Islam  -  Its Basic Practices and Beliefs,
[A5] Paperback - 280 pages, Back in Stock,
by Abdalhaqq Bewley,
Published by Taha, UK.

 


Description :


Using as a framework the most famous and authentic of all the classical definitions of Islam - the Jibril hadith - the author 'Abd 'al-Haqq Bewley (husband of the renowned classical translator Aisha Bewley) takes the reader step by step through all the basic practices and beliefs which make up the daily lives of every Muslim, giving a picture of Islam that is both completely traditional and also excitingly contemporary.

 

Extract from the Introduction :

'' Each of the elements mentioned [in the hadith] is dealt with individually at some length and the result is a comprehensive overview of Islam which will hopefully dispel some commonly held misconceptions and give a clear picture of how the Muslims understand and practise their religion on a day to day basis.''



Review :

The Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that an hour’s reflection is better than a lifetime of worship. This latest book of Hajj Abdalhaqq Bewley is the fruit of a lifetime’s reflection and a catalyst for a lifetime’s reflection. It is also very practical. It deals with actions and the meanings of these actions and the results of these actions, in this world and in the next.



It is a reliable source of knowledge for those who rely on Allah, or who wish that they could rely on Allah. Above all, this book is illuminated by a knowledge which has been transmitted from living heart to living heart.  Accordingly it is vast but not encyclopaedic. Since words tether meanings, it is also grounded in the understanding of well known reliable written sources of recorded knowledge which have been studied in depth. Accordingly it is the work of a scholar, but not of an academic. The Qur’an tells us that the people of knowledge are those who fear Allah (Qur’an: 35.28) ~ not those who accumulate information.



Since the author, together with his wife Hajja Aisha Bewley, has been deeply involved in the translations from Arabic into English of the Noble Qur’an, Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik and Ash-Shifa of Qadi ’Iyad, as well as many other key Islamic texts, and since it is clear from the quotations he provides that he is well and widely read, it must have been difficult for him at times when writing this book to decide what to include and what to exclude ~ and yet this book is full of abundance and bereft of deficiency. Indeed whenever I thought that an important point had been omitted, I usually found it later on in the book. The author has so much knowledge to impart that it is presented in due measure so that it can be absorbed and retained. ----Hajji Ahmad Thomson [April 2009].