Pilgrims’ Handbook: A Comprehensive Manual to the Rites of Hajj and Umrah

Allah has blessed His slaves with certain seasons of goodness, in which rewards for good deeds are multiplied, bad deeds are forgiven, people’s status is raised, the hearts of the believers turn to their Lord, those who purify themselves attain success, and those who corrupt themselves fail. Ramadan, the month of fasting, is one such season. Fasting is one of the greatest acts of worship, and Allah has made fasting obligatory for His slaves. As the status of this act of worship is so high, it is essential to learn the rulings that have to do with the month of fasting, so that the Muslims will know what is obligatory, in order to do it, what is forbidden, in order to avoid it, and what is permissible, so that they do not need to subject themselves to hardship by depriving themselves of it. Matters Related to Fasting is a good summary of the rulings, the etiquette, and the manner of fasting according to the Sunnah.

With the advent of technology, the entertainment industry has flourished and become immensely popular. Combine this with the exponential advances in technology, and the result is an increasing number of ways to amuse ourselves. As a result of such advances, Muslim react in a variety of manners towards entertainment. Some label entertainment as completely forbidden. This sometimes includes parents who say no to almost everything that their young ones deem to be ‘fun’, without providing them with suitable alternatives. Others, who do not want to take this extreme approach, fall into the trap of excessive use of – and even addiction to – various sources of entertainment, without any limits.

In Having Fun the Halal Way, Ismail Kamdar explores the teachings of Islam regarding entertainment. Drawing upon the Quran, the Sunnah and the understanding of the righteous scholars of Islam, he provides a detailed and balanced analysis of the topic. He not only explains the detriments of the current entertainment industry, but also suggests alternative means to have a good time with friends and family members.

Worship in Islam is in-depth study of the nature and significance of Islamic spirituality by Abul A‘la Mawdudi (1903–79), one of the leading Muslim intellectuals of the twentieth century, with special reference to the concepts of God’s Oneness (tawhid), the finality of Prophethood (risalah) and the Islamic system of worship (‘ibadah) with a focus upon prayer (salah) and fasting (sawm) and their role in the development of the Islamic personality and Islam’s social order. The distinguishing feature of Mawdudi’s approach is his elaboration of the social dimension of worship, which extends the traditional approach found in Islamic jurisprudence, with its focus upon ritual and self-purification, to consider worship’s transformative role in social life. Presenting a holistic view of the Islamic system, Mawdudi highlights Islam’s social, economic and political dimensions, which he argues has the capacity to resolve emergent issues and problems that humankind faces.

This historic text should be of wider interest to both students and specialists in contemporary Islamic thought, and includes an introduction by Professor Anis Ahmad.

Edited and translated into accessible English by Ahmad Imam Shafaq Hashemi, this book is an authoritative compilation by a leading Islamic twentieth-century revivalist on the central matter of worship’s role in Islam.