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This monumental study examines issues of anthropomorphism in the three Abrahamic faiths, as viewed through the texts of the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Quran. Throughout history Christianity and Judaism have tried to make sense of God. While juxtaposing the Islamic position against this, the author addresses the Judeo-Christian worldview and how each has chosen to framework its encounter with God, to what extent this has been the result of actual scripture and to what extent the product of theological debate or church decrees of later centuries and absorption of Hellenistic philosophy. Shah also examines Islam’s heavily anti-anthropomorphic stance and Islamic theological discourse on tawheed as well as the ninety-nine names of God and what these have meant in relation to Muslim understanding of God and His attributes. Describing how these became the touchstone of Muslim discourse with Judaism and Christianity, he critiques theological statements and perspectives that came to dilute if not counter strict monotheism. As secularism debates whether God is dead, the issue of anthropomorphism has become of immense importance. The quest for God, especially in this day and age, is partly one of intellectual longing. To Shah, anthropomorphic concepts and corporeal depictions of the Divine are perhaps among the leading factors of modern atheism. As such he ultimately draws the conclusion that the postmodern longing for God will not be quenched by premodern anthropomorphic and corporeal concepts of the Divine which have simply brought God down to this cosmos, with a precise historical function and a specified location, reducing the intellectual and spiritual force of what God is and represents, causing the soul to detract from a sense of the sacred and thereby belief in Him.

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What is the legally prescribed penalty, if any, for apostasy (al-riddah), and how does this relate to the demand for religious tolerance as stipulated in verse 2:256 of the Quran (There shall be no compulsion in matters of faith)? It is an established fact that the Prophet never, in his entire life, put an apostate to death. Yet, the issue remains one of the most controversial to have afflicted the Muslim world down the centuries. It is also the source of much damaging media coverage today as Islamic jurisprudence stands accused of a flagrant disregard for human rights and freedom of expression. The subject of this book is a highly sensitive and important one. The author rightly concentrates on evidence, to examine the historical origins of the debate in rigorous detail, as well as the many moral and contextual issues surrounding it. Disputing arguments put forward by proponents of the death penalty, he contends that both the Quran and the Sunnah promote freedom of belief including the act of exiting the Faith and do not support capital punishment for the sin of al-riddah. Note that attention is on the word sin, for there is qualification: as long as one's apostasy has not been accompanied by anything else that would be deemed a criminal act, particularly in terms of national security, then according to the author, it remains a matter strictly between God and the individual. Of interest is the fact that the Quran significantly refers to individuals repeatedly returning to unbelief after having believed, but does not mention that they should be killed or punished. This work has been written at a time of great complexity and vulnerability when a true understanding of the higher intents and values of the Quran and the Sunnah, maqasid al-shariah, is sorely needed. The author employs a strong evidence-based approach examining in detail the Quran and authentic Hadith, taking into consideration traditional approaches to the study of the Islamic textual sciences and other fields of knowledge, as well as analyzing scholastic interpretation. Taking the life of a person without just cause is according to the Quran equivalent to the killing of the whole of mankind. It is vital therefore, that in the interests of compassion and justice, as well as freedom of belief, this subject is clearly addressed once and for all.

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The Qur'an and Sunnah are the two primary sources of Muslim faith, life, law and morality. The Qur'an is for Muslims the foundation of their faith and the Sunnah is the framework of their morality. Together they constitute the two sources of the law (shariah) of God, a guide to prosperity and happiness in this life and to the bliss of the hereafter. Although the Qur'an and Sunnah are materially and formally two independent sources, they are inextricably bound in a dynamic relationship. The rulings and precepts (ahkam) of the Qur'an constitute the law (shar' ) of God. They are supplemented by the precepts of the authentic Sunnah, which possess authority second only to the precepts of the Qur'an. The Qur'an commands Muslims, "Whatever the Messenger gives you, you must take, and whatever he forbids you, you must desist therefrom" (59:7).

