Information Abut Islam

Muslim Social Services Kitchener Waterloo Home About Us Our Programs Events Resources Support Us Blog Contact Us DONATE Search … General Information on Islam and Muslims A short bibliography on Islam and Muslims The Glorious Quran by Mohammad M. Pickthall The first English translation of the Qur’an by an Englishman who is a Muslim, the aim of The Glorious Qur’an is to present to English readers what Muslims the world over hold to be the meaning of the words of the Qur’an. Concisely and in worthy language, with a view to the requirements of English Muslims, the Book is rendered almost literally and every effort has been made to choose befitting language. Fully indexed, the original Arabic accompanies the English translation and commentaries. The meaning of the Holy Quran By Abdullah Yusuf Ali The Qur’an is the central religious verbal text of Islam and the book of divine guidance and direction for mankind. This translation by Yusuf Ali includes commentary that explains the context of individual verses. The sublime Quran by Laleh Bakhtiar (first woman to translate the Quran in English), 2009 The Concordance of the Sublime Quran serves the need of those who do not know the Arabic language, but want to understand the Quran. This work is a translation and transliteration of the Arabic Concordance known as al-Mujim al-mufahris showing the semantic structure of the Arabic three and four letter roots and their derivatives. Islam Today: A short introduction to the Muslim World By Akbar S. Ahmed, 1999. Although there are over one billion Muslims in the world, and over ten million in the West, most discussions of Islam are based on clichés or outright prejudice. This lively and compelling book sets out to bridge the gulf of misunderstanding. Islam, argues Akbar Ahmed, does not mean the subordination of women, contempt for other religions, opposition to the modern world, or barbaric punishments for petty crimes. One cannot fully come to terms with modern Islam without understanding its sources and traditions. Being Muslim: By Haroon Siddiqui, 2006 Being Muslimpresents an up-front and readable explanation of the most complex and emotion-laden issues of our troubled times. The varying branches of Islam are analyzed and their history outlined — but the focus is on the present. In speaking about and crossing political, cultural and religious divisions, this book offers a unique perspective, forged in Canada, a country where people from everywhere on earth have found a way to live in peace. Terrorism. Wars. Jihad. Hijab. Polygamy. Muhammad’s many wives. Muslim prayer. Female circumcision. Honor killings. Sharia. Stoning. Status of Muslim women. All these topics and more are tackled in this fascinating and informative book. Islam: The straight Path By John Esposito, 2004 Now in a new edition, this exceptionally successful survey text introduces the faith, belief, and practice of Islam from its earliest origins up to its contemporary resurgence. John L. Esposito, an internationally renowned expert on Islam, traces the development of this dynamic faith and its impact on world history and politics. Lucidly written and expansive in scope, Islam: The Straight Path, Fourth Edition, provides keen insight into one of the world’s least understood religions. It is ideally suited for use in courses on Islam, comparative religions, and Middle Eastern history What everyone needs to know about Islam By John Esposito, 2002. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, there has been an overwhelming demand for information about Islam, and recent events – the war in Iraq, terrorist attacks both failed and successful, debates throughout Europe over Islamic dress, and many others – have raised new questions in the minds of policymakers and the general public. This newly updated editionof What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam is the best single source for clearly presented, objective information about these new developments, and for answers to questions about the origin and traditions of Islam. Editor of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Modern Islam and The Oxford History of Islam, and author of The Future of Islam and many other acclaimed works, John L. Esposito is one of America’s leading authorities on Islam. This brief and readable book remains the first place to look for up-to-date information on the faith, customs, and political beliefs of the more than one billion people who call themselves Muslims. Unholy War: Terror in the name of Islam By John Esposito, 2003. The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon left us stunned, angry, and uncomprehending. As it became clear that these horrifying acts had been committed in the name of religion, the media, the government, and ordinary citizens alike sought answers to questions about Islam and its adherents. In this level-headed and authoritative book, John L. Esposito, one of the world’s most respected scholars of political Islam, provides answers. He clearly and carefully explains the teachings of Islam–the Quran, the example of the Prophet, Islamic law–about jihad or holy war, the use of violence, and