Understanding Islam

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Understanding Islam 1 2 Understanding Islam Through History Through Theology and Through Daily Life Second Edition 2013 Roland Müller Understanding Islam by Roland Müller Copyright © CanBooks 2013 Printed in Canada All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced and transmitted in any form by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or any other - except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Sources Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Trans- lation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Ver- sion, copyright @ 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the Holy Bible, New International Ver- sion, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permis- sion. All rights reserved worldwide. Other books by the same author: • The Messenger, the Message and the Community • The Man from Gadara • Missionary Leadership by Motivation & Communication • Missions: The Next Generation • Honor and Shame, Unlocking the Door • Tools for Muslim Evangelism ISBN: 978-1-927581-01-8 Further orders: http://canbooks.ca http://stpt.ca Table of Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations Understanding Islam Through History 1. The Importance of Arabia in History and God’s Plan 2. The Nabataeans, Merchants of Arabia 3. Abdul Mutalib, Rebuilding a Lost Empire 4. Muhammad, the Prophet 5. Expansion of Islam 6. Codification of Islam 7. The Spread of Islam 8. Islam Today Understanding Islam Through Theology 9. Islamic Authorities (Qur’an) 10. Islamic Authorities (Hadith & Histories) 11. Islamic Beliefs (Iman) 12. The Duties of Islam (Diin) 13. Varieties of Islam 14. Muslim Objections Understanding Islam Through Daily Life 15. Modern Jahiliya 16. The Muslim Family 17. The Spiritual World of Muslims 18. Paradise 19. A Nomadic Religion 20. Understand and Sharing with Muslims Acknowledgements This book has come about through thirty years of exposure to Islam and Muslim people. A comment made here, or a tidbit dropped there, opened up subjects for further research. It would be impossible to name every person who said or did something that helped in compiling the research. Besides those who provided input on sources and subjects, there are those who have quietly encouraged me along the way, often without their knowing it. They are as important as the others. Then there are those who had a direct impact on the production of the manuscript. Here I must thank Jennifer May, Eldon Bottger, Tilda Dafoe, Dave Ginter, Melissa Tomblin, and others. Without their eyes and comments this manuscript would have remained a dismal collection of notes full of spelling and grammar errors. A special thank you must go to Colin Bearup who provided the bulk of chapter fourteen, taken directly from his book: Keys, The Gospel for Muslims. And then there is you, of course, the reader. Books without readers are just space fillers, waiting for the recycling bin. And I do hope that one day this book will end in a recycling bin. I look forward to the day when the need for this book has ceased, and every knee has bowed, and every tongue has confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord. Abbreviations Abu Daood Sunan of Abu Dawood, with reference to volume and hadith number Ali Maulana Muhammad Ali’s translation of the Qur’an (1917) Asad Muhammad Asad’s translation of the Qur’an, 1980 Bukhari Sahih al-Bukhari, with reference to volume and hadith number Ishaq The Life of Muhammad, Translated by A. Guillaume, by Ibn Ishaq, with reference number to the section in the Arabic text. Oxford University Press, 1955,1967 KJV King James Version of the Bible NIV New International Version of the Bible Pickthall Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall’s translation of the Qur’an (1930) AlTabari The History of Al-Tabari, State University of New York Press series with reference number to the section in the Arabic text Yusif Ali Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s translation of the Qur’an (1934) 6 7 Understanding Islam (Through History) 7 Chapter One The Importance of Arabia in History and God’s Plan Introduction Every day, five times a day, almost a billion Muslims bow down and recite a prayer to Allah, given to them by Muhammad, their prophet. Every day, five times a day, they face a black rock in far off Mecca and submit themselves afresh to the religion of Islam. Every day, five times a day, they bow as a corporate group, all around the world, to express their solidarity as followers of Islam, for whom Muhammad is their prophet, and the Qur’an is their scripture. And every day, their numbers grow. Islam is now considered by some to be the greatest challenge that the Christian church is facing all around the world. Next to evangelicals, no other religious group is growing at such a rapid rate. Not only is the population of Muslim countries expanding, fervent Muslims are sharing their message all around the world. Most cities in the world now have mosques or Muslim places of prayer. While many Christians feel inhibited about sharing their faith, Muslims are often bold and excited. As a community, they reach out to those around them, offering support and encouragement to those that need it. In a time when the West is struggling with broken families and sexual immorality, Muslims uphold their strict code of conduct as an example of what true religion should be. Even China has its Muslim groups. The first Muslims arrived