Light in the Heavens: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature, 40)

Humanitarian lessons and practical insights from the prophet of Islam The words of Muhammad, messenger of God and prophet of Islam, have a special place in the hearts of his followers. Wielding an authority second only to the Qur'an, they are cited by scholars in a vast array of disciplines—including law, theology, metaphysics, poetry, grammar, history, and medicine—and are quoted by Muslims to one another in their daily lives. Light in the Heavens by al-Qadi al-Quda'i, a Sunni judge in the Fatimid court in Egypt, is an outstanding example of a compilation of these sayings, known as hadiths, that circulated orally and were later assembled and written down. From North Africa to India, generations have used Light in the Heavens as a teaching text for children as well as adults, and many of its 1,200 sayings are familiar to individuals of diverse denominations and ethnicities. For Muslims—who consider Muhammad's teachings the fount of wisdom and the beacon of guidance in all things, mundane and sublime—these sayings provide a direct window into the inspired vision of one of the most influential humans to have walked the Earth. An English-only edition. Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, wielding an authority second only to the Qur'an. The words of Muhammad (d. 11/632), God's messenger and prophet of Islam, have a special place in the hearts of his followers. Wielding an authority second only to the Qur'an, Muhammad's hadith are cited by scholars as testimonial texts in a vast array of disciplines—including law, theology, metaphysics, poetry, grammar, history, and medicine—and are quoted by Muslims to one another in their daily lives. Assembling Muhammad's words has been a major preoccupation for scholars throughout the fourteen centuries since his death, resulting in an abundance of compilations. Among the legally-grounded collections, which aimed to guide the community in its practice of religious law and ritual worship, one which stands out in particular is Light in the Heavens ( Kitab al-Shihab ) by al-Qadi al-Quda'i, a Shafi'i judge in the Fatimid court in Egypt. The collection's overall conceptualization is distinctively ethical and pragmatic, and offers humanitarian lessons and practical insights with universal appeal. From North Africa to India, generations have used Light in the Heavens as a teaching text for children as well as adults, and many of its 1200 sayings are familiar to individuals of diverse denominations and ethnicities. For Muslims—who consider Muhammad's teachings the fount of wisdom and the beacon of guidance in all things, mundane and sublime—these sayings provide a direct window into the inspired vision of one of the most influential humans to have walked the Earth. A bilingual Arabic-English edition. The words of Muhammad (d. 11 H/632 AD), God's messenger and prophet of Islam, have a special place in the hearts of his followers. Wielding an authority second only to the Qur'an, Muhammad's hadith are cited by scholars as testimonial texts in a vast array of disciplines including law, theology, metaphysics, poetry, grammar, history, and medicine and are quoted by Muslims to one another in their daily lives. Assembling Muhammad's words has been a major preoccupation for scholars throughout the fourteen centuries since his death, resulting in an abundance of compilations. Among the legally-grounded collections, which aimed to guide the community in its practice of religious law and ritual worship, one which stands out in particular is Light in the Heavens (Kitab al-Shihab) by al-Qadi al-Quda'i (d. 454 H/1062 AD), a Shafi'i judge in the Fatimid court in Egypt. The collection's overall conceptualization is distinctively ethical and pragmatic, and offers humanitarian lessons and practical insights with universal appeal. From North Africa to India, generations have used Light in the Heavens as a teaching text for children as well as adults, and many of its 1200 sayings are familiar to individuals of diverse denominations and ethnicities. For Muslims who consider Muhammad's teachings the fount of wisdom and the beacon of guidance in all things, mundane and sublime these sayings provide a direct window into the inspired vision of one of the most influential humans to have walked the Earth."

Humanitarian lessons and practical insights from the prophet of Islam The words of Muhammad, messenger of God and prophet of Islam, have a special place in the hearts of his followers. Wielding an authority second only to the Qur'an, they are cited by scholars in a vast array of disciplines—including law, theology, metaphysics, poetry, grammar, history, and medicine—and are quoted by Muslims to one another in their daily lives.

Light in the Heavens by al-Qadi al-Quda'i, a Sunni judge in the Fatimid court in Egypt, is an outstanding example of a compilation of these sayings, known as hadiths, that circulated orally and were later assembled and written down. From North Africa to India, generations have used Light in the Heavens as a teaching text for children as well as adults, and many of its 1,200 sayings are familiar to individuals of diverse denominations and ethnicities. For Muslims—who consider Muhammad’s teachings the fount of wisdom and the beacon of guidance in all things, mundane and sublime—these sayings provide a direct window into the inspired vision of one of the most influential humans to have walked the Earth.

Humanitarian lessons and practical insights from theprophet of Islam The words of Muhammad, messenger of Godand prophet of Islam, have a special place in the hearts of hisfollowers. Wielding an authority second only to the Qur'an, theyare cited by scholars in a vast array of disciplines-including law,theology, metaphysics, poetry, grammar, history, and medicine-andare quoted by Muslims to one another in their daily lives.Light in the Heavens by al-Qadi al-Quda'i, a Sunni judgein the Fatimid court in Egypt, is an outstanding example of acompilation of these sayings, known as hadiths, that circulatedorally and were later assembled and written down. From North Africato India, generations have used Light in the Heavens as a teachingtext for children as well as adults, and many of its 1,200 sayingsare familiar to individuals of diverse denominations andethnicities. For Muslims-who consider Muhammad's teachings thefount of wisdom and the beacon of guidance in all things, mundaneand sublime-these sayings provide a direct window into the inspiredvision of one of the most influential humans to have walked theEarth. An English-only edition.

"The words of Muhammad (d. 11/632), God's messenger and prophet of Islam, have a special place in the hearts of his followers. Wielding an authority second only to the Qur'an, Muhammad’s hadith are cited by scholars as testimonial texts in a vast array of disciplines―including law, theology, metaphysics, poetry, grammar, history, and medicine―and are quoted by Muslims to one another in their daily lives. Assembling Muhammad’s words has been a major preoccupation for scholars throughout the fourteen centuries since his death, resulting in an abundance of compilations. Among the legally-grounded collections, which aimed to guide the community in its practice of religious law and ritual worship, one which stands out in particular is Light in the Heavens (Kitab al-Shihab) by al-Qadi al-Quda'i, a Shafi'i judge in the Fatimid court in Egypt. The collection’s overall conceptualization is distinctively ethical and pragmatic, and offers humanitarian lessons and practical insights with universal appeal." --From publisher's description Letter from the General Editor -- Abbreviations -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- A Note on the Text -- Notes to the Introduction -- Light in the Heavens -- Author's Introduction -- Chapter One -- Chapter Two -- Chapter Three -- Chapter Four -- Chapter Five -- Chapter Six -- Chapter Seven -- Chapter Eight -- Chapter Nine -- Chapter Ten -- Chapter Eleven -- Chapter Twelve -- Chapter Thirteen -- Chapter Fourteen -- Chapter Fifteen -- Chapter Sixteen: Sayings of the Lord Reported by the Messenger of God -- Chapter Seventeen: The Final Chapter containing the Prophet's Supplications -- Notes Al-qāḍī Al-quḍāʻī ; Edited And Translated By Tahera Qutbuddin. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. In English And Arabic.