Description

Title: Would You Like To Know Something About Islam?
Format: [A5] Hardback
Type: Book
Author: Mohammad Masood Ahmed
Publisher: Crescent Books
Published Year: 2011
Edition: 1st
Language: [English]
ISBN: 9780983600312
Added to our Catalogue: 27th October 2022

Length: 235mm
Width: 160mm
Height: 28mm
Weight: 724g
Pages: 428

 

Would You Like To Know Something About Islam? – Description

If levies are not built to prevent flood waters, it becomes difficult to protect lands and properties from destruction. If attempts are not made to cure deadly diseases and if measures are not taken to prevent their spread, many lives will be threatened. If the darkness of ignorance is not removed, human societies cannot be enlightened. Similarly, if people are not lifted out of the quicksand of misunderstandings, mutual cooperation and means of progress become impeded, and everyone suffers greatly.

Generally, people have been overcoming floods and other natural disasters and have been challenging and fighting against traumatic diseases, and overall darkness of ignorance has been removed. However, if solid steps are not taken to relieve people’s personal hatreds, misunderstandings, political/religious animosities, and colliding national interests, permanent peace and  happiness will remain a dream, and both the guilty and innocent will bear the consequences.

This book can neither prevent rivers from flooding nor be a cure to any physical ailment, but it can, through knowledge, remove misunderstandings about Islam and bridge the gap between  Muslims and non-Muslims, so everyone can work shoulder to shoulder to mitigate human sufferings, build levies against personal hatreds, find workable solutions, and achieve global peace and prosperity.

This book was written with the pen of truth and the ink of love; it will certainly make a place in the hearts of many, because the heart is where the truth remains ever shining and love everlasting.

 

Contents

• ABOUT THE TITLE
• FOREWORD
• INTRODUCTION
• SELECTED KEY TERMS
• REASONS FOR WRITING THIS BOOK
• REASONS FOR READING THIS BOOK
• TESTING THE VERACITY OF A RELIGION/IDEOLOGY

1. ISLAM: AN OVERVIEW
2. WHAT IS ISLAM?
   • THE PHILOSOPHY OF ISLAM
   • COULD A MAN INVENT ISLAM?
   • NO QUESTION IS UNANSWERED IN ISLAM
   • ISLAM IS FIT FOR HUMAN NATURE
   • MEANING OF THE NAME ‘ISLAM’
   • DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF PEACE
3. HISTORY OF ISLAM
4. ALLAH سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ: THE LORD ALMIGHTY
   • WHO IS ALLAH سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ ?
   • TAWHID: THE ONENESS OF ALLAH سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ
   • ALLAH سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ LOVES HIS CREATION
   • Q&A ABOUT ALLAH سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ
5. THE NEED AND ROLE OF PROPHETS
6. THE SOURCES OF ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE
   • THE TWO PRIMARY SOURCES
   • THE HOLY QUR’AN
     • THE CONTENTS OF THE HOLY QUR’AN
     • WHAT DOES THE HOLY QUR’AN SAY ABOUT ITSELF
     • INTERPRETING THE HOLY QUR’AN
   • SUNNAH OF THE HOLY PROPHET
   • IJMA, QIYAS AND IJTIHAD
7. THE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE
   • FROM MAN TO MACHINE
8. WORSHIP AND ITS BROADER MEANING IN ISLAM
   • RIGHTS AND DUTIES
   • RIGHTS OF ALLAH سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ
   • RIGHTS OF PEOPLE
   • SPIRITUALITY IN ISLAM.
   • FROM WHERE DO TRUE MUSLIMS DRAW ENERGY?
9. OBLIGATORY ACTS IN ISLAM
   • WHAT DOES ISLAM WANT MUSLIMS TO BECOME?
10. ISLAM’S CONCEPT OF THE HEREAFTER
11. THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF INTENT IN ISLAM
12. FREE WILL AND COMPULSION IN ISLAM
    • THE ISSUE OF IRTIDAD IN ISLAM
    • WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF FREE WILL?
    • FORGIVENESS AND TOLERANCE IN ISLAM
    • THE ROLE OF THE SWORD IN ISLAM
13. VALUE OF LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION IN ISLAM
14. JIHAD: A CONCEPT
    • JIHAD BIN NAFS JIHAD WITH ONE’S SELF)
    • JIHAD BIL QALAM (JIHAD WITH PEN/WRITING)
    • JIHAD BIL MAAL (JIHAD WITH WEALTH)
    • JIHAD BIS SAIF JIHAD BY THE SWORD)
    • PERMISSION GRANTED TO FIGHT BACK.
    • DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JIHAD AND TERRORISM
    • ISLAM AND EXTREMISM
    • IS FUNDAMENTALISM A PART OF ISLAM OR NOT?
15. EQUALITY OF MANKIND IN ISLAM
    • RIGHT TO LIFE
    • RIGHT TO LIBERTY
    • RIGHT TO HAPPINESS / PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
    • RIGHT TO RELIGION
    • RIGHT TO PRIVACY
    • RIGHTS OF OTHERS
    • RIGHTS OF NEIGHBORS
    • BROTHERHOOD IN ISLAM
    • JUSTICE IN ISLAM
16. WOMEN IN ISLAM: STATUS AND ROLE
    • VERIFYING EQUALITY
    • EQUALITY WITH MAN
    • EQUALITY IN RIGHTS
    • WOMEN ARE NOT INFERIOR TO MEN
    • EQUALITY IN REWARD
    • EOUALITY IN INHERITANCE
    • PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR DIGNITY
    • WOMEN’S DIFFERENT ROLES IN LIFE
    • WIFE-THE PARTNER OF MAN IN LIFE
    • HIJAB
    • MARRIAGE: A SACRED INSTITUTION
    • RIGHT TO CHOOSE LIFE PARTNER
    • POLYGAMY IN ISLAM
    • CORRECTING MISBEHAVIOR
17. IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE/EDUCATION IN ISLAM
    • ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE
    • ISLAM AND SECULAR EDUCATION
18. PUNISHMENTS IN ISLAM
    • CAPITAL PUNISHMENTS
      • MURDER
      • THEFT
      • FORNICATION AND ADULTERY
    • ALCOHOL
    • FALSE ACCUSATION
19. CONCEPT OF STATE AND GOVERNANCE IN ISLAM
    • SYSTEMS OF GOVERNANCE
    • THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM OF ISLAM
    • SIMPLICITY
20. TASAWWUF IN ISLAM
21. VIRTUES AND VICES
22. ISLAMIC HIGHLIGHTS
23. QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM AND THEIR ANSWERS
24. WHAT ISLAM SAYS TO JEWS AND CHRISTIANS
25. WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT ISLAM

