Recommended books on Quran/Islam & related topics
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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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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/5tgzvctcf5Fem 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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Exploring Islam in a New Light An Understanding from the Quranic Perspective
By Abdur Rabhttp//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" 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 ? -
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.html850 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 -
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 DESCRIPTIONOne 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.
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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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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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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.
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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.pdfFor 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.
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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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http//www.deenresearchcenter.com/Portals/0/0195326016.GIF
The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism
by prof. Abdulaziz SachedinaThis 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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Dictionary of Holy Quran by Abdul Manan Omar
http//islamusa.org/dictionary.pdfFor 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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The Qur'an An Encyclopedia by Oliver Leaman
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Bookreview of What is All The Fuss About Religion? EarthTrek volume 1
By Anita Herawati Moormann.
WCM Press 2009.
http//2.bp.blogspot.com/_-BlYqXkf3DA/SvcJDlSGFAI/AAAAAAAAAKU/grF-2r-KMfg/s320/n130921769401_8377.jpg
Bookreview by Arnold Yasin Mol, DeenResearchCenter November 2009.
Moormanns book is an interesting and pleasant work to read. It is a disclosure of the personal questions Moormann asked herself over the years about life and meaning, and these are questions shared by most humans on earth. Being a product of a pluralistic society and child of an ambassador, from childhood on the different ideas and beliefs mankind has were exposed to her which all claimed to be truths. From this, a list of questions emerged which she slowly found answers for. Questions as what is religion?, is religion necessary?, does God exist?, there are so many religions, which is the right one?, and many more of these common questions. Self-study and reflection created a set of answers, which she started to explain in her book, the first of a three volume series. As her questions are shared by many people, she wanted to help other people by sharing her own journey.
As myself having had an academic education in Science and Theology and long self-study on Philosophy, Islam and Quranic interpretation, I was surprised by the professional level of many of Moormanns explanations, although her being an amateur on these subjects. Her story of her youth showed the universality of mankinds journey of being confronted by the diversity of thought. Although coming from a Muslim background, she started to research other religions and wanted to know if there was a common ground between them, and if there really was a conflict between modern thought and religions. Her answers on there being proof of a Creator are well explained, and shows her ability to present sophisticated ideas to a normal audience.
After reflecting there being only one Creator force, she skips non-monotheistic religions in her assessment as these are disproven by scientific philosophical thought. So she then focuses on a comparative studies of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. As the first two share mostly the same book, the comparison is made between the Bible and the Quran. She examines the history and development of the three religions, the influences of pagan beliefs on them, and then goes into a step by step subject comparison of the Bible and Quran. These are done very professionally and thorough. She shatters the myths that the Quran is a violent, hate-mongering and primitive book, and shows the Bible is far more focussed on violence, and has many contradicting ideas about God. Her conclusion that the Quran has a logical view on God, and its focus and ideas of righteousness, liberty and justice represent the best of what a human can be, and thus that the Quran is an asset to mankind, are very convincing.
Although she makes a few amateuristic mistakes and discusses some new-age ideas that are too simplistic, these can be overlooked as her book is a valuable work for the every day person. Many people do not take being alive very serious, and just accept what their upbringing has given them. Moormanns journey shows the importance of honestly reflecting all ideas and discoveries created by mankind, and thus entices people to start their own journey, but also gives them an idea of what direction to go to.
Her work is compelling and convincing for a person just telling her own journey and I was happy to walk along.
You can buy the book on Amazon
What is All The Fuss About Religion? by Anita Moormann
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Bookreview of ?What is All The Fuss About Religion?? EarthTrek volume 1
By Anita Herawati Moormann.
WCM Press 2009.
Hmm, the author's name is... Indonesian. I wonder who she is.