terrorism. He chronicles the rise of extremist groups and examines their frightening worldview and tactics. Anti-Americanism (and anti-Europeanism), he shows, is a broad-based phenomenon that cuts across Arab and Muslim societies. It is not just driven by religious zealotry, but by frustration and anger at U.S. policy. It is vital to understand, however, that the vast majority of Muslims are appalled by the acts of violence committed in the name of their faith. It is essential that we distinguish between the religion of Islam and the actions of extremists like Osama bin Laden, who hijack Islamic discourse and belief to justify their acts of terrorism. This brief, clear-sighted book reflects twenty years of study, reflection, and experience on the part of a scholar who is equally respected in the West and in the Muslim world. It will prove to be the best single guide to the urgent questions that have recently forced themselves on the attention of the entire world. The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality, By John Esposito, 1999 Are Islam and the West on a collision course? From the Ayatollah Khomeini to Saddam Hussein, the image of Islam as a militant, expansionist, and rabidly anti-American religion has gripped the minds of Western governments and media. But these perceptions, John L. Esposito writes, stem from a long history of mutual distrust, criticism, and condemnation, and are far too simplistic to help us understand one of the most important political issues of our time. In this new edition of The IslamicThreat: Myth or Reality?, Esposito places the challenge of Islam in critical perspective. Exploring the vitality of this religion as a global force and the history of its relations with the West, Esposito demonstrates the diversity of the Islamic resurgence – and the mistakes our analysts make in assuming a hostile, monolithic Islam. This third edition has been expanded to include new material on current affairs in Turkey, Afghanistan, Palestine, and Southeast Asia, as well as a discussion of international terrorism. Islam: A short History, By Karen Armstrong, 2002 No religion in the modern world is as feared and misunderstood as Islam. It haunts the popular imagination as an extreme faith that promotes terrorism, authoritarian government, female oppression, and civil war. In a vital revision of this narrow view of Islam and a distillation of years of thinking and writing about the subject, Karen Armstrong’s short history demonstrates that the world’s fastest-growing faith is a much more complex phenomenon than its modern fundamentalist strain might suggest. Muhammad: A Prophet of our time, By Karen Armstrong, 2006. The Man Who Inspired the World’s Fastest-Growing Religion Muhammadpresents a fascinating portrait of the founder of a religion that continues to change the course of world history. Muhammad’s story is more relevant than ever because it offers crucial insight into the true origins of an increasingly radicalized Islam. Countering those who dismiss Islam as fanatical and violent, Armstrong offers a clear, accessible, and balanced portrait of the central figure of one of the world’s great religions. Silent no more: Confronting America’s false images of Islam By Paul Findley, 2001. In his recently released book Silent No More: Confronting America’s False Images of Islam, Paul Findley, a 22-year veteran of Congress, chronicles his long, far-flung trail of discovery through the World Of Islam: the false stereotypes that linger in the minds of the American people, the corrective actions that the leaders of America’s seven million Muslims are undertaking, and the community’s remarkable progress in mainstream politics. Islam denounces terrorism: Harun Yahya, 2002. One of the unfortunate effects of 9/11 was the misperception that terrorism has divine approval in Islam. Islam Denounces Terrorism thoroughly debunks this notion by looking at both the Qur’an and the historical record. With extensive color illustrations, the book covers such timely topics as Islamic morality, how the Qur’an views war, the real face of the terrorists who act in the name of religions, and much more. Western Muslims and the future of Islam, By Tariq Ramadan, 2005 In a Western world suddenly acutely interested in Islam, one question has been repeatedly heard above the din: where are the Muslim reformers? With this ambitious volume, Tariq Ramadan firmly establishes himself as one of Europe’s leading thinkers and one of Islam’s most innovative and important voices. As the number of Muslims living in the West grows, the question of what it means to be a Western Muslim becomes increasingly important to the futures of both Islam and the West. While themedia are focused on radical Islam, Ramadan claims, a silent revolution is sweeping Islamic communities in the West, as Muslims actively seek ways to live in harmony with their faith within a Western context. French, English, German, and American Muslims–women as well as men–are reshaping their religion into one that is faithful to the principles of Islam, dressed in European and American cultures, and definitively rooted in Western societies. Ramadan’s goal