Blog Smith: READING: EARLY SHI'A QURAN COMMENTARY (TAFSIR)

Sunday, July 8, 2018

READING: EARLY SHI'A QURAN COMMENTARY (TAFSIR)

READING: EARLY SHI'A QURAN COMMENTARY (TAFSIR)
Prepared by Khalil Andani (Harvard University), based on Early Shi‘i Thought by Arzina R. Lalani (London, New York: I.B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2000).

In the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet himself was both the revealer and the interpreter of the verses of the Qur’an. Even when the Qur’an only existed in aural/oral form, it was the Prophet who contextualized, explained, and implemented its message in practical everyday matters. Over the first three centuries after the death of Prophet Muhammad, Sunni and Shi‘i Muslims developed their own distinct approaches for interpreting the Qur’an. While Sunni Muslims came to follow the religious and legal interpretations of religious scholars (‘ulama) and jurists (fuqaha), Shi‘i Muslims believed that the Prophet Muhammad’s religious authority and spiritual knowledge was inherited exclusively by his family (Ahl al-Bayt), beginning with his cousin and son-in-law ‘Ali b. Abi Talib and thereafter by specific lineal descendants of ‘Ali, called “Imams.” The first Imam, 'Ali, according to Shi'i belief, was designated and appointed by Prophet Muhammad himself, and each Imam selects and designates the succeeding Imam from among his sons. Shi‘i Muslims, therefore, regard the Imams as the legitimate interpreters of the Qur’an after Prophet Muhammad and the bearers of spiritual and religious authority (walayah). In the practical sense, while Muhammad is the final prophet who brings revelation, the Imam for Shi'i Muslims continues many of the spiritual functions of the Prophet Muhammad mentioned in the previous section, such as providing divine guidance, religious interpretation, intercession, resolving and judging over disputes, forgiving the community and accepting offerings from them, praying for them, dispensing wisdom, etc. The earliest Shi‘i Muslim commentaries (tafsir) on the Qur’an are attributed to the early Shi‘i Imams, Muhammad al-Baqir (d. 743) and Ja‘far al-Sadiq (d. 765). Various Shi‘i Muslim sources contain Qur’an commentaries in which these two Imams explain the Shi‘i doctrine of imamah (divinely-ordained leadership after the Prophet) through specific Qur’anic verses. Below are a selection of Qur’anic verses accompanied by the commentaries by the Imam Muhammad al-Baqir as presented in the academic work Early Shi‘i Thought by Arzina R. Lalani.

In general, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir was highly respected in non-Shi'i circles as a trustworthy authority (thiqa) in transmitting the sayings (hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad. The sources suggest that many scholars felt inferior to him and regarded him with great reverence due to his vast knowledge. (Lalani, 96).

Walayah - Imamah: The First Pillar of Islam

“According to the Shi‘a on the other hand, the choice of an Imam is not within the domain of the community; it is not its concern to decide who the Imam should be. This follows from al-Baqir’s view that walaya or the imamate is one of the pillars of Islam, indeed the most important pillar. ‘Islam’, according to al-Baqir, ‘is built on seven pillars: walaya (love for and allegiance to the Imam), tahara (purification), salat (prayer), zakat (almsgiving), sawm (fasting), hajj (pilgrimage) and jihad (striving in God’s way). Walaya is the best among them, because through it and through the one to whom allegiance should be paid, the knowledge of the other pillars is reached. Being a matter of fundamental belief, consensus (ijmā‘) cannot be applied to walaya, just as it cannot be applied in matters concerning monotheism, or the prophethood of Muhammad, or his status as God’s Messenger.” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 76)

Qur’an Verses about ‘Ali:

“Indeed your Guardian [Wali] is only God, His Messenger and those believers who perform prayer and give the zakat while bowing down.” (Qur’an 5:55)

“Muslim exegetes have, over the years, entertained contradictory views on this verse. Some believe it refers to ‘Ali who, while kneeling in prayer, once threw his ring to a beggar who stood asking for alms… Commenting on the verse, al-Baqir categorically maintains that it was revealed at the time when the Messenger was with a group of Jews, amongst whom ‘Abd Allah b. al-Salam was present. As soon as the verse was revealed, the Messenger got up and walked towards the mosque where he met a beggar. Inquiring if anyone had given him anything, the beggar pointed to a man who was still praying. The man was ‘Ali.” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 59)

“O Messenger, deliver [to the people] what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not do so then you have not delivered His message; and Allah will protect you from the people. Indeed Allah does not guide the disbelieving people (Qur’an 5:67)

