(Part 2) Best products from r/islam
We found 158 comments on r/islam discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 598 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
21. Islam and the Blackamerican: Looking Toward the Third Resurrection
- Used Book in Good Condition
Features:
▼ Read Reddit mentions22. Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations
- They're bright, All-American guys with ambition to spare, buddies to party with, even girls they might want to marry. But beneath the surface, they are in turmoil trying to decide whether they're being called in an entirely different direction. GOD OR THE GIRL captures the tension, terror, and triumph of Joe, Mike, Steve, and Dan, four 20-something men at the most important crossroads of t
Features:
▼ Read Reddit mentions23. Prince among Slaves: The True Story of an African Prince Sold Into Slavery in the American South
▼ Read Reddit mentions
26. Slave Rebellion in Brazil: The Muslim Uprising of 1835 in Bahia (Johns Hopkins Studies in Atlantic History and Culture)
Johns Hopkins University Press
▼ Read Reddit mentions27. A Muslim American Slave: The Life of Omar Ibn Said (Wisconsin Studies in Autobiography)
▼ Read Reddit mentions
30. The Islamophobia Industry: How the Right Manufactures Fear of Muslims
- Used Book in Good Condition
Features:
▼ Read Reddit mentions
32. Treatise For The Seekers: Risalah al-Mustarshideen
Used Book in Good Condition
▼ Read Reddit mentions33. Understanding the Qur'an: Themes and Style (London Qur'an Studies)
I B Tauris
▼ Read Reddit mentions
35. The Qur'an - with References to the Bible: A Contemporary Understanding
- This translation boasts over 3000 references to the Bible, which effectively serves to highlight the spiritual common ground we share within these Holy books.
- This will have substantial impact at dismantling the divisive misunderstandings from scriptures taken out of context
- There are over 100 References Of Jesus In The Qur’an.
- In the hands of Christians, this Qur’an will be paradigm-shaping & transformative.
- In the hands of Muslims, it will effectively challenge the unfounded roots of radicalism. Developing tools like this are a critical part of defeating the foundations of radicalism.
Features:
▼ Read Reddit mentions36. Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy (Islam in the Twenty-First Century)
▼ Read Reddit mentions
Top comments mentioning products on r/islam:
Summary
21. Islam and the Blackamerican: Looking Toward the Third Resurrection
- Used Book in Good Condition
Features:
▼ Read Reddit mentions22. Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations
- They're bright, All-American guys with ambition to spare, buddies to party with, even girls they might want to marry. But beneath the surface, they are in turmoil trying to decide whether they're being called in an entirely different direction. GOD OR THE GIRL captures the tension, terror, and triumph of Joe, Mike, Steve, and Dan, four 20-something men at the most important crossroads of t
Features:
▼ Read Reddit mentions23. Prince among Slaves: The True Story of an African Prince Sold Into Slavery in the American South
▼ Read Reddit mentions26. Slave Rebellion in Brazil: The Muslim Uprising of 1835 in Bahia (Johns Hopkins Studies in Atlantic History and Culture)
Johns Hopkins University Press
▼ Read Reddit mentions27. A Muslim American Slave: The Life of Omar Ibn Said (Wisconsin Studies in Autobiography)
▼ Read Reddit mentions30. The Islamophobia Industry: How the Right Manufactures Fear of Muslims
- Used Book in Good Condition
Features:
▼ Read Reddit mentions32. Treatise For The Seekers: Risalah al-Mustarshideen
Used Book in Good Condition
▼ Read Reddit mentions33. Understanding the Qur'an: Themes and Style (London Qur'an Studies)
I B Tauris
▼ Read Reddit mentions35. The Qur'an - with References to the Bible: A Contemporary Understanding
- This translation boasts over 3000 references to the Bible, which effectively serves to highlight the spiritual common ground we share within these Holy books.
- This will have substantial impact at dismantling the divisive misunderstandings from scriptures taken out of context
- There are over 100 References Of Jesus In The Qur’an.
- In the hands of Christians, this Qur’an will be paradigm-shaping & transformative.
- In the hands of Muslims, it will effectively challenge the unfounded roots of radicalism. Developing tools like this are a critical part of defeating the foundations of radicalism.
Features:
▼ Read Reddit mentions36. Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy (Islam in the Twenty-First Century)
▼ Read Reddit mentions
Hi bro, I am not a scholar or anything so forgive me for any mistakes but I just thought I would offer my opinion:
> Let me start by explaining my situation. I was born in America and have lived here my whole life. I've been memorizing the Quran for about 5 years. I also have about 2 juz left so that's a plus. Anyways, I can't wait until I'm done so I can go back to public school.
Did you know Shiekh Yasir Qhadi when he was young didnt want to memorize the Quran but his Dad kept encouraging him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0hxqJLeX3g (the scholar talks about his childhood in detail and it is somewhat similar to yours)
But Allah blessed him with the opportunity and now he is one of the most knowledgeable scholars I know of. Seriously, without his knowledge in the Quran I doubt we would know his name and I hardly go a day on /r/islam without mentioning him or one of his videos (check my history).
"But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not."
http://quran.com/2/216
> Okay, so clearly, you can see that I didn't willfully start doing hifs.
Neither did Sheikh Yasir Qhadi but because of it Allah blessed him with a greatness many wish for.
> Anyways, a lot of girls talk to me and flirt. I can't help but to flirt back. I feel like it's the natural response. I also listen to music and all that jazz... Play videa games, yadda yadda.