• CONCLUSION
• APPENDIX I: THE MADINAH CONSTITUTION
• APPENDIX II: PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ LAST SERMON
• APPENDIX III: LETTERS FROM THE PROPHET صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ
• GLOSSARY

 

About the Title

DURING THESE TIMES, when people desire to know everything about Islam and Muslims, and many already know a lot, either through the news, electronic media, books or what have you, my asking the question “Would you like to know something about Islam” may offend some. One may feel either that I am ignorant of the fact that people already know so much about Islam or that I truly believe the majority is uninformed or misinformed about it.

By this title, I am actually asking, “Would you like to know something real about Islam?” It is my understanding that most people do not know anything real about Islam. If my understanding is  correct, how can I ask people to know ‘everything about the real Islam, when, as per my understanding, they do not know anything’ about it?

Islam is an ocean of knowledge; no matter how much is extracted from it, a lot more is still there to be explored. Thus, at this preliminary stage, I can only ask the reader to know ‘something about Islam. Rest assured, you will realize by the time you finish reading this book that even this ‘something is ‘a lot’ with which to begin. Moreover, readers will come to acknowledge that their prior understanding of Islam was incomplete or incorrect had they not learned something real about Islam.

Among other things, the title of this book also reflects my sincere intent to invite you to study Islam, rather than to impose on you its beliefs.

Since new and controversial issues are emerging almost daily, the sooner we find solutions to current problems, the faster we will achieve worldwide stability, global peace, and security. Certainly,  time is of the essence. Wasting time in fruitless efforts will only widen the gap and create more division among the world’s communities. A proper understanding of Islam, among other things, is  the essential ingredient that will put us many steps forward in achieving the desired goals. Thus, ‘the time is ripe’ to understand Islam now.

Humbly, I hope to enable you to have a better understanding of Islam and, as a result, its followers.

In support of my argument that the majority of people are uninformed about Islam, the following is the conclusion of surveys undertaken by the Pew Research Center over the course of nine years: As in previous Pew Research surveys, most Americans say they know little about the Muslim religion. Currently, 55% say they do not know very much (30%) or know nothing at all (25%) about the Muslim religion and its practices; 35% say they know some about the religion while just 9% say they know a great deal. These numbers are largely unchanged from 2007.