“Explaining the message, al-Baqir said that, just as the Messenger had elucidated the details regarding the verses on prayer, alms giving, fasting, and pilgrimage, so too he was expected to expound on the walayah that was revealed in the aforementioned verse 5:55. But when asked to do this in practice, the Messenger felt extremely uneasy, fearing that people would apostatize. As his reluctance continued, God repeated the command in verse 5:67… Al-Baqir continues that the Messenger, upon receiving this verse, carried out God’s command and endorsed the walayah or imamate of ‘Ali b. Abi Talib at Ghadir Khumm.” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 61)

“This day I have perfected your faith for you and completed my favours upon you and have chosen for you Islam as a faith/religion.” (Qur’an 5:3)

“According to al-Baqir it was only after the endorsement of walayah that God revealed verse 5:3. Al-Baqir’s position regarding the verse, […] reported in various Shi ‘i sources, is very clear. It was, he says, revealed on the occasion of ‘Ali’s appointment as the Imam at Ghadir Khumm.” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 62)

Qur’an Verses about the Family of Muhammad (ahl al-bayt):

“Al-Baqir maintains that not only is obedience to the imam incumbent upon the believers, but that love for them is a duty enjoined upon the worshippers according to verse 42:22: Say, I do not ask for any reward except love for the relations...the Prophet himself considered his relations to be ‘Alī, Fātima and their two sons.” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 67)

“Al-Baqir also puts forward the concept of ‘isma (infallibility) of the imam, his divine protection from sin and error. He bases this on his interpretation of the Qur’anic verse 33:33: And God only wishes to remove uncleanliness from you, O People of the House (ahl al-bayt) and to purify you thoroughly.” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 69)

“O ye who believe! Obey God and obey the Messenger and those who hold authority (ulu’l-amr) amongst you… (Qur’an 4:59)

“If they had only referred it ot the Messenger and those who hold authority (ulu’l-amr) among them, then those among them who can derive knowledge would have known it.” (Qur’an 4:83)

“Al-Baqir’s commentary on this verse is that the ulu al-amr are the imams from the family of Muhammad… Using this verse to reassert the position of the Imams, al-Baqir maintains that obedience to them is incumbent as God made them ‘the people of knowledge’ and enable them to extract that knowledge.” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 63-64)

Qur’an Verses about the Authority of the Imams:

“And no one knows its esoteric interpretation (ta’wil) except God and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge (rasikhun fi’l-‘ilm).” (Qur’an 3:7)

“We are the ones who are firmly rooted in knowledge (rasikhun fi’l-‘ilm) and we know its ta’wil.
Those who are firmly rooted in knowledge (rasikhun fi’l-‘ilm) are the Commander of the Faithful (‘Ali ibn Abi Talib) and the Imams after him.”- Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq, (al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi, Kitab al-Hujjah, Chapter 22, Hadith No. 1 & 3)

“Commenting on this verse, al-Bāqir says that the Messenger was the best of those firmly rooted in knowledge. God taught him regarding all that was revealed to him and how to interpret it. Thereafter, it is the imams who know all the interpretations of the Qur’ān.” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 65)

“And ask the People of Remembrance (ahl al-dhikr) if you do not know.” (Qur’an 16:43, 21:7)

The Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq said: ‘The Remembrance (dhikr) is Muhammad and we are his Family (ahl) who must be questioned.’ About the words of God (43:33), “He is a Remembrance for you and for your people and you all will be asked questions”, the Imam said: ‘And we are the People of Remembrance (ahl al-dhikr) and we are the ones who will be questioned.’ (Usul al-Kafi, Kitab al-Hujjah, Chapter 20, Hadith No. 2)

“Nay, rather it [the Qur’an] is Clear Signs (ayat) in the breasts of those who are given knowledge (alladhi utu al-‘ilm).” (Qur’an 29:49)

“Take note…He [God] does not say [the Qur’an] “in between the two covers of the written text (mushaf)].” He said: “in the breasts of those who are given knowledge.” Who can they be apart from us? They are specifically the Imams.’- Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, (Usul al-Kafi, Kitab al-Hujjah, Chapter 23, Hadith No. 23-4)

“And you are but a warner and there is a guide for every people.” (Qur’an 13:7)

“Since they have been endowed with knowledge from God, the Imams, says al-Bāqir, have the clear signs of God in their hearts, and since they are the ahl al-dhikr, namely people of the Message, it is they who should be questioned about its interpretation. The Prophet, continues al-Bāqir, was a warner to his people while in every age there is an imam to guide his people about what the Prophet brought” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 65)

Qur’an Verses about the Imams as the Light (nur) of God:

“O ye who believe! Fear God and believe in His Apostle and He will bestow upon you a double portion of His mercy; He will provide for you a light by which ye shall walk…” (Qur’an 28:28)

“Al-Baqir says that the Imams are the light of God mentioned in various verses of the Qur’ān such as 44:8… The Imams, says al-Baqir, are the light, which guides men along the path of righteousness. They illuminate the hearts of the believers in whom the imam’s light is brighter than the resplendent sunlight shining during the day” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 68)

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.” (Qur’an 24:35)