You are young brother, these feelings are TOTALLY natural. Yasir Qhadi even explains of this feeling in the example of Khadija and Muhammad (pbut):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&list=PLAEA99D24CA2F9A8F&v=-ExBQO7sAWY#t=820
And also realize brother that Allah has demanded that we control these feelings of flirtation for our own sake, please watch these videos: As Omer Sulieman explains often when people engage in premarital relationships after the years when the finally get married all they find left is responsibilities. And this makes sense as prior the marriage you have done everything together (held hands etc etc) so when the times comes to get married all that is new to the relationships are responsibilities like debts, anyway the speaker explains it better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvDRJOsJimw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbHTTRVIaHQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6674kJj1C4o
> Yeah, I dunno, I've just been questioning Islam a lot and don't know anyone to talk to.
Well subhanAllah you always have r/Islam and I am sure being on your way to memorizing the Quran you have one or two approachable friends.
Also, I personally find great merit in studying the seerah of Muhammad (pbuh), I would strongly recommend this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOUp3ZZ9t3A&list=PLAEA99D24CA2F9A8F
> also tend to philosophize and think about morality and stuff. Like is homosexuality moral? I think so. I just really don't understand a lot of Islamic rules.
There is nothing wrong with questioning elements of Islam and indeed our religion asks us to do this.
"So ask the people of the message if you do not know."
http://quran.com/16/43
And a great starting point indeed is the Seerah! But these topics have been covered directly by the like of Nouman Ali Khan and Yasir Qhadi on youtube, I cannot recommend studying them enough. You are 15 yo brother, how can you expect to understand a religion designed to last literally until the last day of time without patience and knowledge.
> I should also mention that I barely pray salat.
Perhaps we should start by introducing one salah in our day and then in a months time another? This is indeed a point of weakness we need to fix. May Allah forgive us and give us strength
Peace bro
edit: I posted this a couple days ago might be useful to you.
Please read, watch and study these videos and suggested book brother/sister:
I recommend these videos:
The Quran and Evolution by Dr. Yasir Qadhi
Theological Debate on Evolution - Yasir Qadhi | 5th January 2013
Reminder 15 - Theory of evolution and Islam
And this Book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Islam-Biological-Evolution-Exploring-Methodologies/dp/1868087026/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378583889&sr=1-5&keywords=evolution+islam
Islam and Biological Evolution: Exploring Classical Sources and Methodologies by David Solomon Jalajel
---
_____INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM__
---
___QURAN____
---
____LIFE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD___
---
____CHRISTIANITY, JUDAISM AND ISLAM___
---
____ATHEISM AND ISLAM____
---
____LEARN TO PRAY (SALAH)____
---
____HADITH/SUNNAH____
Full list here
The problem with any argument based on the life and actions of Muhammad is that such actions are hotly contested. Historically speaking, there is little trustworthy evidence covering his life - and western historiography has struggled to make anything of what is left (scholars such as P. Crone, M. Cook and more recently Tom Holland have done a lot of work on this).
If you're interested in this topic, I suggest you get your hands on J. A. C. Brown's book 'Misquoting Muhammad'. At a fundamental level it will demonstrate how elements of the prophet's life were reinterpreted (read: rewritten) by later scholars to justify certain acts, but it also (and Patricia Crone, Michael Cook and Tom Holland concentrate on this) covers the very serious problems faced in looking at Muhammad's life historically.
It goes like this:
In Islam, one aims to be like Muhammad. He is the role model and his actions determine how one should act. Thus you have hadith telling you whether he urinated standing up or sitting down, just as a silly example. Extremist groups like IS take this to the extreme (hence they are 'extremists'). Most Muslims are willing to accept, just as Christians are in reference to the Bible, that their prophet lived within a historical context and that God's revelation was relevant to that context. For many Muslims, it is compatible that they deviate from Muhammad's example in some ways, for he lived in a different time. They focus on the positive aspects of his character, of which there truly is many - he is by all accounts a great man, kind and generous, diplomatic and peace-loving. The negative aspects of his character are ignored, for to acknowledge them would be to undermine his importance and sanctity as a messenger of God. It's around here that I personally unsubscribe from religion - I find this idea incompatible. But to many, many people, this is okay, and they remain believers. I, and all, should respect that choice.
Anyway, herein lies a very strange historical phenomenon. Usually, the further we get from a historical event, the less is known. For the life of Muhammad, however, it seems the opposite is true: the further we get from his life the more and more detail there is about him. This can be explained, but the explanation is uncomfortable for a lot of Muslims. His life was not recorded at the time. It was remembered orally - thus you have the isnad chains of the hadith - as was the qur'an which was not codified until Caliph 'Umar at the earliest. Oral transmission is not a reliable way to preserve historical truth, especially when we're talking about centuries of oral transmission. Muslim scholars of the 10th and 11th centuries, when the life of Muhammad was codified, tried their utmost to determine what was legitimately true and what was not. But a significant amount of these 'true' hadiths have been found to be problematic (see Ignaz Goldziher, for one).
I could go on, but the general moral of the story here is that the life of Muhammad is a fascinating historiographical phenomenon. Here we have possibly the most detailed account of the life of any historical individual: few humans in history have had so much written about them. Yet all of that knowledge is on incredibly shaky ground, and in reality we are left with very little, if anything, about his life.
In relation to your questions, this is just a background understanding which I think it is important. I wish to respond to them, though, on an understanding (for sake of argument) that the early Islamic historical tradition is reliable (which it is not). For the record, I'm a Western Historian with no religious biases either way, interested only in historical fact and the implications of that fact.
