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.
Salaat (Prayer) is one of the main obligations which Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) has ordained on His servants. It is the first act of worship decreed on the Muslim Nation (Ummah) by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and was ordained on the night of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) ascension to the seven heavens. It is the second of the five pillars of Islam after the proclamation of the “Shahada” (the words of witness).
Author: Abdur-Rahman Murad
Reveiwers: Muhammad AbdulRaoof
Publisher: Cooperative Office for Propagation, Guidance, and Warning of Expatriates in the city of Salay, Riyadh - A website Islamic Library www.islamicbook.ws
Various Prohibitions regarding Speech.
Publisher: Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah
Source: http://www.islamhouse.com/p/1239
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.
The author presents the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, which is the creed of the first few generations of Muslims and those who followed in their footsteps. Besides outlining the principles and foundations of this creed he also highlights some of the foreign ideas and deviant concepts that have crept into the hearts and minds. The style in which this book has been written relates more to a textbook than to a book for casual reading. The author has carefully structured the book, divided it into clearly headed sections and provided all the necessary definitions and explanations that will facilitate a clear understanding of this immensely important branch of knowledge.
Author: Muhammad Bin Khalifa Al-Timemi
Reveiwers: Muhammad AbdulRaoof
A nice book covering many aspects of wudoo, ghusl, tayammum, and wiping over socks and bandages.
Author: AbdulRahman Bin Abdulkarim Al-Sheha
Source: http://www.islamhouse.com/p/1381