The Ramadan of Shaikh Al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya and other elders

The translation, notes, and commentary of Imam al-Harith al-Muhasibi's "Risala al-Mustarshidin (Treatise for the Seekers of Guidance)" serves as a layman's guide to Islamic spirituality.

The Imam was asked a long question of which a part was - What is the opinion of the scholars regarding a man who is afflicted by a disease, and knows that if it should continue it would damage his life? The Imam Quoted the Hadith from Sahih Bukhari The prophet (S) said: 'Allah has appointed a remedy for every disease He has sent down' Imam Ahmad reported on the authority of Usamah bin Shareek that the ' Prophet (S) said Allah has not made a disease without providing a remedy for it, with the exception of one disease, namely old age' This Applies to the medicine for the heart, soul and body. The wellbeing of the servant's heart, is far more important than that of his body, for while the wellbeing of his body enables him to lead a life that is free from illnesses in this world, that of the heart ensures him both a fortunate life in this world and eternal bliss in the next.

Islamic Thought is a fresh and contemporary introduction to the philosophies and doctrines of Islam. Abdullah Saeed, a distinguished Muslim scholar, traces the development of religious knowledge in Islam, from the pre-modern to the modern period. The book focuses on Muslim thought, as well as the development, production and transmission of religious knowledge, and the trends, schools and movements that have contributed to the production of this knowledge. Key topics in Islamic culture are explored, including the development of the Islamic intellectual tradition, the two foundation texts, the Qur’an and Hadith, legal thought, theological thought, mystical thought, Islamic Art, philosophical thought, political thought, and renewal, reform and rethinking today. Through this rich and varied discussion, Saeed presents a fascinating depiction of how Islam was lived in the past and how its adherents practise it in the present. Islamic Thought is essential reading for students beginning the study of Islam but will also interest anyone seeking to learn more about one of the world’s great religions.

This book shatters the myth that naked-eye sighting of the new moon and completing thirty days in the case of weather-related or other obscurities are the only two valid methods of determining the month of Ramadan. The author explains that certainty, not actual sighting, is the real objective of the Shariah and that the Qur'an does not mandate physical sighting. A careful analysis shows that those hadiths that seemingly require sighting actually require certainty. The assertion that all Muslim scholars prohibit the use of astronomical calculations, both in affirming or negating the month of Ramadan, is not correct. As calculation is now more accurate than naked-eye sighting, due to certain astronomical and scientific advancements, the use of calculation is the closest to the real objective of the Shari'ah and to the spirit of the hadiths.