> Didn't Muhammad collect sex slaves
He certainly had at least one: Maria al-Qibtiyya, who was a Coptic slave (Christian from Egypt) and bearer of his only son, Ibrahim, who died as a child. The two were not married, and she was in servitude to him, having been a gift from al-Muqawqis, the Christian ruler/governor of Egypt.
Now we return to historical context, which I'm sure you would agree is hugely important. Groups like IS, being 'extreme' (as I discuss earlier), ignore historical context. But the majority of Muslims worldwide are happy to accept that this was appropriate at the time, but no longer is. For in 7th century Arabia - and indeed across the world from China to Constantinople, from Balkh to Rome - sex slaves were an accepted part of society. The Christian monarchs of medieval Europe had sex slaves. By modern standards even, almost all of those monarchs were sexual abusers - their wives were usually younger than 18, often younger than 16.
My point here, as in the next couple of points, is that context is everything. What Muslims do celebrate though is that Muhammad's treatment of women was actually far, far better than that of the cultures which preceded him. Islam gave women property rights, for example. Women in China, Iran and Europe did not have property rights. Many contemporary observers in Europe from the 7th century onwards actually express surprise at the high status given to women in Islamic society - it is unusual to them.
>"Strike at the neck" to his enemies
This is from Qur'an 47:4, and is one of many massively misunderstood passages explained by this helpful infographic. Ironically, you'll find this if you browse the top of all time on this very subreddit.
> A religious tax
This is a seriously long and complicated subject and i've already babbled on enough, but I will make one important point here: the level of tax imposed by the Arabs on the empire established under the Rashidun was significantly better than the level of tax imposed prior. Those who lived in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt etc. actually found that under Islamic government they had a far better deal than under Byzantine or Sasanian rule.
Furthermore, there was no concerted effort of conversion. The idea that Islam was spread by the sword is historically false. In Western historiography we call the conquests 'Arab', not 'Islamic', in order to make this clear. In fact, we find the opposite is true: the Arabs were very reluctant to let non-Arabs convert to Islam. The Abbasid revolution in 750, one of the great historical junctures in the political history of Islam, was a direct result of non-Arab converts (mawali) being angry that Arab Muslims were not treating them like Muslims. The conquests, and the rule of the 'Islamic' world from the 7th century until about the 10th, was 'Arab', not 'Muslim'. After ~10th century, with the Shu'ubiyya and rise of Persian dynasties, it became 'Persian', rather than Arab - but still not 'Muslim'. This idea of 'Islamic conquests' and 'Islamic rule' is historically unfounded.
I could go on, but Islam has an incredible political, cultural and religious history which I highly recommend you read about. I'm not a Muslim and not a die-hard defender of religion, nor am I anti-religious or anti-Islam. The more I learn about it, the more I find ignorance and misunderstanding on both sides. The more I realise that, as with all history and cultural development, the truth is murky and somewhere in the middle.
TL;DR: From a historical perspective, we have to be careful when talking about the life of Muhammad. Some of what you claim is true, but must be contextualised. Some is not, and represent major misunderstandings of Islam found in the west. Overall, we should all be a bit more critical of what we think we know and understand. That goes for anti-Islamic people and Muslims alike. Perhaps the world would be a better place if everyone just accepted that we all have different worldviews, and none of them are perfect.
>Would you mind if you suggested a list of books I may read to get a different perceptive on Islam?
I can certainly try. I was a voracious reader as a teenager, but much of what I read went over my head. For example, Huck Finn is an entirely different read at 25 than at 14. Still, you are most certainly smarter than I was as a teenager :). Here's a few things that ought to help. Of course, take it all with a grain of salt and, as always, you are not obligated to agree with everything. Nuance is a subtle, lost art these days.
I'd first start with Huston Smith's Islam: A Concise Introduction. It's basically the chapter on Islam from his seminal classic, The World's Religion. Also, he felt compelled to publish it separately after 9/11. Smith is easily one of the foremost scholars of religion for the last 100 or so years. While deceptively small, this book provides a generous overview of Islam devoid of partisanship and doctrinal quibbles. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the book. I certainly was.
Another small book that allowed me to begin exploring the vital role women played and continue to play in Islam is Amina Wadud's Quran and Woman. Do I agree with all that Wadud says? No, but that is not the point when we explore. The aim is discover, not to find corroboration to previously held ideas - that is the vital imperative to learning and to growth.
Another quite controversial and sometimes acerbic site that has many important things to say about Islam and what so many of us have sometimes falsely construed to be Islam is the following site: https://asharisassemble.com/ Certainly posting it here all but insures downvotes followed by some flaming. I think you will find reasonable answers to many of your questions that will also reaffirm your faith in Islam. Again though, none of us have to agree with all that is being said, it's about pursuing knowledge and exploring.
>“Go in quest of knowledge even unto China.” - Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
>“One learned man is harder on the devil than a thousand ignorant worshippers.” - Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Again, start small. You have your whole life ahead of you to explore and grow. There are headier books available and in time you may find those more palatable and to your liking as you grow. Salaams :).
This is correct in terms of both contemporary Sunni and Shi'i Islam. Scholars are generally recognized by their erudition and contributions to the theory and/or application of Islamic (as well as other areas such as theology, Qur'anic exegesis, spiritual practice, etc.).
