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Contents

Contents

​Preface
-Sandcastles & Snowmen
-The story of this book
-My story



Introduction
-My Catholic-Salafi-Secular-Revolutionary life
-Islam in a global context
-How to use this book



Chapter One – The quest for Spiritual Intelligence
• The culture of instant gratification
• Are we really free and happy?
• What is Spiritual Intelligence (SQ)?
• How do we attain Spiritual Intelligence?
• How could this skill improve our lives?



Chapter Two - The Basics

• Who is Allah?
• What is in the Quran and where did it come from?
• Who is Muhammad?
• What is Islam and where does the name come from?
• How many Muslims are there in the world?
• Where are Muslims located?
• Who is considered a Muslim?
• What makes a person a practicing Muslim?

​Chapter Three - The Roadmap
• Why am I in this world?
• The concept of accountability
• What am I accountable for?
• The importance of intention
• God wants ease not hardship
• Why is there suffering in the world?
• What does ‘Halal’ mean?
• Pigs, dogs, fashion and sex
• What is the ultimate goal for a Muslim?



Chapter Four - Reward & Punishment

• What if I made a mistake?
• My final score sheet: how is it calculated?
• The penal code: a deterrent from crime?
• What is Sharia law?
• Faith as a deterrent from crime
• Meeting God in Mecca

Chapter Five – Manners & Ethics

• Positive psychology and Muslim behavior
• Endorsing good and preventing evil
• The rewards of teaching to improve lives
• Faith = manners
• Manners in the Quran
• Personal relations and social etiquette
• Ethics of war
• Faith combating hate and bridging conflict

​Chapter Ten – Politics & Democracy

• Freedom to speak against oppression
• What is a “fatwa” and does Islam support a theocratic state?
• Religion’s role in public life in the Middle East
• Arab Spring or the rise of Political Islam?
• Is Islam compatible with democracy?
• Military power and the true meaning of Jihad

Chapter Eleven – Science & Research

• The concept of seeking knowledge
• Useful vs. useless knowledge
• Muslim theory of Evolution?
• Science in the Quran?
• Examples of Muslim scientific contributions to humanity
• Muslim scientists from a Western perspective

Chapter Twelve – Art & Culture

• God is beautiful and loves beauty
• Beauty in relation to faith
• Ziryab, the ancient Arab Muslim trendsetter
• Food, etiquette, fashion and music
• The first Islamic universities
• The Golden Age of Islamic civilization around the world
• Islamic lessons from the Swedish Royal Palace
• Islamic lessons from Japan
• The culture of a faith
• The cultural dilemma of immigrants and new Muslims
• Art: a tool for conflict resolution

Epilogue – The rest of the journey…

Chapter Six – Diversity & International Relations

• Diversity as a law of the universe
• The concept of kinship

• Who invented The Middle East?

• Who invented The Third World?

• Diversity or conformity?
• Integration or assimilation?
• The Muslim identity crisis
• Respect for other religions
• The Muslim Jesus and Moses
• Christians in Muslim countries
• The Christian king of Abyssinia and Muslims
• Don’t Hate, Educate



Chapter Seven - Human Rights

• Do human rights exist in Islam?
• Some examples of human rights in Islam
• Rights of children, animals, public spaces and nature
• Freedom of choice
• Freedom of expression
• Human equality
• Women’s rights
• The veil and identity
• Why do some Muslims refuse to shake hands?
• Relationships and marriage
• The romantic veil



Chapter Eight – Women & Gender

• Cognitive processing and culture
• Visual and emotional manipulation
• Gender roles and culture
• Personal security and domestic violence
• Define gender equality?
• Equality or equity?
• Women between religion and tradition
• Inheritance
• Polygamy
• Women and politics

Chapter Nine – Trade & Business
• Trade for peace
• Business ethics
• Unethical media & marketing
• How women started smoking
• Using celebrities to sell products and ideas
• The Protestant Work Ethic vs. The Islamic Work Ethic
• Spiritual Intelligence in the workplace
• Fair trade and social justice
• Scarcity, monopoly, supply and demand
• The “Waqf” (endowment) system
• Banking and taxes
• Why are Muslims poor and ignorant?
• Is Islamic economy a solution for the global economic crisis?

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