ghosh-bhaskar@CS.YALE.EDU (Bhaskar Ghosh) (08/09/90)
Hallo netlanders, bhaiyon and beheno - I would like to find out more about Islam, it's development and The Holy Quran. I am particularly interested in any writings on the need for religion in day to day life, the greater question of a whole unifying truth that pervades the existence of all beings, why, whether and where God exists, the concept of rebirth ( pardon me for reeling off questions i myself do not understand very well ) - and how all these questions find their answers in Islam and in a true Muslim way of life. I am interested in all kinds of documents, translations or otherwise, written by people from any part of the world - that would help me learn more about the answers (as pointed to by Islam) to such questions some of us ask ourselves. I would also like to learn more about the various sects (Sufis, Ahmadiyas ?) that emerged from traditional Islam and their approaches to similar puzzles. Please email responses to ghosh@cs.yale.edu . Warmest thanks in advance. Khuda Hafiz. - bhashu. -- =============================================================================== Bhaskar Mastan Ghosh "Tomar pujar chholey, ghosh@cs.yale.edu @yalecs.bitnet Tomar durey thaki"- Robithakur ===============================================================================
beekun@ncar.UCAR.EDU (R. I. Beekun) (08/10/90)
In article <14465@wpi.wpi.edu> ghosh-bhaskar@CS.YALE.EDU (Bhaskar Ghosh) writes: > >Hallo netlanders, bhaiyon and beheno - > >I would like to find out more about Islam, it's development and The >Holy Quran. I am particularly interested in any writings on the need >for religion in day to day life, the greater question of a whole >unifying truth that pervades the existence of all beings, why, whether >and where God exists, the concept of rebirth ( pardon me for reeling >off questions i myself do not understand very well ) - and how all >these questions find their answers in Islam and in a true Muslim way >of life. Most of the topics you have listed above are discussed very nicely in Maudoodi's "Towards Understanding Islam". If by rebirth you mean re- incarnation, Islam does not believe in it. If you want to know about Islam in a comprehensive manner, get hold of the cassettes of Jamal Badawi. He covers many topics very well. If you need a translation of the Qur'an, get the latest version of Yusuf Ali's translation published by Amana. To purchase these books, call the Islamic Book Service at (317) 839 - 8150, and ask for their catalogs. Good luck. >=============================================================================== >Bhaskar Mastan Ghosh "Tomar pujar chholey, >ghosh@cs.yale.edu @yalecs.bitnet Tomar durey thaki"- Robithakur >=============================================================================== Abu Syed Marwan ............................................................................ :... We decreed for the children of : : :Israel that whosoever kills a human : : :being for other than manslaughter or : / | "" | : :corruption in the earth, it shall be : / | | | | : :as though he had killed all mankind, : | | __| | | | : :and whoso saves the life of one, it : ____|___| | <__|__|__| | : :shall be as though he had saved the : | * : :life of all mankind. (Qur'an 5: 32) : _ / : :.....................................:....................................:
zama@midway.uchicago.edu (iftikhar uz zaman) (08/16/90)
In article <1990Aug9.201258.25028@laguna.ccsf.caltech.edu> uunet!unrvax!unssun.nevada.edu!beekun@ncar.UCAR.EDU (R. I. Beekun) writes: >In article <14465@wpi.wpi.edu> ghosh-bhaskar@CS.YALE.EDU (Bhaskar Ghosh) writes: >> >>Hallo netlanders, bhaiyon and beheno - >> >>I would like to find out more about Islam, it's development and The >>Holy Quran. I am particularly interested in any writings on the need >>for religion in day to day life, the greater question of a whole >>unifying truth that pervades the existence of all beings, why, whether >>and where God exists, the concept of rebirth ( pardon me for reeling >>off questions i myself do not understand very well ) - and how all >>these questions find their answers in Islam and in a true Muslim way >>of life. > >Most of the topics you have listed above are discussed very nicely in >Maudoodi's "Towards Understanding Islam". If by rebirth you mean re- >incarnation, Islam does not believe in it. > >If you want to know about Islam in a comprehensive manner, get hold of >the cassettes of Jamal Badawi. He covers many topics very well. If you >need a translation of the Qur'an, get the latest version of Yusuf Ali's >translation published by Amana. >To purchase these books, call the Islamic Book Service at (317) 839 - 8150, >and ask for their catalogs. >Abu Syed Marwan The material brother Marwan mentions represents one popular stream of understanding Islam [this does NOT mean it is not a GOOD one...]. In English, another such stream is that of Rene Guenon (I might have the spelling of that last name slightly off) and his students (Martin Lings, Fritzhoff Schuoun is one whose name I recollect at the moment). In this stream, perhaps the best book to start with might be "A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century." Also, Martin Lings' biography of the Prophet (entitled "Muhammad" [sallallah u 'alayh wa sallam]) is quite good. Of translations, Yusuf Ali's is certainly the most popular. But my feeling is, and I am sure a number of people who have looked at it would agree [although others wouldn't], that his marginal comments present a somewhat eccentric understanding of Islam. As far as translations go, the most accurate translation I have seen is that of Abdul Majid Daryabadi. The translation is in one volume--he also has a "Tafsir" [exegesis] which unfortunately, again, is marred in places with some peculiar interpretations. Muhammad Asad's translation of the Quran is written in very elegant English (something which cannot be said for these other translations) but most Muslims would warn you against it since he has a habit of interpreting Islam is a manner which is even more peculiar (this time in a negative sence) by far, than the others. As far as translations of the Quran go, whenever I have quoted the Quran and had to use a translation, almost inevitably I have found existing translations to be inadequate--often to the point of my being unable to use them. The attractive feature of the Daryabadi translation is that I have not normally had this problem (inaccuracy) with it. Unfortunately the English is stilted. My two bits....