Islam and the Destiny of Man (SUNY series in Islam) - Softcover

Gai Eaton, Charles Le

Softcover

ISBN 10: 088706163X ISBN 13: 9780887061639

Publisher: State University of New York Press, 1985

Synopsis

Islam and the Destiny of Man by Charles Le Gai Eaton is a wide-ranging study of the Muslim religion from a unique point of view. The author, a former member of the British Diplomatic Service, was brought up as an agnostic and embraced Islam at an early age after writing a book (commissioned by T.S. Eliot) on Eastern religions and their influence upon Western thinkers. As a Muslim he has retained his adherence to the perennial philosophy which, he maintains, underlies the teachings of all the great religions.

The aim of this book is to explore what it means to be a Muslim, a member of a community which embraces a quarter of the world's population and to describe the forces which have shaped the hearts and the minds of Islamic people. After considering the historic confrontation between Islam and Christendom and analysing the difference between the three monotheistic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), the author describes the two poles of Muslim belief in terms of 'Truth' and 'Mercy'--the unitarian truth which is the basis of the Muslim's faith and the mercy inherent in this truth. In the second part of the book he explains the significance of the Qur'an and tells the dramatic story of Muhammad's life and of the early Caliphate. Lastly, the author considers the Muslim view of man's destiny, the social structure of Islam, the role of art and mysticism and the inner meaning of Islamic teaching concerning the hereafter.

Throughout this book the author is concerned not with the religion of Islam in isolation, but with the very nature of religious faith, its spiritual and intellectual foundations, and the light it casts upon the mysteries and paradoxes of the human condition.

About this title

Review:

'Considered essential by [those] seeking to understand Islam.' (Sunday Telegraph) '...a book dealing with the most vital and crucial questions now agitating our lives.' Maryam Jameelah -- Muslim World Book Review

'This book deserves to be read over and over again.' -- Muslim Education Quarterly

'This is a beautifully written book. It offers a taste of theology, of history, of aesthetics and of eschatology blended in such way as to provide a whole and balanced image, a vision of life that is both comprehensive and thoroughly Islamic.' -- Parabola

‘Considered essential by [those] seeking to understand Islam.’ -- Sunday Telegraph

‘This book deserves to be read over and over again.’ -- Muslim Education Quarterly

From the Publisher:

‘This is a beautifully written book. It offers a taste of theology, of history, of aesthetics and of eschatology blended in such way as to provide a whole and balanced image, a vision of life that is both comprehensive and thoroughly Islamic.’ Parabola

About this edition

• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Publication date: 1985
• ISBN 10: 088706163X
• ISBN 13: 9780887061639
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 252