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Yusuf Islam

“…from day one, most children are mechanically programmed to believe that ‘A’, without question, everlastingly stands for ‘Apple’. The primal etchings on the minds of such innocent beings and the attention teachers give to certain things has a long lasting influence on a person’s perception of the world. The ‘apple’ symbolizes everything that is delicious: the love, colour and taste of this world (dunya) and the gut instinct to satisfy our tummies… My intention… was to teach my daughter that – before all else – ‘Alif’ (as ‘A’ is pronounced in Arabic) is for Allah, and that everything else that we love and appreciate in this earthly life, originates from His Divine Will and grace – apples and all.” – Yusuf Islam

Through the framework of the Arabic Alphabet, the reader – be they child or adult – is introduced or reminded about the fundamental aspects of Islam, from Allah the One, to Jannah the Garden of Paradise etc. This book is complemented by beautiful graphics and stunning photography.

Part of the Islam and Science for Kids series by the Islamic Foundation, this book aims at producing books for producing books for familiarising young Muslim children with Science and Allah’s greatness about subjects they are learning at school. Apart from satisfying children’s natural curiosity to know about things around them, the books in the series inculcate in them a sense of the sacred and gratefulness for Allah for his bounties and mercy for man.

The Sufi Tradition in Persian Architecture

“The square of the Ka’bah … is not just a square. It is also the symbol of stability and completion and a reflection of the quadrangular temple of paradise of which the Ka’ba itself is the earthly image. The octagonal form of so many mosques is not just an architectural device to enable the architect to place the dome upon a square base, but a reflection of the Divine Throne, which according to Tradition is supported by eight angels. The dome is not just a way to cover the wall. It is the image of the vault of heaven and beyond it of the infinite and illimitable world of the Spirit of which the sphere or circle is the most direct geometric symbol … in traditional art, nothing is ever divorced from meaning…” from the foreword by Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Martin Lings
“With a poet’s pen, a metaphysician’s mind and a saint’s concerns, Dr Lings has left us a profound posthumous farewell letter, filled with poignant insights gleaned from a lifetime of devotion, contemplation and concern about the human condition. He did in his life what he is urging the rest of us to do: return to the spirit.” — Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Contents:

How Did I Come to Put First Things First?

Do the Religions Contradict One Another?

Why “With All Thy Mind”?

What is the Spiritual Significance of Tears and of Laughter?

What is the Spiritual Significance of Civilization?

What is the Quranic Doctrine of the Afterlife and How is it Related to Sufism?

Notes

In Memorium

* Note: Martin Lings, Sidi Abu Bakr Siraj ad-Deen, passed away in May 2005. Al-Fatiha.

Wael Hallaq
An Introduction to Sunni Usul al-Fiqh