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Bioethics has developed over the last few decades into a major field of inquiry. With advances in medicine progressively transforming our understanding of what constitutes life, there is a need for medical ethics to address many of the issues and challenges arising, particularly in the fields of genetics and reproduction. Of central significance are serious moral dilemmas confronting medical experts which require a theological perspective. Yet it is secular bioethics that is defining what constitutes human life, and it is secular bioethics that is influencing policy on matters which concern us all and are likely to have grave societal impact. Is it right for a woman to act as surrogate for her sister? Or for a childless couple to resort to artificial insemination by donor? What does Islam have to say?

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During the formative classical period of Islamic jurisprudence, well-known scholars possessed not only the intellectual skills required for analytic reasoning but also a broad general knowledge of the fields relevant to the cultural contexts in which they issued their edicts. A viable fatwa requires knowledge of the Shari‘ah as well as local customs, cultural realities, individual and communal implications, and related matters. The original juristic tradition was formulated and fixed during the first three Islamic centuries, a time of widespread sociopolitical turmoil. Of course, the jurists’ legal outlooks and thinking processes could not have escaped this reality. While Muslims of the prophetic and Râshidûn periods adhered closely to the authentic texts due to their sincerity, piety, prophetic training, and proximity to the revelation, the changing environment in which their descendants functioned gradually started to impact how the authentic texts were understood, interpreted, paraphrased, and implemented. Both the Muslim and the non-Muslim worlds have drastically changed since that time. The new geopolitical and scientific realities of our rapidly changing world demand a fresh look at some aspects of the established juristic tradition. The way forward involves a systematic fresh look at and reevaluation of the old fatwas, as well as the issuance of new ones with a maqâsidî outlook that can deal successfully with today’s ever-changing global realities. In this edited volume, papers on fatwa and iftâ’ point to an approach that is both rooted in the Islamic legacy and committed to meeting the challenges of the modern world.

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In his passionate devotion to the task of inviting others to Islam, Muhammad al-Ghazali (1917-1996) presented Muslims with a powerful critique of themselves, not only in their endemic failure to project Islam in the best, most reasoned light, but also in their betrayal of the Qur'an's spiritual principles and the highest standards set by the Prophet Muhammad. This work analyzes al-Ghazali's critique of du'at (those inviting to Islam) and the practice of da'wah work itself (the call to Islam). It also examines his methodology, various proposed solutions, and the juristic responses to his perspective. The evolution of al-Ghazali's thought and the people and factors influencing him are key elements of the study. It is hard to conceive where the state of discourse on da'wah and Islamic reform would be without al-Ghazali's outstanding contributions. The powerful stand he took on the importance of education, the significant weight he gave to a free society, his promotion of a decent standard of living for the poor, the qualities of moral and personal excellence he appealed for, and his compassionate, impassioned role as an educator: all these preserve al-Ghazali's reputation, both in his own lifetime and for many generations to come, as one of the twentieth century's most important Muslim intellectual thinkers and reformers. His legacy is founded on a lifetime of service.

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In this set of three powerful essays, the late, world-renowned scholar and philosopher Isma'il Al Faruqi displays his formidable insight, vast knowledge, and unique trademark logic, brought to bear on subjects still considered to be at the forefront of discourse on comparative religion. Al Faruqi delves deep into the heart of the debate on the metaphysical nature of values in the Western and Muslim traditions, the history of religions, and other issues, ultimately to guide readers to a clarity of understanding on Islam's position in relation to them. This will interest and stimulate many readers, enlightened thinkers, modern secularists, philosophers, and theologians—Muslim or otherwise—as Al Faruqi strives to arrive at an accurate assessment of the fundamentals of these important subjects and their significance for the human condition.

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The secular mind had a grand plan to establish an earthly paradise, a utopia of the here and now, a modern civilization governed by human reason, rationality, and the triumph of progress. Whilst ideals are one thing, the means to realize them is something else. Away from the hype, emancipating humanity from the "shackles" of God and religion has proved no easy matter. Mapping the Secular Mind critically examines issues of reason, rationality, and secular materialism to explore how these mental perceptions, or ways of mapping the world, have affected human interaction and sociological development.

