Heaven's veil was rent

New arrival: The Strangled Queen (La Reine étranglée) by Maurice...

Sat, 26 May 2012 15:24:01 -0400

New arrival:

The Strangled Queen (La Reine étranglée) by Maurice Druon, translated by Humphrey Hare. Book 2 of The Accursed Kings (Les Rois Maudits).

These are not readily available, so I am not even trying to match the editions I get. My copy of the first book in the series, The Iron King, is published in the US by Ace (which I suppose is why they changed the title to The Ardent Infidels). This book is published by Century Publishing in London. I would love to acquire all six volumes in hardcover, though. I would love even more if someone translated the seventh volume.

New arrival: Dar al-Gharb al-Islami ed. of Uṣūl al-Shāshī,...

Wed, 23 May 2012 18:25:00 -0400

Front cover

Back cover

Spine view

New arrival:

Dar al-Gharb al-Islami ed. of Uṣūl al-Shāshī, introduced by Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi and edited by Shaykh Mohammed Akram Nadwi.

Nicely produced and published; the red, cream, and gold is a nice combination. The spine on my copy came with a slight bend running along it. I am not a fan of their font choice; lots of thick horizontal strokes and thin verticals—not something I would expect to see in a published book. Not a big deal, though. The printer that they used did not lay down ink uniformly it seems, but it does not detract from the overall legibility. The page layout is perfect for an obsessive marginal note-taker like me—plenty of spacing between sections and headings, good-sized margins, large font. The notes are mostly dealing with differences in the manuscript editions, but Shaykh Nadwi also makes other interesting comments.

The PDF of this edition is available at http://attahawi.com/2009/12/02/usul-al-shashi-by-imam-nizam-al-din-al-shashi-edited-by-shaykh-muhammad-akram-al-nadwi/. Generally I have only seen it available to buy at Arab sites (= high shipping costs) but Albalagh Bookstore in California has it in stock at the moment, though I do not imagine that they have many copies: http://www.albalagh.net/bookstore/?action=view&item=1396. (By the way, Albalagh is really good about getting books that you request if they’re out of stock or not listed.)

I’ve taken my fit-all-notes-in-the-margins thing to a new...

Sat, 19 May 2012 22:00:00 -0400

I’ve taken my fit-all-notes-in-the-margins thing to a new extreme. (Bulūgh al-Marām)

Pilot G-2 Ultra fine (0.38mm point, 0.28mm line width)

"Down to Gehenna or up to the Throne, He travels the fastest who travels alone."

Sun, 13 May 2012 02:12:27 -0400

“Down to Gehenna or up to the Throne,
He travels the fastest who travels alone.”

- Rudyard Kipling, The Winners

The wolf and the lion, combatant @gameofthrones #ASOIAF

Fri, 04 May 2012 19:56:29 -0400

The wolf and the lion, combatant @gameofthrones #ASOIAF

sepiacrayons replied to your quote: “It is terrifying to think how much research is… what is...

Fri, 04 May 2012 19:18:45 -0400

sepiacrayons replied to your quote: “It is terrifying to think how much research is…

what is that book about?

It is one book in a series of seven historical novels set in 14th century France. The series is called Les Rois Maudits (which was translated as The Accursed Kings) by Maurice Druon. As far as I know, the seventh book was never translated into English.

"There are no compacts between lions and men, and wolves and lambs have no concord"

Fri, 04 May 2012 18:58:10 -0400

“There are no compacts between lions and men, and wolves and lambs have no concord”

- Homer

"It is terrifying to think how much research is needed to determine the truth of even the most..."

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:52:40 -0400

“It is terrifying to think how much research is needed to determine the truth of even the most unimportant fact.”

- Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), quoted in the English translation of Le Lis et le Lion (The Lily and the Lion) by Maurice Druon.

Didn’t realize the @TurathBooks...

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:52:55 -0500

Didn’t realize the @TurathBooks [http://www.turath.co.uk/front/] Arba’in collections were so small. I was planning to take notes on the margins, may have to reconsider that! Lectures [from @zamzamacademy] here: 1, 2

"How long will you keep pounding on an open door begging for someone to open it?"

