Islamic History Podcast

I sit down with Imam Marc Manley of Middle Ground Islamic Center in southern California. We talk about his journey to acquire Islamic knowledge, the problem with how we’re taught Arabic, and the moral decay of modern pop music, especially hip-hop. Visit his blog imammarc.com and subscribe to his podcast Middle Ground Podcast

Who is the Israel lobby?

Did the Palestinians ever truly want peace?

Sudanese-American Mazin Khalil explains the history and politics behind the current civil war in Sudan. Donate to the Sudanese American Physicians Association https://sapa.usa.org

Discussing Islam in Black America with Atlanta-based activist and da’ee, Bilal Stroud.

I sit down with Br. Majid Hussein from the Muslim Podcast to discuss the recent anti-Muslim riots in the UK.

A look into various Islamic contributions to science and culture.

An interview with the Islamic Vibez Podcast

Does the U.S. benefit from the special relationship?

Why does the United States support Israel?

A portion of the first episode of the third season of the Umayyad Caliphate.

Farrukh Siyar angers the wrong people.

Farrukh Siyar revolts against Jahandar

A new alliance brings a new Emperor.

The short reign of Bahadur Shah

Why did Aurangzeb impose the jizyah?

The final days of Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb fights Afghans, English, Marathas, and Rajputs.

The Marathas and the Deccan are problems for Aurangzeb

A winner emerges from the fratricidal war.

The fratricidal war begins.

Shah Jahan’s ambitions cause problems for the Mughals.

The death of Jahangir and the rise of Shah Jahan

Discussing the recent events in Gaza

As Jahangir grows sicker and more dependent on his wife and opium, a political scuffle begins.

Prince Khusrau rebelled against his father, Emperor Jehangir, in 1606 in a bid for the Mughal throne, leading to a tumultuous struggle for power and eventual defeat.

The death and legacy of Akbar the Great.

How did Akbar manage his sprawling empire?

Introducing Season 9 of the Islamic History Podcast where we continue the story of the Mughal Empire.

The political history of Afghanistan from 1826 to 1978. It's not good.

The Umayyad forces complete the conquest of North Africa, then cross over into Iberia.

Hajjaj ibn Yusuf sends his young cousin, Muhammad ibn al-Qasim, east to capture Sindh.

Beginning of the Umayyad Caliphate Season 2. We recap Season 1, provide expectations for Season 2, and continue our discussion of Ibn al-Ash’ath’s rebellion.

Discussing the development of the Islamic Caliphate from the death of Prophet Muhammad to the death of Ibn Zubayr.

As-Salaamu Alaikum, welcome back to Islamic History Exclusive.  This is the podcast exclusively for Patreon subscribers of the Islamic History Podcast.  In this series, we are going over the life of Salahuddin al-Ayyubi known to the west as Saladin.  In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing the Battle of Hattin. But before we get into that, let’s begin with a recap of where we are so far. 1. From 1183 to 1185, Salahuddin launches several raids into Frankish Palestine and Transjordan 2. The Franks, stymied by infighting and weak leadership, are unable to respond appropriately 3. Baldwin IV dies in 1186 and his eight-year-old nephew, Baldwin V takes the throne 4. Salahuddin falls gravely ill in the winter of 1186 and his empire almost disintegrates 5. Once he recovers, Salahuddin makes peace with the Zengis and Mosul becomes a vassal And with that, let’s discuss the Battle of Hattin, one of the most important events in Muslim history.

The Crusaders have reached Jerusalem and prepare for a siege and assault.

Ibn Zubayr’s governor is in Kufah but the Shiite’s do not recognize his authority. Two groups of Shiites are growing in Kufah and they want to get revenge for Husayn ibn Ali’s death.

Akbar tries to remove all religious divisions in his empire by creating a new religion.

Akbar neutralizes the Rajputs using a combination of diplomacy and warfare.

Akbar is only a teenager when he becomes the Mughal emperor and everyone wants a piece of him.

