Browse Items (30 total)
Ancient AramaicThis basalt stele bears an Aramaic inscription. Aramaic is direct ancestor to modern Arabic: Aramaic evolved into Nabatean, which evolved into Kufic,…
The crusades are a defining part of Islamic as well as Christian history. A time of extreme violence, the crusades saw Christian armies invading the…
Woven fragmentThis Cilician woven fragment is a relic of the incredible rich textile tradition in the Arabian world. For centuries thought to be some of the best in…
This passage shows that jinn--despite western conceptions of daemonic characters--are not always good or bad. This gives us clues to the Arabic…
Al-Nuwayri describes a number of recipes related to sex: recipes for aphrodisiacs, contraceptives, abortions and more. Passages like this that…
hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and must be completed at least once by all adult Muslims. Although the modern practice and timing were…
Jinn are daemonic spirits and beings and are mentioned by the Quran. Berkey references jinn as an important element of pre-Islamic Arabia, saying:…
This term translates to “deep understanding,” or “full comprehension.” In context, it refers to the body of Islamic law extracted by jurisprudence.…
A hadith is a report on the words and actions of the Prophet and his followers. Although some Muslims do not believe in the hadith accounts as divine…
An imam is a prayer leader, and can also refer to a community leader, especially one connected to the Prophet’s family. Al-Nuwayri goes into depth…