quaran. It's practically a textbook on Islam bundled with a quaran. It includes commentary from a respected Muslim scholar, and study guides.

If you feel like you just want the English text, Abdel Haleem's translation for OXford World Classics is excellent. https://www.amazon.com/Quran-Oxford-Worlds-Classics/dp/0199535957/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=D4JB076JEGW58RRZXPEV

Mustafa Amur has written an entire step-by-step guide on converting to Islam, that's free on Kindle and very cheap on paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Islam-Step-Step-Muslims-ebook/dp/B008FRA60E/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1478505547&sr=1-1&keywords=islam+convert

If you want something more comprehensive though, Ella Richardson wrote a more expansive book about it: https://www.amazon.com/Islam-Beginners-Basics-Muslim-Customs-ebook/dp/B01759SQF4/ref=pd_sim_351_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BE51FXHRD5TXEHBKE01F

Today's Ayat for Thursday, 2017-02-16 / 20 Jumada al-awwal 1438

And God made it but as good tidings to you so that with it your hearts will be at rest. And there is no help, but from God, The Almighty, The Wise,

-- al-Imran 3:126 as rendered by Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar

وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَىٰ لَكُمْ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوبُكُم بِهِ وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ


Listen http://www.islamawakened.com/Audio/003126.mp3

Study http://www.islamawakened.com/quran/3/126/

Go deeper http://www.islamawakened.com/quran/3/126/w4wcv.html


(please share)


IslamAwakened is now available as an Android App

Muhammed: How he can make you extraordinary

The Productive Muslim - Where Faith Meets Productivity

Dua, Weapon of the Believers

Revive Your Heart: Putting Life in Perspective

The Art of War

Khadija: The First Muslim and Wife of the Prophet Muhammed

Muhammed: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources

Dua's for success in this world and the next, over 100 Duas

Fortress of a Muslim

Reclaim your heart

These are some of the books I have at the moment and I highly recommend them after reading them. I am waiting on a few more books but a lot are non Islamic but still really useful [:

Edit: Like this

Masks of Exploit: Göbekli Tepe & Pillars of the Pharaoh System

At the heartland of Mesopotamia, today’s Republic of Turkey, an astounding discovery of the world's first temple was made, rewriting history of human civilization. Before agriculture, pottery and the wheel... 7,000 years older than the Giza Pyramids... 7,500 years older and 50 times larger than the Stonehenge. We have a great opportunity to look into its secrets because it was intentionally buried and preserved.


APPLE BOOKS (ENGLISH):
http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1480322386

APPLE BOOKS (TURKISH):
http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1481146593

AMAZON KINDLE (ENGLISH):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X5MPQWC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

AMAZON PAPERBACK (ENGLISH):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1690752211

yes,
https://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/bct/bct03.htm

there is a wide dissertation about the sky conception of the late antiquity and the qruan in Gabriel Said Raynold book, teh Quran and its Biblical Subtext.

He compares the evolution of cosmology from jews tradition, through christians into the quran.
there is a chapter dedicated with all soruces.

https://www.amazon.com/Quran-Biblical-Subtext-Routledge-Studies/dp/041577893X

othrwise you can read "the legends of the jews" from Luis Gizberg, whcih is a collection of hagada and midrash

These are high level readings and need patience and conentration, but are pretty much useful to understand the mentality of the authors of the quran

I Googled and couldn't find too much, unfortunately.

I hope what I managed to find can still help:

• The Holy Qur'an in Today's English: Large Print Edition
  
• Quran # 143 [Extra Large Size Font]
  
• Holy Quraan Koran Quran Book - written in Arabic, 15 lines per page
  
• THE HOLY QURAN - LARGE FONT SIZE PRINT (this one is outrageously expensive, but perhaps you'll have better luck if you search for it on other sites)
  
  As an alternative to a specific "large font Qur'an", you might want to consider buying a really large Qur'an. A physically large book will hopefully have accompanying large text.
  
  It's unfortunate there seems to be very few publications like this. Surely there's a need for the elderly and people with poor eyesight?

As a non-Muslim, I asked this question of my local mosque as well, albeit not for the iPhone. If a physical book is okay, I highly recommend their suggestion of The Meaning of the Qur'an by Yusuf Ali. It is an excellent translation and provides significant context and explanation for phrases that don't have an English counterpart.

After a bit of research, I read this translation as it seemed to be the consensus online and between people I know. There's a book with annotations and key passages to go along with it, though I just read the Wikipedia entry for each chapter (sura) as I came to it and felt like there was a good deal of context and commentary.

The translation itself was very easy to read, but beautiful all the same.

http://al-quran.info/

If you like this, purchase this:

http://www.amazon.com/Meaning-Holy-Quran-Abdullah-Yusuf/dp/1453756612/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1341635376&sr=8-4&keywords=yusuf+ali

Aaahhh I bought this
yesterday. Guess I'll return it.

> Like, arguing that you can beat your wife "lightly"

That is the direct result of patriarchal influenced translation. The word can have multiple meanings, and every other time its used in the Quran its translated as "go away (from)," not "beat" or strike." Only when it comes to wives do people change it to that bullshit.

The first Quran translated by an American woman makes this change, as well as others, and backs it up with reasons why.