Browse Items (31 total)

The Island of Animals is a story written by The Epistles of the Brethren of Purity and Loyal Friends, a secret society of philosophers in the Abbasid Caliphate. The Island of Animals is a fictional story questioning the moral implications for how one…

"One Thousand and One Nights" is a collection of Middle Eastern stories orally compiled over centuries. In every story, Scheherazade, the main character, entertains the king to avoid death and to save the people of the kingdom. The stories discuss…

The image above portrays Prophet Muhammad's last sermon before his death. After completing the sermon, Muhammad becomes extremely ill and requests permission from all of his wives to be nursed at A'isha's residence. He dies in her arms. Similar to…

From 750 to 1000 CE, equivalent to 133-391 Hijri, the Islamic world underwent a transformative journey, evolving from what Berkey terms "revolution" to a state of "autocracy" in what he refers to as “the Consolidation of Islam.” Baghdad played a…

The Abbasid revolution took place in 750 CE, 132 Hijri. Within Muslim society, there was growing discontent particularly among non-Arab converts who felt socially inferior to everyone else. Additionally, regional tensions furthered discontent…

Muhammad was born in 570 Common Era, -76 Hijri. From his birth, signs of his prophethood were already very clear, as his mother felt no pain during birth. Early in life, in 610 CE, -11 Hijri, while praying in a cave, Muhammad received a visit from…

Before the foundations of Islam, the Middle East was largely divided by deserts, and civilizations were mostly composed of familial relations. However, the conquests of Alexander the Great led to the adoption of Hellenistic Greek culture throughout…

In the Journal of Indian History Congress, historian and thinker Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani explores Timur's authority and governmental structure in the article “THE GROWTH OF TIMUR’S AUTHORITY AND HIS RELATIONS WITH NOBILITY.” In a meta-analysis of…

Umma directly translates to “nation” or “community.” In Islam, Umma refers to the entire collective community of religious believers. The word transcends all geographic, class, and racial boundaries to unite all Muslims under a common faith. From the…

The Mamluk Sultanate existed from 1250 to 1517 Gregorian, 648 to 923 Hijri, with their eventual overthrow by the Ottoman empire. Existing primarily in Egypt and Syria, the Mamluks were owned slaves, freed by their masters, but expected to maintain…