History

Episodes

• EP.56--History: From the Umayyads to the Abbasids 2020-06-15
  This episode discusses some elements related to the transition from the first dynasty of the world of Islam, the Banu Umayya, to the highly…
• EP.45--History: Jihad in the Modern World 2014-10-07
  This episode discusses the struggles of modern Muslims to make sense of the concept of Jihad. We consider the impact of European colonialism and…
• EP.44--History: The Jihad Movements 2014-09-26
  This episode briefly discusses the worldview of the Jihad movements that appeared on the Muslim scene around the 17th and 18th centuries AD. Can we…
• EP.29--History: Early Forms of Shi`ism 2013-12-11
  Today, we briefly highlight the fall of the Umayyad dynasty and rise of the Abbasids in 750 CE. The focus of the episode will be on the development…
• EP.28--History: The Dome of the Rock and the Solidification of Muslim Identity in the Near East 2013-11-11
  The period in which Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ruled the early Arab empire (685-705) was an important moment in the cementing of a…
• EP.27--History: Husayn, Ibn al-Zubayr, and the Second Civil War 2013-10-22
  This episode highlights another round of internal strife within the early community (680-692). Umayyad rule is challenged from many corners. The…
• EP.26--History: The First Radicals of Islam? 2013-09-30
  This episode discusses what could be described with some reservations as the first sectarian group to rise within Islam. The Kharijites are often…
• EP.24--History: Ali and the First Civil War 2013-09-01
  This episode discusses the rule of Ali ibn Abi Talib (656-661), which is also the time of the First Civil War, a traumatic event in the life of the…
• EP.23--History: The Turbulent Times of the Third Caliph Uthman 2013-08-14
  This episode discusses the rule of Uthman ibn Affan (644-656). While continuing to be successful on the external front, Uthman faced dissent and…
• EP.22--History: Abu Bakr, Umar, and the Arab Conquests 2013-08-07
  After Muhammad's death in 632 CE, the question of the leadership of the community will prove to be a serious challenge for Muhammad's followers.…