Authoritative 1928 account of the extraordinary life, work and teaching of Rabi'a, a freed slave and revered female Sufi saint.

Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyya is a figure shrouded in myth. Certainly a woman by this name was born in Basra, Iraq, in the eighth century, but her life remains recorded only in legends, stories, poems and hagiographies. The various depictions of her – as a deeply spiritual ascetic, an existentialist rebel and a romantic lover – seem impossible to reconcile, and yet Rabi‘a has transcended these narratives to become a global symbol of both Sufi and modern secular culture. In this groundbreaking study, Rkia Elaroui Cornell traces the development of these diverse narratives and provides a history of the iconic Rabi‘a’s construction as a Sufi saint. Combining medieval and modern sources, including evidence never before examined, in novel ways, Rabi‘a From Narrative to Myth is the most significant work to emerge on this quintessential figure in Islam for more than seventy years.

Monte's literary criticism approaches three different accounts about Islam's acclaimed first female Sufi Saint Rabia al-Adawiyya, and analyzes the development of her legend according to the surrounding historical and religious factors of her historians. Monte argues that these factors conditioned the retelling of Rabia's legend, a story that began with her name and flourished into a popular Muslim account of spiritual strength and societal defiance to empower Islamic women and men. Although one cannot assure why the earliest biographers chose to pass on Rabia's story, each of these male authors acted as a feminist Prometheus, that is, the spark of Rabia al-Adawiyya was breathed into the Muslim tradition so that centuries later stories of her womanhood and strength continue to be transmitted and translated, crossing cultural and societal boundaries to share her teachings. The first portion of this novel deals with one of the earliest Sufi documents that mentions Rabia. Arthur John Arberry's translation of The Doctrine of the Sufis (Kitab al-Tarruf li-madhhab ahl al-tasawwuf of Kalabadhi) written by Abu Bakr al-Kalabadhi in the late tenth century preserves the sayings and anecdotes attributed to Rabia and to other Sufis. The second account of Rabia's legend translated by Arthur John Arberry and written by Farid Ud-Din Attar during the twelfth century is Muslim Saints and Mystics, or the Memorial of the Saints, . The last and most recent account of Rabia is Dr. Nabil Safwat's translation of the book entitled First Among Sufis: The Life and Thought of Rabia al-Adawiyya written by Widad El Sakkakini, an Arabic woman novelist. El Sakkakini reinterprets the legendary Rabia, and remolds her life so that it is more accessible for today's modern Muslim woman.

A classic, pioneering account of the lives of women in Islamic history, republished for a new generation This pioneering study of the social and political lives of Muslim women has shaped a whole generation of scholarship. In it, Leila Ahmed explores the historical roots of contemporary debates, ambitiously surveying Islamic discourse on women from Arabia during the period in which Islam was founded to Iraq during the classical age to Egypt during the modern era. The book is now reissued as a Veritas paperback, with a new foreword by Kecia Ali situating the text in its scholarly context and explaining its enduring influence. “Ahmed’s book is a serious and independent-minded analysis of its subject, the best-informed, most sympathetic and reliable one that exists today.”—Edward W. Said “Destined to become a classic. . . . It gives [Muslim women] back our rightful place, at the center of our histories.”—Rana Kabbani, The Guardian

A highly original and accessible study of Muslim saint veneration in medieval Egypt (1200-1500 AD). Exploring various meanings saints held for the contemporary imagination, it convincingly challenges the view of saint veneration as merely an expression of 'popular religion'.

Islam today is a truly global faith, yet it remains somewhat of an enigma to many of us. Each and every day our newspapers are saturated with references to Islam; Quran, Taliban, Hijab, Fatwa, Allah, Sunni, Jihad, Shia, the list goes on. But how much do we really understand? Are we, in fact, misunderstanding? The Penguin Dictionary of Islam provides complete, impartial answers. It includes extensive coverage of the historical formations of the worldwide Muslim community and highlights key modern Muslim figures and events. Understanding Islam is vital to understanding our world and this text is the definitive authority, designed for both general and academic readers.

Despite the current negative image of Islam in Europe there has been a steady growth of converts to Islam over the past few decades. British converts are a highly diverse group, with different social, economic and educational backgrounds. Recently this group has grown in confidence and become increasingly active in influencing positive Islamic discourse in Britain. The book sheds light on the intellectual and spiritual contributions of some of the prominent figures of this group of 'new Muslims', and assesses their efforts in shaping Islam in British society; including: Martin Lings, Gai Eaton, Tim Winter and Hamza Yusuf. The research investigates the potential benefit 'new Muslims' can bring to bridge the gap between Muslim communities and wider British society, thus helping in the process of building mutual trust, greater cooperation and positive understanding among all parties in Britain. The work will help readers to become aware of the evolution of a "British Islam" that is more open, rooted in British values and spiritual traditions, and forms a part of the continually changing British religious landscape.