I can comment more on the situation in Twelver Shi'ism, as I am a Twelver Shi'i Muslim myself. Twelver Shi'ism will appear to have more of a hierarchical structure or at least exhibit more centrality than what is seen in the Sunni world, but it's still very far form the central hierachy of the Catholic clergly. While often finds comparisons between the Shi'i scholars and the catholic clergy in the media and even in the academic literature, these comparisons are often misguided, and at the very least reductive. Basically, within Twelver Shi'ism since the late eighteenth (or perhaps more accurately/practically, the mid-nineteenth century), the common practice has been for the laity to follow the rulings of the most learned scholar that has the authority to exercise independent legal judgements (although these are still, at least nominally, only derivations made from the source material, the Qur'an and ahadith, rather than original legislation); they would also pay the khums tax to this scholar if applicable, which among other things, funds the seminaries. At various points in time one figure would be seen by the vast majority as the most learned, but at other points in time (such as the current era), there would be multiple figures with large followings. Virtually anyone could announce themselves as a learned scholar, but to be taken seriously by much of the population, and indeed by ones peers, one would typically need to study in one of several seminaries (which today would primarily be those in Qum, Iran and to a lesser extent in Najafi, Iraq) under well-known teachers (generally, the most recognized scholars of the previous generation). Things have become more complicated since the Islamic Revolution in Iran, where the lines between scholarship and public service (i.e., holding positions of political power) are becoming blurred.
The situation within contemporary Sunni Islam is even more decentralized. For one things, there are four major legal schools within Sunni Islam, and then there's also the Salafi movement that exists outside of those legal schools. Moreover, scholarship even within the same legal school can be quite different based on geography. For example, the Hanafi school is the primary school followed in both Asia Minor (e.g., Turkey) and Central/South Asia, but as I've heard there's quite a difference between the practice of the religion, even in its more legal dimensions, between say Turkey and Pakistan; in fact even within South Asia, there are multiple approaches taken by Hanafi Sunni Musilms that lead to quite different expressions of religion, and each will have their own scholars.
Moreover, the prestige of centers of learning within Sunni Islam have also been in flux lately. One of the issues in Sunni scholarship today is that whereas in Shi'i Islam centers of learning are primarily funded through khums, in Sunni Islam they've historically relied mainly on awqaf (charitable endowments, the singular form is waqf), and these were regulated if not outright taken by modern nation states in the contemporary era. In fact, modern (often secular) nation states in the Islamic world began to increasingly oversee and regulate the formal practice of religion and its scholarship within their borders. Therefore, scholars became increasingly dependent on the state for support, so you have something like national hierarchies forming, with say, a grand mufti at the head. This in term led to the prestige of centers of learning such as Al-Azhar university in Cairo, Egypt to fall in the eyes of many, as they were seen as being co-opted by the state (although the relationship between scholars and temporal power has always been tenuous and tricky in both the Sunni and Shi'i traditions). Simultaneously, we've seen increasing prestige associated with the Salafi expression of Islam (with centers of learning in Saudi Arabia), which ostensibly eschews all hierarchy even more rigorously than what's seen in other expressions of Islam, by rejecting the legal schools. However, some would contend that effectively, much of Salafi practice comes from treating a small number of contemporary scholars as authorities.
Of course there are other Muslim groups, so we can briefly cover them. Zaydi Shi'ism also has a rich history of scholarship, based primarily in Yemen, but I'm less familiar with that to comment (and at various times throughout history the lines between Zaydi scholarship and Sunni scholarship have become blended), and I know virtually nothing about Ibadi scholarship (which is a school of thought that is neither Shi'i nor Sunni, largely based in Oman), and ditto for Zahiri scholarship (sometimes considered a fifth school in Sunni Islam). I should add that the Nizari Ismaili Shi'i community does feature a type of hierarchy, in that they have a present living Imam who carries the charismatic authority of the Prophet (saws), as opposed to the hidden Imam of the Twelver Shi'is; this Imam can act as an infallible. But really this is one charismatic figure, who essentially acts like a head of state without a territory in the modern world, surrounded by a bureaucracy. For more information, you can look up the Agha Khan Development Network (AKDN). I should add though that Nizari Isma'ilis today resemble something that is basically unrecognizable when compared to normative Sunni, Twelver/Zaidi/Shi'i, and Ibadi Islam.
There are also Sufi groups, most of which fall within Sunni Islam legally speaking, but some of which are not strictly speaking Sunni (and might actually be affiliated with Twelver Shi'ism, even though Sufism is generally viewed upon negatively in that tradition). Here you might have some hierarchy within a tariqa but that's different. There are also antinomian Sufi groups, which do their own thing and don't really follow Islamic law. These may exhibit some cult-like tendencies, where you have a charismatic community built around one or a small group of leaders, but here I'm just speculating as this is pretty far from the areas I'm knowledgeable about.
In short, aside from these mystical/antinomian persuasions, in theory, a scholar in Islam is really no different than a member of the laity in religious/theological terms, except for their ability to issue rulings on religious law. Although I don't know much about Catholicism (so take this with a grain or few of salt), I guess you can think of Muslim scholars as something in between a lay theologian and a canon lawyer I guess. In practice, of course, they serve in a distinct social/cultural role, and do things like leading prayers, officiating marriages, handling burial rites, counseling people and giving them advice, etc., although a qualified lay individual can fulfill all these functions too.
For further reading on Sunni scholarship, see Jonathan A.C. Brown's Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy, and for further reading on Shi'i scholarship, see Roy Mottahedeh's The Mantle of the Prophet.
