I strongly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in Islam and seeking for a right source to read. It is also recommended by lots of scholars. It was published by the Ministry of the Religious Affairs of Turkey.

Writing the most Islamic tradition and examines the classical Islamic cosmology and shows how Ikhwan ,al Biruni combined teaching the Quran

A fascinating character and his admirable journey throughout Central Asia and Europe. But more important, a tale of modesty, wisedom and courage for he who for the sake of adventure and knowledge renounced to comfort and wealth. Sayah's description of late 19th Century Europa is highly objective and sober.

As an American of Iraqi origin, I recommend this book to anyone seeking summarized better knowledge of Iraq, Iraqi politics, and society. The Author, Mr. Almond demonstrated wonderful knowledge of Iraq, it's society, and sheds a better light on the capability of the people of Iraq to return to the International society from it's widest doors. The book is about the life of Dr. Jamali who recently passed away in his exile in Tunisia. He was a former Prime Minister of Iraq. He played a major role in Iraqi as well as International politics. A freind of the west, but lived and died with Arab nationalism as his real belief. Eventhough he was sentenced to death by a military court of Iraq's dictatorial government established after the coup de tat of 1958, his love to his country never died. Mr. Almond presented a good portrait of a man that was born to a well respected traditional family in Iraq, with limited means. He was educated in the American University of Beirut, and then in the United States for his post graduate work. The Author takes the reader into the Arab and Islamic worlds as he presents the life of Dr. Jamali, presenting the views of the Arab world during a period of continuous turmoil. I am sure most readers will arrive to better understanding of that important part of the world, after reading this book. Ali Al-Dahwi alialdahwi@worldnet.att.net El Paso, Texas

Timothy George presents fair and balanced description of Islam as well as a informative and effective comparison of the two faiths in this easy-to-read volume.

In particular, his focus on the doctrine of the Trinity, will be helpful to those of us who interact with Muslim friends or co-workers. The high light of the text (for me) is the informative and interesting chapter (or two) of Church history which discusses the early church's disputed teaching which led to the solidification of the Doctrine of the Trinity at the Coucil of Nisea (as stated in the Nicean Creed), many of which are the same, or similar, arguments that Muslims have with it.

The book is an "easy read" considering the depth of the subject matter, enjoyable, pratical, short and to the point. I highly recommend it!

The cataclysmic events both inside and outside the Muslim world since 9/11 have caused some serious collateral damage. Inter-religious dialogue has suffered a severe setback as a result of the increased antagonism between Muslims and non-Muslims. Especially progressive Muslim thinkers are now in an even less enviable position than before. In their attempts to find ouvertures these potential bridge-builders between modern western thought and Islamic discourse are often vilified by less open-minded fellow Muslims. In today's climate poisoned with suspicion, these intellectuals face a real danger of being stonewalled or considered mere apologists in the West as well.

The only way out of this deadlock of mistrust is to take note of the views and ideas of these often original thinkers. "Islam and Modernity: Muslim Intellectuals Respond" is a volume of essays in which some innovative Muslim thinkers are either presented and interpreted by Islamic studies specialists or given opportunity to speak for themselves.

After an introduction by Derek Hopwood, sketching the intellectual climate in which the debate on cultural heritage and response to outside influences is grounded in the world of Islam, followed by an essay on modernist influences on 19th century Urdu literature, John Cooper analyzes the contributions of Iran's controversial philosopher of science, 'Abd al-Karim Soroush, to the debate on the "Islamization of knowledge". A pharmacologist by training, Soroush also engages in penetrating studies of traditionalism and Islamic philosophy. Although he was very much involved in the educational reforms taking place in the wake of Iran's Islamic revolution, Soroush has nevertheless been able to retain an independent intellectual stand. Cooper explains that he succeeded in doing so because "[h]e began to present a more personalized discourse, in which his intellectual autobiography came to figure prominently [..]". In his argumentations for new trajectories towards knowledge Soroush uses elements from the entire Islamic intellectual spectrum: Persian poetry, ideas borrowed from revivalism, mysticism, and scriptural studies are employed to trace genealogies and suggest a new Islamic epistemology.

Andreas Christmann presents a micro-level study of the Damascus-based preacher Shaikh Muhammad Sa'id Ramadan al-Buti. The essay is based on field-work in which he has researched the biography of this representative of the traditional 'ulama or religious scholars, and the influences his ideas have had, mainly through the modern media of radio and TV.

Nadia Abu-Zahra's survey of the liberal writer on Islam, Husayn Ahmed Amin, shows that his main focus is on the importance of correct knowledge of Islamic history and consideration for social circumstances in the development and implementation of Islamic law or Shari'a. Together these will make Muslims aware that Shari'a law developed centuries ago and that its stipulations have failed to keep pace with new social conditions. In adapting to these new circumstances, Muslims can enhance their confidence in their Islamic identity. That such a reform has failed sofar is, among others, due to the misconception of the Prophet's infallibility, ignoring the fact that many of the Prophet's actions were driven by political and economic interests, and the isolationist attitudes of later generations of jurists. In a detailed analysis of Amin's argumentation on the basis of historical and scriptural studies, the author points out several inconsistencies in Amin's reasonings.

