Muslim Footprints

We’re onto our second episode of the year - looking at the story of Islam in Russia! Flying us through the history is Dr Danielle Ross, a specialist of Islamic and Russian-Soviet history at the State University of Utah. 

Russia is home to one of the world’s largest Muslim populations, with a rich and complex history that stretches back over a thousand years. We start with its early introduction in the Volga region, and travel through the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Crimea. We explore the role of Tatar Muslims, and the shifting policies of Tsars, Soviets, and modern Russia towards their Muslim citizens. Despite periods of repression and revival, Islam remains a vital force in Russia’s diverse society today, shaping everything from local traditions to geopolitical dynamics.

Join us as we uncover the resilience and contributions of Russia’s Muslim communities in this captivating episode.

Happy new year, friends, and welcome to our first episode of 2025! We are continuing Season Two with Ibn Khaldun, a medieval historian who was fascinated by the way societies function. Telling us his story is Professor Gabriel Martinez-Gros, one of France’s most renowned experts of Islam.

 

The episode explores Ibn Khaldun’s life and the context in which he wrote. It also examines the cyclical nature of history he proposed, which goes something like this. States are built around a violent minority that subdues the majority sedentary population. Eventually these violent groups, who in Ibn Khaldoun’s time were nomads or Bedouin, soften and become more and more like the sedentary population they rule. In other words, these wolves become like the sheep they govern – so to maintain control of the state, they have to call on new wolves to help them. These new violent groups first support, and then supplant, the old elite.

 

The discussion highlights how Ibn Khaldun's insights into the complicated relationship between the authorities and society remain pertinent today, especially in light of contemporary challenges.

Hello and welcome to the second episode of our two-part series on The Ismailis, which features Dr Farhad Daftary, Director Emeritus of the Institute of Ismaili Studies. This episode continues the history of the community, from the collapse of the Fatimid Empire - the only time Ismailis led a state - all the way to the present day. 

 

One topic that dominates this episode is the legends about the community. For hundreds of years Westerners have been fascinated by stories of the Assassins, their mysterious leader and their remote mountain stronghold at Alamut in Northern Iran. The legends first emerged in the 12th century when Crusaders in Syria came into contact with the Nizari Ismailis, who, at the behest of their leader Hasan bin Sabbah (mythologized as the "Old Man of the Mountain"), engaged in dangerous missions to kill their enemies. Elaborated over the years, the tales culminated in Marco Polo's claim that the "Old Man" controlled the behaviour of his self-sacrificing devotees through the use of hashish and a secret garden of paradise. So influential were these tales that the word "assassin" entered European languages as a common noun meaning "murderer". 

Dr Daftary addresses in detail the assassins legend created this time by Muslim polemicists aiming to discredit the Ismaili movement. As such, this episode reveals an extraordinary programme of propaganda rooted in the medieval Muslim world and medieval Europe's ignorance of this world.

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Hello again and welcome to our two-part series on The Ismailis, which features Dr Farhad Daftary, Director Emeritus of the Institute of Ismaili Studies.

 

The Ismailis, a branch of Shi’i Islam, emerged in 765 during the formative period of Islam. Today, the community spans more than 30 countries, embodying a global presence with rich cultural and intellectual contributions.

 

Dr Daftary provides insights into the community's formation, the challenges of documenting its history, and the esoteric doctrines that distinguish Ismailism. At the heart of Ismaili beliefs is its approach to religious scripture and an emphasis on both apparent and hidden meanings. In other words, while Sharia, or religious laws, evolve over time, the inner spiritual teachings remain constant. This adaptability has helped the Ismailis sustain their identity across centuries, allowing the community to thrive in diverse regions and political climates.

 

The first part of the series continues through the Fatimid period, when Ismailis wielded significant political power and influence.

 

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Maqrizi, Egypt’s most famous historian

 

Hello again and welcome to our fourth episode of Muslim Footprints Season 2! It’s on Al Maqrizi, the most influential historian of Egypt before modern times. That’s all the way from the Pharaohs, through to the 15th century! Telling us his story is Professor Nasser Rabbat, head of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Art and Architecture at MIT. 

 

So, why should we care about a medieval Egyptian historian? Well, he left a rich legacy of writings that offer a window into the social, economic, and cultural life of the medieval Islamic world. His meticulous documentation of Cairo's history was used centuries later by the Ottomans to understand the land they had inherited. It was also appropriated by Napoleon’s teams for their monumental Description de l’Égypte, so his work became the go-to source for anyone studying the country. 

 

Maqrizi’s writing continues to influence the nation to this day. Egyptian nationalists in the 20th century considered him as the voice of the true Egyptian, while novelists and poets referred to him as the embodiment of resistance to corruption and oppression. Professor Rabbat calls him a rebel: Maqrizi’s commentaries remind us of the importance of looking critically at our own societies and learning from history’s successes and failures - a theme that resonates across time and cultures.

