Al-Jumah Magazine
"Alim Software", Vol. 8 Issue 9 Ramadan 1417 H, by Abdul-Hadi Harman.
I was persuing some articles for editing. The writers left out many references to the ayaat and the hadiths quoted. I loaded the ALIM software and point-and clicked my way to all the necessary references. For anyone who have had to use the large and bulky concordances of the Quran and Hadith, this software is a time saver (and a back-saver too).
But one need not be an editor to appreciate the software. For those who are learning to read the Quran in Arabic, this is a great help. Have you ever tried to rewind the cassette tape over again to hear the proper pronunciation? You don’t have to with the ability to selective play the ayahs from ALIM. It even provides the Arabic script to help show exactly where you are at.
The strength of the ALIM is its presentation of the Quran and Hadith. The translation of Quran utilizes Yusuf Ali and Picthall’s translations. I wish the Noble Quran translation of Muhsin Khan were included. The Hadiths cover not only the Sahihs of al-Bukhari and Muslim but also the Muwatta, the Sunan as well as the Hadith Qudsi collection.
There are also sections on Fiqh and general knowledge about the Islamic world and civilization. The general knowledge section provides one paragraph notes on different facets of the Islamic civilization. The chronological history provided however are just one sentence historical occurences over the centuries. The images included in the CD are few and traditional- thoses of masjids and calligraphy.
The installation is straight forward Windows installation. Although don’t forget that you install from the diskette as well as the CD provided.
Overall I found the software to be useful for anyone who wishes to get more from the Quran and Hadith.
ISL Software Corporation
2037 Featherwood St.
Silver Spring, MD 20904.
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