>rejecting anything in Islam that does not go along with their subjective morality
You are assuming here. Do you know the amount of disagreement traditional scholars and schools of thought have on almost anything? Were they using their subjective morality? No of course not. They were victims of their cultural and historic backgrounds. You can say the same about liberals but i would suggest you don't ascribe intention to them in a blanket statement like this. Otherwise you will be calling Mufti Abu Layth, Dr. Shabir Ally, even Dr. Brown liberals who just follow their whims. (btw, please read this)
>you cannot do so while hand waving away things like modesty and hijab, the difference in roles of men and women, the role of shari'ah in our lives, etc
Thats not what the problem is at all. First of all, things are not black and white as you seem to think. Also the issue is spending 99.999% of time in these issues. Spending our lives doing nothing but following rote dogma. The world is crumbling around us and all we seem to want to do is close our eyes and recite Allah HoAkbar 30 times, 3 times a day and after each prayer and before sleeping and after waking up immediately and before wudu and ... Is that the Islam you think God wants you to practice? Or the balanced one where you wake up thinking to yourself how you can help those around you while saying your prayers and dressing modest?
>You also then cannot pick and choose the most liberal opinion on every issue simply because you agree with it
lol, nobody does that. Thats just a convenient strawman the traditionalists set up to attack. The truth of the matter is that we have a rich history of diverse opinions on anything, wine from grapes vs other sorts of wine, music, apostasy, punishment for adultery, definition of modest dress etc. We even have a huge diversity in philosophical thought. I mean for heaven's sake the Mutazilites were the state sponsored religion for over 30 years! and this is early Islamic history. Then you have philosophers like Ibn Sina and Averroes amongst others who were rationalists and this is all early Islam. How can you now come 1400 years later and say that the earliest muslims had it completely wrong? Its not about right or wrong. Its not about black or white. Religion, like anything in life is nuanced.
>then rejecting the same scholar on another issue simply because they disagree with his conclusion
God gave you intellect. God asks you to question things and to find out the truth using your intellect. You agree with one scholarly opinion based on his/her evidences and you disagree with another because a lack of evidence or because another scholar has a stronger evidence in that case. What is wrong with that? Or do you want to disobey God and just follow a scholar blindly? I agree with the case Dr. Brown makes for why women can lead men in mixed congregation from behind as he laid out in his book. I have not found any sensible rebuttal to that yet. I disagree with Dr. Brown on the age of Aisha. Whenever he has talked about the age, he has never once addressed the multiple other evidences such as her joining Badr, her conversion to Islam etc. So how can I just close my intellect, become a dumb animal, and say that since Dr. Brown opines it, i believe it?
Ultimately, I alone will answer for my beliefs and actions in front of God. May God guide me to what is right and correct and protect me from ideas and thoughts that are against His will.
Jumu'ah Mubarak
Today's Ayah for Friday, 2016-11-18 / 18 Safar 1438
God makes it all good news for you so that your hearts will be at peace in Him. Victory is only from God, the Almighty, the Wise.
God meant this as a message of hope and assurance for your hearts, so you would know that victory is only from God. God is Almighty and Wise.
-- al-Imran 3:126 an al-Anfal 8:10 as rendered by Safi Kaskas
وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَىٰ لَكُمْ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوبُكُم بِهِ وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ
وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَىٰ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ بِهِ قُلُوبُكُمْ وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
http://www.islamawakened.com/quran/3/126/ and http://www.islamawakened.com/quran/8/10/
(please share)
Study the Qur'an to understand what the good news is.
Welcome Castro
"Understanding the Qur'an: Themes and Styles" by M. A. Abdel Haleem from Oxford is a useful book:
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Quran-Muhammad-Abdel-Haleem/dp/1845117891
Prof. Abdel Haleem also produced a translation of the Qur'an which I have not yet read, but understand to be one of the best so far:
http://www.amazon.com/Quran-English-translation-Parallel-Arabic/dp/019957071X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411451704&sr=1-2
Happy reading :)
This edition is specifically written for Americans with none of the cultural background. It's very, very, very helpful, and worth the money.
Yusuf Ali's translation and commentary has been the standard, and is quite good.
A really amazing translation and commentary is Muhammad Assad's "The Message of the Qur'an". It's expensive, but not hard to "legally obtain" on the internet as a PDF.
Also, check out altafsir.org for a searchable database of tafsir ("tafsir" is the word for an explanatory or exegetical text) from multiple schools. It includes most of the best classical tafsir that have been used in Islamic education for centuries. I recommend that highly.
I recommend you read Misquoting Muhammad by Jonathan Brown. It's not perfect but very good and definitely great for intro reading.
Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy https://www.amazon.com/dp/1780747829/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SNk7AbN3K3351
I bought this translated Quran a while ago and it has completely changed my life.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/1450549535/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497772197&sr=8-1-fkmr1&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=quran+yahya+emerick
It is written in easy to understand English, explains the context in which many verses were revealed, has relevant hadiths in the footnotes and connects things to the Torah and Bible in interesting ways that might surprise you. It is very easy to read and I sometimes lose myself in it for hours.
It's written by an American Muslim revert so he explains common misconceptions very well. Just think of all those times you saw an ignorant comment on YouTube or Reddit, knew that it was untrue but didn't know how to argue back. Well Sheikh Yahya Emerick has arguments written for you in the footnotes.
Whenever I feel like I am going astray, I read this Quran and get hyped up again.
I also recommend Sheikh Mufti Menk's nightly taraweeh lectures. They're 30 minutes a night and cover various topics in the Quran. This is another motivation booster for me.
Even though you feel that you are going astray, the fact that you feel guilty and are fighting to do something about it shows that you are in a good place.
