Islam Through The Ages

Watch on YouTube Contact Dr Mohammed Ahmed on LinkedIn or Academia Further Reading 1. ⁠Muslim-Jewish Harmony: A Politically-Contingent Reality⁠ 2. ⁠Islam and Judaism: Religious Attitudes and Identity in the Medinan Era⁠ In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Introduction (01:35) Recap of Part 1 (02:25) The fall of Granada and displacement of Muslim and Jews (06:52) Why Christendom had antisemitic tendencies (14:54) Christian Europe's antisemitism trickles into Ottoman lands (18:44) Dönmeh - followers of Sabbatai Zevi (25:08) Popular associations between Kabbalah, Jewry and Freemasonry (26:47) Response of Arabs and the Jewish diaspora to Israel's creation (29:30) Modern antisemitic tropes by Muslims (33:04) Islam-friendly Anti-Zionism Rabbis (36:59) Summing it all up (40:32) Conclusion

Watch on YouTube Contact Dr Mohammed Ahmed on LinkedIn or Academia Further Reading 1. Muslim-Jewish Harmony: A Politically-Contingent Reality 2. Islam and Judaism: Religious Attitudes and Identity in the Medinan Era In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Introduction (02:15) References to Jews in the Quran (06:41) Where is the term "Yahud" derived from? (09:13) Brief sketch of early Jewish history (15:06) Jews and Muslims in the Prophet's city (24:17) Jews as dhimmis in the Rashidun Caliphate (32:55) Jewish presence in the Hijaz (36:32) Jews and Jizya under the Umayyads (40:03) Jews in positions of power - rule or exception? (45:45) La Convivencia - myth or fact? (50:33) Jews under the Ottoman Millet system (53:08) Conclusion

In this conversation, Dr. Hasan Spiker, a philosopher and scholar at Zaytuna College, dives into the intricacies of ontology and epistemology within Islamic thought. He passionately critiques the misconceptions surrounding the 'Islamic Golden Period,' urging a reevaluation of how Muslims view their history. The discussion traces the philosophical roots of knowledge, balancing traditional Islamic views with modern interpretations. Spiker also challenges contemporary narratives about morality and progress, emphasizing a rich synthesis of philosophy and science in Islam.

Watch on YouTube In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) What is Theology? (04:40) What is Aqeedah? (11:00) Where does Kalam come from? (16:17) How did differences in Aqeedah develop in early Islamic History? (24:20) What was Mu'tazilism? (35:33) What is the Aqeedah Tahawiyyah? (37:15) Is there a correlation between the schools of Fiqh and Aqeedah? (40:40) What other theological groups have existed in the past? (47:55) Contribution of disagreements to the Islamic tradition (49:25) Muslim Philosophers and their impact on Islamic theology (52:25) Differences between mainstream schools of Aqeedah in Sunni Islam (01:00:10) How relevant are abstract theological details for the lay person? (01:06:10) Dr Ramon Harvey's books

Watch on YouTube In this episode, we cover: (00:00) How were Ahadith recorded at the time of the Prophet (Peace and blessings upon him)? (09:54) How did Hadith literature develop into the canonical collections we know today? (15:54) Are Ahadith less reliable than the Qur'an due to later compilation? (19:57) Is written word always more reliable than oral transmission? (23:37) How can we be certain that Bukhari and Muslim are reliable? (28:06) What is the size of the Hadith corpus? (33:43) What are some other notable Hadith collections? (36:42) How has Hadith scholarship evolved since the 5th century of Islam? (39:19) How common is it to re-evaluate the authenticity of a Hadith? (42:06) What is the unique contribution of Sheikh Al-Albani to Hadith Scholarship? (47:21) What groups within Islam reject the reliability of Bukhari and Muslim? (50:00) How has Orientalism and colonization influenced Muslims' engagement with Hadith? (51:07) What reading material would you recommend for those new to Hadith?