India is in chaos and the people want Humayun to come back. Can he pull off one of the greatest comebacks in history?

After losing his empire, Humayun receives help from an unlikely source: the Safavid Empire.

As Humayun struggles to establish his authority, Portugal struggles to create a new trade network in the subcontinent.

With the Rajputs pacified for the time being, Babur turns his attention to his Afghan enemies.

Babur has two major obstacles standing in his way in India. One of them, are the Rajputs, a mighty warrior caste.

Babur begins his first raids into India setting the stage for the establishment of the Mughal Dynasty.

Babur begins his invasion of Afghanistan but has to deal with the Uzbek warlord, Shaybani Khan.

The early life of Babur and his attempts to capture Samarkand.

Discussing the rise and conquests of Timur the Lame.

Discussing the breakup of the Mongol Empire.

Hulegu Khan and the Ilkhanate initiates a siege on the Abbasid capital of Baghdad in 1258.

Genghis Khan leads his Mongol army into Central Asia. One of his first opponents is the Muslim Khwarezm Shah Empire. This begins the long, bloody, and brutal Mongol invasion of the Muslim world.

In this episode, we discuss the rise of Genghis Khan, and how he united the Mongol tribes and began expanding into China and Central Asia.

Introducing the Mughal Empire

The Muslim soldiers of the Abbasid Caliphate prepare to face off with the Chinese soldiers of the Tang Dynasty.

The Battle of Talas was a pivotal moment in history and one of the earliest engagements between Muslim and Chinese forces.  This battle involved the forces of the new Abbasid Caliphate, going up against a resurgent Tang Dynasty. Both empires wanted to secure their hold over Central Asia and its valuable Silk Road routes. This episode discusses the origins of the two sides in this conflict.

In this episode, I interview Brother Wali Muhammad, an elder from my local Masjid.  We discuss his journey growing up a black man in North Carolina and how he went from Christianity to the Nation of Islam and finally to mainstream Islam.

Politics in the Mughal capital of Delhi have a major impact on Malik Ambar’s desire to keep Ahmadnagar independent.

Malik Ambar continues to lead the Ahmadnagar Sultanate’s resistance against the Mughal Empire.

Malik Ambar was an East African Muslim who was also the effective ruler of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate in the Deccan region of India. In this episode, we’ll discuss Malik Ambar’s rise to power in the Deccan.

Part 3 of a collaboration with Maajid Hussain of the Islamic Vibes Podcast discussing Islam, slavery, and Africa.

Part 2 of a collaboration with Maajid Hussain of the Islamic Vibes Podcast discussing Islam, slavery, and Africa.

This is a collaboration with Maajid Hussain of the Islamic Vibes Podcast discussing Islam, slavery, and Africa. Basically, Muslim’s role in the African slave trade. That is, Muslims in general, and Arabs in particular.

Originally aired: December 22, 2019 Why are so many Muslims distrustful of the Freemasons? In this episode, we’ll explore the history of Freemasons and their relationship, if any, to Islam.

With Hijra from Gobir, Shehu Uthman dan Fodiyo launches a jihad against the rulers of Hausaland. Little by little, the Sokoto Caliphate begins to take shape.

Mohammed Artan joins us again to drop knowledge on Islam in Somalia and East Africa.

The Sokoto Caliphate was one of the most influential and famous sub-Saharan Islamic empires. Founded by Shehu Uthman dan Fodio, the Sokoto Caliphate was born from a struggle against injustice. Read and download some of Shehu Uthman dan Fodio’s works.

While in Volga Bulgaria, Ibn Fadlan witnesses a Viking funeral and records what he saw. We’ll also compare the historical Ibn Fadlan to the Hollywood version.

Ibn Fadlan traveled to the land of the Volga Bulgarians as part of an embassy from the Abbasid Caliph. While there, he encountered a group of Vikings and recorded what he witnessed

A few interesting historical interactions between Vikings and Muslims.

