ebooks 365 Saints: Your Daily Guide to the Wisdom and Wonder of Their Lives by Woodeene Koenig-Bricker in History

Description

As the specter of religious extremism has become a fact of life today; the temptation is great to allow the evil actions and perspectives of a minority to represent an entire tradition. In the case of Islam; there has been much recent confusion in the Western world centered on distorted portrayals of its core values. Born of ignorance; such confusion feeds the very problem at hand.In The Heart of Islam one of the great intellectual figures in Islamic history offers a timely presentation of the core spiritual and social values of Islam: peace; compassion; social justice; and respect for the other. Seizing this unique moment in history to reflect on the essence of his tradition; Seyyed Hossein Nasr seeks to "open a spiritual and intellectual space for mutual understanding." Exploring Islamic values in scripture; traditional sources; and history; he also shows their clear counterparts in the Jewish and Christian traditions; revealing the common ground of the Abrahamic faiths.Nasr challenges members of the world's civilizations to stop demonizing others while identifying themselves with pure goodness and to turn instead to a deeper understanding of those shared values that can solve the acute problems facing humanity today. "Muslims must ask themselves what went wrong within their own societies;" he writes; "but the West must also pose the same question about itself . . . whether we are Muslims; Jews; Christians; or even secularists; whether we live in the Islamic world or in the West; we are in need of meaning in our lives; of ethical norms to guide our actions; of a vision that would allow us to live at peace with each other and with the rest of God's creation." Such help; he believes; lies at the heart of every religion and can lead the followers of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism; Christianity; and Islam) as well as other religious and spiritual traditions to a new future of mutual respect and common global purpose.The Heart of Islam is a landmark presentation of enduring value that offers hope to humanity; and a compelling portrait of the beauty and appeal of the faith of 1.2 billion people.