Man-made Laws vs Shari`ah

This book, authored by Luqman Nagy, is an introduction to the history and legacy of the great translation movement that began at the Bayt al-Hikmah in ninth century Abbasid Baghdad and culminated centuries later in Spain, with teams of Muslim, Christian and Jewish scholars translating works of Greek and Islamic science from Arabic into Latin. These translations became the first scientific textbooks to be used at many European universities. This wealth of knowledge that was made available in Latin helped initiate the Renaissance, or ‘rebirth’ of learning in the West.

Are things inevitably getting worse and worse, year after year, century after century, with no way to alter the course of events? Is the Muslim Ummah doomed to experience failure and humiliation until the Mahdi arrives? Will he restore its former glory and bring victory over all its enemies? Are all our efforts to support Islam destined to end in failure? Instead of taking action, should we simply wait for the return of Jesus (peace be upon him) towards the end of time? Is the Dajjâl (Antichrist) alive today? Does he have secret connections with some prominent world figures? Is the hour very close? Could it come upon us at any moment, on any day? If so, what is the point of striving to improve our situation?

Using evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, the author explains the true Islamic teachings on the portents of the hour, clearing up some of the misconceptions about them and giving advice on how Muslims should respond to them. The book is an interesting and informative read that will leave the reader empowered with knowledge.

Until September 11, 2001 few Westerners had ever heard of “Wahhabism.” Now most of us recognize the word as describing an austere and puritanical type of Islam, mentioned frequently in connection with Osama bin Laden and Saudi Arabia and often named as the inspiration behind the 9/11 terror attacks. The word “Wahhabi” stems from the name of the founder of this system of thought, Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1702-1791), companion and religious adviser to Muhammad Ibn Saud, founder of the House of Saud. In this book Natana DeLong-Bas offers an in-depth study of the written works of al-Wahhab. She focuses on four areas: theology, legal theory, proselytizing through education and jihad, and law on women. Through a close reading of al-Wahhab’s texts she demonstrates that many aspects of 20th- and 21st-century Wahhabi extremism do not have their origins in his writings. Examples of this extremism include the emphasis on jihad, martyrdom and militancy, and misogyny. The strict division of the world into dar al-Islam and dar al-kufr, according to which only Wahhabi adherents are considered to be true Muslims and all others are non-Muslims who must be fought, is entirely absent from al-Wahhab’s work. Instead, argues DeLong-Bas, all of these themes were only added to Wahhabi teachings in the 19th century following armed engagement with the Ottoman Empire. DeLong-Bas’s study fills an enormous gap in the literature about Wahhabism by returning to the original writings of the founder of the movement. She debunks the common journalistic portrayal of Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab as an illiterate, rural bumpkin with no scholarly formation. Her revisionist reading of al-Wahhab’s thought will be controversial but impossible to ignore. The book will be essential reading for students and scholars of Islam as well as for those interested in the background of this dangerous modern ideology.

The author presents a penetrating diagnosis of the illnesses of humanity today, together with a fascinating overview of the Islamic metaphysics, unearthing its spiritual and moral values and its timeless relevance and applicability. Man and universe is a compelling and urgently needed piece of writing about what we human beings are, where we stand, and what we can do about it.