A Spiritual Guide to Fes, Peter Dziedzic and Sam Jaffe
From Ibn Khaldun and Leo Africanus to Ibn al-Arabi and Maimonides, Fes has been home to some of history’s greatest intellectuals and religious figures. Known as the “City of Saints”, Fes has one of the richest spiritual legacies in the Muslim world; it is a landscape dotted with mosques, madrasas and the shrines of countless awliya Allah (friends of God). This book is a practical guide in English for the traveller seeking out these spiritual treasures. Drawing upon Salwat al-Anfās by Shaykh Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar al-Kattānī (1858-1927), it presents a comprehensive compilation of the biographies of the saints. It not only recounts their life stories but provides historical insights, useful tips for visitors and detailed maps, making this resource indispensable for the academic and the spiritual seeker alike.
Educating Children, Abdul Aziz Ahmed
Educating Children is a translation and commentary of Imam Muḥammad al-Ramlī’s classic poem Riyāḍatul Ṣibyān, covering topics on child-rearing such as the importance of good company, etiquette of speech, and cultivating good manners. In this book, Shaykh Abdul Aziz Ahmed offers personal reflections and discussion points for each topic, drawing from his extensive background in Islamic studies and postgraduate research in education and psychology. Blending classical wisdom with contemporary insights, this is an invaluable book for Muslim parents and educators, and shows how traditional Islamic teachings can be used to nurture the moral, intellectual and spiritual development of young children today.
Yassini Girls, Shereen Malherbe
In an ancient house behind stone walls in the Old City of Jerusalem, an unexpected phone call reignites a past Fatima has long buried. Thousands of miles away in the British countryside, a family heirloom buried beneath an attic floor forces Layla to journey into the darkest parts of Palestinian history. Separated by distance and time, the lives of these two women are stitched together in a way neither of them could have imagined. Yassini Girls is a multi-generational novel that explores trauma, belonging, and preserving tradition against all odds to secure our present. Based on the author’s own experiences following a BBC documentary film, Yassini Girls reminds us how our past will always be part of our future. About the author: Shereen Malherbe is a British Palestinian author. She is recognized for her work with various media organisations, where she advocates for authentic Palestinian voices and the preservation of Palestinian heritage. She is the author of four novels and a children’s series, and her short story, The Cypress Tree, has been published in World Literature Today. She has also been nominated for The Palestine Book Awards.
Muslims Don’t Matter, Sayeeda Warsi
Three grandfathers killed on the streets of England in three separate incidents by three different men. Each targeted simply for being Muslim – each attack a consequence of the insidious rise in Islamophobia in Britain. From the far-right violence that broke out in the summer of 2024 to the hatred directed at Muslims in public life during the Gaza conflict, anti-Muslim racism is dangerously out-of-control. Fed by a network of media outlets, think tanks, commentators, and even the entertainment industry, Islamophobia not only passes the dinner table test but is also Britain’s bigotry blind spot. For too many, Muslims Don’t Matter. In this incisive polemic, Britain’s first Muslim Cabinet minister, Conservative peer, campaigner and podcaster Sayeeda Warsi uses her dual experience at the centre of British power and in the heart of our Muslim communities to unapologetically challenge the corrosive consensus. As Muslims terrified by the riots seriously consider whether Britain should still be their home, Warsi urges us to change course, to unite and dismantle this toxic bigotry. Described by Oscar and Emmy awarded actor Riz Ahmed as a book that “ Burns with righteous anger” and by historian and writer David Olusoga as “A vitally important book from a vitally important voice” Warsis fellow podcaster and comedian David Baddiel argues that “ There is no more powerful fighter for the cause that Muslims do, should and must matter than Sayeeda Warsi” Muslims Don’t Matter is a definitive read to understand our times.
A 21st century Master Calligrapher, Mohamed Zakariya
Lavishly illustrated, this collection of essays and images is the first to present a comprehensive overview of the life and work of Mohamed Zakariya, the most important American Islamic calligrapher, told through the words and eyes of the artist himself, scholars, students, and colleagues from the international world of Islamic calligraphy. The book examines links between the world of Ottoman calligraphy and today’s practitioners, Mohamed Zakariya’s place in a global lineage of calligraphers, and his role in shaping the next generation of artists. We are transported into the traditional world of grinding pigments, making and marbling paper and cutting reed pens!
A Portrait of the Prophet As Seen, His Contemporaries, Muhtar Holland
The Kitāb al-Shamāil of at-Tirmidhī (d. 297/892) has provided scholars, spiritual seekers, and more generally all those who love the Prophet with a living portrait of the man described in the Qur’ān as exemplifying the most noble character (Qur’ān 68:4). The Shamā il is a collection of 297 hadith presented under 55 chapter headings specifically dealing with the personal life of the Prophet Muhammad as seen by his contemporaries. “The subject matter [dealt with in this science] is the distinguishing exalted spiritual states and the noble comportment of the Prophet; his clothing and his sustenance, his sleep and his waking states, and other related topics, it is the science of the “beautiful qualities” (Shamā’il).”
