Islam, Religion of Life

This wonderful little book achieves much for a relatively short volume. At 80 pages long it manages to give a fairly detailed overview of the Islamic religion, covering several key areas.The first section looks at what the Islamic testimony of faith entails and what this means for Man. Firstly the fundamental and necessary belief in God, unique and without partner, is both explored and explained as being the only rational stance a person can take. It considers God's existence and transcendence, Man's relationship with Him, and what this means in terms of the human experience.Next the author speaks of God's final messenger Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. The rational as to why Muslims love and follow him, and why his influence is unparalleled in human history, is convincingly given without feeling like one is being preached to or patronised. There follows a brief summary of his life and times, and a short history of the spread of Islam following his passing.Finally the author explores the fundamental acts of worship, namely prayer, fasting, alms giving (including a useful consideration of societal economics) and pilgrimage. I choose the word "explores" because what the reader is presented with is more than just facts or an explanation.While there is no separate section on Islamic ethics or spirituality, one of this book's many strengths is that an exposition of this integral part of the faith is included throughout the text. With every topic covered due consideration is given to the higher purpose(s) of the acts and beliefs involved. The result is a seamless and clear presentation of an overview of Islam and all its facets, including the oft-neglected and misunderstood elements concerning the soul.This book had been sitting on my bookshelf for several years before I was moved to read it when recommending it (based on the editor's credentials*) to a friend who had expressed interest in the faith and had specifically requested some reading material. Needless to say I was not disappointed. It's a great short read which packs a whole lot of information into it's pages while remaining enjoyably readable, accessible and faithful to the subject matter.*It is worth noting that the editor is a British-born convert to Islam, a Cambridge professor, and a traditionally trained Islamic scholar.Lastly I'd point out that the Starlatch Press edition of this work (that which is pictured) has been out of print for some years, so you are likely to be sent the original Quilliam Press edition if you buy it online. I'm not aware of any differences in the text itself between the two versions.

Simple explanation of Islam. Highly recommend if you want to understand Islam.

enlightening

This is an excellent book, its concise and straight to the point. It written for the western heart in mind. Its easy to read and it won't take you more than a few hours to read.The book goes through the basics of faith, then the Muslim life and short explaination of the revelation of the Quran.If you have ever wondered about Islam then this is the book for you to read. Buy it!!!

This book explains Islam simply and effectively. Its written for anyone and anyone can read it. If you are trying to understand Islam then this is the book that you should start from.

this is the book sheikh abdal hakim murad advises for those who wish to learn about islam