Islam

This inspiring collection of illustrated stories offers an Islamic take on the lives and missions of familiar prophets. Through these Islamic renditions, children are made keenly aware of the importance of certain virtues?steadfastness, patience, and honesty?exhibited by religious role models in the Qur?an, including Abraham, Moses, Noah, and Jesus, and the prophets' willingness to endure hardship as a means to an honest life.

• The Reformist Translation of the Quran offers a non-sexist and non-sectarian understanding of the divine text; it is the result of collaboration between three translators, two men and a woman. • It explicitly rejects the authority of the clergy to determine the likely meaning of disputed passages. • It uses logic and the language of the Quran itself as the ultimate authority in determining likely meanings, rather than ancient scholarly interpretations rooted in patriarchal hierarchies. • It offers extensive cross-referencing to the Bible and provides arguments on numerous philosophical and scientific issues. • It is God's message for those who prefer reason over blind faith, for those who seek peace and ultimate freedom by submitting themselves to the Truth alone. "A bold and beautiful translation that serves as a timely reminder to all believers that the Qur'an is not a static scripture, but a living, breathing, ever-evolving text whose sacred words are as applicable today as when they were first uttered by the Prophet Muhammad fourteen centuries ago." - Reza Aslan, PhD., CBS News Consult-ant; Author, No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. "A testament to the fact that faith need not suffocate reason. This is bound to be among the smartest of 'smart bombs' in the battle of ideas within Islam." - Irshad Manji, Fellow, Yale University and author, The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith. "I completely agree with you in your rejection of the right of any group to arrogate to themselves the sole interpretation of the Quran.... Your effort is praiseworthy. Well done. Keep it up." - Kassim Ahmad, former president of Malaysian Socialist Party and head of Malaysian Quranic Society who was declared "apostate" by religious authorities for his controversial work on the Prophetic Traditions. "This translation is the best tool for those who want to understand the uncorrupted Message of Islam - justice and peace. This translation shows that the Quran is but the confirmation and continuation of God's system memorialized through Abraham, demonstrated in Torah through numerous prophets, and in the Hebrew Gospel through Ye-shu'a/Jesus, the righteous of God. This translation is a message of peace, justice and judgment..." - Gershom Kibrisli, theologian and communal leader, The Karaim of the Early Hebrew Scriptures, Holy Land & Benelux. "This Reformist Translation of the Quran and its ancillary materials should begin many conversations, between and among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. In many parts of the Muslim world this is a dangerous discussion, and sometimes that danger can reach well into the West, as evidenced by the 1990 fatwa-inspired murder of Rashad Khalifa in Tucson, Arizona. It is an important discussion, however, and the editors of this book have assumed this risk to argue for a perspective that sets violence aside both in discourse and living. One can imagine that a broader adoption of their perspective across the Muslim world would reduce strife and invite greater examination of Islam by non-Muslims as something other than a threat. It would expand the conversation." - Mark V Sykes Ph.D. J.D. Director, Planetary Science Institute. "Very Interesting and Timely" - Riffat Hassan, Ph.D. Professor of Religious Studies and Humanities at the University of Louisville, Kentucky. A pioneer of feminist theology in the context of the Islamic tradition. "Quran: A Reformist Translation is also unique because it is the product of collaboration between two key figures in the pre-sent-day Qur'anist movement: Edip Yuksel and Layth Saleh al-Shaiban." - Aisha Y. Musa, PhD, Professor of Islamic Studies, Florida International University; author of An Examination of Early and Contemporary Muslim Attitudes toward Hadith as Scripture (Doctoral Dissertation, Harvard University, 2004).

Winner of the 2004 Aesop Prize, Ayat Jamilah/Beautiful Signs: a Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents is the second book in Eastern Washington University Press' This Little Light of Mine series. A young adult/adult crossover anthology, it draws from not only the core of Islamic spirituality and ethics, the Qur'an, and the traditions (hadiths), but also from the mystical verse, folk tales, and exemplary figures of the Islamic narrative. Unlike any other collection of Islamic stories, Beautiful Signs gathers traditional stories from the farthest reaches of the Muslim world, which stretches from Morocco in the west to Indonesia in the east, and from China in the north to Tanzania in the south. This unique anthology, with its rich and thorough explanatory notes, will be invaluable to anyone wishing to understand, or to teach, geography, world history, or world religions. It will also be treasured by Muslim families and by all parents committed to broadening the lives and values of their children and themselves.

Muslim heritage is rich with stories meant to inculcate Islamic morals and virtue in both children and adults, these however have not been widely available in the english language, until now . This series is a collection of the best of these stories, translated for english readers and is perfect for reading at bedtime to kids.

The Middle Ages were a period of tremendous cultural and scientific advancement in the Islamic Empire—ideas and inventions that shaped our world. 
Did you know that:
• The numbers you use every day (Arabic numerals!) are a Muslim invention?
• The marching band you hear at football games has its roots in the Middle East?
• You are drinking orange juice at breakfast today thanks to Islamic farming innovations?
• The modern city's skyline was made possible by Islamic architecture?

The Muslim world has often been a bridge between East and West, but many of Islam's crucial innovations are hidden within the folds of history. In this important book, Bryn Barnard uses short, engaging text and gorgeous full-color artwork to bring Islam's contributions gloriously to life.  Chockful of information and pictures, and eminently browsable, The Genius of Islam is the definitive guide to a fascinating topic.