Hey! I am not a Muslim, just to get that out of the way I am a Gnostic, I mainly registered here to learn about Islam, one of my core beliefs is that every Religion has something to be learned from it, or are traced back to "The Source", or God. In which I am researching or learning everything I can about each religion due to this "personal belief", Islam is one of the main Religions I am currently studying or researching, from what I read so far, it is a very beautiful religion. I would love any "Book lists", of Muslim books that anyone here recommends. or just generally anything about Islam.
Peace be upon the one who follows true guidance.
I'd like to firstly say, thank you for taking your time to learn about Islam. It is indeed a beautiful Religion. I don't have any books I can recommend you as I don't know any that will teach you the basics, most of the reliable and authentic ones are written by scholars who have an advanced and in depth style of writing. My advice would be to firstly research the basics..
What does Islam preach? Example: The Oneness of God (Tawheed), Submission to Him, Why and how do we submit to God? Human rights and punishments (why these punishments are decreed, in what circumstances).
Muslims views on Jesus (peace be upon him).
Women's rights in Islam.
The life of Muhammad (who we consider the final Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him). And the lives of his companions (Sahaba). What was it like for them at that time How Islam spread. (Not "by the sword".)
These are the areas that have the most misconceptions and it would be great to start there, in my own opinion. I'd like to warn you to please be careful and be aware of what websites you find your information from. There are many deviant sects of Islam, and the information they spread is vile and untrue.
Where do true Muslims acquire their information from? The Qur'an (our Holy book) and Hadith (these are the sayings of our Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him). We follow Laws based on both of these, and they work together simultaneously, and we take from nothing else.
So, I hope this helps a little bit, though I know I did not answer your question exactly. And maybe I could suggest you use this thread to ask any questions you have about Islam? Forums are a great place to interact and get your questions answered, I hope you can gain the good knowledge in your journey to discovering Islam.
welcome to the forum. Joining here is a good way to learn as it will give you the opportunity to ask questions and ask for clarification on anything you read or come across.
The best book I can recommend is the Quran itself. You can get free copy at your local mosque or read it online at www.quran.com if you like.
Karen Armstrong is good at writing about Islam. You can check out her books as well, such as Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time
Thanks to all those that replied so far. Ill check out the books you provided, and Ill be reading the Quran, and the Hadith.
Ok. The Qur'an I suggest is Ma'ariful Qur'an. (I can't post the link but you will find the PDF online at 'Kalamullah')
And Hadith can be found on a website called 'Sunnah'. Not all Hadith are Authetic, so keep that in mind as you do more research.
Also, you cannot understand the context of Qur'an verses and Hadith just by reading them. The meaning must be put into context of the situation it was revealed or said in. Keep that in mind, as well. Sorry if I am overloading you with information. There are just a lot of misunderstood texts, and I'd like you to really get the best out of your research, God willing.
If a 'Full Member' could post those links that would be great, May Allah reward you.
Yea thanks, and I understand that most religious or Holy books need to be read with the time, situation etc in mind to be fully understood. That is where most go wrong when reading books such as the Quran, Bible, Torah, etc.
Yea thanks, and I understand that most religious or Holy books need to be read with the time, situation etc in mind to be fully understood. That is where most go wrong when reading books such as the Quran, Bible, Torah, etc.
I am very happy you understand this point. We simply cannot pluck out verses from the Qur'an and expect them to make sense just from how we read it. I pray you find it easy to understand.
We're glad to have you here. I've only come across two gnostics in my time on the internet; the other one happened to be a deacon. As for book recommendations, it depends on how deeply you want to go. For a beginner, Karen Armstrong's books are easy to recommend, such as 'Islam: A short history'. Karen Armstrong is not a muslim, but she has pretty good knowledge of history. If you want more of a scholarly approach, check out Martin Lings' biography of prophet Muhammad.
(In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)
Hi. Hope you're doing well. I welcome you to IB on behalf of all of us! I hope you have a fruitful stay with us here InshaAllah (God-willing)!
I have sent you a PM on book recommendations and also linked you to an Islamic lecture therein.
If there's anything you want to ask or need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to ask us; also, the moderators will I'm sure be able to serve you and able to guide you should you have any technical problems with navigating IB.
Thanks. Have a great day.
Wishing you the best,
format_quote Originally Posted by RockShan
Yea thanks, and I understand that most religious or Holy books need to be read with the time, situation etc in mind to be fully understood. That is where most go wrong when reading books such as the Quran, Bible, Torah, etc.
Yea I have already decided months ago to look into Sufism, and Gnostic Islam (Mentioned in you're private message to me), I plan on doing it when reading the Quran.
Yea I have already decided months ago to look into Sufism, and Gnostic Islam (Mentioned in you're private message to me), I plan on doing it when reading the Quran.
In my honest opinion, I would advise you to read the Qur'an and research Islam without attributing any other beliefs to it (Sufi, Sunni, Shia, etc.) In this way, you could understand the actual and true meaning as it was intended, and not by what certain denominations attribute to it.. But I am studying myself and I only have my advice to share with you. All knowledge is with God and He knows best.
If you are in the US, CAIR (the Council for American Islamic Relations) will send you an excellent Qur'an for shipping ($10). It has both English and Arabic, as well as transliteration, and goes fairly in-depth - good enough for a beginning student without being overwhelming - into explaining the various verses. It's a BIG set, three volumes in a slipcase. I highly recommend it.
Oh no no no, I meant I will be researching it on the "side lines" or comparing beliefs etc, or rather comparing interpretations etc. but not fully applying Sufi belief to it. and in regards to getting a Quran shipped to my house, I would love to. but currently that would cause issues due to a good half my family being really aggressive and "racist" against Muslims. especially my Father, best to keep any research or studying on the "down low" for now, sense I still live in the same house (I'm 16).
Oh no no no, I meant I will be researching it on the "side lines" or comparing beliefs etc, or rather comparing interpretations etc. but not fully applying Sufi belief to it. and in regards to getting a Quran shipped to my house, I would love to. but currently that would cause issues due to a good half my family being really aggressive and "racist" against Muslims. especially my Father, best to keep any research or studying on the "down low" for now, sense I still live in the same house (I'm 16).
Oh okay, yeah that makes sense now.
I really commend you for your passion for seeking knowledge.
I sincerely pray for the best for you.
There is also a website called Islamic Online University and they offer a 'free diploma', it is a set of courses that teach the absolute basics. It is for new Muslims but I asked and they told me that it is also beneficial for non-Muslims who want to learn about Islam.
Yea I looked at the website you mentioned, it seems fairly promising, but I won't be getting into it right now, maybe a bit later on though. (talking about the Islamic University).
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or just generally anything about Islam.
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(In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)
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