Sandcastles and Snowmen - A Personal Search for Spirituality,
*[A5] Paperback - 292 pages,
by Sahar el-Nadi,
Published by FB Publishing House, USA.
Description :
Sandcastles & Snowmen is a compelling book for anyone curious about Islam in a modern context. The story is told through the eyes of an unusual woman, eager to diminish the gap between people of different faiths and cultures, even after 9/11 and the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, cartoons turned her world upside down.
This is her story, leaving behind a jet-setting life to search for spirituality and reconnect with her faith in a new, global context. From Cairo, to Jeddah, to Scandinavia, to the US and back, Sahar El-Nadi shares her views as a Muslim global citizen on world issues touching all of us: politics, gender, faith, diversity, ethical business and much more, in a personal and easy to follow style that will leave you well informed and deeply inspired.
Who this book is for ?
This book is for the global readers, both Muslim and non-Muslim. Sandcastles & Snowmen could be a useful tool for educators, media professionals, businessmen and women and even politicians and activists of integration, inclusion, diversity and tolerance.
Non-Muslim readers will get a lot of information on the faith and its adherents, helping them to better understand Muslims and to reach out to them without unfounded fear or suspicion, while Muslim readers will get some new perspectives on their faith to inspire them to reach out to the diverse people of the world, to educate about their culture, to learn from others, and to integrate in the host countries where they choose to live, whether or not those countries were Muslim, because a true Muslim should always be a positive asset for his or her community anywhere on earth.
Understanding and appreciating the universal values of Islam is just as important for modern Muslims as it is for non-Muslims, in order to be able to find a common ground for healthy human connection and communication in the global village we all live in today. There is no other way to create and strengthen the peace and tolerance we all need in order to make this a better world.
Table of Contents :
---Preface,
---Sandcastles & Snowmen,
---The story of this book,
---My story.
---Introduction,
------My Catholic-Salafi-Secular-Revolutionary life,
------Islam in a global context,
-------How to use this book.
Chapter One – The quest for Spiritual Intelligence,
---The culture of instant gratification
---Are we really free and happy?
---What is Spiritual Intelligence (SQ)?
---How do we attain Spiritual Intelligence?
---How could this skill improve our lives?
Chapter Two - The Basics,
---Who is Allah?
---What is in the Quran and where did it come from?
---Who is Muhammad?
---What is Islam and where does the name come from?
---How many Muslims are there in the world?
---Where are Muslims located?
---Who is considered a Muslim?
---What makes a person a practicing Muslim?
Chapter Three - The Roadmap,
---Why am I in this world?
---The concept of accountability
---What am I accountable for?
---The importance of intention
---God wants ease not hardship
---Why is there suffering in the world?
---What does ‘Halal’ mean?
---Pigs, dogs, fashion and sex
---What is the ultimate goal for a Muslim?
Chapter Four - Reward & Punishment,
---What if I made a mistake?
---My final score sheet: how is it calculated?
---The penal code: a deterrent from crime?
---What is Sharia law?
---Faith as a deterrent from crime,
---Meeting God in Mecca.
Chapter Five – Manners & Ethics,
---Positive psychology and Muslim behaviour,
---Endorsing good and preventing evil,
---The rewards of teaching to improve lives,
---Faith = manners,
---Manners in the Qur'an,
---Personal relations and social etiquette,
---Ethics of war,
---Faith combating hate and bridging conflict.
Chapter Six – Diversity & International Relations,
---Diversity as a law of the universe,
---The concept of kinship,
---Who invented The Middle East?
---Who invented The Third World?
---Diversity or conformity?
---Integration or assimilation?
---The Muslim identity crisis,
---Respect for other religions,
---The Muslim Jesus and Moses,
---Christians in Muslim countries,
---The Christian king of Abyssinia and Muslims,
---Don’t Hate, Educate.
Chapter Seven - Human Rights,
---Do human rights exist in Islam?
---Some examples of human rights in Islam,
---Rights of children, animals, public spaces and nature,
---Freedom of choice,
---Freedom of expression,
---Human equality,
---Women’s rights,
---The veil and identity,
---Why do some Muslims refuse to shake hands?
---Relationships and marriage,
---The romantic veil.
Chapter Eight – Women & Gender,
---Cognitive processing and culture,
---Visual and emotional manipulation,
---Gender roles and culture,
---Personal security and domestic violence,
---Define gender equality?
---Equality or equity?
---Women between religion and tradition,
---Inheritance,
---Polygamy,
---Women and politics.
Chapter Nine – Trade & Business,
---Trade for peace,
---Business ethics,
---Unethical media & marketing,
---How women started smoking,
---Using celebrities to sell products and ideas,
---The Protestant Work Ethic vs. The Islamic Work Ethic,
---Spiritual Intelligence in the workplace,
---Fair trade and social justice,
---Scarcity, monopoly, supply and demand,
---The “Waqf” (endowment) system,
---Banking and taxes,
---Why are Muslims poor and ignorant?
---Is Islamic economy a solution for the global economic crisis?
Chapter Ten – Politics & Democracy,
---Freedom to speak against oppression,
---What is a “fatwa” and does Islam support a theocratic state?
---Religion’s role in public life in the Middle East,
---Arab Spring or the rise of Political Islam?
---Is Islam compatible with democracy?
---Military power and the true meaning of Jihad.
Chapter Eleven – Science & Research,
---The concept of seeking knowledge,
---Useful vs. useless knowledge,
---Muslim theory of Evolution?
---Science in the Qur'an?
---Examples of Muslim scientific contributions to humanity,
---Muslim scientists from a Western perspective.
Chapter Twelve – Art & Culture,
---God is beautiful and loves beauty,
---Beauty in relation to faith,
---Ziryab, the ancient Arab Muslim trendsetter,
---Food, etiquette, fashion and music,
---The first Islamic universities,
---The Golden Age of Islamic civilisation around the world,
---Islamic lessons from the Swedish Royal Palace,
---Islamic lessons from Japan,
---The culture of a faith,
---The cultural dilemma of immigrants and new Muslims,
---Art: a tool for conflict resolution
---Epilogue – The rest of the journey…
*Dimensions : 23 x 15.3cm.
