The first time I heard the name Khalid was when I discovered that Pakistan’s MBT (largely made in China) was to be named that (back when I was a wee nipper who thought fun was memorising Jane’s Armour and Artillery). Only later did I bother to find out more. Thanks for the link. You might find these interesting too...


Izetbegovic, A., The Islamic Declaration: A Programme for the Islamisation of Muslims and the Muslims
Peoples (Sarajevo, 1990). Written by the former president of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Aliya Izetbegovic.

Al-Maududi, A. A., Jihad in Islam (Beirut: Holy Koran Publishing House, 1939)

Al-Misri, Ahmad, Reliance of the Traveller, Rev. Ed., Ed & trans. N. H. M. Keller (Maryland: Amana
Publicatuons,1988). The classic book of Shafi’i jurisprudence which points out, as do other works on Islamic jurisprudence, that the division of Sunni Islam into four legal schools doesn’t hide the fact that they agree on 70% of the central doctrines (the differences usually revolve around esoteric issues such as whether the quran was “created” or whether it was existent from the beginning of time, whether God has immutable natures, do his qualities mean his essential nature is split vs. Tauhid/unity, the degree to which ‘urf or common law can impinge upon the Shari’a, who constitutes a legitimate political authority empowered to declare Jihad, the degree of ijma necessary for a ruling to be binding, etc.). W. Montgomery Watt, the British Orientalist who converted to Islam, stated that the core doctrines were more than 70% identical but that’s a different matter. Also, one must be careful as Keller omitted to discuss slavery, amongst other topics, which is, however, still extant in the Arabic text to the right! I found the sections on the correct method to go to the loo/bog/toilet/ “bathroom” hilarious (especially regarding women....but then again I also enjoy watching Jackass, on the odd occasion!).

Haywood, J. A. & H. M. Nahmad, A New Arabic Grammar of the Written Language, 2nd Ed. (London: Lund Humphries, 1965). A standard work on Arabic grammar for those wishing to brush up their Arabic or for committed (is that a pun?) beginners.

Wehr, H., A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 3rd Ed. Ed. & trans. J. M. Cowan (New York: Spoken Language Services, Inc., 1976). The indispensible classic especially in connexion with the above work.


Hughes, T. P., Dictionary of Islam being a cyclopaedia of the Doctrines, Rites, Ceremonies and Customs, together with the Technical and Theological Terms of the Muhammadan Religion (New Delhi: Manushiram Publishers, Ltd., 1995/1885). The classic and still largely unsurpassed work by an Orientalist who ranks with Lewis, Hurgronje, Jeffery, Watt, and Schacht as one of the great SME (and one who wrote before the post-modernist/Said inspired nonsense of the present). A friend of mine left his religion (he was a Sikh) after reading the entry on that in Hughes work, apparently they weren’t taught that (apparently they hate Muslims)!

Siddiqui, K., The Muslim Manifesto (London: The Muslim Institute 1990). Written by the founders of what is now the so called “moderate” British Council of Muslims during the Rushdie affair, illuminating for its statement that the publication of the Satanic Verses was a “declaration of war” on Islam. It also an excellent example of what Muslims consider “oppression” which is always useful when discussing what “defence” means to Muslims and to the doctrine of Jihad.

Ibn Nuhaas, The Book of Jihad, trans Noor Yamani (n.d). Like the reliance of the Traveller it is a translation of a classic work accepted by the Sunni schools of Law. Unfortunately, the translator often forgets to separate his own voice from that of Ibn Nuhaas which can lead the unwary astray. I did have an original Arabic copy which had been scanned but I can’t seem to find the internet link.