Muslims today make up the
second-largest religious community in the world. From Senegal to Indonesia, Muslims
share certain fundamental principles and practices, but express their religious
beliefs in a wide variety of ways. Readings for this theme
explore the basic tenets and requirements of Islam and the relationship between
the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. They also take
a look at the divergent paths followed by the Sunni and Shia communities and
the mystical routes to spiritual fulfillment known as Sufism.
The Muslim Journeys
Bookshelf given to the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System includes books
selected to breathe life into Western understanding about Muslims throughout
the world. We invite all of our patrons to check out this rich collection of
materials at the Central Library!
The Children of Abraham: Judaism,
Christianity, Islam by Francis E. Peters: How do scripture and
tradition relate to one another? What does “worship of God” mean in each of the
three faiths? How does it compare across the three faiths, and how is it
different within each of them? This seminal work, recently updated, compares
and contrasts these three great faiths.
Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction by
Jonathan A. C. Brown: Learn the facts of the Prophet
Muhammad’s life from this short, readable book. It also helps Westerners
understand how early Muslims themselves gathered this information for those who
would come after them, and to understand the special place the Prophet occupies
for Muslims.
The Story of the Qur’an: Its History and
Place in Muslim Life by Ingrid Mattson: Many Westerners find the
Qur’an bewildering. This well-written book explains how the Qur’an was revealed
and recorded, and places it in Muslim culture through history. Written by a
Western Muslim scholar, it illuminates the Qur’an for non-Muslims while
conveying how Muslims view their sacred text.
Koran By Heart: One Chance to Remember: Qur’anic
recitation is an art and is carried out in many ways, varying from spiritually
satisfying basic rhythmic recitations to advanced types of chanting that can be
very moving. This 80-minute long HBO production chronicles one year at the
world’s oldest and most prestigious Qur’an-reciting contest in Cairo. Follow
110 young people from over 70 countries as they come together for this event to
compete and learn from one another.
The Art of Hajj by Venetia Porter: Illuminated manuscripts, wall
paintings and photographs, calligraphy, textiles, scientific instruments,
decorative tiles, maps, ceramics, metalwork, and powerful works by contemporary
artists, are complemented with explanatory narrative and quotes from the Qur’an
and traditional literary sources to demonstrate this exciting “pillar of Islam”.
Rumi: Poet and Mystic, edited and translated
by Reynold A. Nicholson: Jalalu’l-Din Rumi
(1207-73) was one of the great Persian mystical poets. Through this collection
of lovely translations, the reader is introduced to Sufism, a mystical side of
Islam. The poems describe Rumi’s longing for and experience of the divine. He
believed that in the great mystery of existence we are all united, a revelation
that has made him one of the most popular poets in the world.
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