“And believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Light that we have sent down.” (Qur’an 44:8)

“The Imams are, according to Baqir, the light of God (nur Allah). When asked to comment on the Qur’anic verse 44:8…al-Baqir replied that the ‘the nur (light) is indeed the nur of the Imams from the Prophet’s family; they, [i.e. the imams], were the light that God brought down and they [in fact] are the light of God (nur Allah) in the heavens and the earth.’ This spiritual light, which passes from generation to generation, is the symbol of that eternal knowledge (‘ilm) which forms part of the Prophet Muhammad’s testament (wasiyyah) to ‘Ali and thereafter to the Imams who followed him.” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 80)

Qur’an Verses on the Intercessory Role of the Imams:

“On the Day when We shall call summon all men with their Imam, whoso is given his book (kitab) in his right hand – such will read their book and they will not be wronged a shred.” (Qur’an 17:71)

“Closely related to the concept of ‘ismah is the notion of shafa‘ah or intercession, which is inherent in the theory of the imamate propounded by al-Baqir. Many of these Qur’anic verses interpreted by al-Baqir imply the intercessional powers of the Imam. One of them is 17:71: ‘on the day when we shall call all men with their Imam…’ Commenting on this verse, al-Baqir says that, when it was revealed, the Muslims asked the Messenger whether he was not the Imam for all the people. The Prophet replied that he was the Messenger of Allah for all the people, but after him there would be imams from his family who would be oppressed rather than accepted. However, those who loved the imams, followed them and believed in them, were indeed from him (the Prophet) and would meet him (in Paradise), while those who oppressed them and called them liars were not from him and would be disowned by him.” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 69)

“Or are they jealous of mankind of that which Allah of His bounty hath bestowed upon them? For we bestowed upon the House of Abraham the Book and Wisdom, and We bestowed on them a mighty kingdom.” (Qur’an 4:54)

“Thus We have appointed you a Middle Nation (ummah wasat) that ye may be witnesses against mankind, and that the Messenger may be witness against you.” (Qur’an 2:143)

God has made the imams, according to al-Baqir’s interpretation of verse 2:143, an ummah wasat so that they might be God’s witnesses to His creatures. His definition of a ‘great kingdom conferred upon the family of Ibrahim’ (4:54) is that God made from among them leaders whose obedience was equal to the obedience of God and whose disobedience was equal to the disobedience of God. How, argues al-Baqir, could people accept this position for the family of Ibrahim and deny it to the family of Muhammad.” (Arzina Lalani, Early Shi‘i Thought, 65)

Reading since summer 2006 (some of the classics are re-reads): including magazine subscriptions

