The question of the People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitāb) has long been of central significance to Islam and later to the study of comparative religion. It becomes more crucial when Abū al-Fath Muhammad ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Shahrastānī (d.548/1153) develops another category known as “Man Lahu Shubhat Kitāb” (those who possess doubtful sacred scrolls) or “Ahl Shubhat Kitāb” (the People of a Dubious Book). The present book thus is of importance as it highlights the nature of the People of the Book and the People of a Dubious Book as understood in the Qur’ān and Islamic religious tradition. The discussion is carried out both by analyzing Islam as the only genuinely revealed religion as well as by addressing various Muslim scholars’ attitudes and responses to the reality and nature of the People of the Book and the People of a Dubious Book apropos the Qur’ān and the Islamic religious tradition. Evaluation of the nature of the People of a Dubious Book as exclusively developed by al-Shahrastānī is also discussed. It points out how he identifies these groups and how he treats them accordingly in his magnum opus, al-Milal wa al-Nihal. It is hoped that this book will provide a preliminary yet clear understanding of this concept, which hopefully can deepen our knowledge and enhance our perspective on the various delineations of the People of the Book and the People of a Dubious Book employed by Muslim scholars. This will eventually widen our sphere of the understanding of religious issues and any misunderstanding or narrowed perception of other religious traditions could be avoided.

The question of the People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab) has long been of central significance to Islam and later to the study of comparative religion. It becomes more crucial when AbA al-Fath Muhammad 'Abd al-KarAm al-ShahrastanA (d.548/1153) develops another category known as "e;Man Lahu Shubhat Kitab"e; (those who possess doubtful sacred scrolls) or "e;Ahl Shubhat Kitab"e; (the People of a Dubious Book). The present book thus is of importance as it highlights the nature of the People of the Book and the People of a Dubious Book as understood in the Qur'an and Islamic religious tradition. The discussion is carried out both by analyzing Islam as the only genuinely revealed religion as well as by addressing various Muslim scholars' attitudes and responses to the reality and nature of the People of the Book and the People of a Dubious Book apropos the Qur'an and the Islamic religious tradition. Evaluation of the nature of the People of a Dubious Book as exclusively developed by al-ShahrastanA is also discussed. It points out how he identifies these groups and how he treats them accordingly in his magnum opus, al-Milal wa al-Nihal. It is hoped that this book will provide a preliminary yet clear understanding of this concept, which hopefully can deepen our knowledge and enhance our perspective on the various delineations of the People of the Book and the People of a Dubious Book employed by Muslim scholars. This will eventually widen our sphere of the understanding of religious issues and any misunderstanding or narrowed perception of other religious traditions could be avoided.

The first book to examine the controversial Qur'anic phrase which divides Christianity and Islam. According to the majority of modern Muslims and Christians, the Qur'an denies the crucifixion of Jesus, and with it, one of the most sacred beliefs of Christianity. However, it is only mentioned in one verse - 'They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, rather, it only appeared so to them' - and contrary to popular belief, its translation has been the subject of fierce debate among Muslims for centuries. This innovative work is the first book devoted to the issue, delving deeply into largely ignored Arabic sources, which suggest that the origins of the conventional translation may lie within the Christian Church. Arranged along historical lines, and covering various Muslim schools of thought, from Sunni to Sufi, "The Crucifixion and the Qur'an" unravels the crucial dispute that separates the World's two principal faiths.

How did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) converse and engage with other religious believers? Did he start off with prejudice and mistrust? Or was he convivial and open-minded? This book analyses six models of the dealings in the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), specifically, but not restricted, to the siblings of Abrahamic religious believers. The six models of dialogue analysed in the book are dialogue with Ashamah, Najashi of Abyssinia, delegation of Najran Christians, different Jews of Yathrib, and emperors of Byzantine and Sassanid. The analysis applies Ibn Khaldun’s (d.1406) historical approach which the author termed as Khaldunian Hermeneutics due to the similarity between his ideas to that of Johann Gustav Droysen (d. 1884), a German philosopher, in historical hermeneutics. As such, the analysis goes beyond the dialogue content, taking into consideration the immediate and larger contextual settings, and changes of the contexts due to the passage of time. It critically considers the suitability of each model due to the difference in times and contexts. The book serves as a reference for Muslim dialogue advocates and practitioners, to provide substantial evidence of the dialogue application by the role model of Muslims – the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) whom they hold very dear to their hearts.

A valuable resource for readers interested in the role of Islam in contemporary U. S. politics and society, this first-of-its kind reference synthesizes Islamic teachings, the example of Prophet Muhammad, and the vision of the Founding Fathers. Islam is the most misunderstood and misrepresented religious tradition in the United States, depicted as an oppressive and violent political system and its followers as backward and "un-American." The stereotypes about Islam and Muslims in the U.S. calls for a new sociological understanding that confronts the menacing bigotry and racism rising in the U.S. today. Through an overview essay, chronology, and roughly 50 alphabetically arranged entries, this reference explores the intersection of Islam, Muslims, and American national identity. The primary focus is contemporary issues and developments relating to Islam in the U.S., but the entries also incorporate a fuller picture of Islam in general and Muslims worldwide. Included are entries on history, race and ethnicity, interfaith commonalities, politics, discrimination and hate, and national identity. The entries cite works for further reading, and the book closes with an annotated bibliography of the most important resources.

A SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER 'A stunning blockbuster' Robert Fisk 'A brilliant tour de force of revisionist scholarship and thrilling storytelling' Simon Sebag Montefiore 'A compelling detective story of the highest order' Sunday Times 'Tom Holland has an enviable gift for summoning up the colour, the individuals and animation of the past' Independent In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two venerable empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on and one had vanished forever, while the other seemed almost finished. Ruling in their place were the Arabs: an upheaval so profound that it spelt, in effect, the end of the ancient world. In the Shadow of the Sword explores how this came about. Spanning from Constantinople to the Arabian desert, and starring some of the most remarkable rulers who ever lived, he tells a story vivid with drama, horror, and startling achievement.

AN INDEPENDENT BEST BOOKS ON RELIGION 2014 PICK Few things provoke controversy in the modern world like the religion brought by Prophet Muhammad. Modern media are replete with alarm over jihad, underage marriage and the threat of amputation or stoning under Shariah law. Sometimes rumor, sometimes based on fact and often misunderstood, the tenets of Islamic law and dogma were not set in the religion’s founding moments. They were developed, like in other world religions, over centuries by the clerical class of Muslim scholars. Misquoting Muhammad takes the reader back in time through Islamic civilization and traces how and why such controversies developed, offering an inside view into how key and controversial aspects of Islam took shape. From the protests of the Arab Spring to Istanbul at the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and from the ochre red walls of Delhi’s great mosques to the trade routes of the Indian Ocean world, Misquoting Muhammad lays out how Muslim intellectuals have sought to balance reason and revelation, weigh science and religion, and negotiate the eternal truths of scripture amid shifting values.