ImanWire Podcast

"Those whom your right hands possess", a Qur'anic descriptor for female slaves, can evoke a number of charged emotions and thoughts that can be difficult to reconcile with our modern sensibilities today. What does slave-concubinage mean? How was it understood in the formative years of Islam? In the final part of our series on slavery, Ustadha Zaynab Ansari, a resident scholar and instructor at Tayseer Seminary, reflects on this challenging topic. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction 1:44 - A Review Culture: Framing the Discussion 3:44 - An Overview of Slavery and Islam 6:50 - Those Whom Your Right Hands Possess: An Ethical Framework 23:52 - Insights Into the Qur'anic Pairing of Wives and Slave-Concubines 25:42 - On the Context of Surah Nisaa 33:34 - Was Slave-Concubinage Discouraged? 49:18 - The Issue of Consent 54:56 - The Battle of Hunain and Conduct of Armies 1:04:38 - A Moral Imperative For Consent? 1:12:28 - Legal Applications of Harm Vs Modern Notions of Consent 1:19:14 - On Coercive Relations 1:22:07 - The Prophet and Maria 1:32:35 - Moving Forward as a Community

In part 3 of our series on slavery, Imam Dawud Walid considers the aftereffects of slavery on our current condition, its historical role in contributing to anti-blackness in the community today, and how it affects our understanding of Qur'anic language and theological concepts such as 'ubudiyyah (being a slave to God). Imam Dawud Walid is the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) and member of the Imams Council of Michigan. He is the author of several books, including Blackness and Islam, Towards Sacred Activism, and Centering Black Narrative: Black Muslim Nobles Among the Early Pious Muslims. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction 5:39 - The Conflation of Slavery and Anti-Blackness 11:50 - Racialization in Language During the Abbasids & The Zanj Rebellion 16:20 - The Fabrication of Anti-Black Narrations 17:50 - Deployment of Racially-Specific Language 21:00 - Blackness and Arabness 21:56 - A Story of Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida 24:54 - Effects of Slavery on Fomenting Anti-Blackness 26:44 - Anti-Blackness and Representation 36:26 - Scholars Fighting Anti-Blackness and Race-Based Slavery 46:17 - Revisiting the "Arab Slave Trade" 1:00:13 - Slavery to God and Freedom 1:10:52 - Qur'anic Parables of the Slave and Free 1:16:06 - Egalitarianism Vs. Social Hierarchy in the Qur'an 1:20:31 - Modern-Day Slaves

Our series on slavery continues as Dr. Bilal Ware joins the podcast to explore the Islamic tradition and the abolition of slavery, debunk the myths of the "Arab-Islamic" slave trade and reflect on how these histories impact our lives today. Dr. Bilal Ware is a historian of Africa and Islam and is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at UC-Santa Barbara. He is the author of several books including, "The Walking Qur'an: Islamic Education, Embodied Knowledge & History in West Africa", which details the intellectual and spiritual tradition in West Africa and tells the story of African Muslims in the 18th century abolishing slavery and monarchy. Link to previous episode with Dr. Ware: https://www.almadina.org/studio/podcasts/ep-9-walking-qurans-of-africa-scholarship-liberty-the-abolition-of-slavery-dr-rudolph-ware CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction 5:54 - Was Slavery Uncontested in Islamic Law? 6:50 - The Single Most Misunderstood Aspect of the Sunnah 12:30 - Freedom: The Fundamental Principle of Humanity 16:00 - West African Scholars and Abolitionism 19:22 - Challenging Every Element of Slavery 27:00 - Orientalist Aims of Normalizing an Islamic Legacy of Slavery 32:22 - An Intellectual Geneology of Abolition in West Africa 37:44 - The Lead-Up to Revolutionary Emanicipation 45:44 - 1776: The End of Monarchy and Slavery in Senegambia 48:22 - Expanding Identity to Free, Not Enslave 50:18 - Scholarship Independent From Political Authority 53:37 - Was Senegambian Abolition A Blip in History? 56:06 - Sokoto and Uthman Dan Fodio 59:33 - Exporting the Revolution: The Spirit of Muslim Slave Revolt 1:01:12 - Savannah, Georgia: "A Believer Cannot Own Another Believer" 1:04:59 - The Link Between West African Abolitionists and Frederick Douglass 1:06:52 - Written Out of History: The Legacy of Abdulqadir Kan 1:07:59 - Prophetic Examples Against Slavery 1:10:48 - The Intellectual Dishonesty of the "Arab-Islamic Slave Trade" 1:30:33 - The Imprint of History on Our Engagement With Islam

