Category: Uncategorized

The contributions of non-Arabs and slaves to early Islamic scholarship Those unfamiliar with Islamic intellectual history might assume that most early Muslim scholars were Arabs. And some might be surprised [...]

Abstract The Islamic (Hijrī) calendar is the standard measure of time in the Qur’an and Sunnah,  and plays an integral role in the lives of Muslims. It is used for [...]

Introduction Is there slavery in Islam? When people pose this question they usually assume it’s the Islam part that needs clarification. Everyone already knows what slavery is. Actually, it’s quite [...]

Abstract The Ottoman dynasty, which emerged as a small beylik in Asia Minor after the conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) in the fifteenth century, became a major world power that not only shaped [...]

Religious minorities are often depicted as oppressed and vulnerable victims of their Muslim rulers. This portrayal, however, is far from accurate. This brief paper seeks to reorient our understanding of [...]

Abstract This paper builds on recent research classifying Islamic charitable endowments—the institution of the waqf—into distinct stages of historical and institutional development. It aims to imagine how the waqf might look today.  Throughout [...]

Introduction Mālik bin Dīnār (d. circa 127/745) was a pious scholar of Basra. The son of a Persian slave, he lived off pennies made by copying the Qur’an.  Yet Basra’s wealthiest man, [...]

Introduction Nana Asma’u bint Uthman (1793-1864) was a Muslim scholar and  prolific poet from the West African Sahel. She was the daughter of Shaykh Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman ibn Salih (d. 1817), known as [...]

Abstract In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, Muslims provided protection to asylum-seekers and the Ansar of Medina treated the Muhajirs, who were essentially refugees, like brothers. During the Crusades, Muslim governments and individuals provided [...]

Abstract The question of forced conversions to Islam in history is a cornerstone of the centuries-old “spread-by-the-sword” narrative that has been (and continues to be) used to demonize Islam and [...]