Inshallah, Allah will make it easy for you to worship him.
Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan recommends this book to get a better understanding of the linguistics in the Qur'an.
I recommend this book of sirah to get better acquainted with Islam and its origins. Very easy reading.
:)
Thoroughly recommend Professor Abdel Haleem's translation of the Quran:
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0199535957/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_DL6QwbQXJ0J9V
My recommendations mostly more recent stuff, I think written well for a western audience
Understanding Islam and the Muslims: The Muslim Family, Islam and World Peace https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1887752471/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_QM6QwbPQHCTB9
The Messenger: The Meanings of the Life of Muhammad https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0141028556/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_1O6Qwb8M0D5KQ
Understanding the Qur'an: Themes and Style https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1845117891/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_QK6QwbGS8EN0D
Being Muslim: A Practical Guide by Asad Tarsin et al. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01833W1KM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_udp_awd_1L6QwbC9BNTXA
The Messenger: The Meanings of the Life of Muhammad https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0141028556/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_1O6Qwb8M0D5KQ
Worth YouTubing:
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
Professor Tariq Ramadan
Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
I have this one:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Message-Quran-Muhammad-Asad/dp/1904510000
It's pricey, but very nice. A great translation, and some additional tafsir to go along with the ayahs alongside the arabic.
I recommend these books:
and Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time
Side note on Quran translation:
Stay away from
Try:
Misc:
Movie:
Hello,
Great book: Approaching the Qur'an by Michael Sells
Free copy of the intro online (PDF link).
I really recommend you take a look at that intro and consider picking up this book it's excellent!
Message of the Qur'an by Muhammad Asad, widely acclaimed as one of the best English translations in publication.
Free copy of Message of the Quran by Asad (PDF link)
And check out these book recommendations here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/islam/comments/11wl21/lets_make_a_book_list_for_people_interested_in/
The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an in Today's English is what I always suggest people read.
It's the Qur'an, written by an American convert for non-Muslims and those with no prior knowledge going into the Qur'an. It's a good translation, and the notes and commentary is very thorough. It's also arranged like one of those "Study Bibles" so it is more approachable and digestible.
Yes, it's a bit more expensive than most Qur'ans, and it's a HUGE book, but it's a great introduction to the religion and explains a lot of background information all at once.
> I suppose what I'm trying to get to the bottom of is: How to best address what I feel is the completely baseless claim that Islam is inherently violent (I often point to a wider context of colonialism and oppression as an explanation), and also how Islam and Buddhism can benefit each other.
A great place to start is Huston Smith's seemingly innocuous little book entitled Islam: A Concise Introduction. It quickly dispels the notions of Islam as 'inherently violent' without being mired in some doctrinal labyrinth. It's taken from his chapter on Islam in his monumental work 'The World's Religions.' He published it as a separate book following 9/11. His credentials speak for themselves. As a side, I had the honor of meeting him not long ago at LMU when he received the university's Bridge Builder award.
Misinformation and ignorance fan the flames of Islamophobia more than anything else. Put another way, imagine what the world's perspective of Buddhism would be during WWII if there was as much access to (mis)information as there is today. Similar rhetoric used by the likes of ISIS was present in Japan. Take this quote from a Zen monk exhorting the virtues of Japanese imperialism during WWII:
"If ordered to] march: tramp, tramp, or shoot: bang, bang. This is the manifestation of the highest Wisdom [of Enlightenment]. The unity of Zen and war of which I speak extends to the farthest reaches of the holy war [now under way]." - From Zen At War
I hope that helps a little :).
I'm afraid I can't directly relate to your situation or do more than try to empathize. I'm not Muslim, and the members of my family are either Christian (Roman Catholic and Episcopalian, and none but a select few are all that devout), agnostic, or atheist (again, none very militant or proselytistic). I do speak, write, and read Arabic and I'm very well-versed in Islamic political and economic theory. With the obligatory introductory nonsense out of the way...
I would just tell you that I very much admire your courage: it can't have been easy to tell your family about your finding new religious guidance, nor do I imagine it's easy continuing to defend your decision to a host of family members who are hostile to your religion and appear to be personally turning on you and threatening you due to that decision. I would guess that, however this episode plays out, you will find yourself even stronger in your personal faith and self-confidence, so try to keep in mind that you'll likely further your self-improvement by sticking it out through this tough ordeal.
I'm not at all trying to insult your family, but it's obvious that they have an extremely poor understanding of Islam and of what it means to be Muslim. While it was saddening to read your story, part of me shook my head and another part of me near laughed aloud when you relayed the bit about being called a "terrorist". It's plainly obvious that those family members who are accusing you of being a terrorist have little to no understanding of what constitutes terrorism or what connection, if any, terrorism and Islam have (i.e. none inherently). The idea of a family member who has known you for the entirety of your life, and who ostensibly didn't think of you as a terrorist right up until the moment you told him/her that you'd accepted Islam, suddenly "realizing" in horror that you've in fact been a "terrorist" for as long as you've been Muslim (and they were still speaking to you! and sharing meals with you! a terrorist! The horror!!!) is so ridiculous as to be hilarious. Unfortunately, it also seems that they're not very interested in learning about Islam or what it means to be Muslim, or what these things mean to you. There's a very good chance that that will change over time as the shock wears off -- most likely, different family members will thaw towards you at different times. You know your family better than any of us do so you'd know what the likelihood of this is, which family members are most likely to come around to accepting your decision first and which of them may never accept it, and what, if anything, you can do to accelerate this process if you wish to do so.