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Al Kindi, The Father of Arab Philosophy

 

Great to see you for our third episode, which features Peter Adamson, Professor of Philosophy at the LMU in Munich and at King's College London. 

 

The way the story of philosophy has been presented is that it started with the ancient Greeks, and then you had the Renaissance, followed by the Enlightenment and then all the way to today. Professor Adamson is keen to tell us what happened in the 2,000-year gap between those famous Greeks - Socrates or Plato or Aristotle - and Thomas Aquinas, described as a founding figure of modern thought. 

 

Professor Adamson has hosted a podcast since 2010 called the History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps. He’s also a specialist on Al Kindi, often known as the first Arab philosopher. Enjoy!

 

Are you enjoying Season 2? 

 

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It’s great to see you again and we hope you enjoyed the start of Season 2!

 

Our second episode features Richard McGregor, Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Vanderbilt University. The episode focuses on his work around material objects in islam.

 

We explore the significance of objects in Islamic religious practices, including a study of the Mahmal and the role it played for 700 years in the Hajj ritual. Professor McGregor discusses how objects serve as powerful symbols of devotion and community, and how their historical and cultural contexts shape their meanings. The conversation also addresses the evolution of relics, opposition to devotional objects in modern times, and the power of museums in shaping how religious material culture is preserved and experienced. 

The episode concludes with a discussion about why broadening our understanding of religion to encompass its material and spiritual dimensions matters.

Our first episode features David Damrosch, Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University and Director of Harvard’s Institute for World Literature. The episode focuses on his work, “Around the World in 80 books”.

 

Entitled Tales from Muslim Lands, Professor Damrosch takes us through examples of key works from three regions - the Middle East, where he gives examples of Stories Within Stories; Palestine/Israel, which he unites under the theme Strangers in a Strange Land, and Persia, where he takes us from Tehran to Shiraz - showing both the diversity of Muslim narratives and emphasising the interconnectedness of stories across cultures. 

 

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For our final episode of this season we are delighted to welcome Professor Soulaymane Bachir Diagne, who teaches at Columbia University, and is one of the world's most distinguished philosophers.

Professor Diagne guides us through his autobiography, "Le Fagot de Ma Memoire." Le fagot is a bundle of twigs. In Francophone Africa it refers to the wood that’s used to make a fire. Here, Professor Diagne has collected the twigs of his memory, interweaving the story of his professional trajectory, and the Muslim beliefs and motivations that have guided him.

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Our latest episode tells the story of how Islam arrived in America, possibly as early as the 1400s on ships from Europe and West Africa. 

We have two guests on this episode. One is Sylviane Diouf, a visiting scholar at the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University. She has written of the role that Islam played in the lives of African Muslims enslaved in the Americas. Our other guest is Dr Hussein Rashid, assistant dean for Religion and Public Life at Harvard Divinity School, whose research focuses on Muslims and US popular culture.

Muslims governed for almost a thousand years in the Iberian Peninsula, with Arabo-Islamic culture leading the way in science and art, philosophy and theology. It’s a period known for its cosmopolitanism – where Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived and worked together in peaceful coexistence.

The history of al-Andalus is not one of foreign occupation. It is not an anomaly, nor is it an exception. It represents, rather, an integral part of the historical process that created not only modern Spain and Portugal but modern Europe too.

Brian Catlos, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, authored the book Kingdoms of Faith, which tells the story of Muslim Spain. He joins us on this episode for a whirlwind journey through al-Andalus.

Ismailis from South Asia find their origins in Gujarat, Sindh and Punjab. Their ancestors belonged to various castes such as the Lohana and Bhatia communities, who found themselves drawn to the teachings of Muslim saints, known as pirs or sayyids.

According to community tradition, Ismaili pirs were sent from Persia by the Imams – or spiritual leaders – to spread knowledge of who the Ismaili Imams are, and the notion of the Imam as the guide to spiritual enlightenment.  The pirs did this through ginans, one thousand or more religious hymns that are assumed to date as far back as the thirteenth century. The people that accepted these teachings came to be known as Satpanthis: those who followed Satpanth, or the True Path.

On this episode, Ali Asani, professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures at Harvard University, speaks to us about ginans, and the fascinating evolution of this particular Ismaili tradition over the past 800 years.

The early suras of the Qur’an are the short, hymnic passages associated with the first revelations to the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him and his progeny). They reveal many of the central values of Islam: generosity, kindness, prayer, and good deeds – in other words, a vision of a just and meaningful life. They also often refer to nature - the moon, sun, and stars; the sky and sea; night and day – highlighting the inextricable link between people and the environment.

 

Michael Sells, a renowned expert on the Qur’an, joins us for this episode of Muslim Footprints to discuss what he describes as “some of the most powerful prophetic and revelatory passages in religious history.” Dr Sells is the John Barrows Professor of Islamic History and Literature at the University of Chicago. He has studied and taught in the areas of Qur’anic studies; Sufism; Arabic and Islamic love poetry; and mystical literature.

