Introduction to Islam by Hamidullah
Islam is the second largest religion in the world, with more than one billion followers. It was founded in the 7th century by Muhammad, to whom Islam's holy book, the Quran, was revealed. Since Islam's founding, Islamic scholars have written treatises on Islamic subjects such as the proper interpretation of the Quran and Islamic jurisprudence. Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah was one of the most distinguished Islamic scholars of his time, and his works, including "Introduction to Islam," continue to be widely read today.
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Lineage
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Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah was born in 1908 in Hyderabad Deccan in India. He was the youngest of 8 siblings. He came from family of scholars; his great-grandfather penned more than 300 books, including a 7 volume Quranic commentary. He and siblings received an early education in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu.
Professor Hamidullah attended Osmania University in Hyderabad, one of the oldest modern universities in India. He received a MA and LLB in international law. He received a PhD from Bonn University in Germany in 1935, and served as a lecturer at Bonn in Arabic and Urdu. He then studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, where he was awarded a second doctoral degree in just 11 months. He taught subjects on Islamic law and jurisprudence in universities throughout the world.
By time he passed away at the age of 84, Professor Hamidullah was fluent in 22 languages, including Arabic, Urdu, Persian, French, English, German and Thai, which he learned at the age of 84.
Scholarly Work
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Professor Hamidullah was a prolific writer and one of the foremost scholars of Islam in the past century. He began publishing at age 16 and by the time of his death had published over 250 works on Islam, including a French translation of the Quran. Some of his most famous works include "The Muslim Conduct of State," "Muhammad Rasulullah," "The Battlefields of Prophet Muhammad", and "Introduction to Islam."
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Introduction to Islam
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Professor Hamidullah's book "Introduction to Islam" is a primer on the Islam. It provides an overview of the history, theology, spiritual practices, beliefs and contributions of Islam. It was one of the first books that offered non-Muslims and Muslims alike an comprehensive view of the religion as a spiritual practice and a individual and societal way of life.
First published in Paris in 1969, "Introduction to Islam" has been translated into more than a dozen languages and has been used as a textbook. It remains an influential work today.
Format
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"Introduction to Islam" is a concise book formatted in an outline style. It is divided into 15 chapters, which are sub-divided into paragraphs. Chapters cover topics including the history of Islam; moral, political, judicial and economic systems; devotional life and religious practices; and Muslim contributions to the sciences and arts.
Important Topics
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One of the longest and most widely excerpted chapters of Introduction to Islam is the first chapter, titled "The Prophet of Islam--His Biography," in which Hamidullah gives a background on the religious and societal practices of pre-Islamic Arabia, the revelation of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad, and Prophet Muhammad's subsequent acts as leader of a new religion.
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