Slavery might be considered a thing of the past, but the position of slavery in Islam continues to be an issue that many Muslims grapple with today. In this special four-part series of the ImanWire podcast, we approach this complex topic from several perspectives, beginning with a discussion with Dr. Jonathan Brown on the moral question of slavery, its place in Islamic law, and the diverse practices of it in Muslim history. Dr. Jonathan Brown is the Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and author of several books, including "Slavery and Islam". CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction 4:51 - Why Discuss Slavery Now? 14:35 - Challenges in Defining Slavery 18:06 - The Problem of Talking About Slavery in World History 21:59 - Projecting Assumptions On Others 27:53 - The Ubiquity of Slavery in the Pre-Modern World 31:32 - Slavery in 7th Century Arabia 34:40 - Closing the Doors to Enslavement 37:31 - The Emphasis on Emancipation 40:50 - Female Slaves and Legitimacy of Children 44:11 - Ethical Treatment of Slaves 46:53 - The Zeal to Emancipate 47:42 - Slaves of God, Slaves of Men? 49:58 - The Legal Handicap of Slavery 52:35 - Slavery is Harm 56:16 - An Obsession to Free Slaves 1:00:10 - Slavery in Muslim Civilization 1:05:28 - Racialization and Slavery in Muslim History 1:07:59 - Important Distinctions in Slave Populations Between the United States and the Muslim World 1:14:26 - The Slavery Conundrum and the Moral Wrongness of Slavery 1:27:14 - Horrors of Trans-Atlantic American Slavery 1:33:07 - History of Abolitionism 1:41:57 - Abolition in the Muslim World 1:44:08 - Muslim Arguments Against Slavery 1:53:40 - The Abolition of Slavery 1:55:59 - Reconciling Tradition and Abolition

Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui discusses the importance of freeing oneself from attachments and dedicating the heart to worshiping Allah. This episode delves into the art of cleansing one's soul in pursuit of divine love. CHAPTERS: 23:28 - Divine Connection: Ultimate Relationship 25:20 - Divine Edicts: Understanding The Command 29:40 - Spiritual Conditions: The Conditional Clause 32:40 - Inner Freedom: Liberated Heart vs Life's Challenges

Shaykh Hatem El Haj and Imam Dawud Walid join the ImanWire podcast to offer words of encouragement and advice in staying true to Prophetic etiquettes for Muslims engaged in protests and activism for the Palestinian cause. Link to article discussed in the podcast: https://muslimmatters.org/2024/05/30/holding-onto-prophetic-etiquettes-when-protesting-encouragement-and-advice-for-muslim-human-rights-advocates/

Embark on a profound journey through Ibrahim's ultimate test, a tale of unwavering faith and the epitome of a father's sacrifice. This episode delves into the heart-wrenching story of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his son—a narrative that continues to inspire spiritual guidance and reverence towards Allah. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Invocation 3:50 - Forbearing Son Tidings 11:00 - Ibrahim Ismael Vision 21:45 - Ibrahim Ultimate Test 25:50 - Shaytan Temptations 29:50 - Sacrifice Act 36:15 - Dua Prophet Ibrahim 40:05 - Ibrahim Divine Ransom 45:38 - Qurbani Significance

“Whoever imitates a people becomes one of them." This well-known hadith on tashabbuh (imitation), debated by scholars over centuries, continues to play a role in how Muslims see both themselves and others. Dr. Youshaa Patel, author of the book, “The Muslim Difference: Defining the Line between Believers and Unbelievers from Early Islam to the Present”, joins the podcast to explore the many different layers of tashabbuh, weaving through scholarly commentaries, psychology, history, style and culture. CHAPTERS: 1:18 - What is Tashabbuh? 11:08 - Tashabbuh in Early Islam 14:50 - Parting the Hair 17:12 - Changing the Qibla: A Distinctive Community 18:58 - Projecting Identity in the Public Space 20:59 - The Scale of Style: Small or Stark Differences? 27:55 - Imitation and Hierarchy in the Age of Empire 33:88 - More Than Just Imitating Non-Muslims 36:12 - Reinforcing Hierarchies in Empire 39:57 - Prioritizing Order in Society 41:36 - Ibn Taymiyyah Weighs In 44:08 - Bad Imitators: Festivals and Muslims Blurring Into Non-Muslims 49:32 - Can the Hadith of Imitation Go Both Ways? 50:53 - Tracing Anxieties Over the Ummah Through Tashabbuh 54:22 - Ibn Taymiyyah and Tashabbuh in Non-Muslim Lands 55:46 - Coffee, Controversy & Najm-ud-Din al-Ghazi 1:01:23 - Aligning Fiqh With Beauty 1:04:19 - The Coffeehouse: The Devil's Lair 1:06:09 - Good Imitation and the Path to Piety 1:09:43 - A Transformative Technology of the Self 1:10:33 - Animals as Role Models? 1:11:57 - Wearing European Hats 1:13:00 - The Most Controversial Fatwa in the History of Islam 1:19:46 - Power of Symbols in Shaping Communal Identity 1:22:57 - Tashabbuh Today: How Do Muslims Be Different Now? 1:33:21 - Internal Imitation: The Intellectual Onslaught on the Muslim Psyche 1:41:36 - Muslim Pride: Me Against Them? 1:44:56 - Figuring Out How to Be Muslim 1:47:01 - Elevating Ourselves and the Other

Dr. Bara Zuhaili shares stories from his time in Gaza, highlighting the humanity, resilience, and heroism of its people.

Shaykh Hassan Lachheb joins Moutasem Atiya to discuss topics close to their hearts and delve into global events.