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  4. Recommended books on Quran/Islam & related topics

Recommended books on Quran/Islam & related topics

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Questions/Comments on the Quran
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  • S Offline
    S Offline
    Soraya
    wrote on last edited by
    #28

    Defenders of The Reasons in Islam is a really good book..
    About Mutazilism
    However that was how traditionalists chose to go seperate ways..The distortion was due to the following questions that arose

    1. questions such as whether Al Quran was created or is it eternal?
    2. Whether people have free will or predestination(the concept of Qadr)
      Qadariya was a word that the traditionalists used..

    Also Kitab-al-usul al khamsa which is very interesting..Mashah Allah

    Infact I believe that the Mutazilites were on a right track..But unfortunately they focused too much on their research and neglected the ordinary people..this was how the traditionalists used the ordinary people to gain power..

    Correct me if am mistaken

    Fee Amanillah

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    • T Offline
      T Offline
      the_seeker
      wrote on last edited by
      #29

      http//books.iuniverse.com/booksfolder/0595479405/0595479405.gif

      Exploring Islam in a New Light An Understanding from the Quranic Perspective
      By Abdur Rab

      http//www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-47940-5

      Emphasizing the Quran?s messages of peace, tolerance, and compassion, this book intentionally avoids Hadith-based ideas to significantly contribute to the ?Quran only? movement in Islam.

      Book Description
      This Islam is spiritual, humane, and scientific, far from its fanatic and militant image it carries in the West. It shows how man can evolve spiritually to lead an enriched, progressive, and blissful life. It advocates tolerance and peaceful co-existence and disapproves of gender or human discrimination and harsh punishments. Abdur Rab argues that, regrettably, the Hadith undermines and misrepresents Islam. Numerous Hadith texts contradict the Quran, reason, and science and send conflicting, confusing messages. The criteria used to authenticate the Hadith are flawed and simply inadequate.

      This book is an impassioned call to understand Islam solely in Quranic terms and to reform practiced Islam, distorted by Hadith-based ideas.


      I just received the book and skipped through it. The first thing I noticed was the foreword by Prof. Riffat Hassan, the well known feminist Muslim scholar and student of GA.Parwez. Next to this the very good reviews by convert Prof. Jeffrey Lang (author of "Loosing my Religion" & "When angels ask", prof. in Islam) and prof. Reza Aslan (author " No God but God&quot and others.

      All of them praised its' Qur'anic approach and also agreed on the need to return to the Qur'an. This coming from 2 well-known Islamic professors shows that the Qur'anic stance is gaining ground everywhere.

      The topics are laid out very good and his approach is very professional. Next to laying out some well-known issues, he also brings in some fresh ideas. Good use of footnotes and quoting of Qur'anic verses makes this a very good work and important for us to have.

      A must have for progressive Muslims!

      peace brother

      can i go work with you so i can have access to all these books?

      God bless. ramon

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      • A Offline
        A Offline
        arnoldyasin
        wrote on last edited by
        #30

        ?

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        • A Offline
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          arnoldyasin
          wrote on last edited by
          #31

          Fakhr al-Dn al Rz?s methodology in interpreting the Qurn by Shalahudin Kafrawi.

          Many studies have been done of Fakhr al-Dinal-Razi and his system of thought, taking into account his contributions from theology, philosophy, and exegesis. However, works specifically devoted to his exegetical thought have been few. In fact, none of these has dealt with al-Razi?s exegetical methodology in the light of his basic assumptions regarding the Qur?an. In view of this fact, the present thesis aims at elucidating Fakhr al-Din al-Razi?s methodology in interpreting the Qur?an in his magnum opus, known by the title al-Tafsir al-Kabir or Mafatih&dotbelow; al-Ghayb. In order to achieve this purpose, we will focus on his interpretation of the third chapter of the Qur?an, printed in volumes 7, 8, and 9 of the standard edition of his work.
          In overall terms, al-Razi contributed greatly to the dissemination of a rational approach to the study of the Qur?an. Yet, he could not avoid the debate over theological issues, which were common in his time. In many parts of his al-Tafsir al-Kabir, therefore, he defends Ash?arite thought against the views of Mu?tazilites, Zahirites, and the Hashwiyyah, among others.

          http//digitool.Library.McGill.CA1801/webclient/DeliveryManager?application=DIGITOOL-3&owner=resourcediscovery&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&user=GUEST&pds_handle=&pid=21224&con_lng=ENG&search_terms=000001825&rd_session=http//digitool.Library.McGill.CA8881/R/L943R3ETR1REQ4QMJ67D3QSTH3GJUUB7L556DTIEIBQ4XGVKKI-00398

          An excellent essay on one of the major rational Qur'an exegesists of the Middle Ages. A very interesting read.