Closing thoughts on the Bosnian War.

2 million ethnic-Albanian Kosovars are ruled by 200000 Serbs. Serbian President, Slobodan Milosevic, built his political platform on repressing the Kosovars. And they’re tired of it.

After the fall of Srebrenica and Zepe, and another market attack, the United States is finally ready to take the lead in ending the war in Bosnia.

In the summer of 1995, the Muslim enclaves of Srebrenica and Zepe fall to the Serbs.

Frustrated with the European’s and UN’s handling of the violence in Bosnia, the United States takes a more active role.

After a deadly market massacre and a siege on Gorazde, the United Nations finally calls on NATO to conduct airstrikes.

The United Nations played a dubious role in the Bosnian War. The UN did little to stop the violence and their presence actually enabled the Bosnian Serbs to commit atrocities.

As the war intensifies in late 1992, the Bosniaks are faced with a new enemy: their former Croatian allies.

With the violence in Croatia complete, all eyes turn to Bosnia which is also considering seceding from Yugoslavia.

Tensions rise in Yugoslavia as up-and-coming politician, Slobodan Milosevic, pushes an aggressive form of Serb nationalism.

Two world wars change the fate of the Balkans forever. Marshal Josep Broz Tito to rises to power as the leader of Yugoslavia.

Bosnia becomes part of the Austria-Hungary Kingdom in 1878. For the first time ever, Bosnian Muslims are under the authority of a non-Muslim government.

We look at how Islam came to Bosnia and the impact of Ottoman and Islamic culture on Bosnia.

The Byzantine Empire (what’s left of it, anyway) has been a thorn in the Ottoman’s side for too long. Sultan Mehmed II prepares to conquer Constantinople.

Shocked by the Ottoman victory at Kosovo in 1389, Western and Eastern Europe unite in a Crusade to drive them out of the Balkans for good.

Prince Lazar of Serbia leads a Christian coalition against the Ottomans who are rapidly expanding into the Balkans.

From the steppes of Central Asia, thousands of Turkish people migrate to Anatolia and the Middle East.  These new arrivals become first the Seljuk Turks, then the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, and finally, the Osmanlis.

Here’s what’s going to happen during Season 7 of the Islamic History Podcast

Mohammed Artan joins us to talk about the history of Islam in Somalia.  Mohammed Artan was born in Somalia, raised in the Netherlands, and currently lives in England. He is the director and founder of Looh Press, a publishing company specializing in Islamic, African, and Somali studies resources. Click here to get the show notes for this episode. Click here to become a member of Islamic History Exclusive.

Final words and analysis regarding the current situation in the Middle East.

The Arab Spring brings even more turmoil to the Middle East while Hamas and Fatah battle for control of Palestine. And in Iraq, the Insurgency morphs into a new threat called DAESH.

Things get worse in both Iraq and Palestine. The Second Intifada leads to more deaths on both sides. Meanwhile, the insurgency in Iraq is in full force.

The Middle East peace process begins to fracture as Israel adopts a harder stance. Things get worse for the Palestinians after the 9-11 attacks. And then the US launches another war against Iraq.

The Eighties are full of turmoil with a civil war in Lebanon, a war between Iran and Iraq, and the First Intifada.  But the world is hopeful for peace between Palestine and Israel.

After the 1948 war, the Middle East is in turmoil with constant conflict between Israel and the Arab nations. At the same time, a civil war is brewing in Lebanon.

After the British mandate ends, Israel declares its independence. The Arab League declares war and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War is underway.

A new German threat forces the world to focus on Europe. This new world war will change the fate of the Middle East, especially Palestine, forever.

With Sharif Hussein losing British support, Abdul Aziz ibn Saud prepares to invade the Hijaz. This will lead to the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mustafa Kemal leads the Turkish Nationalists against the foreign occupiers. However, the British and Greeks are determined to stop him.