Studies in Islamic Civilization draws upon the works of Western scholars to make the case that without the tremendous contribution of the Muslim world there would have been
no Renaissance in Europe. For almost a thousand years Islam was arguably one of the leading civilizations of the world spanning a geographic area greater than any other. It
eliminated social distinctions between classes and races, made clear that people should enjoy the bounties of the earth provided they did not ignore morals and ethics, and rescued
knowledge that would have been lost, if not forever, then at least for centuries. The genius of its scholars triggered the intellectual tradition of Europe and for over seven hundred years its language, Arabic, was the international language of science. Strange then that its legacy lies largely ignored and buried in time. In the words of Aldous Huxley, “Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view, is silence about truth. By simply not mentioning certain subjects... propagandists have influenced opinion much more effectively than they could have by the most eloquent denunciations.” Studies in Islamic Civilization is a compelling attempt to redress this wrong and restore the historical truths of a “golden age” that ushered in the Islamic renaissance, and as a by-product that of the West. In doing so it gives a bird’s eye view of the achievements of a culture that at its height was considered the model of human progress and development.

The fate of civilization lies in the balance of culture, not power. This Mona Abul-Fadl penetrating work argues that the terms of the culture of our times will determine the future of politics and societies. Islam continues to be, as much as it was in the past, at the hub and crossroads of contemporary civilization. The difference from a historical perspective, lies in the West’s control of the political setting, the primary factor in qualifying the terms of today’s civilization, and in setting its pace and direction accordingly.

The modern West takes pride in its rational liberalism, yet for all its reverent skepticism it is not at all sure how it can handle its growing human problems. As such it makes sense to recall a timeless exhortation of natural wisdom, confirmed in divine revelation, handed down over the generations and understandable to all, in both East and West. It needs to be taken seriously on the agenda of any future encounter between East and West which presumes to address the future ecology of a moral global economy. When the individual has become a measure unto himself, the community dissolves: or at least, its matrix is severely undermined. In the meantime, there is nothing that can secure the individual against his own excesses. In forgetting their Creator, their origin, and their destiny, God has made them oblivious of themselves.

Given today’s “global village,” where a century’s technological accomplishments have dissipated the physical distances between communities and cultures, the East/West encounter has become doubly imperative: not just to avoid the consequences of potentially explosive misunderstandings, but also to deliberate together and to redefine the bounds of rationality and the meaning of community. This is a task which challenges a common endeavor to bring together values and good will as well as the power to give them substance.

NEW EDITION: RETHINKING MUSLIM WOMEN AND THE VEIL: Challenges Historical and Modern Stereotypes

by Katherine Bullock

HB: £21.95, €33.00, US$31.95
(ISBN: 978-1-56564-433-5)

PB: £12.95, €19.00, US$18.95
(ISBN: 978-1-56564-432-8)

This book offers a powerful critique of the Western notion that the hijab, the veil, is a symbol of Muslim women's oppression. The author examines the views of feminist scholars who offer a variety of interpretations of the Islamic guidelines regarding hijab and discusses the view that women only wear hijab because they are being subjugated by men.

Click here to download some sample pages from the previous edition (pdf format, 317 KB download).

This new edition is available from Vine House Distribution Ltd.

MUSLIM CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD CIVILISATION

Edited by M. Basheer Ahmed, Syed A. Ahsani, Dilnawaz A. Siddiqui

HB: £19.95, US$24.95
(ISBN: 1-56564-411-5)

PB: £10.95, US$14.95
(ISBN: 1-56564-410-7)

This collection of papers aims to give readers a brief introduction to the intellectual history of Muslims and the contributions that eminent Muslim scholars have made in certain specific fields of knowledge including basic and applied physical and biological sciences, medicine, legal and political theories and practices, economic and financial concepts, models, and institutions, etc.

SOURCE METHODOLOGY IN ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE: Usul al-Fiqh al-Islami

by Taha Jabir al-Alwani

PB: US$9.95, £5.95
(ISBN: 1-56564-404-2)

Usul al-Fiqh is a science which is deeply embedded in the Islamic experience and one which, thanks to its mthods and concerns, helped generate an empirical trend in Muslim culture, in turn benefiting Western thinking. Al-usul, often called 'The Philosophy of Islam' invites both reason and revelation to work for the harmony and well-being of human society. This book attempts to simplify this 'most important method of research ever devised by Islamic though' during its most creative period, and bring it to the understanding and appreciation of the modern learner, while underscoring its importance and relevance to the world of Islam today.

Click here to download some sample pages from this publication (pdf format, 609 KB download).

FONDEMENTS DU DROIT MUSULMAN

ISBN: 2-911546-53-9 (PB)

ISBN: 1-56564-206-6/207-4 (PB)

MUSLUMAN KADINLARI VE TESETTURU YENIDEN DUSUNMEK

ISBN: 975-8285-37-8 (PB)

Turkish translation of RETHINKING MUSLIM WOMEN AND THE VEIL: Challenging Historical and Modern Stereotypes
(Original English edition by Katherine Bullock)

ISBN: 975-975-7560-97-5 (PB)

ISBN: 975-975-7560-99-9 (PB)

ISBN: 975-975-7560-94-4 (PB)

ISBN: 975-975-7560-98-2 (PB)

Russian translation of Occasional Paper No. 10, TOWARDS A FIQH FOR MINORITIES: Some Basic Reflections
(Original English edition by Taha Jabir al-Alwani)