is to create an independent Western Islam, anchored not in the traditions of Islamic countries but in the cultural reality of the West. He begins by offering a fresh reading of Islamic sources, interpreting them for a Western context and demonstrating how a new understanding of universal Islamic principles can open the door to integration into Western societies. He then shows how these principles can be put to practical use. Ramadan contends that Muslims can-indeed must-be faithful to their principles while participating fullyin the civic life of Western secular societies. Grounded in scholarship and bold in its aims, Western Muslims and the Future of Islam offers a striking vision of a new Muslim Identity, one which rejects once and for all the idea that Islam must be defined in opposition to the West. In the footprints of the Prophet: Lessons form the life of Muhammad By Tariq Ramadan, 2007. Named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most important innovators of the century, Tariq Ramadan is a leading Muslim scholar, with a large following especially among young European and American Muslims. Now, in his first book written for a wide audience, he offers a marvelous biography of the Prophet Muhammad, one that highlights the spiritual and ethical teachings of one of the most influential figures in human history. Here is a fresh and perceptive look at Muhammad, capturing a lifethat was often eventful, gripping, and highly charged. Ramadan provides both an intimate portrait of a man who was shy, kind, but determined, as well as a dramatic chronicle of a leader who launched a great religion and inspired a vast empire. More important, Ramadan presents the main events of the Prophet’s life in a way that highlights his spiritual and ethical teachings. The book underscores the significance of the Prophet’s example for some of today’s most controversial issues, such as thetreatment of the poor, the role of women, Islamic criminal punishments, war, racism, and relations with other religions. Selecting those facts and stories from which we can draw a profound and vivid spiritual picture, the author asks how can the Prophet’s life remain – or become again – an example, a model, and an inspiration? And how can Muslims move from formalism – a fixation on ritual – toward a committed spiritual and social presence? In this thoughtful and engaging biography, Ramadan offers Muslims a new understanding of Muhammad’s life and he introduces non-Muslims not just to the story of the Prophet, but to the spiritual and ethical riches of Islam. The principles of state and government in Islam, By Muhammad Asad, 1961. Although the Muslims are for the most part imbued with enthusiasm for the idea of a truly Islamic state – that is, a state based not on the concepts of nationality and race but solely on the ideology of the Qur’an and Sunnah, they have as yet not realized a concrete vision of this form of government embodying a distinctly Islamic character. The very fact that none of the existing Muslim countries has so far achieved a form of government that could be termed genuinely Islamic, makes a discussion of the principle which ought to underlie the constitution of Islamic state imperative. By surveying nearly fourteen hundred years-beginning with the “Hijra,” the formal origin of the Islamic calendar-this book demonstrates how manifold forms of the Islamic state may emerge from Islamic foundations, and how, essentially, any state that emerges, to be truly Islamic, must incorporate the doctrine of government by consent and counsel. Inner dimensions of Islamic worship, By Al-Ghazali and translated by Muhtar Holland, 1983. In this book readers are led on a powerful and inspiring journey through the inner dimensions of a range of Islamic acts, including prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage.Consisting of a selection of writings by a great figure in Islamic history, Imam al-Ghazali, this book helps readers realize the benefits of the upliftment of their spiritual, social, and moral qualities. The Life of Muhammad By: Muhammad Husayn Haykal, translated by Ismail Ragi Al-Faruqi, 1976. A well-received translation from Arabic, of a classic that was written after examining all the extant Arabic sources on the biography of the Prophet (pbuh), resulting in a work that stands up solidly against modern historical critical methodology. This biography of the Prophet Muhammad is the first written by a contemporary Muslim scholar. It includes complete coverage of the Prophet’s life, a detailed analysis of pre-Islamic Arabia, the situational context of revelation and a comparative study of the basics of Islamic and western civilizations. And Muhammad is His Messenger: the veneration of the Prophet in Islamic piety, By Anne Marie Schimmel, 1985. The important role of the Prophet Muhammad in the everyday lives of Muslims is usually overlooked by Western scholars and has consequently never been understood by the Western world. Using original sources in the various Islamic languages, Annemarie Schimmel explains the central place of Muhammad in Muslim life, mystical thought, and poetry. She sees the veneration of Muhammad as having many parallels in other major religions. In order to understand Muslim piety it is necessary to take into account the long history of the veneration of Muhammad. Schimmel discusses aspects of his life, birth, marriage, miracles, and heavenly journey, all of which became subjects for religious devotions. By using poetic texts and artistic expressions and by examining daily Muslim religious practices, Schimmel shows us the gentler side of Islamic religious culture, providing a much-needed understanding of religion as it is experienced and practiced in the Islamic world. Mystical Dimensions of Islam, By Anne Marie Scimmel. 