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          • B Offline
            B Offline
            Bahr53
            wrote on last edited by
            #32

            Salaam
            Here you can download these books, http//www.box.net/shared/5tgzvctcf5

            • Arab Conspiracies against Islam
            • Argument against ritual prayer
            • Construction of Mecca
            • Hadith a re-evaluation
            • Hadith research, the myth of hadith
            • Hadith Debate, and what is Salaat
            • Mental Bondage (in the name of God)
            • MY JOURNEY FROM THE CHRISTIANITY OF AHLUL SUNNAH WAL JAMAAH TO THE ISLAM OF THE PROPHET
            • Natural Republic
            • No fasting
            • No hate of Jews in the Quran
            • Quran, Hadith and Islam
            • The history of Hadith
            • The MessengerInfo from the Quran
            • Turkey reform of Islam
            • Where did Muhammed live

            Free English book refuting Hadith for download in PDF format
            http//www.box.net/shared/5tgzvctcf5

            Fem gode linker/Five good links

            http//aididsafar.com/

            http//merahza.wordpress.com/

            http//www.free-minds.org/

            http//iyb.blogspot.com/

            http//aboutquran.com/

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            • T Offline
              T Offline
              tawhid
              wrote on last edited by
              #33

              " the qoran , morality and critical reason" by Mohammad Shahrour

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              • W Offline
                W Offline
                wildguest1956
                wrote on last edited by
                #34

                http//books.iuniverse.com/booksfolder/0595479405/0595479405.gif

                Exploring Islam in a New Light An Understanding from the Quranic Perspective
                By Abdur Rab

                http//www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-47940-5

                Emphasizing the Quran?s messages of peace, tolerance, and compassion, this book intentionally avoids Hadith-based ideas to significantly contribute to the ?Quran only? movement in Islam.

                Book Description
                This Islam is spiritual, humane, and scientific, far from its fanatic and militant image it carries in the West. It shows how man can evolve spiritually to lead an enriched, progressive, and blissful life. It advocates tolerance and peaceful co-existence and disapproves of gender or human discrimination and harsh punishments. Abdur Rab argues that, regrettably, the Hadith undermines and misrepresents Islam. Numerous Hadith texts contradict the Quran, reason, and science and send conflicting, confusing messages. The criteria used to authenticate the Hadith are flawed and simply inadequate.

                This book is an impassioned call to understand Islam solely in Quranic terms and to reform practiced Islam, distorted by Hadith-based ideas.


                I just received the book and skipped through it. The first thing I noticed was the foreword by Prof. Riffat Hassan, the well known feminist Muslim scholar and student of GA.Parwez. Next to this the very good reviews by convert Prof. Jeffrey Lang (author of "Loosing my Religion" & "When angels ask", prof. in Islam) and prof. Reza Aslan (author " No God but God&quot and others.

                All of them praised its' Qur'anic approach and also agreed on the need to return to the Qur'an. This coming from 2 well-known Islamic professors shows that the Qur'anic stance is gaining ground everywhere.

                The topics are laid out very good and his approach is very professional. Next to laying out some well-known issues, he also brings in some fresh ideas. Good use of footnotes and quoting of Qur'anic verses makes this a very good work and important for us to have.

                A must have for progressive Muslims!

                Hello,
                is there something to learn from this book ?

