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.
The World of the Angels is an example of traditional learning and its translation fills a much needed gap in aqida (beliefs) literature in the English speaking world Basing himself exclusively on the Quran and Hadith, Sheikh Kishk deals with every aspect of the angelic world. He goes from discussing the creation and nature of the angels to enumerating their many different types and also explains their role in existence and the character of their interaction with the human race. An in depth understanding of the nature and activity of the angels is essential for the people of today. Particularly in the face of the onslaught of scientific materialism which has done so much to weaken the bases of belief in this time. This book should help a great deal towards this end.
Qadar is a very sensitive topic. It is the sixth pillar of faith, and many people have gone astray regarding it. Some have denied it altogether while others have gone to such extremes in affirming it that they end up denying human free will.
Author: Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Reveiwers: Muhammad AbdulRaoof
The discourse in this book addresses elite western politicians, intellectuals and thinkers. It discusses the most important issues related to the political system of Saudi Arabia from an Islamic perspective and through the state's laws like the Basic Law of Governance. Among the issues discussed by the book, for instance, the imama (leadership), the rights and duties of the Muslim leader, the nature of relation between citizens and the King, the concept of Shoura in Islam and the impact of the implementation of this Shoura in Saudi Arabia compared with democracy, the concept of bay’ah (pay of allegiance), the formation of political parties and the so-called opposition, the freedom of opinion, as well as other issues raised in the Western media and political circles about the political system of Saudi Arabia.
Did God Become Man: The main purpose for writing this booklet is to reach those who believe in God and cause them to reflect on the nature of their beliefs in the light of reason and revelation. The booklet is actually the edited version of a lecture, which I have delivered on many occasions and in many locations around the world. The positive response of the varied audiences to this lecture encouraged me to prepare it as a booklet in order to make it accessible to a wider audience.
Author: Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
An summarised text detailing the rules governing the Criticism of Hadeeth. From its introduction -'A hadith (pl. ahadith) is composed of two parts: the matn (text) and the isnad (chain of reporters). A text may seem to be logical and reasonable but it needs an authentic isnad with reliable reporters to be acceptable; 'Abdullah b. al-Mubarak (d. 181 AH) is reported to have said, "The isnad is part of the religion: had it not been for the isnad, whoever wished to would have said whatever he liked." During the lifetime of the Prophet (SAS) and after his death, his Companions (Sahabah) used to refer to him when quoting his sayings. The Successors (Tabi'un) followed suit; some of them used to quote the Prophet (SAS) through the Companions while others would omit the intermediate authority - such a hadith was known as mursal (loose). It was found that the missing link between the Successor and the Prophet (SAS) might be one person, i.e. a Companion, or two persons, the extra person being an older Successor who heard the hadith from the Companion.'
Author: Mahmood Al-Tahaan