Tariq Ramadan has emerged as one of the foremost voices of reformist Islam in the West, notable for urging his fellow Muslims to participate fully in the civil life of the Western societies in which they live. In this new book, Ramadan addresses Muslim societies and communities everywhere with a bold call for radical reform. He challenges those who argue defensively that reform is a dangerous and foreign deviation, and a betrayal of the faith. Authentic reform, he says, has always been grounded in Islam's textual sources, spiritual objectives, and intellectual traditions. But the reformist movements that are based on renewed reading of textual sources while using traditional methodologies and categories have achieved only adaptive responses to the crisis facing a globalizing world. Such readings, Ramadan argues, have reached the limits of their usefulness.

Ramadan calls for a radical reform that goes beyond adaptation to envision bold and creative solutions to transform the present and the future of our societies. This new approach interrogates the historically established sources, categories, higher objectives, tools, and methodologies of Islamic law and jurisprudence, and the authority this traditional geography of knowledge has granted to textual scholars. He proposes a new geography which redefines the sources and the spiritual and ethical objectives of the law creating room for the authority of scholars of the social and hard sciences. This will equip this transformative reform with the spiritual, ethical, social and scientific knowledge necessary to address contemporary challenges. Ramadan argues that radical reform demands not only the equal contributions of scholars of both the text and the context, but the critical engagement and creative imagination of the Muslim masses. This proposal for radical reform dramatically shifts the center of gravity of authority. It is bound to provoke controversy and spark debate among Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Tariq Ramadan is very much a public figure, named one of Time Magazine's most important innovators of the twenty-first century. He is among the leading Islamic thinkers in the West, with a large following around the world. But he has also been a lightning rod for controversy. Indeed, in 2004, Ramadan was prevented from entering the U.S. by the Bush administration.

In What I Believe, Ramadan attempts to set the record straight, laying out the basic ideas he stands for in clear and accessible prose. He describes the book as a work of clarification, directed at ordinary citizens, politicians, journalists, and others who are curious (or skeptical) about his positions. Aware that  he is dealing with emotional issues, Ramadan tries to get past the barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding to speak directly, from the heart, to his Muslim and non-Muslim readers alike. In particular, he calls on Western Muslims to escape the mental, social, cultural, and religious ghettos they have created for themselves and become full partners in the democratic societies in which they live. At the same time, he calls for the rest of us to recognize our Muslim neighbors as citizens with rights and responsibilities the same as ours. His vision is of a future in which a shared and confident pluralism becomes a reality at last.

Reviews:

• "Tariq Ramadan, a prominent intellectual-activist in Europe and America, represents a new generation of Islamic reformers." --John L. Esposito, author of Unholy War and What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam
• "Tariq Ramadan is a Muslim Martin Luther."-- Paul Donnelly, The Washington Post
• "Ramadan's most important message--his advice to Muslims in the West to make the West their home--is one Americans should particularly welcome."-- Alan Wolfe, The Chronicle of Higher Education
• "Ramadan has started to pave out the road to reform and changes in the understanding of Islam in Muslim communities in the West."-- Le Monde Diplomatique
• "Deliberately brief, sensible and accessible.... What I Believe is not just a summary of Ramadan's own views but a primer on modern Western Muslim life."--Publishers Weekly starred review

One of the best known and widely distributed general information books about Islam. The author directs his message to both Muslims and non-Muslims in a style that appeals positively to many Westerners. Islam in Focus was written toward the end of the author's life and reflects a strong ethical approach to Islam. As a graduate of Al Azhar University in Cairo he also studied and lived in North America. This combination enabled him to become a well respected lecturer and scholar and serves him well in this book. He talks about the knowledge of God and belief in Him constitute the very foundation of Islam. The subject is so vital it calls for a thorough and clear discussion. For the purpose of clarity some simple demonstrations will be used. These may well appear boring or too simple for those who already know something about the subject. Such informed persons are invited to have patience and show appreciation of the importance of the matter. There are individuals who like to doubt the concept of God in the name of science, or because of a lack of experience and understanding. The attitude of such people reflects an uneasy mentality, although they claim to be learned intellectuals. My concern will not be with their claims; rather it will be with their true position. This book is easy read and very straight forward and it’s highly recommended.

Islamic advocate Amr Khaled discusses contemplation, or thought, as a means of worship in this booklet. It also includes his viewpoints on the creation of the universe and human beings. He defines the value of thinking as being one of the greatest acts of worship, which helps humans draw nearer to Allah. Through contemplation, humans become aware of the presence of Allah and understand the importance of worship. By thinking about the universe, and all that it contains, mankind can see that there is a design to every aspect of it and a Designer behind it all.

In the first part, Amr Khaled focuses on the creation of the universe. He points out that Allah’s power; greatness and wisdom are seen quite clearly in His creation. There are countless evidences that exist that unequivocally point to a Creator who continues to oversee His creation, such as:

• The creation of the universe and all it contains.
• The greatness of the Earth and the Heavens, as revealed in the Holy Quran.
• The creation of the solar system.
• The creation of earth.
• The atmosphere and how it balances life on earth.
• The creation of mankind.
• The creation of the plant and animal kingdoms.
• In the second part, Amr Khaled delves specifically into the creation of man and clarifies that a drop of semen propagates the human race. He also provides a detailed interpretation of a portion of verse 35:28, Surah Fatir, from the Holy Quran that reads:
  “…those truly fear Allah, among His Servants, who have knowledge: for Allah is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.”

This introductory book on Islam serves as a good da'wah tool, explaining some of the fundamentals of Islam, as well signifying verses of the Qur'an and how they relate to science and the world around us.

Prefacio
Este libro es una breve guía para entender el Islam y está dividido en tres Capítulos.
El primer capítulo: Algunas evidencias de la veracidad del Islam, contesta algunas importantes preguntas que algunas personas hacen:

• ¿Es el Corán verdaderamente la literal palabra de Dios, revelada por Él mismo?
• ¿Es Muhammad verdaderamente un profeta enviado por Dios?
• ¿Es el Islam verdaderamente una religión de Dios?

For centuries the hostility between Christianity and Islam has been a barrier to any effort to develop better understanding between the two. It is a barrier which neither Islam, lacking a voice in the West, nor the West, secure in its own position, has been greatly concerned to penetrate. This book contains papers written by Muslim scholars to meet what is now recognized, at least on their part, as an urgent contemporary need to acquaint the Western reader with the true message of Islam, as understood by the Muslims themselves, and to put him in touch with important currents of thought in the Muslim world, It is hoped that this may establish a basis for initiating a meaningful and open-minded discussion on the contribution which Islam can make in solving the problems facing modern society.

This book contains masnun duas or the duas which were taught by the Prophet Muhammad (Saas). Dua is a noble form of dhikr or remembrance of Allah. By learning these duas and reciting them at the appropriate occasions, our every action is turned into ibadah. Our sleeping, eating, drinking, dressing, etc, all assume the form of ibadah. Constant and conscious recital of the various duas at their appropriate time fixes the remembrance of Allah in the hearts. These duas of the Prophet (Saas) draw the faithful closer to his Creator. Therefore it is of absolute necessity that all Muslims learn and recite the various duas. Felicity and success will be the result, insha Allah.