in China around the time of the death of the prophet Muhammad. Since then Muslim merchants have spread their religion and founded communities along China’s coasts8 and along the Silk Road trade route through Central Asia. 9 Sometimes it is hard for us to grasp just how large and important the Muslims are. Unlike many other people who have a Christian church among them, there are millions of Muslims who have no Christians near them. Many Muslims have never met a Christian. Most have never seen a Bible. Many will pass into eternity having never heard the gospel, simply because no one cared enough to go and tell them. On the other hand, most Christians have never reached out to Muslims and have no idea what Muslims believe and how they are different from Christians. That is where this course will help. It is designed for Christians everywhere who want to become more aware of Islam and the specific needs and opportunities that exist when ministering to Muslims. This book is the one of several aimed at helping Christians reach out to Muslims. Each book has a very specific aim and purpose. This book, Understanding Islam, introduces the student to the religion of Islam. The Messenger, the Message and the Community highlights some of the struggles that exist when doing evangelism and church planting among Muslims. The online Toolbox provides students with Bible-based tools and other resources that have proven effective when ministering to Muslims. We trust that God will use these books to inform and prepare Christians as they reach out to Muslim people everywhere. Arabia The land of Arabia is a vast place with rocky plains, rugged mountains, burning deserts, and huge sand dunes; all of it without rivers and virtually unknown to the outside world until recent years. Three great deserts exist in Arabia. All of them are barren wastelands, the Syrian Desert is in the north, the Nafud Desert is in the interior, and the Empty Quarter is in the south east. Each of these deserts consists of extremely hot, dry spans of barren rock and sand. Each of these deserts is formidable, except to the few nomads who live in central Arabia. The Syrian Desert in the north is a flat plain covered with sand and pebbles. Travelers as early as Abraham would journey around it rather than try and pass through it. (Genesis 11:31) 9 The Nafud Desert in the center of Arabia alternates between fields of rock and fields of sand. It is known to some of the Arabs as “God’s Anvil.” Its particularly harsh environment makes it a place that even nomads avoid if possible. From an airplane, it appears as rivers of rock flowing in fields of sand. The Empty Quarter in the south of Arabia is filled with great sand dunes. It is known as the Empty Quarter because it is just that, empty, and avoided by nomads because it is almost impossible to pass through let alone live there. Along the west side of Arabia lie mountains, great piles of silent rock surrounded by a sea of desert. Blistering hot during the day, and bitterly cold during the night, their valleys are home to some greenery and wild life. And yet, for all this barrenness there is some life. Rain visits these deserts several times a year. Most of the rain is quickly absorbed into the sand, but sometimes there is enough water to encourage plants to rise, flower, produce seed and then die. Sometimes there is enough water to provide patches of green for a few weeks. After it rains, some of the rain water collects in rocky areas and valleys. The places where the water collects and life can exist are called oases. Sometimes the water source is surrounded by small bushes; sometimes there is a grove of trees. Small groups of Bedouin often huddle around these oases. These nomads carefully watch the sky for indications of a burst of rain.
Recommended publications
  • Faith in the Angels
    Angels Faith in the and People who deserve the Salaat of Allah’s Angels and those who deserve their La’nah Compiled by Shawana A. Aziz Published by Quran Sunnah Educational Programs www.qsep.com Contents About the Book................................................................................i Faith in the Angels Faith in the Angels comprises of four important issues.................05 Creation........................................................................................07 Seeing the Angels..........................................................................08 Ability to take on different forms...................................................08 Number.........................................................................................09 Dwelling.......................................................................................10 Status..........................................................................................10 Who are superior, sons of Adam or angels?.................................11 Angel’s prostration before Adam � was an honor bestowed upon him......................................................................................12 Iblees was ordered to prostrate before Adam, though He was not an Angel........................................................................................13 The Arab pagans claimed that Angels were daughters of Allah......15 The Arab pagans worshiped Angels claiming them to be their intercessors with Allah..........................17 Physical Composition...................................................................19
    [Show full text]
  • Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam