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:07:49 -0500

“How long will you keep pounding on an open door
begging for someone to open it?”

- rabia al adawiyya (via saalik)

Good article on "militant" atheism

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:39:42 -0500

Good article on "militant" atheism:

As Warsi was on her way to catch her flight to Rome she heard Dawkins, the supreme prophet of neo-atheism, on Radio 4’s Today programme. He was attempting to celebrate a survey that proved, at least to his satisfaction, that supposedly Christian Britain was a fraud. People who said they were Christians did not go to church and knew little of the faith. Giles Fraser, a priest of the Church of England, then challenged Dawkins to give the full title of Darwin’s Origin of Species. Falling into confusion, he failed. Fraser’s point was that Dawkins was therefore, by his own criterion, not a Darwinian. Becoming even more confused, Dawkins exclaimed in his response: “Oh, God!”

If ignorance is not bliss then does knowledge = happiness?

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:51:03 -0500

No, of course not.

hello, your fans demand that you blog/tumbl more :) kthx.

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:07:36 -0500

Hello, didn’t know I had any fans -_-

I usually can’t think of anything to tumbl/blog about…but I’ll see what I can do.

Photo

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:54:39 -0500

"An earthly being flew Unto the Throne of God. Unlettered yet he knew. His heart a library was."

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:09:07 -0500

“An earthly being flew Unto the Throne of God. Unlettered yet he knew. His heart a library was.”

- Faizi

"Through me the way is to the city dolent; Through me the way is to eternal dole; Through me the way..."

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:23:02 -0500

“Through me the way is to the city dolent;
Through me the way is to eternal dole;
Through me the way among the people lost.
Justice incited my sublime Creator;
Created me divine Omnipotence,
The highest Wisdom and the primal Love.
Before me there were no created things,
Only eterne, and I eternal last.
All hope abandon, ye who enter in!”

- Dante Aligheri, Divina Commedia

majdimam: Cat hugging a Maghribi qur’an :)

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:40:26 -0500

majdimam:

Cat hugging a Maghribi qur’an :)

"The Messenger is a light & source of light, An Indian blade, drawn sword of God’s..."

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:27:19 -0500

“The Messenger is a light & source of light,
An Indian blade, drawn sword of God’s swords,
Amid Qurayshi companions. When they chose
Islam in Mecca’s vale, men said “Be gone!”
They went, not weaklings, not as men that flee,
Swaying upon their mounts and poorly armed,
But heroes proud and noble of mien, bright-clad
In mail of David’s weave for the encounter.”

- Martin Lings’ translation of a portion of the burdah of Sayyiduna Ka’b bin Zuhayr رضي الله عنه when he sought clemency from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم at the conquest of Makkah. After the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم heard it, he forgave him and covered him with his own adorned mantle.

"He was capable of wreaking havoc upon them, Had he wished. Instead, he generously gave them..."

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:19:18 -0500

“He was capable of wreaking havoc upon them,
Had he wished. Instead, he generously gave them respite
وكان قادرا على التدمير
لو شاء لكن جاد بالتاخير”

- قرة الأبصار في سيرة المشفع المختار صلى الله عليه وسلم

The Discerning Eyes’ Delights In Perusing the Chosen One’s Days and Nights (Shaykh Hamza Yusuf’s translation)

http://m7ia.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/shaykh-hamza-yusufs-series-on-qurrah-al-ab%E1%B9%A3ar-fi-sirah-al-mushaffa%CA%BF-al-mukhtar/

"Up from Earth’s Centre through the Seventh Gate, I rose, and on the Throne of Saturn sate, And..."

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:48:34 -0500

“Up from Earth’s Centre through the Seventh Gate, I rose, and on the Throne of Saturn sate, And many Knots unravel’d by the Road, But not the Master-Knot of Human Fate.”

- Omar Khayyam or possibly Ibn Sina