Seven Doors to Islam - Spirituality and the Religious Life of Muslims
   Paperback - 317+ pages                                                                       by John Renard  

Seven Doors to Islam reveals the religious worldview and spiritual tradition of the world's one billion Muslims. Spanning the breadth of Islamic civilisation from Morocco to Indonesia, this book demonstrates how Muslims have used the literary and visual arts in all their richness and diversity to communicate religious values. 

Each of the seven chapters opens a "door" that leads progressively closer to the very heart of Islam, from the foundational revelation in the Qur'an to the transcendent experience of the Sufi mystics. However, unlike most studies of Islam, which see spirituality as the concern of a minority of mystical seekers, Seven Doors demonstrates its central role in every aspect of the Islamic tradition. 

Reviews  

"This book will open more than seven doors for most readers who come to it. . . . Above all, the present survey displays the virtue of a single controlling hand that guides the reader through multiple cultural traditions and complex linguistic developments. One goal is paramount: to make evident not only the importance and difficulty of Islamic idioms but also their beauty and vitality. . . . The pictures, almost 40 black-and-white half plates, are chosen with the same deft attention to detail and nuance as the texts that they accompany. The book as a whole sets a new, very high standard. . . . Enthusiastically recommended."— Choice

"Drawing on the wealth of religious experience as articulated by Muslims from a variety of periods and places in their literature, ritual, art, and architecture, John Renard has fashioned a wonderfully textured and profound examination of Islamic spirituality. Seven Doors to Islam, a title that takes its cue from the legend of Joseph and Zulaykha, is a tour de force examination of seven aspects of Islamic spirituality: revelation, ritual, ethics, aesthetics, community, knowledge, and experience."
—Turkish Studies Association Bulletin

"An erudite but accessible introduction to the varied manifestations of spirituality in the Islamic religious and cultural tradition." —Journal of the American Academy of Religion

"Renard moves away from the exaggerated importance often placed upon Islamic law and emphasizes the centrality of Sufi modes of thought and practice to lived religious experience in most parts of the Islamic world. . . . While concentrating on core themes, Renard does not gloss over the essential diversity of a worldwide religious community." —MESA Bulletin

"[Renard] draws his insights into Muslim spirituality and religious life from a broad array of writings and religious practices throughout the Islamic world." —Theology Digest

"A comprehensive tour of the exuberant landscape of Muslim religious life, past and present. With an impressive array of textual and visual works, Renard's kaleidoscopic survey sounds the death toll to the longstanding misconception that Islam is a dry and mechanistic religion devoid of spirituality. This is the best introductory book on Islam currently available." —Ahmet T. Karamustafa, Washington University

"Comprehensive and accessible, this book is a richly textured and wide-ranging introduction to Islamic spirituality and a refreshing change from the obsession with current politics that characterizes most approaches of Islam." —Carl W. Ernst, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill  

 
Our Price £17.95               INCLUSIVE OF UK DELIVERY

Understanding Islam and the Muslims - The Muslim Family, Islam and World Peace  

 Paperback - 99 pages + 190 Colour Photographs                 by Tim Winter and John A Williams  

Myths and misunderstanding continue to proliferate about Islam and its millions of followers worldwide. Through stunning photography provided by ARAMCO World and an accessible question and answer format this newly-expanded version of America’s most popular short introduction to the key precepts of Islam offers succinct, and sometimes surprising, answers to frequently asked questions about the Muslim faith.

Written by eminent scholars T.J. Winter, Lecturer in Islamic Studies at Cambridge University, and John A. Williams of the College of William and Mary’s Department of Religion, this new version of a classic work is unique in that it has the endorsement of Al Azhar University of Cairo, which has been the center of Islamic study for the entire Muslim world since 969 C.E.  

Review 
“Through its text and photographs, this book seeks to replace inaccurate images of Islam with recognition of the multi-faceted character of this global religion and its widely diverse adherents. It cannot be reduced to stereotypes. Islam is not inherently violent, nor are Muslims intrinsically prone to violence.” ----Bruce B. Lawrence, Professor of Islamic Studies, Duke University  

 
Our Price £8.95                INCLUSIVE OF UK DELIVERY

ISLAM   -   Its Basic Practices and Beliefs

 Paperback - 280 pages                                           by Abd 'al-Haqq Bewley

 

Using as a Framework the most famous and authentic of all the classical definitions of Islam - the Jibril hadith - the author 'Abd 'al-Haqq Bewley (husband of the renowned classical translator Aisha Bewley) takes the reader step by step through all the basic practices and beliefs which make up the daily lives of every Muslim, giving a picture of Islam that is both completely traditional and also excitingly contemporary.

EXTRACT FROM THE INTRODUCTION

'' Each of the elements mentioned [in the hadith] is dealt with individually at some length and the result is a comprehensive overview of Islam which will hopefully dispel some commonly held misconceptions and give a clear picture of how the Muslims understand and practise their religion on a day to day basis.''

