The unfathomable enigma of Sultan Malik
From the thirteenth century, intrepid Chinese voyagers had an almost complete map of Southeast Asia. Invariably, the names they gave to places were direct transliterations. Thus, Singapore, which was once known as Pulau Ujong, was called Puluozhong. The long, jungle-covered island of Sumatra, which was once known as Samudra, became Su-mu-ta.
Islam had arrived to the [...]
The inward voyage and the fate of Islam
There is a scene in the French film, Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran, in which Moise, a Jewish boy, holds up the Quran and confesses: “I don’t understand anything.” To which his friend, a Muslim, answers: “When you want to learn, you don’t pick up a book. You talk to someone.”
Similarly, [...]
The political careers of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs- a short overview
Like Jesus, Muhammad’s personality and message of divine unity attracted a host of extraordinary individuals who came to be known as Sahaba, or Companions. These were the first witnesses of the Last Prophethood, the first students of the great master, who spoke not by his own tongue, but by direct inspiration from God.
Although ten Companions [...]
Early study circles and their effect on transmission of Islamic knowledge
The early period of Islam was marked, first and foremost, by an intense activity in the development of sacred law. The debate was represented by two sides, that of ahl-al-ray and ahl-al-hadith- those who dispensed advise based on what was commonly practiced and logical against those who only related what the Prophet and the early [...]
Jimmy Carter wants Hamas involved in peace talks
Jimmy Carter: Include Hamas in Israel-Palestinian peace talks
Likudniks don’t scare former United States president Jimmy Carter. On the contrary: The electoral turnaround of 1977 that brought them to power for the first time enabled Carter to be inscribed in the history books as the leader who facilitated the first peace agreement between Israelis and Arabs. [...]
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