    Institute of Asian and African Studies at The Hebrew University The Max Schloessinger Memorial Foundation REPRINT FROM JERUSALEM STUDIES IN ARABIC AND ISLAM I 1979 THE MAGNES PRESS. THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY. JERUSALEM PROPHETS AND PROGENITORS IN THE EARLY SHI'ATRADITION* Uri Rubin INTRODUCTION As is well known, the Shi 'I belief that 'Ali' should have been Muhammad's succes- sor was based on the principle of hereditary Califate, or rather Imamate. 'Ali's father, Abu Talib, and Muhammad's father, 'Abdallah, were brothers, so that Muhammad and 'Ali were first cousins. Since the Prophet himself left no sons, the Shi 'a regarded' All as his only rightful successor.' Several Shi 'I traditions proclaim 'All's family relationship (qariiba) to Muhammad as the basis for his hereditary rights. For the sake of brevity we shall only point out some of the earliest.A number of these early Shi T traditions center around the "brothering", i.e. the mu'akhiih which took place after the hijra; this was an agreement by which each emigrant was paired with one of the Ansar and the two, who thus became brothers, were supposed to inherit each other (see Qur'an, IV, 33? 'All, as an exception, was paired not with one of the Ansar but with the Prophet himself." A certain verse in the Qur'an (VIII, 72) was interpreted as stating that the practice of mu iikhiin was confined only to the Muhajinin and the Ansar, to the exclusion of those believers who had stayed back in Mecca after the hijra. They re- tained the old practice of inheritance according to blood-relationship." This prac- tice, which was introduced in al-Madi na, affected the hereditary rights of the families of the Muhajiriin who were supposed to leave their legacy to their Ansari * This article is a revised form of a chapter from my thesis on some aspects of Muhammad's prophethood in the early literature of hadt th.
    [Show full text]
  • Review of Religions Centenary Message from Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV
    Contents November 2002, Vol.97, No.11 Centenary Message from Hadhrat Ameerul Momineen . 2 Editorial – Mansoor Shah . 3 Review of Religions: A 100 Year History of the Magazine . 7 A yearning to propogate the truth on an interntional scale. 7 Revelation concerning a great revolution in western countries . 8 A magazine for Europe and America . 9 The decision to publish the Review of Religions . 11 Ciculation of the magazine . 14 A unique sign of the holy spirit and spiritual guidance of the Messiah of the age. 14 Promised Messiah’s(as) moving message to the faithful members of the Community . 15 The First Golden Phase: January 1902-May 1908. 19 The Second Phase; May 1908-March 1914 . 28 Third Phase: March 1914-1947 . 32 The Fourth Phase: December 1951-November 1965. 46 The Fifth Phase: November 1965- June 1982 . 48 The Sixth Phase: June 1982-2002 . 48 Management and Board of Editors. 52 The Revolutionary articles by Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad. 56 Bright Future. 58 Unity v. Trinity – part II - The Divinity of Jesus (as) considered with reference to the extent of his mission - Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) . 60 Chief Editor and Manager Chairman of the Management Board Mansoor Ahmed Shah Naseer Ahmad Qamar Basit Ahmad. Bockarie Tommy Kallon Special contributors: All correspondence should Daud Mahmood Khan Amatul-Hadi Ahmad be forwarded directly to: Farina Qureshi Fareed Ahmad The Editor Fazal Ahmad Proof-reader: Review of Religions Shaukia Mir Fauzia Bajwa The London Mosque Mansoor Saqi Design and layout: 16 Gressenhall Road Mahmood Hanif Tanveer Khokhar London, SW18 5QL Mansoora Hyder-Muneeb United Kingdom Navida Shahid Publisher: Al Shirkatul Islamiyyah © Islamic Publications, 2002 Sarah Waseem ISSN No: 0034-6721 Saleem Ahmad Malik Distribution: Tanveer Khokhar Muhammad Hanif Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the opinions of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
    [Show full text]
  • Masjid Boorhaanol Islam : Ramadaan 2016 Quiz Book 2
    Ramadaan BOOK The information provided in this booklet will form the basis of the quiz questions to be asked after Taraweeg salaah at Masjid Boorhaanol Islam in Longmarket Street, Bo-Kaap COMPILED BY Sh Muhammad West 6 June 2016 1 1. Islam means submission to Allah 15. None of the creation has seen Allah. 2. Imaan means belief or faith 16. The believers will see Allah in the life 3. Islam is built on 5 pillars after death. a. The declaration of faith 17. Everything that has been created is for b. To establish the five daily prayers purpose of worshipping Allah alone c. To pay Zakah 18. The Angels of Allah are created from d. To fast in the month of Ramadan light e. To perform the Hajj once in your 19. They obey Allah perfectly without any life if your able to do so will to commit sin 4. The declaration of faith is to testify 20. They have wings that none has the right to be worshipped other than Allah and that 21. They do not eat or sleep Muhammad is Allah’s messenger 22. Jibrael is the arc angle 5. Imaan is based on 6 articles 23. Jibrael is the angel who brings a. to believe in Allah revelation from Allah to the prophets. b. His angles 24. Jibrael has over 600 wings c. His books d. His messengers 25. Jibrael is also called the Ruh Al Qudos, e. the Last Day and the holy spirit. f. to believe in the divine decree, 26. Michael is an angel mentioned by [both] the good and the evil name in the Quran thereof.
