Head On History

We are back for Season 3, called "Other Islams." Ten episodes dedicated to the history of Islam at the margins and the stuff they don't teach you in school. In our first episode we explore how Islam arrived to Afghanistan and how the borders of the Islamic world provide a unique snapshot into the process of conversion itself. From Rashidun expansion to cultural renaissance, we explore Afghanistan with its unique history of Sufism, music, monuments, and scholarship. We discuss the Saffarids, the Samanids, the Ghazanavids, the Ghorids, and take a closer look at figures like Muhammad al-Balami with his translation of the Qur'an, Mahmud Ghazni unifying the region, Amr Khusrow with his Qawwali and Fatima Samarqandi the great Hanafi scholar. This is a history of Sufi monasteries, fierce warriors, passionate poets, and of an Islam that fit in alongside Buddhism, Hinduism, and Zoroastrianism.

In our last episode of the season we wrap up the intellectual history of Islam by examining how the orthodoxies that we discussed in the previous episode were popularized. We talk about the emerging class of legal scholars called the ulema, the madhabs of Hanafi, Maliki, Shaif, and Hanbali and their main differences, and how Sufism helped to spread the scholarly brand of Islam throughout the Islamic heartlands. We talk about the contributions of the Seljuks, namely under the patronage of Nizam al Mulk and his network of schools that shifted the heart of Islam from the Caliph to scholarship and was a main force in preserving Islam post-Mongol invasion. We talk about the efforts of Fatima al Samarqandi in spreading Hanafi Islam and the writings of Al Ghazali as they consolidate and reconcile the debates of the ahl al Hadith and the Mutazila. Finally we discuss Ibn Taymiyyah as a product of the anxiety over conservation post-Mongol invasion and set the state for the other Islams and contemporary debates for next season.

In this episode we discuss the formation of Shia orthodoxy. Picking up from our earlier episode on early Shi'ism we explore how the experience of persecution under the Umayyads and Abbasid shaped Shia thought and doctrine. We discuss the Muhammad al Baqir and Jaffar as Sadiq and their contributions to the theological principles of Shi'ism. We explore the concept of the hidden meaning of the Qu'ran and the much misunderstood idea of taqiyaa. Finally we trace the genealogy of Sufism, discussing their interaction with Buddhism and how they developed not as a sect, but set of approaches within Sunnism.

This episode we trace the emergence of orthodoxy in Islamic thought. Starting with the debates about predestination and the nature of the Qu'ran we mark the development of Islamic theology from the writings of Hasan i Basri and the Qadarites or Qadiriyyah to the formation of the ahl al-Hadith and Mutazila movements. We discuss the influence of translation projects and Greek philosophy in the development of kalam or Islamic theology. We explore the contributions of Al Kindi and the the influence of the Abbasid civil war in shaping the minha of Al Ma'mun. We conclude with a discussion of the Ash'ari and the coalescing of Sunni orthodoxy and Shariah.

In an exciting special episode we talk about the history behind the current Iran protests. Starting with the formation of Iran from the Safavid era we chart the introduction of Shia Islam to the region, the project of conversion, the the social structure shaped by the relationship between religious clergy and the government. We examine how that relationship creates a unique dynamic in Iranian history under the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasty and how it feeds into various protest movements from the the Tobacco Protests to the Persian Constitutional Revolution. We examine the lives of Ali Shariati and Ayatollah Khomeini. Finally we analyze how this deeper history is the prologue for the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and how the ethos of those movements along with economic tensions form the backdrop of the current protests.

In a holiday Head on History Special, we come to you with a fun episode on the history of Muslims and Christmas. In light of both the fictitious "war on Christmas" and the ongoing debate in Muslim social media about whether Muslims can or should celebrate Christmas, this episode traces the history of shared holidays and festivals in Islamic history. From pilgrimages and festivals, to mosques and holidays, we take a closer look at how Muslim and Christians have participated in one another holy days from ancient times to more contemporary moments.

This episode traces the early developments of Shi'ism. In it we discuss the original schism of authority, how the Shiatul Ali form and the compromise that is reached by the community. We talk about how the divisions between the different tribes reflect the alignments of Pre-Islamic Arabia. We explore the developing relationship of the Shia to the Caliphate and the effect the experience of Ali's death and the Battle Karbala has the early theology of Shi'ism. We trace the idea of successor and lineage in Shi'ism and how it becomes an enduring attribute of the denomination. Finally we discuss the rise of the Abbasid revolt.

What is Sunni Islam? In this episode we trace the origins of one of the largest denominations of Islam. We look to the period after the death of Muhammad and how the disagreement between Muslims on the issue of authority set in motion a process that would eventually lead to Sunni Islam. We discuss the early movement that a specific vision of leadership and community and how that early movement was shaped by its experience with the Umayyad Caliphate. We also talk about the gathering of the sunnah and hadith and how both became part of the beginnings of sharia.

A special podcast to contextualize the breaking news of Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the US embassy. In this episode we discuss the history of Jerusalem from Biblical times until modern. We talk about how the city came to be perceived as holy and sacred in the minds of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. We detail the way in which the history of Jerusalem is shared, entangled, and varied through time. We push back on nationalist discourses which try to imagine Jerusalem only so far as it serves the purpose of fixed identities without thought of its shared heritage. We note the tension and violence, but also highlight the history of co-existence.

Who is Muhammad? Did he even exist? In this podcast, we try to uncover the historical Muhammad. We start with the major debates and controversies among historians. Then we move to looking at the difference sources and evidence for the existence of Muhammad and what it tells us about his life. We look at Muslim sources like the Qur'an, Hadith, and Sira as well as non-Muslim sources like documents written by local Christians and other officials. We examine both religious and non-religious sources and follow the traces of history to reconstruct the historical Muhammad. As usual we conclude with book recommendation for further reading.