A spiritual Ishmaelite

My * Top 10 Reads * in 2016;

1. “Recalling the Caliphate: Decolonization and World Order" by S. Sayyid

2. “A New Anthropology of Islam" by John R. Bowen

3. “The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity’s Moral Predicament" by Wael B. Hallaq

4. “A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East" by David Fromkin (Reading presently)

5. “The Sultan’s Admiral: Barbarrosa – Pirate and Empire Builder" by Ernle Bradford

6. “Tadwin-e-Hadith" by Syed Manazir Ahsan Gilani

7. “And Muhammad Is His Messenger: The Veneration of the Prophet in Islamic Piety" by Annemarie Schimmel

8. “Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree" by Tariq Ali

9. “Creating a New Medina: State Power, Islam, and the Quest for Pakistan in Late Colonial North India" by Venkat Dhulipala

10. “Ahadith-e-Ahkam aur Fuqaha-e-Iraq" by Mubashhar Hussain.

Kirby Hopper So many books, so little time…

Ishmael Abraham Lovers of God become bibliophiles. An orthodox scholar wrote 700 volumes on sacred law.

Kirby Hopper Some do. Some just get out there and help people all day long. I think they are more orthodox than me.

Ishmael Abraham Quran 17:84 calls that shakilah or your psychological makeup and everyone acts based on that. However, I read a sacred quote that ink of scholars will be weighed against blood of martyrs in Hereafter and former will outweigh latter. Except that those scholars try to avoid hidden sins and obviously public sins.And do not forget the five prayers a day like Daniel peace be upon him faced Jerusalem thrice I guess each day.

Kirby Hopper I don’t think Allah is counting. A heart for him is sufficient, and not easily quantified by number of prayers. Some who pray little have a greater and purer heart for him than those who pray 5x daily religiously.

Ishmael Abraham Heterodox Paul talked about praying without ceasing so praying five times are a minimum in Islam otherwise Quran 19:59 the Chapter of Mary peace be upon her, warns that we will descend into lusts like Israelites. The antinomian seduction along with trinitarian seduction explain gradual hedonization of western culture over two millenia. Abraham peace be upon him did not think in his heart that I have the purest heart rather he moved his feet and hands to slaughter one of his supreme earthly desires.