Abbot, Edwin A., Flatland;
Accelerate: Technology Driving Business Performance;
ACM Queue: Architecting Tomorrow's Computing;
Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins, Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome;
Ali, Ayaan Hirsi, Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations;
Ali, Tariq, The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads, and Modernity;
Allawi, Ali A., The Crisis of Islamic Civilization;
Alperovitz, Gar, The Decision To Use the Atomic Bomb;
American School & University: Shaping Facilities & Business Decisions;
Angelich, Jane, What's a Mother (in-Law) to Do?: 5 Essential Steps to Building a Loving Relationship with Your Son's New Wife;
Arad, Yitzchak, In the Shadow of the Red Banner: Soviet Jews in the War Against Nazi Germany;
Aristotle, Athenian Constitution. Eudemian Ethics. Virtues and Vices. (Loeb Classical Library No. 285);
Aristotle, Metaphysics: Books X-XIV, Oeconomica, Magna Moralia (The Loeb classical library);
Armstrong, Karen, A History of God;
Arrian: Anabasis of Alexander, Books I-IV (Loeb Classical Library No. 236);
Atkinson, Rick, The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 (Liberation Trilogy);
Auletta, Ken, Googled: The End of the World As We Know It;
Austen, Jane, Pride and Prejudice;
Bacevich, Andrew, The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism;
Baker, James A. III, and Lee H. Hamilton, The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward - A New Approach;
Barber, Benjamin R., Jihad vs. McWorld: Terrorism's Challenge to Democracy;
Barnett, Thomas P.M., Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating;
Barnett, Thomas P.M., The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century;
Barron, Robert, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith;
Baseline: Where Leadership Meets Technology;
Baur, Michael, Bauer, Stephen, eds., The Beatles and Philosophy;
Beard, Charles Austin, An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States (Sony Reader);
Benjamin, Daniel & Steven Simon, The Age of Sacred Terror: Radical Islam's War Against America;
Bergen, Peter, The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader;
Berman, Paul, Terror and Liberalism;
Berman, Paul, The Flight of the Intellectuals: The Controversy Over Islamism and the Press;
Better Software: The Print Companion to StickyMinds.com;
Bleyer, Kevin, Me the People: One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America;
Boardman, Griffin, and Murray, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Roman World;
Bracken, Paul, The Second Nuclear Age: Strategy, Danger, and the New Power Politics;
Bradley, James, with Ron Powers, Flags of Our Fathers;
Bronte, Charlotte, Jane Eyre;
Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights;
Brown, Ashley, War in Peace Volume 10 1974-1984: The Marshall Cavendish Encyclopedia of Postwar Conflict;
Brown, Ashley, War in Peace Volume 8 The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Encyclopedia of Postwar Conflict;
Brown, Nathan J., When Victory Is Not an Option: Islamist Movements in Arab Politics;
Bryce, Robert, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of "Energy Independence";
Bush, George W., Decision Points;
Bzdek, Vincent, The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled;
Cahill, Thomas, Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter;
Campus Facility Maintenance: Promoting a Healthy & Productive Learning Environment;
Campus Technology: Empowering the World of Higher Education;
Certification: Tools and Techniques for the IT Professional;
Channel Advisor: Business Insights for Solution Providers;
Chariton, Callirhoe (Loeb Classical Library);
Chief Learning Officer: Solutions for Enterprise Productivity;
Christ, Karl, The Romans: An Introduction to Their History and Civilization;
Cicero, De Senectute;
Cicero, The Republic, The Laws;
Cicero, The Verrine Orations I: Against Caecilius. Against Verres, Part I; Part II, Book 1 (Loeb Classical Library);
Cicero, The Verrine Orations I: Against Caecilius. Against Verres, Part I; Part II, Book 2 (Loeb Classical Library);
CIO Decisions: Aligning I.T. and Business in the MidMarket Enterprise;
CIO Insight: Best Practices for IT Business Leaders;
CIO: Business Technology Leadership;
Clay, Lucius Du Bignon, Decision in Germany;
Cohen, William S., Dragon Fire;
Colacello, Bob, Ronnie and Nancy: Their Path to the White House, 1911 to 1980;
Coll, Steve, The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century;
Collins, Francis S., The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief ;
Colorni, Angelo, Israel for Beginners: A Field Guide for Encountering the Israelis in Their Natural Habitat;
Compliance & Technology;
Computerworld: The Voice of IT Management;
Connolly, Peter & Hazel Dodge, The Ancient City: Life in Classical Athens & Rome;
Conti, Greg, Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You?;
Converge: Strategy and Leadership for Technology in Education;
Cowan, Ross, Roman Legionary 58 BC - AD 69;
Cowell, F. R., Life in Ancient Rome;
Creel, Richard, Religion and Doubt: Toward a Faith of Your Own;
Cross, Robin, General Editor, The Encyclopedia of Warfare: The Changing Nature of Warfare from Prehistory to Modern-day Armed Conflicts;
CSO: The Resource for Security Executives:
Cummins, Joseph, History's Greatest Wars: The Epic Conflicts that Shaped the Modern World;
D'Amato, Raffaele, Imperial Roman Naval Forces 31 BC-AD 500;
Dallek, Robert, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963;
Daly, Dennis, Sophocles' Ajax;
Dando-Collins, Stephen, Caesar's Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar's Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome;
