Free EBooks and Texts - Islam

About Islam

Islam (Arabic: الإسلام‎, al-ʾIslām) is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: الله‎ Allāh) and by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of Hadith) of Muhammad, considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim.

Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and the purpose of existence is to love and serve God. Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed at many times and places before, including through Abraham, Moses and Jesus, whom they consider prophets. They maintain that the previous messages and revelations have been partially misinterpreted or altered over time, but consider the Arabic Qur'an to be both the unaltered and the final revelation of God. Religious concepts and practices include the five pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of worship, and following Islamic law, which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, providing guidance on multifarious topics from banking and welfare, to warfare and the environment.

Most Muslims are of two denominations, Sunni (75–90%), or Shia (10–20%). About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country, 25% in South Asia, 20% in the Middle East, and 15% in Sub-saharan Africa Sizable minorities are also found in Europe, China, Russia, and the Americas. Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world (see Islam by country). With about 1.57 billion followers or 23% of earth's population, Islam is the second-largest religion and one of the fastest-growing religions in the world

The Islamic holy books are the records which most Muslims believe were dictated by God to various prophets. Muslims believe that parts of the previously revealed scriptures, the Tawrat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospels), had become distorted—either in interpretation, in text, or both. The Qur'an (literally, “Reading” or “Recitation”) is viewed by Muslims as the final revelation and literal word of God and is widely regarded as the finest piece of literature work in the Arabic language.

Muslims believe that the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad by God through the archangel Gabriel (Jibrīl) on many occasions between 610 CE until his death on June 8, 632 CE. While Muhammad was alive, all of these revelations were written down by his companions (sahabah), although the prime method of transmission was orally through memorization.

The Qur'an is divided into 114 suras, or chapters, which combined, contain 6,236 āyāt, or verses. The chronologically earlier suras, revealed at Mecca, are primarily concerned with ethical and spiritual topics. The later Medinan suras mostly discuss social and moral issues relevant to the Muslim community. The Qur'an is more concerned with moral guidance than legal instruction, and is considered the "sourcebook of Islamic principles and values". Muslim jurists consult the hadith, or the written record of Prophet Muhammad's life, to both supplement the Qur'an and assist with its interpretation. The science of Qur'anic commentary and exegesis is known as tafsir. Rules governing proper pronunciation is called tajwid.

Muslims usually view "the Qur'an" as the original scripture as revealed in Arabic and that any translations are necessarily deficient, which are regarded only as commentaries on the Qur'an. ^1*

E-texts Islam

A Restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims, CE 570 to 661 by Ali Asgher Razwy

Putting Islam to Work: Education, Politics, and Religious Transformation in Egypt by Gregory Starrett

Making Muslim Space in North America and Europe, ed. by Barbara Daly Metcalf

The Message by Jafar Subhani

Fatima the Gracious by Abu Muhammad Ordoni

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, The Author of the Risale-i Nur by Sukran Vahide

The Qur'an, trans. by M.H. Shakir

The Qur'an, trans. by Edward Henry Palmer

The Qur'an (in many languages and translations, with commentary)

The Qur'an (1909), trans. by John Medows Rodwell

Trends of History in Qur'an by Muhammad Baqir Sadr

A Short History of 'Ilmul Usul by Muhammad Baqir Sadr

The Flashes Collection by Said Nursi

The Qur'an in Islam: Its Impact and Influence on the Life of Muslims by Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i

Master and Mastership by Murtaza Mutahhari

Sahih Bukhari by Muhammad ibn Ismail Bukhari, trans. by M. Muhsin Khan

A Manual of Hadith by Muhammad Ali

Forty Hadith: An Exposition on 40 ahadith narrated through the Prophet [s] and his Ahl al-Bayt [a] by Ruhollah Khomeini, trans. by Mahliqa Qara'i and Ali Quli Qara'i

Jurisprudence and Its Principles by Murtaza Mutahhari, ed. by Laleh Bakhtiar, trans. by Salman Tawhidi

Fiqh and Fuqaha: An Introduction to Fiqh Containing Forty Four Life Sketches of the Great Past Masters

A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam by I. A. Ibrahim

Finality of Prophethood by Syed Abul 'Ala Maudoodi

Spiritual Discourses by Murtaza Mutahhari, ed. by Salman Tawhidi, trans. by Aluddin Pazargadi

Our Philosophy by Muhammad Baqir Sadr, trans. by Shams Constantine Inati

Ask Those Who Know by Muhammad Tijani Samawi

Mishkat Al-Anwar (The Niche for Lights) by Ghazzali, trans. by William Henry Temple Gairdner

The Revealer, The Messenger, The Message by Muhammad Baqir Sadr, trans. by Mahmoud M. Ayoub

Finality of Prophethood by Syed Abul 'Ala Maudoodi

Seal of the Prophets and His Message: Lessons on Islamic Doctrine by Mujtaba Musavi Lari, trans. by Hamid Algar

The Alcoran of Mahomet, Translated Out of Arabique into French (earliest known English translation of the Qur'an, from Du Ryer's French; with a life of Mohammed, and a closing essay by Ross; 1649), trans. by André Du Ryer, contrib. by Alexander Ross (multiple formats at archive.org)

A Glance at the Life of the Holy Prophet of Islam, trans. by N. Tawheedi (frame-dependent HTML at al-islam.org)

The Qur’an, trans. by Edward Henry Palmer (HTML at sacred-texts.com)

The Qur’an, trans. by M.H. Shakir (text files at CMU)

