This book was prepared by a group of Saudi scholars and intellectuals. They address Western mind which looks at fair truth and objective and convincing dialogue. The book, in general, discusses the most important issues and suspicions raised by Western political and media organizations in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 events. These events have placed Islam, the Kingdom, its people, and its religious, educational and social institutions in a position that requires correction and review. The book is a moderate vision in responding to the issues and suspicions. A biased reader would notice the major difference between the reality and the raised concepts and images which were far from the reality.
The book begins with a discussion of the sacred nature of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, the boundaries of the Haram (Sanctuary) and its sanctity. Then it discusses the superiority of Makkah and narrates Ahadith to that effect. Then it mentions the names of Makkah and the significance of these names. This book also speaks of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Isma'il (Ishmael) (peace be upon them) and their connection to Makkah and its sanctity and development.
Its author said in the introduction, "It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word "god," which can be made plural, as in "gods," or made feminine, as in "goddess." It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic."
Belief in the Day of Resurrection gives meaning and purpose to our brief stay in this transient world. It is the believer's goal to win the Pleasure of His Lord by worshiping Him alone, fulfilling His Commands and refraining from His Prohibition during his worldly life-span. On the Day of Judgment, his fate will be decided in accordance with his record of deeds; he who fulfills his obligations will be rewarded with eternal bliss in Paradise, and he, who fails to be a believer, will be doomed to eternal Hell-Fire.
Author: Shuwana Abdul-Azeez
Reveiwers: Muhammad AbdulRaoof
Publisher: A website Quran and Sunnah : http://www.qsep.com
The annual Religious Freedom Reports released by US State Department often include sections about religious freedom in Saudi Arabia. These reports are officially distributed by the State Department and then circulated amongst the centers of research in the West as well as the international media outlets and other channels. Saudi Arabia comes on top of concern of those involved in these reports, due to its religious and political significance. Accordingly, it becomes incumbent on us, as Saudis, to discuss the sections in these reports which cover religious freedom in our country and provide facts that are not included in these reports. While discussing these reports, we should explain to the world our view point vis-à-vis these reports. We should also allow the reader to discover the truth as stated therein and according to criteria upon which many fair-minded, rational people agreed with us.
A Book discussingthe importance of khushoo in prayer and how to achieve it
Author: Imran Hussein
Source: http://www.islamhouse.com/p/1401