What makes someone a Muslim? Is it personal faith, government ID cards, or the community’s judgment?

In this profound discussion, Dr. Jonathan A.C. Brown explores the tensions between Islamic identity, state power, and social expectations—from Malaysia’s laws defining "who counts" as Muslim, to the Tablighi Jama’at’s role in enforcing prayer, to Gaza’s impact on global Muslim solidarity. 

Key Topics:

Faith vs. Formality: Can governments enforce Islamic practice without killing sincerity?

Malaysia’s Paradox: Why some laws define Muslims by "what others think" of them.

Prayer Police: Should communities pressure individuals to pray—or is that hypocrisy?

The Gaza Effect: How tragedy is reviving the Ummah’s political conscience.

Colonial Legacies: Why British-era laws still shape Muslim identity in Asia.

Dr. Brown weaves fiqh, history, and dark humor (see: "storage room khutbahs" and "6 AM podcast sacrifices") into a critique of modern Muslim fragmentation—and a vision for collective revival

Dr. Jonathan Brown is the Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

He received his BA in History from Georgetown University in 2000 and his doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago in 2006.

His book publications include “The Canonization of al-Bukhari and Muslim: The Formation and Function of the Sunni Hadith Canon”, “Hadith: Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World”.

“Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction” and “Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenges and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet’s Legacy”, and “Slavery and Islam”.