Darwish, Nonie, Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror;
Davis Hanson, Victor, Makers of Ancient Strategy: From the Persian Wars to the Fall of Rome;
Dawkins, Richard, The Blind Watchmaker;
Dawkins, Richard, The God Delusion;
Dawkins, Richard, The Selfish Gene;
de Blij, Harm, Why Geography Matters: Three Challenges Facing America, Climate Change, The Rise of China, and Global Terrorism;
Defense Systems: Information Technology and Net-Centric Warfare;
Defense Systems: Strategic Intelligence for Info Centric Operations;
Defense Tech Briefs: Engineering Solutions for Military and Aerospace;
Dennett, Daniel C., Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon;
Dennett, Daniel C., Consciousness Explained;
Dennett, Daniel C., Darwin's Dangerous Idea;
Devries, Kelly, et. al., Battles of the Ancient World 1285 BC - AD 451 : From Kadesh to Catalaunian Field;
Dickens, Charles, Great Expectations;
Digital Communities: Building Twenty-First Century Communities;
Doctorow, E.L., Homer & Langley;
Dodds, E. R., The Greeks and the Irrational;
Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The House of the Dead (Google Books, Sony e-Reader);
Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The Idiot;
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Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan, The Hound of the Baskervilles & The Valley of Fear;
Dr. Dobb's Journal: The World of Software Development;
Drug Discovery News: Discovery/Development/Diagnostics/Delivery;
DT: Defense Technology International;
Dunbar, Richard, Alcatraz;
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Edwards, Aton, Preparedness Now!;
EGM: Electronic Gaming Monthly, the No. 1 Videogame Magazine;
Ehrman, Bart D., Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scriptures and the Faiths We Never Knew;
Ehrman, Bart D., Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why;
Electronic Engineering Times: The Industry Newsweekly for the Creators of Technology;
Ellis, Joseph J., American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson;
Ellis, Joseph J., His Excellency: George Washington;
Emergency Management: Strategy & Leadership in Critical Times;
Emerson, Steven, American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us;
Erlewine, Robert, Monotheism and Tolerance: Recovering a Religion of Reason (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion);
ESD: Embedded Systems Design;
Everitt, Anthony, Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor;
Everitt, Anthony, Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician;
eWeek: The Enterprise Newsweekly;
Federal Computer Week: Powering the Business of Government;
Ferguson, Niall, Civilization: The West and the Rest;
Ferguson, Niall, Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power;
Ferguson, Niall, The Cash Nexus: Money and Power in the Modern World, 1700-2000;
Ferguson, Niall, The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Decline of the West;
Feuerbach, Ludwig, The Essence of Christianity (Sony eReader);
Fields, Nic, The Roman Army of the Principate 27 BC-AD 117;
Fields, Nic, The Roman Army of the Punic Wars 264-146 BC;
Fields, Nic, The Roman Army: the Civil Wars 88-31 BC;
Finkel, Caroline, Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire;
Fisk, Robert, The Great War For Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East;
Forstchen, William R., One Second After;
Fox, Robin Lane, The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to Hadrian;
Frazer, James George, The Golden Bough (Volume 3): A Study in Magic and Religion (Sony eReader);
Freeh, Louis J., My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror;
Freeman, Charles, The Greek Achievement: The Foundations of the Western World;
Friedman, Thomas L. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century Further Updated and Expanded/Release 3.0;
Friedman, Thomas L., The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization;
Frontinus: Stratagems. Aqueducts of Rome. (Loeb Classical Library No. 174);
Fuller Focus: Fuller Theological Seminary;
Fuller, Graham E., A World Without Islam;
Gaubatz, P. David and Paul Sperry, Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America;
Ghattas, Kim, The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power;
Gibson, William, Neuromancer;
Gilmour, Michael J., Gods and Guitars: Seeking the Sacred in Post-1960s Popular Music;
Global Services: Strategies for Sourcing People, Processes, and Technologies;
Glucklich, Ariel, Dying for Heaven: Holy Pleasure and Suicide Bombers-Why the Best Qualities of Religion Are Also It's Most Dangerous;
Goldberg, Jonah, Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning;
Goldin, Shmuel, Unlocking the Torah Text Vayikra (Leviticus);
Goldsworthy, Adrian, Caesar: Life of a Colossus;
Goldsworthy, Adrian, How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower;
Goodman, Lenn E., Creation and Evolution;
Goodwin, Doris Kearns, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln;
Gopp, Amy, et.al., Split Ticket: Independent Faith in a Time of Partisan Politics (WTF: Where's the Faith?);
Gordon, Michael R., and Bernard E. Trainor, Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq;
Government Health IT: The Magazine of Public/private Health Care Convergence;
Government Technology's Emergency Management: Strategy & Leadership in Critical Times;
Government Technology: Solutions for State and Local Government in the Information Age;
Grant , Michael, The Climax of Rome: The Final Achievements of the Ancient World, AD 161 - 337;
Grant, Michael, The Classical Greeks;
Grumberg, Orna, and Helmut Veith, 25 Years of Model Checking: History, Achievements, Perspectives;
Halberstam, David, War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals;