    [Show full text]
  • Sabians 1 Sabians
    Sabians 1 Sabians For the Canadian cymbal manufacturing company, see Sabian (company). For the ancient people living in what is now Yemen, see Sabaeans. For the followers of Sabbatai Zevi, see Sabbateans. For the pre-Roman Italic tribe of Latium, see Sabine. Part of a series on Mandaeism Mandaean saints • Adam • Abel • Seth • Enosh • Noah • Shem • Aram • John the Baptist Related religious groups • Sabians • Sabians of Harran • Manichaeans • Sampsaeans • Syncretists (Jewish) Practices • Baptism • Esotericism Scriptures • Genzā Rabbā • Qolastā • Drāšā D-Yaḥyā • Dīvān • Asfar Malwāshē Gnosticism portal • v • t [1] • e of Middle Eastern tradition are a variety of monotheistic: Gnostic (Mandeans), Hermetic (ﺻﺎﺑﺌﺔ :The Sabians (Arabic (Harranian) as well as Abrahamic religions mentioned three times in the Quran with the people of the Book, "the Jews, the Sabians, and the Christians".[2] In the hadith, they are described merely as converts to Islam,[3] but interest in the identity and history of the group increased over time, and discussions and investigations about the Sabians begin to appear in later Islamic literature. Sabians 2 In the Quran The Qur'an mentions briefly the Sabians in three places and the Hadith provide additional details as to who they were: • "Lo! Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans – whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right – surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve. "[Quran 2:62 [4]] • "Lo! those who believe, and those who are Jews, and Sabaeans, and Christians – Whosoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right – there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020-Commencement-Program.Pdf
    THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT 2020 Conferring of degrees at the close of the 144th academic year MAY 21, 2020 1 CONTENTS Degrees for Conferral .......................................................................... 3 University Motto and Ode ................................................................... 8 Awards ................................................................................................. 9 Honor Societies ................................................................................. 20 Student Honors ................................................................................. 25 Candidates for Degrees ..................................................................... 35 2 ConferringDegrees of Degrees for Conferral on Candidates CAREY BUSINESS SCHOOL Masters of Science Masters of Business Administration Graduate Certificates SCHOOL OF EDUCATION Doctors of Education Doctors of Philosophy Post-Master’s Certificates Masters of Science Masters of Education in the Health Professions Masters of Arts in Teaching Graduate Certificates Bachelors of Science PEABODY CONSERVATORY Doctors of Musical Arts Masters of Arts Masters of Audio Sciences Masters of Music Artist Diplomas Graduate Performance Diplomas Bachelors of Music SCHOOL OF NURSING Doctors of Nursing Practice Doctors of Philosophy Masters of Science in Nursing/Advanced Practice Masters of Science in Nursing/Entry into Nursing Practice SCHOOL OF NURSING AND BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH Masters of Science in Nursing/Masters of Public
    [Show full text]
  • St. Michael the Archangel Defends Us PRAYER BOARD ACTIVITY
    SEPTEMBER Activity 6 St. Michael the Archangel Defends Us PRAYER BOARD ACTIVITY Age level: All ages Recommended time: 10 minutes What you need: St. Michael the Archangel Defends Us (page 158 in the students' activity book), SophiaOnline.org/StMichaeltheArchangel (optional), colored pencils and/or markers, and scissors Activity A. Explain to your students that we have been learning that the Devil and his fallen angels tempt us to sin. We can pray a special, very powerful prayer to St. Michael to help us combat these evil spirits. St. Michael is not a saint, but an archangel. The archangels are leaders of the other angels. According to both Scripture and Catholic Tradition, St. Michael is the leader of the army of God. He is often shown in paintings and iconography in a scene from the book of Revelation, where he and his angels battle the dragon. He is the patron of soldiers, policemen, and doctors. B. Have your students turn to St. Michael the Archangel Defends Us (page 158 in the students' activity book) and pray together the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. You may wish to play a sung version of the prayer, which you can find at SophiaOnline.org/StMichaeltheArchangel. C. Finally, have your students color in the St. Michael shield and attach it to their prayer boards. © SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS St. Michael the Archangel Defends Us St. Michael the Archangel protects us against danger and the Devil. He is our defense and our shield and the Church has given us a special prayer so that we can ask him for help.
