If someone in your life has just undertaken the practice of Islam, you may want to consider Islamic gifts for your next big occasion. Islam is a complex and multifaceted religion that can take years and years to fully understand. As with any of the world's great religions, it continues to reveal deeper and deeper meanings with each successive layer that is pulled back.

Islamic gifts include educational and spiritual materials that can help in this revelation. Perhaps you or the new Muslim in your life has grasped the basic components of fasting, pilgrimage, daily worship, almsgiving, and oneness, but has never studied the holy texts at a deeper level. If so, Islamic audio tapes, DVDs, and books can be an ideal gift and help that person make greater inroads into Islam and him or herself.

Types of Islamic Gifts

Books are arguably the most popular of all Islamic gifts. According to Islam, when Allah handed His official pronouncements down to his prophet Mohammed in the seventh century, He did so through the Koran. This contained the written incontrovertible truth, at least according to Muslims, so the written tradition is one of the religion's most deeply entrenched.

But reading isn't the only way to further the study of Islam. Musical tapes and CDs, as well as transcriptions and lectures from some of the religion's leading scholars, are excellent ways to plumb the depths of spiritual practice and understand some of Islam's most controversial issues. Or, bypass the books and tapes altogether and opt instead for a fine art print such as Al Fatiha, Al-Ikhlas, or The Praying Man, all of which make great gifts for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.