REVIEW 
The Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that an hour’s reflection is better than a lifetime of worship. This latest book of Hajj Abdalhaqq Bewley is the fruit of a lifetime’s reflection and a catalyst for a lifetime’s reflection. It is also very practical. It deals with actions and the meanings of these actions and the results of these actions, in this world and in the next. It is a reliable source of knowledge for those who rely on Allah, or who wish that they could rely on Allah. Above all, this book is illuminated by a knowledge which has been transmitted from living heart to living heart.  Accordingly it is vast but not encyclopaedic. Since words tether meanings, it is also grounded in the understanding of well known reliable written sources of recorded knowledge which have been studied in depth. Accordingly it is the work of a scholar, but not of an academic. The Qur’an tells us that the people of knowledge are those who fear Allah (Qur’an: 35.28) ~ not those who accumulate information.

Since the author, together with his wife Hajja Aisha Bewley, has been deeply involved in the translations from Arabic into English of the Noble Qur’an, Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik and Ash-Shifa of Qadi ’Iyad, as well as many other key Islamic texts, and since it is clear from the quotations he provides that he is well and widely read, it must have been difficult for him at times when writing this book to decide what to include and what to exclude ~ and yet this book is full of abundance and bereft of deficiency. Indeed whenever I thought that an important point had been omitted, I usually found it later on in the book. The author has so much knowledge to impart that it is presented in due measure so that it can be absorbed and retained. ----Hajji Ahmad Thomson [April 2009]  

 
Our Price £6.50                INCLUSIVE OF UK DELIVERY

Islamic Way of Worship              ''A COMPREHENSIVE & COMPLETE HANAFI FIQH GUIDE ''

Paperback - 248 pages                                                        by Shaykh Muhammad I. Pirzada                

ISLAMIC WAY OF WORSHIP is an English rendering of the widely acclaimed Imdad-ul-Fiqh fi'l-Ibadat.  

A comprehensive yet concise manual on Hanafi fiqh covering topics such as cleanliness, prayer, fasting, zakah, hajj and more. Written in a pleasant and clear style, it provides the reader with a comprehensive guide to Islamic worship.  
       

--- '' This book was originally written in the Arabic Language about the Islamic way of worship. Its Arabic text is extremely lucid and pleasing to read. The issues are explained in such a way that even the most complicated matters seep straight into one’s heart. Each issue discussed has been supported adequately with references from authentic works. It is certainly a source of pride and honour to have Mr. Pirzada amongst us. May Allah (most high) make his educational institution, Jamia Al-Karam, into such a centre of excellence that it guides people until the Day of Judgment. Amin ''  ---- Justice Shaykh Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari (1918-1998), 
                                                                                                                     Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan

 
Our Price £5.95                        INCLUSIVE OF UK DELIVERY

 Essentials of Islam : The Least We Should Know 

 Paperback - [xxii + 184] Total 206 pages                                         by Mohammad Masood Ahmed

From the back cover : '' O Faithful Believers! Enter into Islam with complete submission and do not follow in the footsteps of shaytan, undoubtedly, he is for you a manifest enemy.''' [al-Qur'an 2:208]

The above verse from the Sacred Qur'an commands the faithful believers to completely submit themselves into Islam. They must embrace every principle and practice of Islam and abide by it throughout their life. They are not permitted to pick and choose whatever they prefer and leave out whatever they dislike. Therefore, it is essential for every Muslim to acquire knowledge of Islam and its demands to know how to live accordingly to its rules and regulations. Without proper understanding and unconditional submission to Islam, Muslims cannot fulfill the requirement of this holy revelation. This short but precise book, if studied carefully, allows a Muslim to understand and practise the basics of Islam. It lays the foundation upon which Muslims can build and strengthen their faith and puts them on the long journey to ultimate success.

Contents : Publishers Note,  Introduction, Overview, The Cardinal Articles of Faith (Explained in detail), Faith in Allah Almighty, Faith in Angels, Faith in the Holy Books, Faith in the Prophets, Faith of the Day of Judgement (Qiyyamah), Fate, destiny (al qadr), Faith in Life After Death (akhirah), The Five Pillars of Islam, Kalima, Salaah, Ghusl, Wudu, Azaan, Takbeer, How to perform Salaah, illustrations for Salaah, Saum (fasting), taraweeh, zakaat, sadqa ul-fitr, Hajj, umra, Eid, Udhiya, (qurbani/animal sacrifice), Salaat ul Janaza, Sisters section, General Knowledge/History, Brief History, Islamic Highlights, Alam-e-Barzakh, Islamic Calendar, Ten Surahs of the Holy Qur'an, Darood Shareef & Du'as, Asma-e-Husna (99 Names of Allah Subhahau wa ta'ala, Epilogue, Glossary, Index, Test Questionnaire.(Over 200 pages)

 
Our Price £5.45                  INCLUSIVE OF UK DELIVERY