1978. Thirty-five years after its original publication, Mystical Dimensions of Islamstill stands as the most valuable introduction to Sufism, the main form of Islamic mysticism. This edition brings to a new generation of readers Annemarie Schimmel’s historical treatment of the transnational phenomenon of Sufism, from its beginnings through the nineteenth century. Schimmel’s sensitivity and deep understanding of Sufism–its origins, development, and historical context–as well as her erudite examination of Sufism as reflected in Islamic poetry, draw readers into the mood, the vision, and the way of the Sufi. In the foreword, distinguished Islam scholar Carl W. Ernst comments on the continuing vitality of Schimmel’s book and the advances in the study of Sufism that have occurred since the work first appeared. My soul is a woman: The feminine in Islam, By Annemarie Schimmel, 2002 An internationally acclaimed scholar, who has dedicated more than fifty years of her life to understanding the Islamic world.Annemarie Schimmel examines a much-misunderstood feature of Islam: the role of women. Schimmel is critical of those–especially Western feminists–who take Islam to task without taking the time to comprehend the cultures, language, and traditions of the many societies in which Islam is the majority religion.Shattering stereotypes, Schimmel reconstructs an important but little-known chapter of Islamic spirituality. With copius examples, she shows the clear equality of women and meni nthe conception of the Prophet Muhammad, the Quran, the feminine language of the mystical tradition, and the role of holy mothers and unmarried women as manifestations of God.This work is studded with luminous texts from Arabic, Turkish, Persian, and particularly Indo-Muslim cultures, which reveal how physical love can give expression to the highest forms of mysticism. The vision of Islam, By Sachiko Murata and William Chittick, 1996. An exploration of the fundamental beliefs of Islam which covers the faith’s four dimensions: practice, faith, spirituality and the Islamic view of history, as outlined in the Hadith of Gabriel. Interweaves teachings from the Quran, the sayings of the Prophet and the great authorities of Islam. The Tao of Islam: A sourcebook on gender relationships in Islamic Thought, By Sachiko Murata, 1992. The Tao of Islam is a rich and diverse anthology of Islamic teachings on the nature of the relationships between God and the world, the world and the human being, and the human being and God. Focusing on gender symbolism, Sachiko Murata shows that Muslim authors frequently analyze the divine reality and its connections with the cosmic and human domains with a view toward a complementarity or polarity of principles that is analogous to the Chinese idea of yin/yang. 101- Questions and answers on Islam, By John Renard,( a Catholic Priest), 2004. This informative, clear, and accessible guide offers information and knowledge about the Islamic religion. Organized in a question and answer format, this book gives the reader a better understanding of Islam through education. Where and when did Islam come into being? What sort of book is the Koran? What basic views do Muslims hold on human rights? Covering Islam: How the media and the experts determine how we see the rest of the world, By Edward W. Said, 1997. From the Iranian hostage crisis through the Gulf War and the bombing of the World Trade Center, the American news media have portrayed “Islam” as a monolithic entity, synonymous with terrorism and religious hysteria. In this classic work, now updated, the author of Culture and Imperialism reveals the hidden agendas and distortions of fact that underlie even the most “objective” coverage of the Islamic world. The Heart of Islam: enduring values for humanity By Seyyed Hossain Nasr, 2004. In The Heart of Islamone 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. The face behind the veil: The extraordinary lives of Muslim women in America By Donna Gehrke-White, 2006 For years, the image of the Muslim woman in America has been shrouded in secrecy, as mysterious as the face behind the veil. In this timely and moving book, journalist Donna Gehrke-White provides a rare, revealing look into the hearts, minds, and everyday lives of Muslim women in America and opens a window on a culture as diverse as it is misunderstood. “The Face Behind the Veil” is an insightful chronicle of identity and faith, a celebration of women who are changing the face of America and Islam. Rethinking Muslim women and