Hammer, Reuven, Entering Torah Prefaces to the Weekly Torah Portion;
Hanson, Victor Davis, An Autumn of War: What America Learned from September 11 and the War on Terrorism;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Between War and Peace: Lessons from Afghanistan to Iraq;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Power;
Hanson, Victor Davis, How The Obama Administration Threatens Our National Security (Encounter Broadsides);
Hanson, Victor Davis, Makers of Ancient Strategy: From the Persian Wars to the Fall of Rome;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Ripples of Battle: How Wars of the Past Still Determine How We Fight, How We Live, and How We Think;
Hanson, Victor Davis, The End of Sparta: A Novel;
Hanson, Victor Davis, The Soul of Battle: From Ancient Times to the Present Day, How Three Great Liberators Vanquished Tyranny;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Wars of the Ancient Greeks;
Harnack, Adolf Von, History of Dogma, Volume 3 (Sony Reader);
Harris, Alex, Reputation At Risk: Reputation Report;
Harris, Sam, Letter to a Christian Nation;
Harris, Sam, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason;
Hayek, F. A., The Road to Serfdom;
Heilbroner, Robert L., and Lester Thurow, Economics Explained: Everything You Need to Know About How the Economy Works and Where It's Going;
Hempel, Sandra, The Strange Case of The Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera;
Hinnells, John R., A Handbook of Ancient Religions;
Hitchens, Christopher, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything;
Hogg, Ian V., The Encyclopedia of Weaponry: The Development of Weaponry from Prehistory to 21st Century Warfare;
Hugo, Victor, The Hunchback of Notre Dame;
Humphrey, Caroline & Vitebsky, Piers, Sacred Architecture;
Huntington, Samuel P., The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order;
Info World: Information Technology News, Computer Networking & Security;
Information Week: Business Innovation Powered by Technology:
Infostor: The Leading Source for Enterprise Storage Professionals;
Infrastructure Insite: Bringing IT Together;
Insurance Technology: Business Innovation Powered by Technology;
Integrated Solutions: For Enterprise Content Management;
Intel Premier IT: Sharing Best Practices with the Information Technology Community;
Irwin, Robert, Dangerous Knowledge: Orientalism and Its Discontents;
Jeffrey, Grant R., The Global-Warming Deception: How a Secret Elite Plans to Bankrupt America and Steal Your Freedom;
Jewkes, Yvonne, and Majid Yar, Handbook of Internet Crime;
Johnson, Chalmers, Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire;
Journal, The: Transforming Education Through Technology;
Judd, Denis, The Lion and the Tiger: The Rise and Fall of the British Raj, 1600-1947;
Kagan, Donald, The Peloponnesian War;
Kansas, Dave, The Wall Street Journal Guide to the End of Wall Street as We Know It: What You Need to Know About the Greatest Financial Crisis of Our Time--and How to Survive It;
Karsh, Efraim, Islamic Imperialism: A History;
Kasser, Rodolphe, The Gospel of Judas;
Katz, Solomon, The Decline of Rome and the Rise of Medieval Europe: (The Development of Western Civilization);
Keegan, John, Intelligence in War: The Value--and Limitations--of What the Military Can Learn About the Enemy;
Kenis, Leo, et. al., The Transformation of the Christian Churches in Western Europe 1945-2000 (Kadoc Studies on Religion, Culture and Society 6);
Kepel, Gilles, Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam;
Kiplinger's: Personal Finance;
Klein, Naomi, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism;
KM World: Content, Document, and Knowledge Management;
Koestler, Arthur, Darkness at Noon: A Novel;
Kostova, Elizabeth, The Historian;
Kuttner, Robert, The Squandering of America: How the Failure of Our Politics Undermines Our Prosperity;
Lake, Kirsopp, The Text of the New Testament, Sony Reader;
Laur, Timothy M., Encyclopedia of Modern US Military Weapons ;
Leffler, Melvyn P., and Jeffrey W. Legro, To Lead the World: American Strategy After the Bush Doctrine;
Lendon, J. E., Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity;
Lenin, V. I., Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism;
Lennon, John J., There is Absolutely No Reason to Pay Too Much for College!;
Lewis, Bernard, The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror;
Lewis, Bernard, What Went Wrong?: The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East;
Lifton, Robert J., Greg Mitchell, Hiroshima in America;
Limberis, Vasiliki M., Architects of Piety: The Cappadocian Fathers and the Cult of the Martyrs;
Lipsett, B. Diane, Desiring Conversion: Hermas, Thecla, Aseneth;
Livingston, Jessica, Founders At Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days;
Livy, Rome and the Mediterranean: Books XXXI-XLV of the History of Rome from its Foundation (Penguin Classics);
Louis J., Freeh, My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror;
Mackay, Christopher S., Ancient Rome: A Military and Political History;
Majno, Guido, The Healing Hand: Man and Wound in the Ancient World;
Marcus, Greil,Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes;
Marshall-Cornwall, James, Napoleon as Military Commander;
Maughm, W. Somerset, Of Human Bondage;
McCluskey, Neal P., Feds in the Classroom: How Big Government Corrupts, Cripples, and Compromises American Education;
McCullough, David, 1776;
McCullough, David, John Adams;
McCullough, David, Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt;
McLynn, Frank, Marcus Aurelius: A Life;
McManus, John, Deadly Brotherhood, The: The American Combat Soldier in World War II ;
McMaster, H. R., Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam;
McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 1: Origins and Destinies (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 2: Persons and Groups (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 3: Religions and Controversies (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
Meacham, Jon, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House;
Mearsheimer, John J., and Stephen M. Walt, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy;
Meier, Christian, Caesar: A Biography;
Menzies, Gaven, 1421: The Year China Discovered America;
Metaxas, Eric, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy;
Michael, Katina and M.G. Michael, Innovative Automatic Identification and Location-Based Services: From Barcodes to Chip Implants;
Migliore, Daniel L., Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology;
Military & Aerospace Electronics: The Magazine of Transformation in Electronic and Optical Technology;
Millard, Candice, Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey: The River of Doubt;
Mommsen, Theodor, The History of the Roman Republic, Sony Reader;
Muller, F. Max, Chips From A German Workshop: Volume III: Essays On Language And Literature;
Murray, Janet, H., Hamlet On the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace;
Murray, Williamson, War in the Air 1914-45;
Müller, F. Max, Chips From A German Workshop;
Nader, Ralph, Crashing the Party: Taking on the Corporate Government in an Age of Surrender;
Nagl, John A., Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam;
Napoleoni, Loretta, Terrorism and the Economy: How the War on Terror is Bankrupting the World;
Nature: The International Weekly Journal of Science;
Negus, Christopher, Fedora 6 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux;
Network Computing: For IT by IT:
Network World: The Leader in Network Knowledge;
Network-centric Security: Where Physical Security & IT Worlds Converge;
Newman, Paul B., Travel and Trade in the Middle Ages;
Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, The Nietzsche-Wagner Correspondence;
Nixon, Ed, The Nixons: A Family Portrait;
O'Brien, Johnny, Day of the Assassins: A Jack Christie Novel;
O'Donnell, James J., Augustine: A New Biography;
OH & S: Occupational Health & Safety
Okakura, Kakuzo, The Book of Tea;
Optimize: Business Strategy & Execution for CIOs;
Ostler, Nicholas, Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin;
Parry, Jay A., The Real George Washington (American Classic Series);
Paton, W.R., The Greek Anthology, Volume V, Loeb Classical Library, No. 86;
Pausanius, Guide to Greece 1: Central Greece;
Perrett, Bryan, Cassell Military Classics: Iron Fist: Classic Armoured Warfare;
Perrottet, Tony, The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Olympic Games;
Peters, Ralph, New Glory: Expanding America's Global Supremacy;
Phillips, Kevin, American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush;
Pick, Bernhard; Paralipomena; Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ (Sony Reader);
Pimlott, John, The Elite: The Special Forces of the World Volume 1;
Pitre, Brant, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper;
Plutarch's Lives, X: Agis and Cleomenes. Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus. Philopoemen and Flamininus (Loeb Classical Library®);
Podhoretz, Norman, World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism;
Posner, Gerald, Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK;
Potter, Wendell, Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans;
Pouesi, Daniel, Akua;
Premier IT Magazine: Sharing Best Practices with the Information Technology Community;
Price, Monroe E. & Daniel Dayan, eds., Owning the Olympics: Narratives of the New China;
Profit: The Executive's Guide to Oracle Applications;
Public CIO: Technology Leadership in the Public Sector;
Putnam, Robert D., Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community;
Quintus of Smyrna, The Fall of Troy;
Rawles, James Wesley, Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse;
Red Herring: The Business of Technology;
Redmond Channel Partner: Driving Success in the Microsoft Partner Community;
Redmond Magazine: The Independent Voice of the Microsoft IT Community;
Renan, Ernest, The life of Jesus (Sony eReader);
Richler, Mordecai (editor), Writers on World War II: An Anthology;
Roberts, Ian, The Energy Glut: Climate Change and the Politics of Fatness in an Overheating World;
Rocca, Samuel, The Army of Herod the Great;
Rodgers, Nigel, A Military History of Ancient Greece: An Authoritative Account of the Politics, Armies and Wars During the Golden Age of Ancient Greece, shown in over 200 color photographs, diagrams, maps and plans;
Rodoreda, Merce, Death in Spring: A Novel;
Romerstein, Herbert and Breindel, Eric,The Venona Secrets, Exposing Soviet Espionage and America's Traitors;
Ross, Dennis, Statecraft: And How to Restore America's Standing in the World;
Roth, Jonathan P., Roman Warfare (Cambridge Introduction to Roman Civilization);
SC Magazine: For IT Security Professionals;
Scahill, Jeremy, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army [Revised and Updated];
Schama, Simon, A History of Britain, At the Edge of the World 3500 B.C. - 1603 A.D.;
Scheuer, Michael, Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War On Terror;
Scheuer, Michael, Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq;
Scheuer, Michael, Osama Bin Laden;
Scheuer, Michael, Through Our Enemies Eyes: Osama Bin Laden, Radical Islam, and the Future of America;
Scholastic Instructor
Scholastic Parent & Child: The Joy of Family Living and Learning;
Schopenhauer, Arthur, The World As Will And Idea (Sony eReader);
Schug-Wille, Art of the Byzantine World;
