Each person is born in a religious environment that is not of his/her own choice. From the very beginning of human existence in this world, they are assigned the religion of their family or the ideology of the state. By the time individuals reach their teens they usually accept the beliefs of their parents or that of their particular society. However, when some people mature and are exposed to other beliefs and ideologies, they begin to question the validity of their own beliefs, and search for the truth.
Author: Majed S. Al-Rassi - Majid Bin Sulaiman Al-Russi
Reveiwers: Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Its author said in the introduction, "It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word "god," which can be made plural, as in "gods," or made feminine, as in "goddess." It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic."
The book begins with a discussion of the sacred nature of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, the boundaries of the Haram (Sanctuary) and its sanctity. Then it discusses the superiority of Makkah and narrates Ahadith to that effect. Then it mentions the names of Makkah and the significance of these names. This book also speaks of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Isma'il (Ishmael) (peace be upon them) and their connection to Makkah and its sanctity and development.
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 source of all evil is the deviation from the truth and its straight path. The goodness of all matters is the following of truth and adherence to its right way. Truth is the fixed state in which Allah has created every creature in a particular way and managed its affair in a certain manner. Allah is Perfect and exempt from any deficiency or error. This book aims to elucidate the pillars of Imaan (basis of belief, faith) and the characteristics of Kufr (disbelief) and its causes.
Author: Sheikh-ul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah
An informative and detailed guide to new Muslims discussing the main pillars of Islam, Faith, as well as various commandments and prohibitions in Islam.
Author: AbdulRahman Bin Abdulkarim Al-Sheha
Publisher: Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah
Source: http://www.islamhouse.com/p/1383