About

The Muslim Literary Society (MLS) is an educational charity organization that promotes the intellectual, artistic and spiritual heritage of Islam through its classical literary works. It aspires to broaden the vision of Islam by bringing to light oft-neglected dimensions of Islamic life and thought.

The MLS engages in a number of activities to achieve its goals and objectives. These include the translation of important texts, sponsoring symposiums, conferences, seminars, and organizing exhibitions.

The MLS recognizes that Islamic civilization engendered numerous and varied perspectives, some of which are at odds with one another. As an educational organization interested in furthering knowledge of Islam as a whole, the MLS does not confine itself to one particular strand of thought; rather it seeks to shed light on all of Islam’s traditional schools and perspectives with the aim of allowing a thoughtful and fertile discussion to take place.

The MLS’s overall approach is also guided by a number of important principals:

• The first of these is the essential unity of human knowledge, values, and norms which stems directly from the doctrine of tawhid and is especially important for building bridges of understanding between the Muslim world and the West, and for being able to express Islamic thought in a profound and meaningful language. The MLS is therefore committed to serving as a bridge to Islam's traditional, spiritual, intellectual and artisitic heritage, while offering a range of possibilities that include activities such as dialogue with various cultures through building on mutual affinites and interests.
• Any endeavor to make Islamic life and thought intelligible must be rooted in the brilliant intellectual traditions that have grown over 1400 years of scholarship and spirituality. These represent a full flowering of Islam that bloomed independently of the psychological, political, and economic pressures of the contemporary world. They therefore provide an intellectually rich and firm ground from which to grow.
• The MLS recognizes the importance of beauty in conveying the soul and spirit of Islamic teachings. Therefore, beauty and aesthetics play a major role in all of the MLS’s activities, from the publication of literary works to its gatherings and symposia.