Just before dawn one winter's morning, a hijacked jetliner explodes above the English Channel. Through the falling debris, two figures, Gibreel Farishta, the biggest star in India, and Saladin Chamcha, an expatriate returning from his first visit to Bombay in fifteen years, plummet from the sky, washing up on the snow-covered sands of an English beach, and proceed through a series of metamorphoses, dreams, and revelations.

Noted Indian writer and polymath Ram Swarup explores the meaning of Islam through the words of the Sahih Muslim, considered by Muslims to be one of the most authoritative of the collections of "traditions" (Arabic Hadith) about the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Like the Koran, these traditions are believed to be divinely revealed by Allah and they complement the verses of the Koran, in many cases expanding upon them and explaining the context of their revelation. As Swarup notes in his introduction, to Muslims the Hadith literature represents the Koran in action, stories of "revelation made concrete in the life of the Prophet." Among the orthodox they are considered as sacred as the Koran itself.Swarup is plainly skeptical of the claim that the Hadith literature is divinely inspired. In the introduction he says, "The Prophet is caught as it were in the ordinary acts of his life - sleeping, eating, mating, praying, hating, dispensing justice, planning expeditions and revenge against his enemies. The picture that emerges is hardly flattering. . . . One is . . . left to wonder how the believers, generation after generation, could have found this story so inspiring. The answer is that the believers are conditioned to look at the whole thing through the eyes of faith. To them morality derives from the Prophet''s actions. . . .his actions determine and define morality."The Sahih Muslim, a massive work consisting of 7,190 traditions divided into 1,243 chapters, is hardly accessible to the average reader; so Swarup quotes representative selections that touch upon the main tenets of Islam: faith, purification, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, marriage and divorce, crime and punishment, religious wars (jihad), paradise, hell, repentance, and many other features of the religion.To non-Muslims this work provides many insights into the mindset of the average Muslim who is raised on these traditions about Muhammad. It also underscores the gulf that exists between the sanctum of orthodox Islam and an increasingly secularized Westernized world.

The thoughtful reader of the Qur'ān will probably pause in confusion, for how does one reconcile this verse with tens of other verses that call for tolerance, such as Q 2.256 (Pickthall trans.): "There is no compulsion in religion...." The baffled reader encounters two contrasting spirits, as if facing the conflicted protagonist of Robert Louis Stevenson's novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. A kind of schizophrenia seems incarnated in the Qur'ān with its verses of peace (which resemble the character of Dr. Jekyll) and its verses of killing (which reflect the character of Mr. Hyde), and the reader is left to ponder these questions:Why does the Qur'ān's text present a double personality?How can a Muslim take the Qur'ān as the guide for living one's life when it has two contrasting spirits?Which should the Muslim follow: the verses that reflect Jekyll or Hyde?

Contrary to popular opinion, the bulk of Islamic law does not come from the Quran but from hadith, first-hand reports of the Prophet Muhammad’s words and deeds, passed from generation to generation. However, with varying accounts often only committed to paper a century after the death of Muhammad, Islamic scholars, past and present, have been faced with complex questions of historical authenticity. In this wide-ranging introduction, Jonathan A. C. Brown explores the collection and criticism of hadith, and the controversy surrounding its role in modern Islam. This edition, revised and updated with additional case studies and attention to the very latest scholarship, also features a new chapter on how hadiths have been used politically, both historically and in the Arab Spring and its aftermath. Informative and accessible, it is perfectly suited to students, scholars and general readers interested in this critical element of Islam.