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يسرنا في المعهد العالمي للفكر الإسلامي أن نهدي القارئ العربي نسخة مترجمة من كتاب "التربية الوالدية"؛ إذ تمت ترجمته من اللغة الإنجليزية إلى العديد من اللغات. وهذا يدل على الأهمية الكبيرة لموضوع التربية الوالدية في السياق الحضاري والإنساني المعاصر. ويمثل هذا الكتاب حلقة متصلة في بناء شخصية الفرد؛ سلوكيا وفكريا ووجدانيا، لاسيما أن المؤلفين حرصوا على الإفادة من البيئة الأكاديمية من خلال الاطلاع على أحدث الدراسات العلمية المتصلة بالتربية الوالدية بما تتضمنه من بيانات ومقولات وتقارير ودراسة حالات إلخ، وكذلك الإفادة من التجارب الشخصية للمؤلفين من خلال معايشتهم لعدة عقود في العالمين الشرقي والغربي؛ إذ مثلت هذه التجارب الحياتية معيارا لصدق التنظيرات التي انطلق منها المؤلفون، وتصديقا لكثير من الأفكار والآراء الشائعة. لقد حقق الكتاب حضورا في الساحات الثقافية التي احتضنته، لما يمارسه من مساءلات علمية ومعرفية للقضايا التي تواجه الأسرة بصورة خاصة، والمجتمع بصورة عامة؛ فأسس التربية الأسرية ومنطلقاتها وفوائدها ومعوقات تفعيلها، تشترك في حضورها معظم المجتمعات والثقافات، مع الأخذ بعين الاعتبار النماذج المتعلقة بهذه التربية والظواهر المجتمعية التي ربما تتفاوت من مجتمع إلى أخر؛ إذ يتعرض الكتاب إلى قضايا كثيرة تهم الفرد والأسرة والمجتمع والإنسانية ، ويعالجها بطريقة علمية نقدية بنائية؛ إذ حرص المؤلفون على توفير البديل القادر على معالجة الاختلالات المجتمعية، والمتعلقة بتربية الأبناء خاصة، فلا يكتفي بتفكيك الظاهرة، بل يعمل على بناء بديل حضاري متسق مع النص والعقل والفطرة. يحاول الكتاب دق ناقوس الخطر تجاه بعض الظواهر التي بدأت تنتشر في مجتمعاتنا العربية خاصة والإسلامية عامة، من مثل مفهوم الصديق الحميم ، وانتشار المخدرات بين المراهقين. ولقد أسهب الكتاب في الحديث عن هذه الظواهر في سياقاتها الغربية؛ لمحاولة تلمس طرق الحذر والاحتراس من الوقوع في شباكها، من خلال البرامج والتجارب والخبرات، فعملية بناء البرامج الفعالة تحتاج إلى دراسة هذه الظواهر دراسة علمية عملية من خلال: توصيف الظاهرة، ومن ثم تفسيرها، واستشراف مالاتها، وفي النهاية التحكم فيها، وهو ما قام به المؤلفون، فلعلها تكون تجربة عملية وأكاديمية ينتفع بها العالم العربي والإسلامي في تربية أبنائهم من مرحلة الطفولة وحتى مرحلة الشباب.

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The reform in higher education in Muslim societies is in sum a paradigm shift in perspective driven by important considerations including the aims of education itself. It may require reforming existing disciplines and inventing new ones, as well as working in conjunction with current knowledge and discourses by taking effective account of the ethical, spiritual norms of Muslim society and the guiding principles that it operates under, which in turn mark the underlying basis of its makeup and spiritual identity. Rather than creating divisions, reform of higher education in Muslim societies recognizes the plurality and diversity of the modern networked world, and seeks to replace sterile and uniform approaches to knowledge with a broader and more creative understanding of reality as lived on different soils and different cultures. Moderation, balance, and effective communication are paramount features of the underlying philosophy.

