The Islamic Awakening (H/B)

Written by Luqman Nagy, My Turkish Travels comprises of the diary entries of a young Hungarian artist named László who traveled to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1882. The time he spent in Turkey changed his life forever. In this book, the readers can admire László’s wonderful watercolour paintings and read the personal diary entries he writes at the end of each day.

Whatever has been prohibited in the Qur’an and the Sunnah is for a good reason. Every Muslim is commanded to learn his or her religion, and being aware of these prohibitions is part of that essential knowledge. The Qur’an and the Sunnah enjoin virtuous behaviour, and any actions they prohibit are destructive deeds that a Muslim should avoid. In Prohibitions in Islam, Shaykh Muhammad Sâlih al-Munajjid explains that Allah Almighty and His Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) have prohibited everything that contains any sort of harm or evil. These prohibitions vary in their degree of evil: they are either forbidden or detestable, and a practicing Muslim should avoid both kinds.

Despite the world’s tremendous advances in the fields of science and technology, almost all communities have been led into the wilderness of fear, greed, loneliness and spiritual despair. Professor Nadwi explicitly asserts that the achievements of science and technology did not match humanity’s moral or spiritual aspirations. Should a corresponding improvement is attained in human behaviour by applying the teachings of Islam, such as advances would have conferred benefits on all parties.