the veil: Challenging historical and modern stereotypes, By Katherine Bullock, 2002. A powerful critique of the popular western notion that the veil is a symbol of Muslim women’s oppression. In postulating a positive theory of the hijâb, the author challenges with great sophistication both the commonly held view of Muslim women being subjugated by men, as well as the liberal feminists’ who criticize the choice of women to cover themselves as ultimately unliberating. The author argues that in a culture of consumerism, the hijâb can be experienced as a liberation from the tyranny of the beauty myth and the thin “ideal” woman. In dispelling some widely held myths about Muslim women and the hijâb, the author introduces respectability to the voice of believing Muslim women, claiming that liberation and the equality of women are fundamental to Islam itself. Muslim women activists in North America: Speaking for ourselves By Katherine Bullock, 2005. His book introduces eighteen Muslim women activists from the United States and Canada who have worked in fields from social services, to marital counseling, to political advocacy in order to further social justice within the Muslim community and in the greater North American society. Each of the activists has written an autobiographical narrative in which she discusses such issues as her personal motivation for doing activism work, her views on the relationship between Islam and women’s activism, and the challenges she has faced and overcome, such as patriarchal cultural barriers within the Muslim community or racism and discrimination within the larger society. The women activists are a heterogeneous group, including North American converts to Islam, Muslim immigrants to the United States and Canada, and the daughters of immigrants. Quran and Woman: rereading the sacred text from a woman’s perspective By Amina Wadud, 1999. Qu’ran and Woman contributes a gender inclusive reading to one of the most fundamental disciplines in Islamic thought, Qu’ranic exegesis. Wadud breaks down specific texts and key words which have been used to limit women’s public and private role, even to justify violence toward Muslim women, revealing that their original meaning and context defy such interpretations. What her analysis clarifies is the lack of gender bias, precedence, or prejudice in the essential language of the Qur’an. Islam, gender and social change By Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad and John Esposito, 1997. For several decades, the Muslim world has experienced a religious resurgence. The reassertion of Islam in personal and political life has taken many forms, from greater attention to religious practice to the emergence of Islamic organizations, movements, and institutions. One of the most controversial and emotionally charged aspects of this revival has been its effect on women in Muslim societies. The essays collected in this book place this issue in its historical context and offer case studies of Muslim societies from North Africa to Southeast Asia. These fascinating studies shed light on the impact of the Islamic resurgence on gender issues in Iran, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Oman, Bahrain, the Philippines, and Kuwait. Taken together, the essays reveal the wide variety that exists among Muslim societies and believers, and the complexity of the issues under consideration. They show that new things are happening for women across the Islamic world, and are in many cases being initiated by women themselves. The volume as a whole militates against the stereotype of Muslim women as repressed, passive, and without initiative, while acknowledging the very real obstacles to women’s initiatives in most of these societies. Jesus and Muhammad: The parallel sayings Ed. By Joey Green, 2003. This book compares the parables of Jesus with the teachings of Mohammed to show that Christianity’s core values – love, compassion, peace, forgiveness, and repentance – mirror the central tenets of Islam. Jesus and Mohammed closes the gap of understanding between Christians and Muslims and demonstrates that despite centuries of differences, the two religions possess a common moral and spiritual foundation. Even Angels Ask: A journey to Islam in America By Jeffrey Lang, 1997. Drawing on his personal experiences as a Muslim, Professor Lang discusses conflicts between faith and reason, obstacles in converting to Islam, extremism within some Muslim communities and future outlook for American Muslims. Islam and the destiny of Man By Charles Le Gai Eaton The aim of this book is to explore what it means to be a Muslim, a member of a community which embraces a quarter of the world s population and to describe the forces which have shaped the hearts and the minds of Islamic people. After considering the historic confrontation between Islam and Christendom and analysing the difference between the three monotheistic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), the author describes the two poles of Muslim belief in terms of Truth and Mercy the unitarian truth which is the basis of the Muslim s faith and the mercy inherent in this truth. In the second