The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine, Rashid Khalidi
The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi details the century-long war against Palestinian existence and rights by the Zionist movement. Khalidi starts with the 1917 Balfour Declaration, where Britain lay the foundation for the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine. The ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians through key moments like the 1948 Nakba, the 1967 Six-Day War, and the 1990s peace processes are examined through the lens of colonialism and resistance. Khalidi critiques the role of Western powers, especially the U.S., in perpetuating Palestinian dispossession, while highlighting Palestinian resistance and survival.
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Ilan Pappé
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Ilan Pappé shows that the establishment of Israel involved a systematic and deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian population. Drawing on newly declassified Israeli documents, Pappé asserts that Zionist leaders, including David Ben-Gurion, implemented Plan Dalet, which aimed to expel hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes to create a Jewish-majority state. The book describes how villages were destroyed, civilians were massacred, and many were forced into exile. Pappé establishes that this process constituted ethnic cleansing under international law and laid the foundation for the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His work challenges traditional Israeli narratives, offering a critical perspective on the founding of Israel and the Nakba (“catastrophe”) experienced by Palestinians.
1000 Pearls of Wisdom from the Prophet ﷺ
A collection of 1000 hadiths, more than 900 of which are unique, consisting of two to five words each, including Arabic, transliteration & translation. The status of speech is commensurate with the status of its speaker. Aside from the Qur’an, there is simply no better source of wisdom, law, spirituality, and impeccable Arabic than the words of the Best of Creation ﷺ. Published by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre – https://rissc.jo/
Compositions of the Companions
This is a translated collection of verse that: (1) was composed by Companions, (2) in praise of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and (3) recited before him ﷺ. Historical & biographical works, as well as collections of early poetry, do not have the same authenticity standards as Hadith. One of the best collections of Revelation-era poetry, Ibn Sayyid al-Nās’s Minaḥ al-Midaḥ, was used as a primary reference in the preparation of this volume. Published by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre – https://rissc.jo/
The Book of Illuminations
Historically, there has been a longstanding tension among conscientious Muslims, with those of scholarly persuasion on one side, and those who focused on devotion and religious experience on the other. This has been intensified by scientific materialism and modern education. In this book, Dr Mukhtar Mohsen Muhammad closes the gap of understanding by explaining the more mystical, and mystifying, aspects of Sufism, spiritual illuminations, from the perspective of Sunni orthodoxy and Sufi sheikhs. Published by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre – https://rissc.jo/
The Fate of Abraham: Why the West is Wrong about Islam
By Peter Oborne In The Fate of Abraham: Why the West is Wrong About Islam, journalist Peter Oborne challenges Western misconceptions about Islam and Muslim communities, tracing the roots of Islamophobia in modern politics, media, and security practices. He argues that Muslims have been unfairly demonized post-9/11, while exploring how governments have used counter-terrorism measures to marginalize Muslim populations. Through research and narratives, Oborne exposes the political and social agendas fueling anti-Islam sentiment, and calls for a more informed, empathetic understanding of Islam in the West. The book encourages readers to critically rethink prevailing narratives around Islam.
Al-Ghazali: The Banes of the Tongue (Book 24 of The Revival of the Religious Sciences) (Fons Vitae books)
While the misuse of the gift of speech is not something new (as this work, composed nearly 950 years ago, amply shows), it is, perhaps, more critical now than ever before. In this age of internet-based communication, we can project anything that comes to mind, both positive and negative, in just a nanosecond. Yet the results of that split-second decision can continue almost indefinitely, causing both harm and regret. Thus, the Banes of the Tongue is highly relevant for our times. In the Banes of the Tongue (Kitāb āfāt al-lisān), book 24 of Imām al-Ghazālī’s 40-volume magnum opus, the Revival of the Religious Sciences (Iḥyāʾ ʿulūm al-dīn), al-Ghazālī divides up the banes, or defects, of the tongue from the least to the most offensive, into twenty chapters. These include seemingly mundane acts, such as speaking about what is not our concern, superfluous chatter, pretentious speech, to more serious defects, such as using obscene words, cursing, ridiculing others, making false promises, lying, gossip, and backbiting (even with gestures and looks). Al-Ghazālī carefully defines each defect and analyzes both its psychological and spiritual dimensions. He offers examples of how these banes manifest themselves in behavior, highlighting their effects on others, while outlining the consequences for the soul. Finally, he offers practical suggestions for eliminating these banes, and stresses the devastating nature of their consequences, both in this life and in the next.