The Qur’an (in many languages and translations, with commentary) (multiple formats at islam.org)

The Qur’an (1909), trans. by John Medows Rodwell (Gutenberg text; unofficial until 30 Sep 2001)

Trends of History in Qur’an by Muhammad Baqir Sadr (frame-dependent HTML at al-islam.org)

Is Muhammad Foretold in the Bible?, by John Gilchrist (HTML at answering-islam.org)

The Life of Mahomet, by William Muir volume I: HTML at answering-islam.org, volume II: HTML at answering-islam.org, volume III: HTML at answering-islam.org, volume IV: HTML at answering-islam.org

The Life of Mohammed: Founder of the Religion of Islam, and of the Empire of the Saracens (Harper's stereotype edition; New York: J. and J. Harper; 1831), by George Bush (multiple formats at archive.org)

The Life of Mohammed: Founder of the Religion of Islam, and of the Empire of the Saracens (Harper's stereotype edition; New York: J. and J. Harper; 1832), by George Bush (multiple formats at archive.org)

The Life of Mohammed: Founder of the Religion of Islam, and of the Empire of the Saracens (Harper's stereotype edition; New York: J. and J. Harper; 1833), by George Bush (multiple formats at archive.org)

The Life of Mohammed: Founder of the Religion of Islam, and of the Empire of the Saracens (New York: A. L. Fowle, 1900), by George Bush (multiple formats at archive.org)

The Life of Muhammad the Prophet, by Akhtar Rizvi (frame-dependent HTML at al-islam.org)

Mahomet, Founder of Islam, by Gladys M. Draycott (Gutenberg text and illustrated HTML)

A Restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims, CE 570 to 661, by Ali Asgher Razwy (frame-dependent HTML at al-islam.org)

Seal of the Prophets and His Message: Lessons on Islamic Doctrine, by Mujtaba Musavi Lari, trans. by Hamid Algar (frame-dependent HTML at al-islam.org)

Is Muhammad Foretold in the Bible? by John Gilchrist

What the Bible Says About Mohammed, by Ahmed Deedat (HTML at islamworld.net)

Resurrection Judgement and the Hereafter: Lessons on Islamic Doctrine by Mujtaba Musavi Lari, trans. by Hamid Algar

Al-Imam al-Mahdi: The Just Leader of Humanity by Ibrahim Amini, trans. by Abdulaziz Sachedina

The Awaited Saviour by Muhammad Baqir Sadr and Murtaza Mutahhari

Imamate (The Vicegerency of the Prophet) by Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi

Christ in Islam by Ahmed Deedat

Muhummed The Natural Successor To Christ [deedat].pdf - Sheikh Ahmed Deedat

THE GOD THAT NEVER WAS.PDF - Sheikh Ahmed Deedat

Is The Bible Gods Word [deedat].pdf - Sheikh Ahmed Deedat

Jesus Christ in Islam by Sheikh Ahmed Deedat. - Sheikh Ahmed Deedat

Crucifixion Or Cruci-fiction [deedat].pdf - Sheikh Ahmed Deedat

Arab & Israel Conflict or Conciliation? by Sheikh Ahmed Deedat. - Sheikh Ahmed Deedat  

Al-Quran the Miracle of Miracles by Sheikh Ahmed Deedat. - Sheikh Ahmed Deedat

Can you Stomach the Best of Rushdie? by Sheikh Ahmed Deedat. - Sheikh Ahmed Deedat

what was the sign of jonah [deedt}.pdf - Sheikh Ahmed Deedat

The Ritual and Spiritual Purity by Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi

Hajj (The Pilgrimage) by Ali Shariati, trans. by Ali A. Behzadnia and Najla Denny

Discourses of Rumi by Maulana Jalal al-Din Rumi, trans. by A. J. Arberry -Table of Contents

The Psalms of Islam (As-Sahifa al-Kamilah al-Sajjadiyya) by Zayn al-'Abidin 'Ali ibn al-Husayn

Light Within Me by Murtaza Mutahhari, Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, and Ruhollah Khomeini

Aswaf al Ashraf: The Attributes of the Noble by Nasir al Din al Tusi

The Letters Epistles on Islamic Thought, Belief, and Life by Said Nursi

Marriage and Morals in Islam by Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi

The Shi'ah Are (the real) Ahl al-Sunnah by Muhammad Tijani Samawi, trans. by Yasin T. al-Jibouri

Nahjul Balagha by Muhammad ibn al-Husayn Sharif al-Radi

The Revolution of al-Husayn: Its Impact on the Consciousness of Muslim Society by Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din, trans. by I. K. A. Howard

Imam Husain and His Martyrdom by Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A Probe into the History of Ashura by Ibrahim Ayati

Al-Amali: The Dictations of Sheikh al-Mufid by Muhammad ibn Muammad Mufid, trans. by Asgharali M. M. Jaffer

A Bundle of Flowers from the Garden of Traditions of the Prophet & Ahlul-Bayt, ed. by Kamal Faghih Imani, trans. by Abbas Sadr-ameli

A Shi'ite Anthology, ed. by Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, trans. by William C. Chittick

Inquiries About Islam (1986 edition) by Mohamad Jawad Chirri

Then I Was Guided by Muhammad Tijani Samawi

Al-Muraja'at: A Shi'i-Sunni Dialogue by Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din

The Shi'ites Under Attack by Mohamad Jawad Chirri

Peshawar Nights by Muhammad Sultan al-Vaizin Shirazi

The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam by Ghulam Ahmad