It seems like your father, at least, is willing to talk to you about it to some degree, even if in his mind it's only to try to use an argument to make you reconsider your acceptance of Islam and eventually abandon it. Depending on how open-minded he is capable of being, you may be able to use his willingness to at least broach the subject to your advantage, and eventually change his views on the religion, its source material, and its adherents. This is just speculation, but, based on the topics he's asked you about, I'm guessing that he found a couple of websites incorporating material produced by members of what Nathan Lean called the Islamophobia Industry. The people involved in this cottage industry of bigotry, intolerance, and ignorance are truly warped and you probably want to nip his reliance on their garbage in the bud before he gets too invested in the anti-Islam crusade and too reliant on their unscholarly and patently incorrect "information" on Islam for you to even get through to him. My advice on this front would be to address the question and refute the premise implied in the question, then ask him where he got the questions and/or information from, and if it's from a source like Pamela Geller, Daniel Pipes, Robert Spencer, etc., inform him about their complete lack of credentials, their politically-motivated biases, and how the community of historical and theological scholars (both Muslim and non-Muslim) regard these charlatans. On the first point, about addressing the question and refuting the premise: one thing that almost all these "Truth About Islam!!!" websites do, especially when they're quoting from the Qur'an and ahadith, is completely ignore the historical context in which the scenarios and quotes in question were produced, and treat them as if they just spontaneously appeared in a vacuum. As with all philosophies, religions, and other wide-ranging paradigms, the historical context of their development is extremely important. This is no different for Islam: the Messenger Muhammad existed in a time and space in which there was no central political authority for the various communities to be subsumed to (as for example the Roman Empire served to be, for people living in the provinces of Palestine & Iudea during Jesus' life), and thus the Arabian peninsula was made up of hundreds of small, self-ruled communities, small kingdoms, and quasi city-states, most of which were in mutable states of war with one another. There were a multitude of competing religions and ethical systems, as well as complicated economic and social relations which varied to some degree from group to group. In a word, the Arabian peninsula at the time of Muhammad's revelation was a chaotic system of competing communities, and his task of uniting these communities under a single banner and a single new revolutionary political, economic, and social system was unlike anything faced by Jesus, Moses, or Joshua (the Israelite leader after Moses' death, and conqueror of Canaan), or any other leader or founder of a major religious group. As such, the challenges he faced were entirely different than those faced by the Jews or by early disciples of Christ, and thus he had to develop different solutions to these different problems. As for things like taqiyah, again, the historical context is very important here. In truth, as you probably know (but I doubt your father does), taqiyah has little to no bearing on Islam in contemporary life. The takfiri groups like al-Qa'eda are really the only people besides the Islamophobes who even use the term (many Muslims of today have never even heard the term taqiyah), and even they use it sparingly or not at all. Taqiyah was really only a concept among some of the Shi'a and only during the medieval period, when the Sunni leadership of some Islamic states actively persecuted the Shi'a, and this doctrine of dissimulation was created so as to increase the chances of survival for those Shi'a who were living in politically dangerous regions, while allowing them to still practice their faith. Again, it has essentially no meaning in Islam today, and the only people who think about taqiyah are Islamophobes and extremist takfiriyoun.
My post is now far, far longer than I'd intended it to be so I'm going to cut it off here. I hope I've helped in some small way, even if it was just by letting you know that there are people standing in support with you and that your story and resolve are inspiring. Take care!
Try reading Understanding the Quran: Themes and Style. It's a great primer to go deeper into the subject
This one? http://www.amazon.com/The-Message-Quran-Muhammad-Asad/dp/1904510000
That one looks more established. I couldn't quite figure out how much historical and cultural context and such it provides, though.
Thanks anyway.
M. Asad, for sure
After reading all that was recommended you should read into Misquoting Muhammad by Dr. Jonathan Brown.
Recommended:
MAS Abdel Haleem
Mohammad Asad
Bewley & Bewley
Here is the mobile version of your link
This is a work by a Muslim scholar who examines the issue of evolution from the standpoint of Islam. Shaykh Yasir Qadhi uses some of the points in this book and addresses the issue here.
It was written by a revert. This is the book I was referring to.
>Also what is this I found called, "The True Religion of God?" by Dr. AB Phillips?
Dr. Bilal Philips has some Salafi leanings but overall most of his works is a good reference point. I wouldn't take every he writes as truth.
Also Islam House is a Salafi site. Salafi are a tiny minority of Muslims in the world yet they flood the internet with their propaganda. Only recently, within last five or years or so ,has traditional scholars has begun to refute their propaganda. My advice is stay away from any person who has ties to Saudi Arabia (Umm al Qurra University,Madeenah University,Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University) until you are grounded within traditional understanding of Islam.
Moreover watch out for anything from Dar Us Salam publishers, the largest English language publishers of Islamic Books, they have been known to rewrite traditional books from scholars to suit their Salafi ideology.
My advice to start with Treatise For The Seekers Of Guidance. Which gives an overview of traditional Islamic morals and behavior. As well as English language Qur'aan,which unfortunately all them have their bias and problems with them. The only three that I can recommend are M.A.S. Abdel Haleem translation , Muhammad Asad translation or Aisha Bewley's translation. Though all of them have their problems.
The Islamophobia Industry: How the Right Manufactures Fear of Muslims
I'm just going to answer what I can, hopefully other can address the rest.
>If this is true, why was the entire Jewish tribe that violated the treaty with Muhammad be punished for their leaders' decision?