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                • W Offline
                  W Offline
                  wildguest1956
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #35

                  For french-speaking people who do not master arabic nor english, here is an interesting book for studying the quran

                  Une approche du Coran par la grammaire et le lexique, by Maurice Gloton
                  http//www.laprocure.com/livres/maurice-gloton/une-approche-coran-par-grammaire-le-lexique-2500-versets-traduits-lexique-coranique_9782841611713.html

                  850 pages

                  Samples
                  http//apu.mabul.org/up/apu/2008/05/25/img-175419i4igk.jpg
                  http//apu.mabul.org/up/apu/2008/03/24/img-130857wragt.jpg

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                  • E Offline
                    E Offline
                    No longer a Sunna-rejecter
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #36

                    http//www.masjidtucson.org/images/catalog/QHICover.jpg

                    A milestone for Islamic Reform Hadith, Quran & Islam by Rashad Khalifa. It is an execellent book that exposes Hadith, and calls for the follwoing of the Quran alone. There is a lot of prejudice against Rashad Khalifa, but read it whether or not you think he was a messenger.

                    From Amazon

                    EDITORIAL REVIEWS
                    PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

                    One of the most important books on the topic, this ground-breaking work offers unique insight into the role of the Quran, and Hadith, in modern-day Islam. Hadith, a collection of sayings attributed to the prophet Muhammad, have long been accepted alongside the Quran, as integral to Islamic thought and practices. This book exposes the damage it has done. A must read for all students of Islam.

                    I am no longer a Sunna-rejecter. See 4:59-65, 62:2-4, 3:31, 4:156, 7:157 Messenger teaches and is to be followed and obeyed. Examples of revelation received which is not in the Qur'an: 3:123-126, 33:37, 2:187, 66:3, 62:9.

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                    • M Offline
                      M Offline
                      Muse
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #37

                      A book that I would recommend to people who are biased in the subject of Islam and/or the Western world is "Who Speaks for Islam What A Billion Muslims Really Think" by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed. The entire book is based on a study led by the Gallup Organisation. It is easy to comprehend and will bring you to a startling conclusion Muslims and Westerners are more alike than you think.

                      http//www.amazon.com/Who-Speaks-Islam-Billion-Muslims/dp/1595620176?SubscriptionId=0TBPMRS0W3G0CB5F0902&tag=afncaie-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1595620176

                      Another book that I just read and found very valuable is "Revival and Reform in Islam A Study of Islamic Fundamentalism" by Fazlur Rahman. The book gets complicated at times, but really helped me to understand how fundamentalism and the correlation between Islam and politics grew in the Middle-East. The book also shows how completely absurd and contradicting hadiths can be.

                      http//www.amazon.com/Revival-Reform-Islam-Islamic-Fundamentalism/dp/185168204X

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                      • R Offline
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                        Rev_John
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #38

                        A book that I would recommend to people who are biased in the subject of Islam and/or the Western world is "Who Speaks for Islam What A Billion Muslims Really Think" by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed. The entire book is based on a study led by the Gallup Organisation. It is easy to comprehend and will bring you to a startling conclusion Muslims and Westerners are more alike than you think.

                        http//www.amazon.com/Who-Speaks-Islam-Billion-Muslims/dp/1595620176?SubscriptionId=0TBPMRS0W3G0CB5F0902&tag=afncaie-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1595620176

                        Another book that I just read and found very valuable is "Revival and Reform in Islam A Study of Islamic Fundamentalism" by Fazlur Rahman. The book gets complicated at times, but really helped me to understand how fundamentalism and the correlation between Islam and politics grew in the Middle-East. The book also shows how completely absurd and contradicting hadiths can be.

                        http//www.amazon.com/Revival-Reform-Islam-Islamic-Fundamentalism/dp/185168204X

                        But what do a billion Muslims think?

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                          No longer a Sunna-rejecter
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #39

                          How To Win A Cosmic War by Reza Aslan

                          http//www.readthespirit.com/.a/6a00e54ef51d76883401156f3307cd970c-200wi

                          http//ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51S4BvJvuqL.SL500_OU02_SS130.jpg

                          I read a few pages of it - seems like a good read.

                          I am no longer a Sunna-rejecter. See 4:59-65, 62:2-4, 3:31, 4:156, 7:157 Messenger teaches and is to be followed and obeyed. Examples of revelation received which is not in the Qur'an: 3:123-126, 33:37, 2:187, 66:3, 62:9.

