What’s Right With Islam Is What’s Right With America
June 18, 2005
Excerpt from the Book:
“The most important religious development … in the Muslim world was arguably the institutionalization and spread of Sufi orders. Although sufis existed from the beginning of Islamic history, Sufi wisdom was more the treasure of a small minority, an elite of the pious withdrawn from the mainstream of Islamic political advance. Often misunderstood and maligned, Sufis were accused of excesses in matters of worship.
What made the difference was the work on one man, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali … ”
The writer, Feisal Abdul Rauf, is the imam of Masjid al-Farah in New York City, a mosque located only twelve blocks from the site of the former World Trade Centre. He founded the ASMA Society, a non profit educational and cultural organisation building bridges between the American public and American Muslims, and co-founded the Cordoba Initiative, a multifaith effort to help heal the relationship between the Muslim world and America.
Title: What’s Right With Islam Is What’s Right With America
Author: Feisal Abdul Rauf
Knowledge and Wisdom — Mini-review
June 15, 2005
Information, knowledge, then wisdom. These are the three stages through which the rational mind progresses. Modern man hardly looks to religion as a source of knowledge and wisdom in this age of technical prowess. Information has become commodity, knowledge is a means to a better economy, and wisdom has been reduced to catchphrases in bite-sized morsels by the media. This is not to say that the information, knowledge and wisdom of this world is worthless, that is not what is meant. Rather, the life-to-come is so immeasurably important and so devastating real that ignoring it is, in the words of Imam al-Haddad, “extreme foolishness”.
In this book, the Imam characteristically imparts sincere and practical advice to those yearning for meaning in their lives.
Title: Knowledge & Wisdom
Author: Imam Abdullah ibn Alawi al-Haddad
Translator: Mostafa al-Badawi
Moving Downstairs!
June 14, 2005
The Wardah Bookshop has moved downstairs. Our address is still the same. We’re still located at 58 Bussorah Street. The difference is, you can now see us from ’street level’.
Do drop in any time you’re free.
Book Fair People & ISLAMICA
June 1, 2005
Its been 5 days since we started at the World Book Fair. We are meeting a very interesting mix of people. I have learnt a lot from the people that come.
Some people have expressed surprise at the existence of spirituality within the Islamic Tradition. Perhaps the media has portrayed Islam as a religion that is devoid of spirituality, beauty and grace. Perhaps muslims themselves are too engrossed in the here-and-now rather than the here-after.
People are also happy to see ISLAMICA magazine, especially the current issue, which deals with ‘Confronting Terror’. Non-muslims are relieved to see that muslims themselves are thinking about these issues and are actively pursuing ways to ‘clean house’. I always make it a point to show people who are new to ISLAMCA the article written by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, “Bombing Without Moonlight: The Origins of Suicidal Terrorism”.
Looks like the best-seller for the book fair is ISLAMICA.
To the people behind ISLAMICA: Thank you for serving your community.