Welcome to a bonus episode of Muslim Footprints!

This week, we’re reflecting back on the stories we’ve covered so far in our journey, and sharing additional insights from our guests. From the founders of the faith to empire builders, from Islam’s spiritual underpinnings to its enduring contributions to culture, we've covered a lot of ground - let's dive in and hear more!

As always, thanks for listening and sharing.

Muslims governed Sicily for about 200 years starting around 830 CE. A thousand years later, the influence of Muslim civilization remains. You can find it in the language, in local place names, and even in its cakes and sweets!

If you visit Sicily you also still see Muslim influence in its built environment – churches with domes and Arabic inscriptions, irrigation systems still in operation. And of course, Palermo itself, which recalls the urban design of North Africa’s historic cities.

The influence of Islam may extend beyond these tangible items - to culture as we understand it today. In this episode we hear from Bill Granara, research professor of Arabic at Harvard University, who talks about the Sicilian poet Ibn Hamdis, among the island’s most famous Muslims. We are also joined by Nicola Carpentieri, Professor of Arabic at the University of Padua, who researches Muslim Sicily - including the link between its Arabic poetry and European culture at large.

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The Fatimids were an Ismaili dynasty that reigned over a diverse religious and ethnic population for about 200 years, emerging from the vibrant 10th century world of the Mediterranean. At its height, the Fatimid Empire stretched across the length of the southern Mediterranean and down the Red Sea coast – what we know as Algeria today all the way to the Levant, and along the west coast of Arabia – and included the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, as well as Jerusalem, Damascus, and even Sicily. The authority of its Imam-Caliphs was recognised as far as present-day Iran, Central Asia, Yemen, and India.

The story of how the dynasty came about, is as remarkable as some of its achievements. 

Dr Shainool Jiwa is Senior Research Fellow at The Institute of Ismaili Studies, and has lectured and published on Fatimid Studies for over three decades. She has published The Fatimids 1: The Rise of a Muslim Empire (2018) and co-edited The Shi'i World: Pathways in Tradition and Modernity (2015) and The Fatimid Caliphate: Diversity of Traditions (2017) as well as translating key medieval Arabic texts relating to Fatimid history. She holds a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, UK.  

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Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib is one of the most important spiritual and intellectual authorities in Islam after the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He was the son-in-law and cousin of the Prophet, the fourth of the four ‘rightly guided caliphs’ who led the nascent Muslim community, and the first Shi’i spiritual leader, or Imam.

Considering his importance in the elaboration of intellectual, ethical, spiritual, legal and political traditions in Islam, there is a dearth of literature in Western languages on his life and thought. In this episode, author and researcher Dr Reza Shah Kazemi tells us about Imam Ali's life, his spirituality, and his guidance for behaving justly.

Reza Shah-Kazemi is a research associate at The Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, where he specialises in Sufism, Shi'ism, and comparative mysticism. 

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Prophets serve as intermediaries between the human and divine worlds. For Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) represents the last of the monotheistic prophets, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus. In his own lifetime, Prophet Muhammad overcame opposition and brought reforms, establishing a thriving community of believers which would become a major world civilisation. 

On this episode we’re joined by Dr Stephen Burge, a specialist in Qur'anic interpretation. Dr Stephen is also an ordained priest of the Church of England. He talks to us about the challenges and triumphs of prophecy, and examines how prophets have inspired people’s relationship with the Divine, and with one another.

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Nasir Khusraw’s turning point could be described as a midlife crisis. He was a senior bureaucrat in Central Asia, enjoying a life of travel and socialising. But a more urgent current ran under the delights of the world, namely his aching desire to have some purpose, some answer to the question of why all this exists. A powerful dream shocked him out of his ‘forty years’ sleep’, and he became convinced that he must change his life completely, and use this truth to change the world.  

Dr Alice Hunsberger, an expert on the 11th century sage, scholar and traveller, joins us on this first episode of Muslim Footprints to talk about Nasir Khusraw’s marvellous journey - a literal journey, from the ancient city of Marv to the Mediterranean via Jerusalem and Jeddah, as well as a spiritual one - in search of meaning. 

Listen now to this episode, and subscribe to Muslim Footprints.

We're delighted to announce the launch of our brand new podcast, Muslim Footprints! 🎙️ 🎉

Join us on a captivating journey as we explore the rich heritage, remarkable stories, and diverse experiences of the Muslim community. Get ready to deep dive into engaging discussions and inspiring tales that celebrate the extraordinary contributions of Muslims to our world. 🌍

Look out for our first episode - coming soon! Find us on your favourite podcast platform, and make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes. Get ready to discover the beautiful footprints left by Muslims around the world. Let's listen, learn, and explore together! 🎧