Because the entire tribe committed treason. Yes it was their leaders' decision, but the people following the leaders were perfectly able to not accept their leaders' decision and go out and support the prophet (sawa) during the battle rather than stay behind and defy the treaty. Or they could have come to him and say we are innocent of what our leaders did and do not think it is right. They did not do so and where willing to fight for their leaders. Just because someone else came up with the idea does not excuse the one who followed and accepted it.
>Why are we taught to distrust Jews?
Um... you should not be taught that. A lot of people, especially from the middle east, speak generally about Jews but what they mean is Israeli. More recently, with the internet and increasing understanding that Jew does not equal Israeli, it is less and less the case. The distrust is due to politics and wars and not due to Islam. Before the current Palestine/Israel crisis, Jewish people lived in the Muslim world in peace. In fact, during the Spanish inquisition, it was Muslims who took in Jewish people escaping persecution.
>I was also taught that on Judgement Day, when a person is being dragged to hell, he would also drag people who he feels could have helped him become better to hell too.
I'm not sure where this comes from. It might mean that if you are someone who is in a position to help another person find guidance and refuses to do so, leaving him in misguidance, that its a bad thing.
>How are Muslim conquers and wars any different than plain colonialism
For this you'll have to read the history of each conquest in detail. The state of the world worked differently. There was no nation state where people chose their own leaders. Most places where under the rule of large Empires (for ex. Byzantines or Persians) and the borders between them would constantly change based on who was stronger. People accepted a ruler only because the ruler was strong enough to conquer them. A newly formed state would have to expand or be conquered by neighboring empires with large resources. If you read history, many of the tribes living on the borders of the Persian or Byzantine empire would ask the Muslims to take over because of the oppressive rule of these Empires, and that these Empires would start war with the Muslims. The Muslims never enforced Islam on anyone and left non-Muslims to locally conduct themselves by their own religious rules.
Now, people live in nation states with well defined borders that have signed treaties with each other protecting their sovereignty and where the people choose their rulers. ISIS, first of all is not an Islamic caliphate. Second it is expanding into places that were at peace, and were self governing. It is killing innocent people, muslims and non muslims, forcing their version of twisted Islam on the populace and killing whoever disagrees. There's currently on the sub a thread I believe linking to a book that theologically refutes ISIS and goes into why they are wrong, so you might be interested in checking it out.
>As children, I used to play 'bad telephone'. One person whispers a phrase to another and this goes on until the whole line of children are finished with it. At the end of the game, the original phrase is completely distorted. How are hadiths any different from plain hearsays?
There's a whole science to hadith literature to decipher exactly this. It wasn't like person X said this and we just accept it. Many hadiths would be transmitted through different chains making it unlikely that everyone made the exact same mistake. You might be interested in reading Misquoting Muhammad.
>I come from a science-oriented background but since Islam plays a huge influence here, the evolution theory is rejected. I believe in evolution. But I also believe in Adam and Eve being the first humans on Earth. What is so wrong in believing that God has created all the evolutionary processes to create an Earth that is suitable for humans to live in?
Nothing. There's nothing wrong with believing in evolution as just another scientific/biological process the God created. I believe in the evolutionary theory as well, and believe that Adam and Eve were chosen to be the first humans on Earth. Are there things we don't yet know for sure about how they came to physical existence on earth? Sure, and I doubt we'll ever have perfect knowledge. But there's no contradiction between evolution and Islam.
>I was taught that a Muslim man can marry 4 women simply because 'men are capable of if while women can't'.
It's not about sexual capability. Marriage is the fundamental building block of society in Islam. Men can marry 4 women because throughout history, wars and general hardship meant many men would die. Because of biological facts that make the woman the one going through child birth and nursing, and needing support, she would need support, financial and physical. One man can have the capability of supporting more than one woman. Historically, before birth control and traditional schools that serve as day time baby-sitters, women were severely limited in their capability to go out and earn a living. Even today, a single mother is one of the most vulnerable members of western society, and without social support, many find themselves looking for shelters or help. So a woman was in greater danger of finding herself destitute than a man, when falling upon hardship, becoming widowed or losing parents, etc. Also it allows a society to maintain birthrate and structure when men of wealthier means are able to support more than one woman.
>Why aren't we allowed to eat pork?
Because God said so. It's not about bacteria or any of that. That is just people trying to guess the reason why. We are not allowed to eat pork or carrion or drink alcohol because God explicitly states that they are haram in the Qur'an. No technology will change that fact. If you are asking why did God make it haram, the true is answer is "we don't know."
>We see the Canadian children singing to welcome the refugees. Would we be willing to let our children do the same if the situation is reversed, say, Jewish refugees?
I certainly hope so. Muslims welcomed Jewish refugees once when they kicked out of Spain, and I hope if such a situation arises again, we would find ourselves being welcoming people again.
>Why aren't we doing anything about ISIS other than publicly declaring that they aren't practicing 'true Islam' (which, on its own, is a whole another debate)?
Who's we? Who do you think is on the ground physically fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq? Hint: It's muslims.
>Why are we so petty about things? Haram this, haram that. Ban music, ban yoga, ban the Union Jack flag, spy on people to catch unmarried people having sex
Wait what? I go to Yoga class once a week. I also enjoy classical music. Also, Islamically, it is haram to spy on people period.
I feel that you might be exposed to some super strict version of Islam as the only right one. There's no question some people wish to be very strict on themselves, but you should keep in mind that there are large variations in accepted orthodox Islamic traditions, and no one has the right to impose their own understanding on others.