Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!usc!jarthur!nntp-server.caltech.edu!news
From: zama@midway.uchicago.edu (iftikhar uz zaman)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: religion and life, the Islamic point of view
Keywords: Islam, life, Truth
Message-ID: <1990Aug16.012714.18772@laguna.ccsf.caltech.edu>
Date: 16 Aug 90 01:27:14 GMT
Sender: news@laguna.ccsf.caltech.edu
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Lines: 59
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In article <1990Aug9.201258.25028@laguna.ccsf.caltech.edu> uunet!unrvax!unssun.nevada.edu!beekun@ncar.UCAR.EDU (R. I. Beekun) writes:
>In article <14465@wpi.wpi.edu> ghosh-bhaskar@CS.YALE.EDU (Bhaskar Ghosh) writes:
>>
>>Hallo netlanders, bhaiyon and beheno - 
>>
>>I would like to  find out more  about Islam, it's  development and The
>>Holy Quran. I am  particularly interested in any  writings on the need
>>for  religion in  day  to  day life, the  greater question  of a whole
>>unifying truth that pervades the existence of all beings, why, whether
>>and where God exists,  the concept of rebirth (  pardon me for reeling
>>off questions i  myself do not  understand very well  )  - and how all
>>these questions find their  answers in Islam and in  a true Muslim way
>>of life.
>
>Most of the topics you have listed above are discussed very nicely in 
>Maudoodi's "Towards Understanding Islam". If by rebirth you mean re-
>incarnation, Islam does not believe in it.
>
>If you want to know about Islam in a comprehensive manner, get hold of
>the cassettes of Jamal Badawi. He covers many topics very well. If you
>need a translation of the Qur'an, get the latest version of Yusuf Ali's
>translation published by Amana.  

>To purchase these books, call the Islamic Book Service at (317) 839 - 8150,
>and ask for their catalogs. 

>Abu Syed Marwan

     The material brother Marwan mentions represents one popular
stream of understanding Islam [this does NOT mean it is not a GOOD
one...].  In English, another such stream is that of Rene Guenon (I
might have the spelling of that last name slightly off) and his
students (Martin Lings, Fritzhoff Schuoun is one whose name I
recollect at the moment).  In this stream, perhaps the best book to
start with might be "A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century."  Also,
Martin Lings' biography of the Prophet (entitled "Muhammad" [sallallah
u 'alayh wa sallam]) is quite good.  Of translations, Yusuf Ali's is
certainly the most popular.  But my feeling is, and I am sure a number
of people who have looked at it would agree [although others wouldn't],
that his marginal comments present a somewhat eccentric understanding
of Islam.  As far as translations go, the most accurate translation I
have seen is that of Abdul Majid Daryabadi.  The translation is in
one volume--he also has a "Tafsir" [exegesis] which unfortunately,
again, is marred in places with some peculiar interpretations.  
Muhammad Asad's translation of the Quran is written in very elegant
English (something which cannot be said for these other translations)
but most Muslims would warn you against it since he has a habit of
interpreting Islam is a manner which is even more peculiar (this time
in a negative sence) by far, than the others.

     As far as translations of the Quran go, whenever I have quoted the
Quran and had to use a translation, almost inevitably I have found
existing translations to be inadequate--often to the point of my being
unable to use them.  The attractive feature of the Daryabadi translation
is that I have not normally had this problem (inaccuracy) with it.  
Unfortunately the English is stilted.

    My two bits....