Islam: Its Meaning and Message

by Khurshid Ahmad (Editor), Salem Azzam (Foreword)

This book provides a window into the world of Islam. It covers the whole spectrum of its beliefs, values, social principles, cultural institutions, and contemporary problems. Edited by Khurshid Ahmad, this book brings together leading Muslim scholarship and covers ideology, culture, the concept of worship, social justice, women in Islam, political theory in Islam, and the objectives of the Islamic economic order. It also discusses what Islam gave to humanity, the Western world and its challenges to Islam, and Islam and the crisis of the modern world.

Genres: Islam, Nonfiction, Religion

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Khurshid Ahmad was a Pakistani economist, philosopher, politician, and an Islamic activist who helped to develop Islamic economic jurisprudence as an academic discipline and one of the co-founders (along with Khurram Murad) of The Islamic Foundation in Leicester, UK.
A senior conservative figure, he was a long-standing party worker of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) party, where he successfully ran for Senate in the general elections held in 2002 on a platform of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). He served in the Senate until 2012. He played his role as a policy adviser in Zia administration when he chaired the Planning Commission, focusing on the role of Islamising the country's national economy in the 1980s.

Reviews

[Abdullah Başaran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think "Islam: Its Meaning and Message" is the guidebook for inception of initial knowledges about Islam. Even it deserves the honour of "the best introduction about Islam in English". Essentially, four essays were very good: Asad's "The Spirit of Islam", Irvings' "Islam and Social Responsibility", Badawi's "Woman in Islam" and Nasr's The Western World and Its Challenges to Islam".

[Altaf Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Islam, it's meaning and message" by Khurshid Ahmad is the book on Islam that covers the whole spectrum of its beliefs, practices, values, cultural institutions, social principles, man as individual, man and society as collective and contemporary problems. It's a compilation of best writings of Muslim scholars. You can say it's the collection of essays by different authors on different topics related to Islam. Some chapters are taken from books, some from journal while the rest are edited from the speeches.


It has four parts. The first part deals with the basic principles, essentials and characteristics of Islam. Second part comprises of Life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and The Qur'an. Third part is all about socio-politco-economic system of Islam. While the last part covers the contemporary problems of Islam, it's challenges and ways to turn the tables in the favour of Islamic World.


I started this book in October this year and kept it with me. Gave it proper time. I used to read one chapter a day and then gave it thoughts and time to grasp and remember the things. Like this, I completed it today.


It is the word about the Islam and the Quran but this book isn't THE Quran. This book is full with references from Quran, Hadith, sayings and books of different school of thoughts. But still in few places, you will find the writers' ideas, their personal writings and their thoughts and suggestions on different issues. And it isn't necessary at all that they are right. Every word on any topic will weigh to us if we aren't learnt well about the basics of that particular topic. So, having basics is must. Overall, this book is a fantastic read.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, a very good and insightful collection of essays by various authors on different aspects of Islam. Sayed Qutb's essay on Social Justice and Islam left much to be desired, however.

[Zainab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for clearing concepts regarding Islam.

[Sumera Ruken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think everyone seeking true knowledge about islam must read it. One of the most reliable book to build your arguments about islam.

[Asim Virk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fine book indeed but one should only turn to this book after one has some basic understanding of what Islam is. Then, the essay by Hossein Nasr is bit complicated and it didn't satisfied me at least. One will need to study his work in more detail for better understanding. Thanks

[Jarwar Umair · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the students of competitive exams, this book is a blessing. Its a complete introduction of the fundamentals of Islamic thought. It covers systems of Islam i.e.Social system, Political system,Economic system and much more.

[Ali Shaheen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book entails the rudimentary information regarding Islam. It starts from basic tents of Islam to elaborating the rights of women . This book is highly recommended for all those who wish to understand Islam .

[Nowshad Afridi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is the amazing book I ever read on Islam. This book cover all the important spectrum of the world in which nowadays world is in chaos. The amazing scholars of Islam enlightened the true spirit of Islam by their writing.

[Muhammad Sullaman]

Student

[Abdul Wassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its pretty useful book i would recommend it to my buddies

[Quratulain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where should i get this book?

[Mudasir Hussain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another 'For exam read'. Just basics of Islam. It was the first book that I read on Islam as a Deen or system of life.

[Imran Siddiq]

nice book but could not download it

[Ahmed Hassan]

good