T. J. Winter

My first time reading a book of a collection of essays and I suspect I've been quite spoilt by the Shaykh's eloquent and erudite writing. There was a lot I had to ponder over and re-think reading these essays. I will need to re-read the book for sure with a more analytically minded approach but I have certainly already derived a great deal of benefit.

The most memorable chapters for me were of: British Muslim identity (belongingness of Muslims in Europe in general), the Shaykh's critique of certain extreme 'Tanfiri' groups (literally 'to turn away') outside of mainstream Traditional Islam, Zakat (and finance in general) in the modern age, Islamic studies in the West etc. There's plenty more but I need time to digest them.

There is a particular quality about the Shayk's writing in that while he outlines the dire nature of certain things, he always ends up making you feel quite optimistic somehow. It's probably that I haven't read much current scholars' works but I really appreciated this.

May God grant the Shaykh much success and rewards for his efforts!
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Understanding Islam and the Muslims by T. J. Winter. Epiphany library section 7 A: The Church in the World: World Religions. This book was written after 9/11, probably as a response to anti-Muslim prejudice. It covers Muslim beliefs; Muhammad; the Qur’an; how Islam views Christ, Christianity, and Judaism; and attitudes toward women, children and families. The second part of the book is “Islam and World Peace.”This section discusses the Qur’anic concept of peace, the true meaning of jihad, how non-Muslims are treated in Muslim states, and Muslims’ hopes for the new millennium.
This book is clear about mainstream Muslim views, and is definitely trying to point out that terrorism has no place in the lives of devout Muslims. It is lavishly illustrated with color photos of illuminated Qur’anic manuscripts which are lovely, and photos of mosques and holy places. But the photos that most fascinated me were the portraits of people of all walks of life in countries all over the world – Indonesia, Egypt, America, Mali, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan. Their faces, headcoverings and clothing are colorful, modest, and so different from culture to culture. This book puts Islam in a positive light and gives us a very clear idea of what peaceful Muslims believe, and how they go about living.… (more)