The Excellent Names and Attributes of Allah Almighty from the Qur'an and the Sunnah

This book describes and explains the meaning of the essential articles of faith and basic forms of worship in Islam. The narration is enriched with relevant essays from prominent scholars. in addition to the answers given to the frequently asked questions, the author uses different allegories and metaphors in order to clarify his points. Perfect for young readers, the book presents the basic framework of understanding and reasoning of the Islamic faith.

As in other mystic traditions, Sufism sees the relationship between the seeker and God as that of lover and beloved. This wise, beautiful book, written by the spiritual successor to Irine Tweedie (Daughter of Fire), describes the inner journey that takes the lover back to the God he refers to as "the beloved".

Expanding the series, Shaykh Adil Al-Haqqani presents his lectures and offers guidelines to developing heightened spiritual awareness and overcoming negative influences that impede happiness.

Islam, the religion of total submission to God, is the belief of more than one fifth of all human beings and is the second largest religion in the world. Despite its large number of followers, little was known about it in America until after the tragic event of September 11, 2001. Unfortunately, the media portrayed Islam negatively after September 11th and distorted its true nature. Hence, some people do not want to hear anything about Islam while many others began to ask many questions about it. An Insider's Guide to Islam is a practical guide that explains Islam as understood and practiced by Muslims of diverse background. To Muslims, Islam is a way of life and a religion of peace which brings tranquility and harmony to their lives. Islam is a rich culture and a unique tradition which must be understood on its own merits. The author brings insight into what Islam means, how it is practiced and its relationship with other religions. He also analyzes the concept of Jihad, the role of women in Islam and the values that Islam cherishes. The development of Islam in America and the roles that Muslims play in the United States are also elaborated upon in this volume.

The Comparative Study of Religions, interesting as a form of intellectual research, has for many a further value in the influence it may exert upon the widening and the deepening of the religious life. The practical value may become more and more acknowledged, if, as signs suggest, the reality of the religious experience is more keenly felt and mankind recognise the place of religious goods in the highest type of life. Though it is certainly premature to say that there is much serious acknowledgement and recognition of these values amongst the peoples of the world, there are reasons to think that tendencies of thought and feeling in this direction are increasing in power. One of the best means of aiding the Comparative Study of Religions and promoting these tendencies is by the publication of important books connected with the religions, representing the views of leading thinkers and saints. If we turn to Islam, we find that some Western writers describe it as in a condition of progressive decay, while others would have us believe that its onward march is a menace. It is well to be able to avoid the obvious purpose which lies behind both contentions. Nevertheless, to the present writer it appears true to say that there is much stagnation in Islam (In which religion is there not?), and that its spirit is often lost and its real teachings neglected owing to the general use of Arabic in the recitation of the Quran by persons entirely ignorant of that language, and also to the prevalent mechanical conception of the character of the Quran as a form of divine revelation. We believe that the Comparative Study of Religions will help to turn the attention of Muslims away from these to the emphasising of the essential spirit of Islam. This should be central and normative in the rising movements of reform and rejuvenescence. In this connection, as bringing out this spirit, it is especially appropriate, both for the students of the religions and for those directly interested in the spiritual revival in Islam, to publish in an easily accessible form some of the religious and moral teachings of Ghazzali. A Western scholar has written of him that he is “the greatest, certainly the most sympathetic figure in the history of Islam ... the only teacher of the after generations ever put by Muslims on a level with the four great Imams.” And he goes on to remark further; “In the renaissance of Islam which is now rising to view, his time will come and the new life will proceed from a renewed study of his works.” But Dieterici says of him: “As a despairing sceptic he springs suicidally into the all-God (i.e. all-pervading deity of the Pantheists) to kill all scientific reflection.” To justify such a judgment would indeed be impossible if the whole course of Ghazzali’s works is taken into consideration. The greatest eulogy is perhaps that of Tholuck: “All that is good, worthy, and sublime, which his great soul had compassed, he bestowed upon Muhammedanism, and he adorned the doctrines of the Quran with so much piety and learning that in the form given them by him they seem, in my opinion, worthy of the assent of Christians. Whatsoever was most excellent in the philosophy of Aristotle or in the Sufi mysticism, he discreetly adapted to the Muhammedan theology. From every school he sought the means of shedding light and honour upon religion, while his sincere piety and lofty conscientiousness imparted to all his writings a sacred majesty.”

The Fortification of Faith by Shah Ismail Shaheed is a foundational Islamic text focused on the purification and strengthening of one's faith (Iman). Written in the 19th century, this book aims to eliminate misconceptions and practices of shirk (associating partners with Allah) that had infiltrated the beliefs and actions of Muslims. Shah Ismail Shaheed emphasizes the importance of pure monotheism (Tawhid) and adherence to the Quran and Sunnah, while strongly discouraging innovations (Bid'ah) and superstitious rituals. The book serves as a guide for Muslims to fortify their connection with Allah by removing any form of idolatry or misplaced reverence, whether towards graves, saints, or other sacred objects. It encourages believers to understand the essence of Islamic worship and follow the authentic teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), urging them to focus on Allah as the sole object of worship and reliance. Written in simple language, The Fortification of Faith has been influential in Islamic reform movements and continues to inspire those who seek to purify their faith in line with the principles of Tawhid.

In a bridge-building exercise between Christians, Muslims, and other people of the book, David Bentley traces the Semitic pre-Islamic origins of Islam s 99 names of God. He points the reader to Old Testament counterparts of these names as well as to Jesus comparable representations of Himself."

The Journeys of a Taymiyyan Sufi explores the life and teachings of ʿImād al-Dīn Aḥmad al-Wāsiṭī (d. 711/1311), a little-known Ḥanbalī Sufi master from the circle of Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328). The first part of this book follows al-Wāsiṭī’s physical journey in search of spiritual guidance through a critical study of his autobiographical writings. This provides unique insights into the Rifāʿiyya, the Shādhiliyya, and the school of Ibn ʿArabī, several manifestations of Sufism that he encountered as he travelled from Wāsiṭ to Baghdad, Alexandria, and Cairo. Part I closes with his final destination, Damascus, where his membership of Ibn Taymiyya’s circle and his role as a Sufi teacher is closely examined. The second part focuses on al-Wāsiṭī’s spiritual journey through a study of his Sufi writings, which convey the distinct type of traditionalist Sufism that he taught in early eighth/fourteenth-century Damascus. Besides providing an overview of the spiritual path unto God from beginning to end as he formulated it, this reveals an exceptional interplay between Sufi theory and traditionalist theology.

The material in The Nature of the Sufi Path consists of 70 commentaries on a book entitled Sufism: A Short Introduction by Professor William C. Chittick. Many, if not most, of the paragraphs that comprise the 163 pages (preface plus text) of Professor Chittick’s book contain problems, errors, misleading statements, and/or incorrect understandings concerning Islam, in general, and the Sufi path, in particular. This is both surprising and disturbing since the author is someone who, apparently, enjoys a considerable reputation in North America -- and, perhaps, elsewhere in the world -- as an expert on, and scholar of, the Sufi mystical tradition. I do not claim that what I say in this book is a definitive, exhaustive, ‘incapable-of-being-improved-upon’ treatment of the Sufi path. Rather, my hope is that the present book might move a person closer to the truth concerning the nature of that path than Professor Chittick’s aforementioned introduction to Sufism does and, as such, would represent an improvement over his work.