Profitable Trades (Clearance)

New Directions in Islamic Education explores the relationship between pedagogy and the formation of religious identities within Islamic education settings that are based in minority and majority Muslim contexts. Based on empirical research, the book engages critically with the philosophical, theological and cultural dynamics that inform Muslim educational thought and practice. The book offers an integrated model of Islamic education that identifies the heart of the Islamic educational imagination as tarbiyah, a transformative process of becoming. Overall, this book seeks to ground the theory and practice of Islamic education within the experience of the educator and the learner, and it synthesises the spiritual foundations of Islam with the tradition of critical reflection within the classical Muslim educational heritage. This ground breaking and wide-ranging work should be of interest not only to Muslim educators and education specialists, but also to social scientists, theologians and policy makers.

In all the divine revelations there is a constant warning that wrongdoers may end up in Hell-fire, though Allah’s kindness and mercy are extended to many people. Reading about the Hell-fire enables one to know it, fear it, and try utmost to keep oneself away from it through correct beliefs and good deeds. The more one knows about Hell-fire, the more he or she strives to be saved from its reach. Relying on statements from the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith, this book enables the reader to have a realistic picture of Hell-fire’s torments. It may be enough to know that it is a raging fire, but detailed knowledge of it, as displayed in this book, will strengthen a person’s belief and eventually, Allah willing, make him or her seek for and remain steadfast on the path to salvation. This is an indispensable book for believers and non-believers alike. Hell-fire: Its Torments and Denizens is an abridged, summarized version of Siddiq Hasan Khan’s book about the Hell-fire.

Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips has rendered Ibn Taymiyah’s treatise, Eedaah-ud-Dalaalah fee ‘Umoom-ir-Risaalah, from volume 19 of Majmoo‘-ul-Fataawa into very readable English. This abridged and annotated translation is significant in that it is perhaps the first book available in English exclusively on the topic of spirit-possession and exorcism in Islam.

Ahmad ibn ‘Abdul-Haleem ibn Taymeeyah was bron in the town of Harran [near Edessa, in what was once Northern Iraq, but is now called Orfa and is a part of Turkey.], in the year 1263 CE. His father was a leading scholar of the Hanbalite school of Islamic law and so was his grandfather, who authored Muntaqaa al-Akhbaar, the text of ash-Shawkaanee’s Hadeeth classic Nayl al-Awtaar.

Ibn Taymeeyah mastered the various disciplines of Islamic study at an early age and read extensively the books of the various sects and religions in existence at that time. Much of his time and effort was spend defending the orthodox Islamic position against a tidal wave of deviation which had swept over the Muslim nation. Consequently, he faced many difficulties from both the prominent sectarian scholars of his time and from the authorities who supported them. His clashes with them led to his imprisonment on numerous occasions. Ibn Taymeeyah also fought, not only against internal enemies of Islaam, but also against its external enemies by both his Fatwaas (Islamic legal rulings) and his physical participation in battles. His ruling allowing the taking up arms against groups which recognized the Shahaadataan (declaration of faith) but refused to uphold some aspects of the fundamental principles of Islaam, greatly affected the resistance movement against the Tartars who had declared their acceptance of Islaam but did not rule according to divine law.

During these struggles he wrote countless books and treatises demonstrating his extensive reading and knowledge, not only of the positions of the early scholars, but also those of the legal and theological schools which had subsequently evolved. Ibn Taymeeyah also had a major effect on the open-minded schoars of his day, most of whom were from the Shaafi’ite school of law. Among the most famous of his students were IBN KATHEER, ADH-DHAHABEE and IBN AL-QAYYIM. The author died in 1328 while in prison in Damascus for his Fatwaa against undertaking journeys to visit the graves of saints [Ibn Taymeeyah’s ruling was based on the authentic statement reported by Abu Hurayrah wherein the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Do not undertake a journey except to three masjids; this masjid of mine, Masjid al-Haraam (Makkah) and Masjid al-Aqsaa (Bayt al-Maqdis).” Collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. His Fatwaa had been distorted by his enemies to say that he forbade visiting the Prophet Muhammad’s (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) grave.

When do we teach our children? What do we teach them? How do we teach? The Messenger of Allah saw showed the way of tarbiah for Muslims in his life-forming advice to Abdullah ibn Abbas? This book is an insight into the basic Islamic teaching that children should be taught significant things early in life, so that they may live a meaningful life. It is must for every home.

Is it not time to call our children and advise them with the words of the Prophet saw?

“O young man, I shall teach you some words (of advice): Be mindful af Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will fin Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah: if you seek help, seek help of Allah…:(Tirmidhee)

Some thinkers has said, ‘A smattering of knowledge turns people away from God. Grater knowledge brings  them back to Him’. The author concludes in this book by examining various theories that the choice humanity have is not between the universe with God and the universe with God and the  universe without God. The real option is between the universe with God and no universe at all. Therefore humanity is compelled to opt for the proposition the universe with God. Hence it is logical to say I exist, therefore, God exists.