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                          • WakasW Offline
                            WakasW Offline
                            Wakas
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #40

                            peace all,

                            This great work by Toshihiko Izutsu is now available online, "Ethico-Religious Concepts in The Quran" (right click and save as)
                            http//www.archive.org/download/Toshihiko.Izutsu_Ethico-Religious.Concepts.in.the.Quran/Toshihiko.Izutsu_Ethico-Religious.Concepts.in.the.Quran.pdf

                            For those unfamiliar with Toshihiko Izutsu's works, use the forum search function. Personally, I consider his analysis to rank amongst the best I have read, and the members here who have also read his works will no doubt agree with me.

                            All information is correct to the best of my knowledge only and thus should not be taken as a fact. One should always seek knowledge and verify for themselves when possible: 17:36, 20:114, 35:28, 49:6, 58:11.

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                              A Offline
                              arnoldyasin
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #41

                              http//www.deenresearchcenter.com/Portals/0/shahrour1.jpg

                              The Qur'an, Morality and Critical Reason The Essential Muhammad Shahrur

                              Dr.Muhammad Shahrur is one of the most important modern thinkers in Islam. His analytical and systematic research on the Qur'an has showed the many important, and also many times, neglected messages and potentials of the Qur'an. His scientific and universal approach to the Qur'an is groundbreaking and has opened new doors for understanding the Qur'an as a guidance for mankind. This book is the first in English to discuss Shahrur's main ideas and discoveries in detail. It is a complete summary of his 3 books.

                              To purchase the book, go to

                              It is expensive, but worth every dollar!

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                                arnoldyasin
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #42

                                http//www.deenresearchcenter.com/Portals/0/0195326016.GIF

                                The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism
                                by prof. Abdulaziz Sachedina

                                This study tackles the most significant issues facing Muslims today. As Islam and Muslims enter the 21st century, Sachedina argues, it is necessary to re-open the doors of religious interpretation - to re-examine and correct false interpretations, replace outdated laws and formulate new doctrines that respond to changing social contexts. Always using the Quran as a yardstick, Sachedina demonstrates how and why Islamic law came to reflect political and social influences, leading to regulations that violate the spirit and the letter of the Quran. He critically analyzes Muslim teachings on issues of pluralism, civil society, war and peace, violence and self-sacrifice, the status and role of non-Muslims, and capital punishment. He show how the Qur'anic philosophy is democratic in its nature, but also completely pluralistic and universal.

                                To purchase the book, go to

                                http//www.amazon.com/reader/0195326016?%5Fencoding=UTF8&ref%5F=sib%5Fdp%5Fpt#reader-link

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                                • WakasW Offline
                                  WakasW Offline
                                  Wakas
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #43

                                  Dictionary of Holy Quran by Abdul Manan Omar
                                  http//islamusa.org/dictionary.pdf

                                  For those who dont know, this book is used a lot by many here, and is considered really good. Surprised its available free online to be honest. Grab it while you can!

                                  All information is correct to the best of my knowledge only and thus should not be taken as a fact. One should always seek knowledge and verify for themselves when possible: 17:36, 20:114, 35:28, 49:6, 58:11.

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                                  • J Offline
                                    J Offline
                                    Jack
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #44

                                    Thanks Wakas. I lost my copy during a move, so just what I needed !

                                    It's a must-have, in my opinion.

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                                      Y Offline
                                      Yaqub
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #45

                                      No God but God, by Reza Aslan.

                                      He also wrote How to Win a Cosmic War (already on the list).

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                                        F Offline
                                        Fahad1
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #46

                                        Dictionary of Holy Quran by Abdul Manan Omar
                                        http//islamusa.org/dictionary.pdf

                                        For those who dont know, this book is used a lot by many here, and is considered really good. Surprised its available free online to be honest. Grab it while you can!

                                        Thanks!

                                        Salaam.

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                                          No longer a Sunna-rejecter
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #47

                                          The Qur'an An Encyclopedia by Oliver Leaman

                                          I am no longer a Sunna-rejecter. See 4:59-65, 62:2-4, 3:31, 4:156, 7:157 Messenger teaches and is to be followed and obeyed. Examples of revelation received which is not in the Qur'an: 3:123-126, 33:37, 2:187, 66:3, 62:9.

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