Watch on YouTube In this episode, we cover: (00:00) What is Hermeneutics? (05:10) What are the boundaries of Qur'anic Tafsir? (10:14) Historically, what have been the genres of Qur'anic Tafsir? (18:41) How has the popularity of "Tafsir based on educated opinion" varied historically? (34:24) Do the earliest Tafsir works have greater epistemological significance than later ones? (41:15) Are opinions valid due to Tafsir consensus? Is challenging consensus possible? (51:39) Could the works of Hadith, Seerah, Qira'at and Fiqh be affected by a 'selection bias'? (57:10) How should we navigate a Tafsir where the author propagates heterodox theological views? (01:06:00) For beginners, what works of Qur'an translation and Tafsir would you recommend?

Watch on YouTube⁠ In this episode, we cover: (00:00) What do we mean by scriptural preservation? (02:52) What are the Qira'at and Ahruf? (10:08) Do the 7 Ahruf still exist today? (11:58) Are the Qira'at recited today all come from a single Harf? (12:25) What are the origins of the 10 Qira'at common today? (14:27) How was the Qur'an compiled from the time of the Prophet ﷺ to the rule of Uthman? (26:16) Did the manuscript compiled at the time of Abu Bakr preserve multiple Ahruf? (31:13) How to explain the differing readings and manuscripts of the Companions? (35:40) Why did Uthman destroy alternative manuscripts after his official compilation? (38:34) What is the Sana'a Palimpsest? (42:10) Was the ordering of the Surahs in the manuscripts preserved? (47:39) Do non-Uthmanic manuscripts exist, and are there signs of attempts to destroy them? (51:12) How have the Qur'anic manuscripts evolved after the Uthmanic compilation? (58:59) What does Western scholarship say about the compilation and preservation of the Qur'an?

Watch on YouTube In this episode, we cover: (00:00) What is Orientalism? (05:02) Is Orientalism still relevant today? (07:30) How has Orientalism distorted Western consciousness regarding Islam and Muslims? (10:53) What came first, Orientalism or political domination? (14:59) How has Orientalism impacted Muslims since the Enlightenment? (19:08) Have religious movements in the Islamic World been influenced by Orientalist narratives? (20:36) Has political domination of the Orient always been the subject of Orientalism? (24:09) How did 'Christian' become 'Judeo-Christian'? (26:09) How have the perceptions of Western elite and laymen, regarding Muslims, changed over time? (34:03) Did Western academia marginalize Islamic epistemology in the pre-colonial era? (37:41) What Orientalist concepts have been absorbed by Muslims today? (43:14) Are Orientalism and the political and epistemic subjugation of the 'Other' unprecedented? (46:25) Why did the Mongol invasion not damage the Muslims as much as Western colonisation?

Watch on YouTube In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Why is periodization of history important? (05:56) How does periodization affect contextual understanding of history? (08:46) Comparison of Islamic Golden Age with European Dark Ages have in Islamic History (11:44) How does the use of political events as 'historical pivots' affect Muslims' view of their history? (17:34) What are some other historical pivots that can be used to understand history? (22:13) How have Muslim historians present history through the ages? (25:46) Should Muslim historians adopt the modern-day Eurocentric periodization of history? (31:28) How would you periodise the past 14 centuries of Islamic History? (34:56) Where do you draw the line between Classical and Medieval Islam? (39:39) Top-down vs Bottom-up approach to history (41:52) How will future historians talk about us? (47:35) How may we interpret the periodization of history in the Hadith of Nouman ibn Bashir?

Watch on YouTube In this episode, we cover: (00:00) What are the different approaches to framing Islamic History? (15:55) Thematic Approaches to Islamic History (18:27) Periodical Approaches to Islamic History (22:35) The dynamism of Islam beyond the Formative Approach (31:51) How should Muslims understand the current phase of their history (37:06) How has colonisation affected Muslims' confidence in their own historical narratives? (42:19) Have Caliphate and Christendom always be in conflict ? (51:31) What are the geographical boundaries of the Islamic World?