The first textbook of Sufism is the Qur'an; there is no principle of Tasawwuf that cannot be traced back to the Holy Book. The Sufis read the Qur'an for its inner meaning, but they do not claim this is the only meaning. The clear legal rulings, the moral exhortations and warnings of the Book, are not abrogated by the batini tafsir (inner exegesis) of the Sufis, but neither can the Noble Qur'an be limited to its legal and moral dimensions. If all the seas were ink for the tafsir of the Qur'an, they would be exhausted twice over before all its meanings were unveiled. Inner and outer co-exist within the Book, depend upon each other, and inform each other; in the words of the Surah Ha Mim Sajdah, I will show them My signs on the horizons and in their own souls until they are satisfied that this is the Truth. Is it not enough for you, that I am Witness over all things? Q. 41:53]. The Sufi Path, insha'Allah, has the power to place one in the near Presence of Allah--a Presence which, whether or not we are always conscious of it, alchemizes the Heart. The changes the Heart undergoes by the power of this Presence have been recorded by the Sufis over many centuries, and some of the operative laws behind these changes discerned and defined. This book contains only one small drop from that vast ocean of knowledge; it attempts to define a number of the spiritual states and transformations of the self often encountered over the course of the Path--but as the author's own shaykh reminds his followers, in reality there is only one state--Allah. "This is simply the best and most profound book on Sufism that I have encountered."--Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism "Charles Upton is a serious thinker from whom I have learned much. His writing merits close attention."--Huston Smith, author of The World's Religions "This challenging book demands all our attention, and for those willing to make the effort there is much to be learned. Charles Upton has pondered deeply the themes he examines. He has engaged, not just intellectually but with his heart, in the alchemy that transforms the self. You may well keep this book at hand, to be tasted from time to time, comparing the steps of this spiritual traveler to your own."--Kabir Helminski, Mevlevi Shaikh and Sufi author "Charles Upton is an oasis of spirituality in a parched desert of secularism. In a world desiccated by materialism, greed, envy, and egotism, where virtues are viewed as vices and vices as virtues, Day and Night on the Sufi Path provides desperately needed access to a soul-saving spiritual source. Well-versed in the inner and outer dimensions of Islam, Upton exemplifies the balance between the esoteric and the exoteric. His Sufism, while sublime, is rooted in the realities of our time."--John Andrew Morrow, author of The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World "In Day and Night on the Sufi Path Charles Upton provides us with a lucid glimpse of one of the spiritual paths to God in Islam. Classical Sufi teachings on the soul, spiritual practice, states and stations, and potential dangers are discussed with eloquence and rigor in a manner that is true to the tradition and relevant to the time we are in. This work is at once philosophical and poetic, systematic and with flashes of original inspiration that can only come from someone conversant in both the theoretical and practical dimensions of tasawwuf. It is a faithful reflection of the Divine Light that has captured the author's attention and may help to illuminate the path for others."--Zachary Markwith, author of One God, Many Prophets: The Universal Wisdom of Islam

The Fifth-Century Political Battles That Forever Changed the Church In this fascinating account of the surprisingly violent fifth-century church, PhilipJenkins describes how political maneuvers by a handful of powerful charactersshaped Christian doctrine. Were it not for these battles, today’s church could beteaching something very different about the nature of Jesus, and the papacy as weknow it would never have come into existence. Jesus Wars reveals the profoundimplications of what amounts to an accident of history: that one faction ofRoman emperors and militia-wielding bishops defeated another.

"WARNING - Only read this book if you're ready. If you're Muslim, I'm going to question everything you and your family believe about Islam"In a book, the first of its kind, researcher, and ex-Muslim Adam Wadi writes with compassion and brutal honesty explaining to his mother and father why he left Islam in this 'atheist confessional'.Providing direct and piercing arguments, Wadi uncovers why we think we need religion, Islam's flaws as a religion, and why God likely does not exist.Join Wadi on a journey of discovery, challenging commonly held beliefs such as: Why religions are so popular The Quran's credibility Prophet Muhammad as a role model The Prophets' stories: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses & Jesus Religion's battle with science Women's rights The fear of Sharia law Gay Muslims Alcohol, cigarettes and sex in Islam Islamic Terrorism Censorship in Islam Islamization of the world Morality, spirituality and the meaning of life without religion and many more topics to provide you with the comprehensive collection of arguments against following ancient laws in a modern world.Citing historians, scientists and the Quran throughout, Atheism for Muslims is a compelling compilation of talking points about Islam, the existence of God, and our desire for a better future.Scroll to the top of the page and select the buy button to learn more