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The history of Islamic thought is marked by a continuous tradition of internal revitalization and reform embedded in the principles of islah and tajdid. The ultimate purpose has been to bring existing realities and social change in line with the transcendent and universal standard of the Quran and Sunnah through a process of restoration and reform. The tradition of islah and tajdid has thus consistently challenged the Muslim status quo and prompted fresh interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah, understood and implemented through the methodologies of interpretation and ijtihad, as well as the rejection of unwarranted accretions to the original messages of Islam. The basic theme of the paper is that civilizational renewal is an integral part of Islamic thought. The paper looks into the meaning, definition, and origins of tajdid and islah and their relationship with ijtihad, and how these have been manifested in the writings and contributions of the thought leaders of Islam throughout its history. It also develops tajdid-related formulas and guidelines that should lead the efforts of contemporary Muslims in forging the objectives of intercivilizational harmony and their cooperation for the common good.

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Are Western Muslims an endangered species, or are they the future of Islam? The accelerated adaptation and change Western Muslims are pushed to make in order just to survive has galvanized them into a serious effort of rethinking and reflection. This has, in turn, moved the worldwide debate on Islamic reform into a new higher gear. While Muslim intellectual activism in the West had deep historical roots, the claims of the new emerging movements and intellectual figures to moral, intellectual and religious leadership of the Ummah are unprecedented in their boldness and pride in their specifically Western/modernist credentials. Moreover, it is paradoxical that what is in essence a response to the precariousness of the increasingly vulnerable Muslim presence in the West is at the same time trying to present itself as the most authoritative interpretation of Islam. This paper traces the historical roots of Western Muslim intellectual activism, and assesses its success in attracting support both within the West and the wider Muslim world.

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"Knowledge is power," a statement commonly attributed to an eminent English philosopher and scientist in 1597, still highlights today the importance of knowledge in the modern world. Education forms the basis of our knowledge and its development, from our earliest experiences at school through to Higher Education. Individuals use their knowledge in their professional and personal lives, and society as a collective of individuals shapes the world in which we live. Therefore the power of education is one of the keys to developing a successful society and benefits humanity at large. But things have gone very wrong! Society, values, and morals are all in decline. How has education lost its power to build an effective and fair society? How can this decline be reversed? In The Power of Education, the author goes back to first principles and asks: what is education, and what do individuals and society need from education? Reconnecting education with the heart and soul of humanity, and finding that great purpose of mankind is paramount. This is distinct from a ‘knowledge factory’ that merely develops individuals for material advancement and personal progression. Values, morals, compassion, empathy, gratitude, mutual respect, fairness, and social responsibility are all essential traits for individuals that collectively form a successful society, and these traits need to be instilled during the entire educational experience. By rethinking and developing an effective education methodology one can work towards building a better world, based upon equality and fairness for all.

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Since the publication of Samuel Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations, concern about civilization has been reintroduced into the debate on the world order. Malek Bennabi (1905–1973), prominent Algerian thinker and great Muslim intellectual, intently focused on unraveling the causes of Muslim decline and the success of Western civilization and culture. The key problem he theorized lay not in the Qur’an or Islamic faith but in Muslims themselves. The author investigates Bennabi’s approach to civilization and the fundamental principles drawn, using metatheorizing methodology. In doing so he sheds further light on perhaps one of the more intriguing elements of Bennabi’s theory, that civilization is governed by internal-external and social-intellectual factors and that an equation can be generated for civilization itself. This equation of Man+Soil+Time = Civilization and of which religion, according to Bennabi, forms the all-important catalyst, is explained and its significance in terms of the reversal of Muslim decline evaluated. What is clearly apparent is that for Bennabi, Man is the central force in any civilizing process and without him the other two elements are of no value. With regard to outcomes, Bennabi’s unerring conviction that unless Muslims changed their spiritual condition they could not affect any far-reaching, meaningful change in society is echoed in the Qur’anic verse: “Verily, never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” (13:11).

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