Schulze, Hagen, Germany: A New History;
Schweizer, Peter, Architects of Ruin: How Big Government Liberals Wrecked the Global Economy---and How They Will Do It Again If No One Stops Them;
Scott, Sir Walter, Ivanhoe;
Seagren, Eric, Secure Your Network for Free: Using Nmap, Wireshark, Snort, Nessus, and MRTG;
Security Technology & Design: The Security Executive's Resource for Systems Integration and Convergence;
Seibel, Peter, Coders at Work;
Sekunda N., & S. Northwood, Early Roman Armies;
Seneca: Naturales Quaestiones, Books II (Loeb Classical Library No. 450);
Sewall, Sarah, The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual;
Sheppard, Ruth, Alexander the Great at War: His Army - His Battles - His Enemies;
Shinder, Jason, ed., The Poem That Changed America: "Howl" Fifty Years Later;
Sidebottom, Harry, Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction;
Sides, Hampton, Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West;
Simkins, Michael, The Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan;
Sinchak, Steve, Hacking Windows Vista;
Smith, RJ, The One: The Life and Music of James Brown;
Software Development Times: The Industry Newspaper for Software Development Managers;
Software Test Performance;
Solomon, Norman, War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death;
Song, Lolan, Innovation Together: Microsoft Research Asia Academic Research Collaboration;
Sophocles, The Three Theban Plays, tr. Robert Fagles;
Sound & Vision: The Consumer Electronics Authority;
Southern, Pat, The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History;
Sri, Edward, A Biblical Walk Through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do In The Liturgy;
Sri, Edward, Men, Women and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights from John Paul II's Love and Responsibility;
Stair, John Bettridge, Old Samoa; Or, Flotsam and Jetsam From the Pacific Ocean;
Starr, Chester G., The Roman Empire, 27 B.C.-A.D. 476: A Study in Survival;
Starr, John Bryan, Understanding China: A Guide to China's Economy, History, and Political Culture;
Stauffer, John, Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln;
Steyn, Mark, America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It;
Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories;
Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War;
Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Xenophon's Hellenika;
Strategy + Business;
Streete, Gail, Redeemed Bodies: Women Martyrs in Early Christianity;
Sullivan, James, The Hardest Working Man: How James Brown Saved the Soul of America;
Sumner, Graham, Roman Military Clothing (1) 100 BC-AD 200;
Sumner, Graham, Roman Military Clothing (2) AD 200-400;
Suskind, Ron, The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11:
Swanston, Malcolm, Mapping History Battles and Campaigns;
Swiderski, Richard M., Quicksilver: A History of the Use, Lore, and Effects of Mercury;
Swiderski, Richard M., Quicksilver: A History of the Use, Lore, and Effects of Mercury;
Swift, Jonathan, Gulliver's Travels;
Syme, Ronald, The Roman Revolution;
Talley, Colin L., A History of Multiple Sclerosis;
Tawil, Camille, Brothers In Arms: The Story of al-Qa'ida and the Arab Jihadists;
Tech Briefs: Engineering Solutions for Design & Manufacturing;
Tech Net: The Microsoft Journal for IT Professionals;
Tech Partner: Gain a Competitive Edge Through Solutions Providers;
Technology & Learning: Ideas and Tools for Ed Tech Leaders;
Tenet, George, At the Center of the Storm: The CIA During America's Time of Crisis;
Thackeray, W. M., Vanity Fair;
Thompson, Derrick & William Martin, Have Guitars ... Will Travel: A Journey Through the Beat Music Scene in Northampton 1957-66;
Tolstoy, Leo, Anna Karenina;
Trento, Joseph J., The Secret History of the CIA;
Twain, Mark, The Gilded Age: a Tale of Today;
Ungar, Craig, House of Bush House of Saud;
Unterberger, Richie, The Unreleased Beatles Music & Film;
VAR Business: Strategic Insight for Technology Integrators:
Virgil, The Aeneid
Virtualization Review: Powering the New IT Generation;
Visual Studio: Enterprise Solutions for .Net Development;
VON Magazine: Voice, Video & Vision;
Wall Street Technology: Business Innovation Powered by Technology;
Wallace, Robert, Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda;
Wang, Wallace, Steal This Computer Book 4.0: What They Won’t Tell You About the Internet;
Ward-Perkins, The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization;
Warren, Robert Penn, All the King's Men;
Wasik, John F., Cul-de-Sac Syndrome: Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream;
Weber, Karl, Editor, Lincoln: A President for the Ages;
Website Magazine: The Magazine for Website Success;
Weiner, Tim, Enemies: A History of the FBI;
Weiner, Tim, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA;
West, Bing, The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq;
Wharton, Edith, The Age of Innocence;
Wilcox, Peter, Rome's Enemies (1) Germanics and Dacians;
Wise, Terence, Armies of the Carthaginian Wars 265 - 146 BC;
Wissner-Gross, What Colleges Don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You To Know) 272 Secrets For Getting Your Kid Into the Top Schools;
Wissner-Gross, What High Schools Don't Tell You;
Wolf, Naomi, Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries;
Wolf, Naomi, The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot;
Woodward, Bob, Plan of Attack;
Woodward, Bob, The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House;
Wright, Lawrence, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11;
Wright-Porto, Heather, Beginning Google Blogger;
Xenophon, The Anabasis of Cyrus;
Yergin, Daniel, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power;