Islam Rediscovered

Islam Rediscovered Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents................................................................2 Preface.................................................................................9 1. Search for Truth............................................................16 Philosophy.....................................................................19 Science............................................................................23 Mysticism......................................................................26 2. Faith and Reason..........................................................33 Natural Argument........................................................33 Philosophical Argument..............................................35 Spiritual Argument.......................................................37 Scientific Argument......................................................38 3. The Concept of God.....................................................44 4. Religion..........................................................................55 Religions Other than Islam..........................................58 5. Islam in Brief.................................................................65 ~ 2 ~ Islam Rediscovered Table of Contents True Guidance...............................................................65 A. Individual.................................................................66 B. Society........................................................................70 C. State...........................................................................71 6. The Creation Plan of God............................................76 7. Discovery of Islam........................................................89 Why Islam Alone..........................................................92 Prophetic Perspective...................................................95 Separation of Spirit and Form.....................................96 Communalization of the Religion...............................98 The Veil of Interpretation...........................................101 The Obsession with Historical Glory........................105 8. The Man Islam Builds................................................108 Internal Development................................................108 External Activities.......................................................111 Intellectual Development...........................................112 ~ 3 ~ Islam Rediscovered Table of Contents 9. The Islamic Way of Life.............................................118 Iman (faith)..................................................................119 Ibadah (worship)........................................................120 Akhlaq (morality).......................................................121 Social Relations...........................................................123 10. Islam As It Is.............................................................131 11. Non-Violence and Islam..........................................143 Peaceful Beginning.....................................................147 Success Through the Non-violent Method...............150 Political Revolt Unlawful...........................................155 The Command of War in Islam.................................158 The Modern Age and Non-Violence.........................163 The Manifestation of Religion...................................166 A Great Opportunity..................................................173 Islam in the Present Age............................................175 Da‘wah Activism........................................................180 ~ 4 ~ Islam Rediscovered Table of Contents Muslims Displaced.....................................................183 Peace and Justice.........................................................188 Conclusion...................................................................189 12. Islamic Fundamentalism..........................................191 What is Fundamentalism?.........................................194 On Islam and Jihad.....................................................197 Ideological Hatred......................................................201 Terrorism in the Name of Islam................................203 Fundamental Principles of Islam..............................211 Islam and Politics........................................................215 The Challenge of Fundamentalism...........................219 13. The Shariah and Its Application.............................227 The Secret of Guidance and Ignorance.....................242 14. Spirituality in Islam..................................................250 The Universe—a Source of Divine Inspiration........254 A Personal Experience................................................255 ~ 5 ~ Islam Rediscovered Table of Contents 15. Preservation, Updating, Da‘wah.............................266 Contribution of Muhaddithin (Scholars of Hadith)268 Religious Institutions..................................................269 Updating......................................................................270 Updating: Reapplication of Shariah..........................272 Da’wah.........................................................................275 16. Islam Stands the Test of History.............................278 17. Prophetic Vision.......................................................285 Envisioning the Future...............................................287 Seeing an Advantage Amidst Disadvantages..........289 Introducing Peace as the Most Powerful Weapon..293 His Words Determine the Course of History...........299 18. Islamic Activism.......................................................307 Unlimited Scope of Patience......................................315 19. The Islamic Concept of History...............................322 Creation Plan of God..................................................322 ~ 6 ~ Islam Rediscovered Table of Contents The Age of Perversion................................................325 The Reasons for Perversion.......................................326 The Problem of Evil....................................................328 20. The Revolutionary Role of Islam............................331 Historical Revolution.................................................337 Freedom of Choice......................................................339 The End of the Superstitious Era...............................341 Truth Unveiled............................................................344 21. Islam in History........................................................346 The Eradication of Fitna.............................................347 The Age of Religious Freedom..................................354 The Peaceful Propagation of Islam...........................367 22. The Role of Non-Muslims in Islamic Development ..........................................................................................378 23. Conversion: An Intellectual Transformation.........387 Islam and Conversion................................................388 ~ 7 ~ Islam Rediscovered Table of Contents Conversion—A universal principle..........................395 The reality of Conversion...........................................398 Conversion—A healthy historical process...............399 24. A Case of Discovery*................................................407 25. Conclusion................................................................437 ~ 8 ~ Islam Rediscovered Preface PREFACE The theme of this book is evident from its title: Islam Rediscovered: Discovering Islam from its Original Sources. Its purpose is to present Islam as it is, drawing on its original sources rather than judging it by the later day interpretations and commentaries or the practices of present day Muslims in different parts of the world. A distinction is made between Islam as presented by the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, and his companions (information about which is available to us in the Qur’an and the sunnah) and Islam as represented by later Muslim generations — both in theory and practice. This is what we call the scientific approach. We are living in the age of the media. Before the advent of the modern media there were large numbers of people in the world who knew nothing of Islam. With the invention of the printing press and now the electronic media it is difficult to find today a single person who is unaware of it. ~ 9 ~ Islam Rediscovered Preface But there is a clear-cut difference. In previous ages it happened that wherever Islam spread people were so impressed with it that most of them accepted it as their religion. That is why today we find more than one billion Muslims throughout the world. Strangely enough the present day publicity given to Islam has produced only a negative effect. People are now generally allergic to Islam rather than being interested in it. In previous centuries when Islam was introduced, people used to say: Yes, “Mr. Islam welcome to you!” Now when Islam is presented to them they say: “No thank you.” Why is there this difference? The answer is very simple. In previous centuries Islam was introduced to the people of the world through its scriptures, as it is — without the slightest change in its original message. Whereas in modern times, Islam is being introduced through the negative practices of certain Muslims as reported by the media. There is a further and more severe problem that of selective

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