September 1st, 2013
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 early Muslim community.
Sources and Further Reading:
The History of al-Tabari
The Venture of Islam by Marshall G.S. Hodgson
The Early Islamic Conquests by Fred M. Donner
September 14th, 2013
This week marks the anniversary of the passing of Mohammed Arkoun (1928-2010) who was a professor of the history of Islamic thought at the Sorbonne in Paris. This is a tribute to this unique thinker and scholar.
September 30th, 2013
This episode discusses what could be described with some reservations as the first sectarian group to rise within Islam. The Kharijites are often presented as a radical and violent group that terrorized the early community. What do we make of this image? This short introduction to the Kharijites gives some initial guidance in trying to answer this question.
Sources and Additional Readings:
Kitab al-milal wal-nihal by al-Shahrastani
Les schismes dans l'Islam by Henri Laoust