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.

The holy book of Islam is the Qur'an but its history remains shrouded in mystery. What are the historical origins of the book and how did it develop. In this podcast we present the major theories about the origins of the Qur'an, from those that attribute it to Muhammad, to those that argue for a later date and longer period of development. We talk about the recent manuscript findings and carbon dating and its significance for the history. We talk about how the Qur'an was complied, transcribed, and then commented on. We explore the development of commentary literature or tafsir and the major theological debates about the Qur'an's nature. And finally conclude with the history of how the Qur'an comes to us today.

In this episode we trace the history of the hijab and religious garb. We start by examining the Qur'an on the subject, historicizing the verses and providing context. We then look at the broader tradition of veiling and headscarves in the near east in Late Antiquity. Tracing the tradition from Jewish, Christian, Byzantine, and Persian roots we look at how the headscarf and veil took shape within Islamic society and its intersection with class in the early Muslim empires. We discuss how the current manifestation of the hijab was shaped by cultural practices of the Turko-Persian world and conclude with a discussion on how the hijab and religious garb in general became major symbols in the debates about modernity. We discuss the rise of secular nationalists and their attempt to create national character against the religious garb and the backlash from the religious movements that followed. Finally we conclude by noting how the hijab has become an identity-forming act.

After summarizing the history in part 1, this episode focuses on how the concept of jihad was transformed in the modern world. We examine the major thinkers of the time period and how they defined jihad according to their historical experiences. We discuss Emir Abdulkadir in Algeria and his use of jihad against the French colonizers. We explore the thinking of Jamal ad-Din Al Afghani and his formation of a sort of Islamic nationalism. Then we look at how the ideas of a political Islam are fused with new interpretations of jihad by Abul A'la Maududi and Sayyid Qutb. This episode digs deep into the intellectual history behind jihad and provides the foundation to then explore whether or not the jihad mainstream Islam is related to the jihad espoused in the terrorism of Al Qaeda or ISIS.

We're back for season 2 of Head on History and diving into the deep end. Building on the chronology established in last season, we are going to focus now on important themes in Islam and how they've been shaped by history. In our first episode trace the history of the concept of "jihad" in the premodern Islamic world. We explore the various ideas of fighting and conflict in Islam and how they were shaped by the experience of imperial wars in Late Antiquity and communal violence. We take a look at the various words used in the Qur'an to express fighting and how over time all of these ideas were gathered under the umbrella of "jihad" as theologians began to expand the idea and codify it in Sharia or Islamic Law. We trace the development of jihad from the early Muslim community through the Crusades, setting the stage for a part two which will cover jihad in the colonial and modern world.

In this Head On History Special we move away from our season outline and discuss the current events of Charlottesville, Virgina. We use history to help explain how we got to this moment with Nazi's and white supremacist marching in the streets. In this podcast we talk about the historical connection between America's race project and Nazism, we discuss the connection between American race legislation and the Nuremberg Laws. We dispel the myth about the Confederacy being about state's right providing evidence that at its heart was the institution of slavery. We explore how race has always been at the heart of citizenship in America and how laws like the Racial Integrity Act and anti-immigrant sentiment weren't just part of American Nazism, but mainstream politics. Finally, we talk about the history of Confederate statues, dispelling the myth that they were merely about heritage. We end with a discussion on historical amnesia and America's failure to critically engage it's dark past.