American Trust Publications
Objectives
To cater to the publishing needs of the Muslim community in North America To produce high quality Islamic literature for Muslim children, youth and adults. To educate and instruct the Muslims in North America in the dynamic role of Islam in its encounter with the modern world; and To prepare them to play their destined role as a great cultural and spiritual force in the Western hemisphere. To provide non-Muslim youth and adults with high-quality, accurate literature about Islam.
Publishing Program
A publishing house dedicated to producing high-quality Islamic literature, American Trust Publications has been serving the Muslims of North America since its inception in 1976. It concentrates on literature for:
Muslim children, Youth, and Adults.
Purpose
To enable the new generation to think, behave and grow as true Muslims, and mold the noble character awakening in them, including:
Genuine love for their Creator, Allah, appreciating His numerous blessings upon them individually and upon mankind. Love for Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and appreciating his role as the benefactor of mankind. Compassion for others — for their fellow human beings, as well as for other creatures of Allah. Appreciation for Islamic beauty. Desire for the Islamic way of life, the knowledge of Islamic teachings and a will to practice them. Appreciation for Islamic history and the universal brotherhood in Islam. Consciousness of their distinct and unique Islamic identity. Knowledge of their immediate non-Islamic environment, and the ability to deal with it effectively. Competitive spirit to excel in piety and good deeds, and aim for excellence in whatever they do.
Means
At least three categories of books will be prepared with the help of experienced Muslim teachers and educators:
Textbooks which contain both the basic knowledge that children need to learn, along with sufficient teacher guides, study questions and worksheets. Reference works, containing as much informational content as possible, with vocabulary and syntax appropriate for age, and in a format appealing to children. Cultural orientation, consisting of both fiction and nonfiction. The purpose of this series is to make the Muslim child feel good about himself within an Islamic culture. This will include folktales and fantasy told within an Islamic framework, books on the seerah of the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions, biographies of notable and heroic Muslims past and present, and books showing the beauty and philosophy of Islamic art and architecture.
Literature for Youth
Purpose
To inform and educate Muslim youth in Islamic teachings, especially in areas relevant to their experience, everyday life, problems, and issues of interest to them, in order for them to develop appreciation of their true Islamic identity and destiny in North America, as members of the best community raised by Allah, abiding by His Will and serving as a light to others. To provide primary source reference materials (translations of Qur'an, ahadith, fiqh) in language and style appropriate to age, with appropriate commentary. To produce literature on issues like violence, drugs, family, sex and marriage, alcoholism, etc., relating the message of Islam to the contemporary North American juvenile scene. To produce literature that gives a true and honest comparison between Islam and Christianity, in order to clarify the difference for our youth. To produce reference books about Islam suitable for non-Muslim junior high and high school libraries.
Literature for Adults
Purpose
To convince the members of the Muslim community that they have to give America their best, namely Islam, which will determine their future role and place in the modern world. To maintain their bonds with the Muslim world, realizing their importance and contributing positively to further strengthening them. To educate and instruct the members of the Muslim community in the dynamic expansiveness of Islam in its encounter with the modern world, and to prepare them to play their destined role as a great cultural force in the Western hemisphere. To deepen their hold on Islamic culture, ethics and history.
The literature for adults will cover three areas:
Basic Knowledge: Exposition of the fundamentals of Islam, principles, articles of faith and practice, the importance and relevance of belief and practice, dimensions of Islamic behavior in a Muslim's individual life and in the collective life of the Ummah, everyday Fiqh, Islamic etiquette and manners, social laws and ethics, Islamic culture, the history of Islam and Muslim peoples, and their common problems. Contemporary Issues: Serving the needs of Muslims in North America , America and Muslims' future role as a civilizing force, contemporary moral and social issues, the relationship of the North American Muslim community with the rest of the Muslim world and its concerns and problems, Islam and the challenge of modernity, and Islamic ethics and culture. General Books on Islam: To introduce Islam to non-Muslims by preparing a series of books especially addressing their questions and misconceptions, underlining the common ground between various religions and showing the uniqueness of the Islamic message as a restatement of truth and exposition of the true religion.
Means
By tapping the talents of professional Muslim organizations in North America and in the Muslim world, and preparing and recasting the available material for easy use and reference.
How ATP Works
We are often asked by our readers about the process of book production at ATP, and its various stages. A brief note on the subject may therefore be useful.
Publishing, especially book publishing, is a long, arduous task. It involves scrutiny, revision, improvement, and refinement of manuscripts, in order to prepare them for publication.
When a manuscript is received, it enters a review process. If the manuscript is interesting or promising, it is sent out of the office for review. At least two reviews are required. When both reviews are positive and recommend the manuscript's publication, the director prepares copies of reviews, along with an assessment. A publication contract is prepared and offered to the author, and upon entering into this formal agreement, editing of the manuscript begins, to work toward creating a final copy. The author is sent editorial comments to review and incorporate into the manuscript, and after discussion and potential improvements upon the manuscript being passed between the editor and author, a final copy is mutually agreed upon.
Once the final copy is ready, it is once again checked to make sure it is free of any errors, before being sent for typsetting. While the manuscript is being edited and then typeset, an artist is busy working on a cover and any drawings or illustrations that may be needed for the book.
The typesetter, or designer for the book's interior, sends proofs for the final interior layout of the book, which are proofread and checked for layout by the editor before being returned to the designer with corrections, if any. The typesetter prepares revised proofs until a finalized set of proofs is approved by the editor, which the typesetter converts to usable files for the printer. The book's cover undergoes the same process of being turned into a proof for review, and then finalized to be sent by a designer to the printer. The printer then prepares its own proofs of both the cover design and the book's interior for final print, which are reviewed and approved by the editor. Any changes, deletions, or additions are marked, and the proof is returned to the printer, awaiting final print. Once this process reaches completion, the books, in their final form, roll off the press and to our warehouse.
This is indeed a lengthy process; much time, attention to detail, and scrutiny for content and format alike, are needed. Above all, it requires patience and persistence. It is also a labor of love — a means of pleasing our Lord, and serving our fellow beings. Whatever little we have achieved so far is a testimony to His Mercy and Grace. We are weak, and all deficiencies are ours. We do, however, try our best to do our share. Therefore, if at times things at ATP seem to be moving at a snail's pace, please bear with us; we need your understanding, cooperation and support to spread the truth about Islam, and in doing so, serve our Lord.
How Can You Help ATP?
If you write or have written something, send us your manuscript for review. All manuscripts must be related to ATP objectives explained in this article. Are you an artist, or do you have ideas for book cover designs? We would like to hear from you. Don't forget to send us samples of your artwork! If you like reading, and have a strong Islamic and educational background, we would like you to work with us as a freelance reviewer. If you have experience in translating, we welcome you to work with us in translating books on a freelance basis. We would be glad to know more about you and your special area of interest. As a reader, we value your opinion of our publications, and welcome any suggestions, criticism, observations, or comments to improve their quality and content.