The Middle Ages were a period of tremendous cultural and scientific advancement in the Islamic Empire—ideas and inventions that shaped our world. Did you know that: • The numbers you use every day (Arabic numerals!) are a Muslim invention? • The marching band you hear at football games has its roots in the Middle East? • You are drinking orange juice at breakfast today thanks to Islamic farming innovations? • The modern city's skyline was made possible by Islamic architecture? The Muslim world has often been a bridge between East and West, but many of Islam's crucial innovations are hidden within the folds of history. In this important book, Bryn Barnard uses short, engaging text and gorgeous full-color artwork to bring Islam's contributions gloriously to life. Chockful of information and pictures, and eminently browsable, The Genius of Islam is the definitive guide to a fascinating topic.

Across the Islamic world, illuminating Korans from Morocco to Malaysia, and adorning mosques, mausoleums and palaces, are hidden some of the most exquisite geometrical devices ever conceived by man. In this excellent little book, geometer Daud Sutton unravels the mystery of Islamic patterns, explaining where they come from, how to draw them, and hinting at the Divine messages they encode. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "e;Fascinating"e; FINANCIAL TIMES. "e;Beautiful"e; LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "e;Rich and Artful"e; THE LANCET. "e;Genuinely mind-expanding"e; FORTEAN TIMES. "e;Excellent"e; NEW SCIENTIST. "e;Stunning"e; NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.

This is the first book to present the life, times and poetry of one of the greatest poets in the Arab tradition, Abu Nuwas. Author Philip Kennedy provides the narrative of Abu Nuwas's fascinating life, which was full of intrigue and debauched adventure, in parallel with the presentation of his greatest poems, across all genres, in easy and accessible translations, giving commentary where needed.

Translation of an Arabic work extolling the person and mission of Jesus.

Although the biography of Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH), has been the subject of many studies, books, references, and commentaries, the book written in Arabic by the Author, Abbas Mahmoud Al-Akkad, remains unique in the way it has addressed the personality of the Prophet (PBUH), producing such an elegant thesis. This book is not a mere citation of the acts and traditions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); rather, Al-Akkad opted to dive deeply into the traits and attributes underlying the Prophet's legacy as a manifestation of his genius, still as a human being. According to Al-Akkad, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had naturally practiced all facets of genius and greatness, because he was gifted by the talents that had made him the best preacher, politician, manager, warier, friend, and father. The Author illustrated how the Prophet (PBUH) had such lively heart, soul, and conscience that enabled him to register the irrefutable genius in every creation around him, subtle or obvious, from the air lifting of a single grain of sand to the ever-glowing sun and moon. It was such lively elements instilled in the Prophet that prepared him for the divine call and enabled him to endure the struggle associated with receiving the 'heavy' message and delivering it successfully to all mankind. And in the way the Prophet reflected upon the genius of all creations around us is a strong message to every human being to search, ponder, and listen to the wonders of Allah's creation. The Author succeeded in presenting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a human being whose human nature made him appreciative of people's weaknesses, needs, and aspirations, while catering for these astonishingly during his delivery of the message of Islam. Al-Akkad proved how the Prophet (PBUH) persisted and persevered in his call to make it a success despite all the odds, barriers, and challenges; a message to be emulated by every individual who has goals to pursue and achieve in this life and in the hereafter. The Author also showed that during only 23 years, the duration of Prophet Muhammad's mission, the world has changed forever; thanks to this one single man. Yet this change would have never been possible without the special qualities that were inculcated in the Prophet. It is these qualities that every person should strive to acquire and act upon, notwithstanding the divine preparation that qualified Prophet Muhammad for the most serious mission in history. In the course of guidance and aspiration to mankind, the way the Author presented the genius traits of the Prophet (PBUH) inspires individuals to strive for nobility and justice, societies to aim for reforms and prosperity, and nations to establish and maintain order and peace. Finally, the book shows how the Prophet (PBUH) spent all his life expending his skills, talents, and genius for the benefit of mankind, entertaining none of life's glamour; a fact that characterized all prophets before him. But in return, people will always celebrate his contribution to mankind until the end of time. Dr. Mostafa Ismail

Islam has been one of the most powerful religious, social and political forces in history. Over the last 1400 years, from origins in Arabia, a succession of Muslim polities and later empires expanded to control territories and peoples that ultimately stretched from southern France to East Africa and South East Asia. Yet many of the contributions of Muslim thinkers, scientists and theologians, not to mention rulers, statesmen and soldiers, have been occluded. This book rescues from oblivion and neglect some of these personalities and institutions while offering the reader a new narrative of this lost Islamic history. The Umayyads, Abbasids, and Ottomans feature in the story, as do Muslim Spain, the savannah kingdoms of West Africa and the Mughal Empire, along with the later European colonization of Muslim lands and the development of modern nation-states in the Muslim world. Throughout, the impact of Islamic belief on scientific advancement, social structures, and cultural development is given due prominence, and the text is complemented by portraits of key personalities, inventions and little known historical nuggets. The history of Islam and of the world's Muslims brings together diverse peoples, geographies and states, all interwoven into one narrative that begins with Muhammad and continues to this day.

A collection of short stories, poems and activities that examines the world through the eyes of Muslim children.