Good Nature (Khuluq)
Good nature, in addition to meaning temperament, disposition, and character, is a goal to which a traveler aspires,…
Muslim
138 articles
Schooling Islam
Moroccan preschoolers acquiring the basics of reading, writing and Qur’an memorization in state-funded kuttabs… Turkish high school students…
Al-Andalus
Maria Rosa Menocal (2002) argues that Al-Andalus (711–1492) was a “utopian-like” society in which Jews and Muslims lived…
Islam as a Religion of Love and Peace
The definition of Islam The root of the word Islam, silm, refers to “making peace, being in a…
A Universal Islamic Phenomenon in Turkish Religious Practice: the Gulen Case
Fethullah Gulen started his professional career as a traditional imam, trained and certificated by the governmental authorities in…
At What Age Did Aisha Marry the Prophet?
When covering the life of Prophet Muhammad, one of the most debatable topics is that of the age…
Do We Worship the Same God? Comparing the Bible and the Qur’an
In spring 2008 I was asked to accompany a group of people from the United States during their…
The Dancing Pen
No one knows dancing like him. Swirl, lift, dip. The routine continues. Swirl, lift, dip. This is what…
Dialogue in Central Eurasia
Central Eurasia is characterized by historians as one of the most diverse places on the face of the…
Holy Migration
Most human beings feel a strong loyalty to the place of their birth. Sometimes this loyalty can be…
Muslim Contributions to Mathematics
When we talk about Muslim contributions to mathematics we are usually referring to the years between 622 and…
Science in the Islamic world: an interview with Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail
For over a hundred years, the Nobel Prize has been awarded for the highest achievements in physical sciences,…
Women and the Qur’anic Prescriptions
One of the most sensitive and oft-debated issues with regard to Islam concerns the status and role of…
Modest Dress in Abrahamic Traditions
One of the questions I am most commonly posed in the United States is about the way I…
A Journey of Discovery
I first became interested in Ottoman women in the early 1990s when I read a newly published book…