    [Show full text]
  • Part 3 BECOMING a FRIEND of the FAITHFUL GOD a STUDY on ABRAHAM
    Part 3 Becoming a Friend of the Faithful God A STUDY on Abraham i In & Out® GENESIS Part 3 BECOMING A FRIEND OF THE FAITHFUL GOD A STUDY ON ABRAHAM ISBN 978-1-62119-760-7 © 2015, 2018 Precept Ministries International. All rights reserved. This material is published by and is the sole property of Precept Ministries International of Chattanooga, Tennessee. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Precept, Precept Ministries International, Precept Ministries International The Inductive Bible Study People, the Plumb Bob design, Precept Upon Precept, In & Out, Sweeter than Chocolate!, Cookies on the Lower Shelf, Precepts For Life, Precepts From God’s Word and Transform Student Ministries are trademarks of Precept Ministries International. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org 2nd edition Printed in the United States of America ii CONTENTS PAGE CONTENTS L ESSONS 1 LESSON ONE: An Extraordinary Promise 9 LESSON TWO: Covenant with God 17 LESSON THREE: “Is anything too difficult for the LORD?” 21 LESSON FOUR: What Does God Say about Homosexuality? 27 LESSON FIVE: Is There a Bondwoman in Your Life? 35 LESSON SIX: The Promised Son A PPENDIX 40 Explanations of the New American Standard Bible Text Format 41 Observation Worksheets 77 Abraham’s Family Tree 79 Journal on God 83 From Ur to Canaan 84 Abraham’s Sojournings 85 Genesis 1–25 at a Glance iii iv Precept Ministries International Becoming a Friend P.O.
    [Show full text]
  • Azazel Historically, the Word Azazel Is an Idea and Rarely an Incarnate Demon
    Azazel Historically, the word azazel is an idea and rarely an incarnate demon. Figure 1 Possible sigil of Azazel. Modern writings use the sigil for the planet Saturn as well. Vayikra (Leviticus) The earliest known mention of the word Azazel in Jewish texts appears in the late seventh century B.C. which is the third of the five books of the Torah. To modern American ( וַיִּקְרָ א ) book called the Vayikra Christians, this books is Leviticus because of its discussion of the Levites. In Leviticus 16, two goats are placed before the temple for selection in an offering. A lot is cast. One Goat is then sacrificed to Yahweh and the other goats is said to outwardly bear all the sends of those making the sacrifice. The text The general translation .( לַעֲזָאזֵל ) specifically says one goat was chosen for Yahweh and the for Az azel of the words is “absolute removal.” Another set of Hebrew scholars translate Azazel in old Hebrew translates as "az" (strong/rough) and "el" (strong/God). The azazel goat, often called the scapegoat then is taken away. A number of scholars have concluded that “azazel” refers to a series of mountains near Jerusalem with steep cliffs. Fragmentary records suggest that bizarre Yahweh ritual was carried out on the goat. According to research, a red rope was tied to the goat and to an altar next to jagged cliff. The goat is pushed over the cliff’s edge and torn to pieces by the cliff walls as it falls. The bottom of the cliff was a desert that was considered the realm of the “se'irim” class of demons.
    [Show full text]
  • The Islamic Traditions of Cirebon
    the islamic traditions of cirebon Ibadat and adat among javanese muslims A. G. Muhaimin Department of Anthropology Division of Society and Environment Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies July 1995 Published by ANU E Press The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200, Australia Email: [email protected] Web: http://epress.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Muhaimin, Abdul Ghoffir. The Islamic traditions of Cirebon : ibadat and adat among Javanese muslims. Bibliography. ISBN 1 920942 30 0 (pbk.) ISBN 1 920942 31 9 (online) 1. Islam - Indonesia - Cirebon - Rituals. 2. Muslims - Indonesia - Cirebon. 3. Rites and ceremonies - Indonesia - Cirebon. I. Title. 297.5095982 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design by Teresa Prowse Printed by University Printing Services, ANU This edition © 2006 ANU E Press the islamic traditions of cirebon Ibadat and adat among javanese muslims Islam in Southeast Asia Series Theses at The Australian National University are assessed by external examiners and students are expected to take into account the advice of their examiners before they submit to the University Library the final versions of their theses. For this series, this final version of the thesis has been used as the basis for publication, taking into account other changes that the author may have decided to undertake. In some cases, a few minor editorial revisions have made to the work. The acknowledgements in each of these publications provide information on the supervisors of the thesis and those who contributed to its development.
