The Islamic Monthly (TIM) is an independent, nonreligious, U.S. based publication that fosters discussion on a broad range of issues and concerns related to Muslims in the modern world.

An insightful and authoritative introduction to the book at the heart of Muslim life, written by a well-known Islamic scholar. Examines the doctrines contained in the Qur'an, providing a comprehensive explanation of their significance to individual Muslims and the societies in which they live. Surveys the key themes of the Qur'an, its most significant historical interpretations, and some of the most significant figures who transmitted and taught the sacred scripture over the centuries. Considers the influence of the Qur'an on all major aspects of Muslim society, including personal relationships, popular culture, law, art and architecture, political movements, science, and literature. Helps the reader to understand the Qur'an, while throwing a much-needed light on what it means to be a Muslim.

As dissension mounted between the rival Arab dynasties in Baghdad, Cordoba, and Cairo, Christendom rallied to oppose the Muslims in Spain and Jerusalem. This program plots out the decline of the Caliphate and the acquisition of Arab knowledge by Europeans starved for Islam's intellectual riches. The rise of feudalism and papal authority, the gradual defeat of the Muslim rulers in Spain, the Seljuk usurpation of Abbisid power in the Near East, and the Crudades are explained, along with the concerted efforts of Catholic authorities to translate the vast libraries of Arab scientific and philosophical texts.

A modern literary masterpiece, "Women Without Men" creates an evocative and powerfully drawn allegory of life in contemporary Iran. Internationally acclaimed writer Shahrnush Parsipur follows the interwoven destinies of five women; including a prostitute, a wealthy middle-aged housewife, and a schoolteacher; as they arrive by different paths at a garden in Tehran. Shortly after the 1989 publication of "Women Without Men" in her native Iran, Parsipur was arrested and jailed for her frank and defiant portrayal of women's sexuality. This volume is the first author-approved translation of "Women Without Men." Sharhnush Parsipur is the author of Touba and the Meaning of Night, among many books. Born in Iran in 1946, she began her career as a fiction writer and a producer of Iranian National Television and Radio. She now lives in exile in California. Shirin Neshat is an internationally acclaimed visual artist from Iran who adapted "Women Without Men" into a feature film. Translator Faridoun Farrokh is a professor of English at Texas A&M International University.
"Using the techniques of both the fabulist and the polemicist, Parsipur continues her protest against traditional Persian gender relations in this charming, powerful novella." - Publishers Weekly

This complex epic novel captures the changing fortunes of Iranian women in the twentieth century from the era of colonialism to the rule of two shahs to the 1980 Islamic Revolution. The Iranian best-selling author of eleven books, including "Women Without Men," Shahrnush Parsipur now lives in exile in the United States.
"[With this] bold, insightful novel . . . Parsipur makes a stylishly original contribution to modern feminist literature" - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Parsipur should be admired both as a courageous woman who endured jail and torture . . . and as a writer and innovator." - Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran