A perspective on the Signs of Al-Quran: through the prism of the heart - Softcover

Malik, Saeed

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0615347304 ISBN 13: 9780615347301

Publisher: Saeed Malik, 2010

Synopsis

KIRKUS REVIEW

Malik approaches mystical lyricism in his eloquent devotional guide to Islamic spirituality.

A semiconductors entrepreneur, Malik sees Islam not as a religion but as one path to spirituality—the difference being that any sincere faith leads to God. That reassuring inclusivity enlivens the book, as Malik presents what is unique about Islam but also what links it to other ways to God. For Muslims, the Quran is a living source of wisdom, giving timeless principles for conduct. As such, it is much more than a physical book; rather, it is a “sea of signs” that speaks to all. Arabic is inseparable from the Quran’s beauty, so every quotation is given in both the original Arabic and in an English translation. Malik emphasizes that faith requires resting in uncertainty without abandoning rationality. Submission (the definition of “Islam”) is a way of life that avoids the prison of dogma. “Submission to God (Islam) is not exactly a ‘religion,’ ” Malik says. “It is both less and more.” Indeed, Malik refutes dogmas that have long twisted the Abrahamic faiths: He proposes heaven and hell as states of mind rather than physical locations, and he argues that since Islam respects the sanctity of life, God never supports aggressors. Jihad is primarily a term for Muslims’ struggle against oppression; usually this is an inner battle, but when it does take the form of outward action, it must be motivated by a desire for justice—“Jihad cannot ever be a ‘holy war,’ ” Malik says. A section on Muhammad as a historical figure goes into a level of detail that might not be necessary for a spiritual guidebook, but only occasionally does the mystical tone veer into New Ageism. For the most part, Malik sticks to practical, heartfelt scriptural commentary. One could even imagine the 100 names of Allah (comprising one-third of the text) serving any member of any faith in a devotional context, as a reminder of the often contradictory nature of the divine: both “The Giver of Life” and “The Giver of Death”; “outwardly Manifest” yet “inwardly Hidden.”

A useful, articulate spiritual commentary on the Quran.

About this title

Review:

It is both informative and enjoyable. One cannot say this about too many other books on Islam.
--Zafarullah Bangash -- Crescent International

This book has a very human edge from start to finish. Signs of Al-Qur'an: Through the Prism of the Heart is a book that is a very fun read. The reader gets educated, but is not beaten over the head with dogma--Adisa Banjoko -- Illumemag

Turning Inward for Understanding the Quran. --Dr. Hasan Zillur Rahim
-- American Muslim

About the Author:

What inspired you to write this book?I cannot ascribe a singular trigger; in the mix are many reminders of mortality through departed friends, failing anchors and truthful mirrors. Life's sunset years prod one onto an introspective quest for both a deeper meaning to life and its approaching legacy. Growing old should be viewed as a spiritual gift; bearing introspection through fear and hope and with it, the seeds of change and renewal. What started as a personal journey into the Qur'an became a journey inwards. This book is really a journal, directed at myself and then at anyone whose hatred or intolerance of another springs from a difference of belief.

When you look around today at a world so embroiled in economic and religious turmoil, where do you find beauty?

Beauty takes root in the fields of turmoil. Beauty is to shed a cleansing tear in the midst of grief. Beauty is to return hatred with understanding and kindness. Beauty is to resist the temptation of retribution. Beauty is to speak for the voiceless. Beauty is to bear pain without despair. Beauty is to forgive your enemy for their excesses. Beauty is to reach out to others and share in their loss especially when your own wounds are still fresh and open. Beauty is to share your plate especially when it seems there is not enough on it. Beauty is to drop your sword when you feel that it is being swung in the blindness of anger. Beauty is a process and not a thing. It flows from the heart and it can flow for as long as the heart can beat. No one except God can take away our capacity to awaken this process.

About this edition

• Publisher: Saeed Malik
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0615347304
• ISBN 13: 9780615347301
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 300