    [Show full text]
  • © in This Web Service Cambridge University
    Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-43536-0 - Interreligious Learning: Dialogue, Spirituality and the Christian Imagination Michael Barnes Index More information Index Abhishiktananda, 74, 75, 134, 135, 145 Benedict XVI, Pope, 138, 179, 180, 184, 185 Acarya, 135 Bergman, Shmuel Hugo, 101, 102 Agnosticism, 261 Bernard of Clairvaux, St, 173 Ali, Imam, 214 Bertone, Cardinal, 185 Almsgiving, 208, 209 Bhagavad Gita, 40, 135, 183, 216, 228 Amritsar, 245 Bhagavata Purana, 226, 227, 228, 233 Anandpur, 241, 242 Bhakti, 21, 39, 57, 75, 211, 226, 228 Anonymous Christianity, 10, 12, 15 saguna and nirguna, 249, 250, 251 Anselm, St., xv, 13, 19, 59, 61, 116, 165 Bhakti-marga, 46 Anti-Judaism, 116 bin Laden, Osama, 182 Anti-Semitism, 92, 121–2 Body of Christ, 163 Appleby, Scott, 204, 205 Bonaventure, St, 173, 211 Aquinas, St. Thomas, 255, 258, 264 Bosch, David, 76, 99 Arendt, Hannah, 65, 66 Brown, Christopher, 167 Arjun, Guru, 44, 245 Brueggemann, Walter, 125, 126, 127, 163 Armour, Rollin, 190 Buber, Martin, ix, 5, 94, 95, 97, 100–2, 104, 108, Arnold, Matthew, 71 118, 125, 126, 129, 131, 206 Asceticism, 143, 154, 161, 220, 230, 231, 251 Buckley, Michael, 36 Ashramic spirituality, 135, 136 Buddha, 148, 151, 156, 221, 236 Aśrama, 135 and Jesus, 157–9 Atheism, 59, 74, 130 First Sermon of, 147 Augustine, St., 25, 33, 55, 60, 62, 65, 115, 116, 119, form body/transcendent body, 167 138, 165, 173, 179, 236, 249, 252, 258 silence of, 164 Auschwitz, 48–50, 60, 66–7, 113 Buddhadasa, Bhikkhu, 158 Ayoub, Mahmoud, 186 Buddhism, 5, 7, 30, 31, 39, 43, 56, 77, 81,
    [Show full text]
  • ANGELS in ISLAM a Commentary with Selected Translations of Jalāl
    ANGELS IN ISLAM A Commentary with Selected Translations of Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī’s Al-Ḥabā’ik fī akhbār al- malā’ik (The Arrangement of the Traditions about Angels) S. R. Burge Doctor of Philosophy The University of Edinburgh 2009 A loose-leaf from a MS of al-Qazwīnī’s, cAjā’ib fī makhlūqāt (British Library) Source: Du Ry, Carel J., Art of Islam (New York: Abrams, 1971), p. 188 0.1 Abstract This thesis presents a commentary with selected translations of Jalāl al-Dīn cAbd al- Raḥmān al-Suyūṭī’s Al-Ḥabā’ik fī akhbār al-malā’ik (The Arrangement of the Traditions about Angels). The work is a collection of around 750 ḥadīth about angels, followed by a postscript (khātima) that discusses theological questions regarding their status in Islam. The first section of this thesis looks at the state of the study of angels in Islam, which has tended to focus on specific issues or narratives. However, there has been little study of the angels in Islamic tradition outside studies of angels in the Qur’an and eschatological literature. This thesis hopes to present some of this more general material about angels. The following two sections of the thesis present an analysis of the whole work. The first of these two sections looks at the origin of Muslim beliefs about angels, focusing on angelic nomenclature and angelic iconography. The second attempts to understand the message of al-Suyūṭī’s collection and the work’s purpose, through a consideration of the roles of angels in everyday life and ritual.
    [Show full text]