part of the book he explains the significance of the Qur an and tells the dramatic story of Muhammad s life and of the early Caliphate. Lastly, the author considers the Muslim view of man s destiny, the social structure of Islam, the role of art and mysticism and the inner meaning of Islamic teaching concerning the hereafter. Muslim contributions to world civilization Ed. By Basheer Ahmed et.al. 2005. A world without Islam, By, Graham E. Fuller, 2010 In A WORLD WITHOUT ISLAM, Graham E. Fuller guides us along an illuminating journey through history, geopolitics, and religion to investigate whether or not Islam is indeed the cause of some of today’s most emotional and important international crises. Fuller takes us from the birth of Islam to the fall of Rome to the rise and collapse of the Ottoman Empire. He examines and analyzes the roots of terrorism, the conflict in Israel, and the role of Islam in supporting and energizing the anti-imperial struggle. Provocatively, he finds that contrary to the claims of many politicians, thinkers, theologians, and soldiers, a world without Islam might not look vastly different from what we know today. Filled with fascinating details and counterintuitive conclusions, A WORLD WITHOUT ISLAM is certain to inspire debate and reshape the way we think about Islam’s relationship with the West. Acts of faith: The story of an American Muslim, Eboo Patel, 2008 Acts of Faithis a remarkable account of growing up Muslim in America and coming to believe in religious pluralism, from one of the most prominent faith leaders in the United States. Eboo Patel’s story is a hopeful and moving testament to the power and passion of young people—and of the world-changing potential of an interfaith youth movement. Who speaks for Islam: What a billion Muslims really think, By John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed, 2008 Who Speaks for Islam? Listening to the Voices of a Billion Muslimsis about this silenced majority. It is the product of a mammoth Gallup research study over the last six years. Gallup conducted tens of thousands of face-to-face interviews with residents of more than 35 predominantly Muslim nations. Gallup’s sample represents urban and rural, young and old, educated and illiterate, women and men. In total, we surveyed a sample representing over 90% of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims, including Muslims in the West, making this the largest, most comprehensive study of contemporary Muslims ever. The concept of this book is simple. After collecting vast amounts of data representing the views of the world’s Muslims, we asked the questions everyone wants answers to: What is at the root of anti-Americanism in the Muslim world? Who are the extremists? Is democracy a desired construct among Muslims, and if so, what might it look like? What do Muslim women really want? With questions in hand, we let the empirical evidence — the voices of a billion Muslims, not individual “experts” or “extremists,” dictate the answer. What do Muslims believe? The roots and realities of modern Islam, By , Ziauddin Sardar, 2007. “What Do Muslims Believe?” presents readers with an accessible and incisive explanation of the roots and beliefs of Islam, published at a time when more than ever we need an objective view of this often misinterpreted religion. Parsing fact from misstatement in elegant prose, Ziauddin Sardar gives a clear-eyed view of what makes a Muslim; where Muslims come from and who they are today; what, exactly, they believe and how they reflect those beliefs; where Islam is headed; and how you can apply Islam in your life. With a useful chronology of Islamic history from A.D. 632 to the present, a glossary of terms, selections from both the Qur’an and the Hadith, as well as a list of further reading, “What Do Muslims Believe?” is an ideal primer for anyone who wants to understand what it really means to follow Islam. The Inner Journey: Views from the Islamic Tradition, Ed. William C. Chittick, Parabola Anthology Series, Morning Light Press, 2007. This book of essays, poems, and interviews by Islamic and Sufi poets, scholars, and storytellers is a much-needed compendium of works from a complex tradition that holds timeless messages for contemporary readers. Contributors range from Rumi to Seyyed Hossei Nasr to Emma Clark — together they create a mosaic of the Muslim view of the world and the cosmos, as well as of Sufi rhythms and rituals. Contributions like “Out of the Hidden Root” and “Slumber Seizes Him Not” promote a deeper understanding of one of the world’s great, and most misunderstood, spiritual traditions. Destiny Disrupted: a history of the world through Islamic eyes, By Tamim Ansary, BBS Public affairs, NY, 2009. In Destiny Disrupted, Tamim Ansary tells the rich story of world history as the Islamic world saw it, from the time of Mohammed to the fall of the Ottoman Empire and beyond. He clarifies why our civilizations grew up oblivious to each other, what happened when they intersected, and how the Islamic world was affected by its slow recognition that Europe—a place it long perceived as primitive and disorganized—had somehow hijacked destiny.