The Sudanese reformist Mahmud Muhammad Taha has paid the ultimate price for his modernist thinking: in 1985 he was condemned to death on charges of apostacy and executed. Mohamed Mahmoud's essay focusses mainly on the thinker's most influential work: "The Second Message of Islam". Taha may be characterized as a universalist and gnostic, as such his thought was not so different from certain strands of Sufism.
Taha's philosophy is permeated by two interrelated problems: the relationship between individual and society, and man's relationship to the universe. Taha's starting point that "in Islam the individual is the end. Everything else, including the Qur'an and the religion of Islam itself, are means to that end.", makes him a true humanist. Further on Mohamad Mahmoud explains that Taha's evolutionary perspective on religion induces him to take Islam as a living, endless process rather than a doctrine pregnant with dogmatism.
The author then takes us through some intriguing concepts that Taha's philosophy touched upon: original and subsidiary revelations, jihad, gender, slavery, the position of democracy.

According to Ronald Nettler, Tunesian-born mediaevist Mohamed Talbi has made a significant contribution to modernist Islamic religious thought in the later half of the twentieth century. Central themes in Talbi's thinking are the contextuality of scriptural exegesis, man's innate pluralism, and the provisionality of all knowledge. Interestingly, Talbi acknowledges his intellectual debt to the Christian theologian Hans Kueng for his views on interreligious relations.

The Moroccan Mohamed Abed Jabri is a professional philosopher, who has engaged in the debate on how Muslims can accommodate concepts like democracy and human rights in their conceptional world. Central to his thinking are notions such as ethical princple and rationality. Abdou Filali-Ansari's essay contains an interesting exposition on Jabri's view of secularism, serving as an illustration of the invasion of the theological field by 'secular' intellectuals.

From a similar mold, but decidedly post-modernist in tone, is the essay by Mohammed Arkoun, an expert on Islamic philosophy. He makes a case for differentiation between 'Qur'an-as-fact' and 'Islam-as-fact' on the basis of historical, sociological and linguistic research, without losing sight of the influence that ideologies have on the formation of 'meaning'.

Another thinker who has suffered the consequences of his innovative approaches to Islamic studies is Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid, who had to seek refuge in the Netherlands after being sued for apostacy in Egypt. He suggests that semiotic methods can be fruitfully applied to the study of Qur'an. His essay, dealing with the textuality of the Qur'an, illuminates Islamic notions of 'text', 'language' and 'semantics'. He emphasizes, however, that textual particularities must be studied in their historical context, and that the text's interpretation is absolutely human and therefore infinitely diverse.

All in all, this collection of essays makes an excellent companion volume to any of the vast number of books on political Islam.

This books provides new insight into how various economic systems (marxism, communism, social welfare states of Europe, and now capitalism) have or are failing to lift up the poor in the society out of poverty, with the eventual collapse of the some of the economic systems.

The 20th Century has been a triumph of Capitalism, and it's end is nearing (look at the statistics of poverty rate in the US). There is a better and more humane economic system for those who are searching. Read on, and be ready to be surprised and enlightened.

An author who believes and extrapolates fairly well that Islam is not a "spent force". He gives an insight in a remarkable manner - the background and the origins of the Western Civilization.

Keeping that in mind he inspires - the individual Muslim - to reinspect the imitation which encompases the current Muslim cultural orbit.

A strong point in his word would be Asad's assertion that the influence of Islamic thought is certainly possible in the scientific domain which would by all means lead to results different from the current western norm.

Certainly follows the Asad tradition - " For those who think . . . "

A great book by the highest religious authority of Islam of his time on the philosophy and world-view of Islam. The book deals with the concepts of religion, monotheism, prophethood, justice and resurrection. It also covers the ritual and moral aspects of Islam. This book is highly recommended as an overview of Islamic teachings.

Get the new edition which includes information by Ahmad Thompson (Yellow cover book). A very interesting book that walks you through religious history and keeps the reader mesmerized at every step. It traces the life of Jesus, his followers, his message and at the end using history relates it back to verses in the Quran. It's amazing how well the puzzle fits! Anyone who wants to know more about Jesus should attempt to trace the historic Jesus and will find history is not what we are taught today. In fact it has systematically been surpressed. So many have been tortured giving up their lives to uphold what they believed was true. No one wants to mention these facts today.

I encourage you to read "The Bible The Quran and Science" by Maurice Bucaille before reading this book. It really helps put the history described here in much better perspective.