Dr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of one of the greatest Abbasid poets, Abū al-ʿAtāhiyyaḧ, known particularly for his ascetic poetry. This is the fourth part of a twelve part series exploring classical Arabic poetry which can be utlised in college-level teaching programmes. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com. Sponsored by shop.ihrc.org

Dr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of one of the greatest Abbasid poets, Abū Nuwās, known particularly for his homoerotic verse and wine poetry. This is the third part of a twelve part series exploring classical Arabic poetry which can be utlised in college-level teaching programmes. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com. Sponsored by shop.ihrc.org

Dr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of one of the greatest Umayyad poets, al-Farazdaq, known particularly for satirizing rival poets as well as amorous verse. This is the second part of a twelve part series exploring classical Arabic poetry which can be utlised in college-level teaching programmes. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com.

Dr. Kevin Blankinship, BYU Utah, speaks about the life, works and legacy of the boisterous prince, ʾImr al-Qays. Was he actually a Christian? Are his recorded poems authentic? This is the first part of a twelve part series exploring classical Arabic poetry which can be utlised in college-level teaching programmes. For more on our guest, see kblankinship.com.

Dr. Christian Sahner gives a fluent and concise introduction to Christian life prior and after the Arab-Islamic conquests of the Levant including the phenomenon of conversion and martyrdom of executed Christian converts from Islam. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org. Use discount code AHP15 for 15% off purchases. Terms and conditions apply. 

Dr. Laury Silvers shows how the move from academic historian to novelist requires the same imagination that the study of history demands. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org. Use discount code AHP15 for 15% off purchases. Terms and conditions apply. 

Dr. Yasir Qadhi offers insights into this enigmatic figure whose legacy aroused furore amongst Sunni theologians during the Abbasid era. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org.

Dr. Sohaib Saeed offers perhaps the most coherent introduction to this influential exegesist of the Quran revealing shortcomings in current scholarship on his work. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org.

Dr. Salman Younas gives an introduction to the eponymous 'founder' of the Hanafi school of Sunni law. He tackles misconceptions about Abu Hanafi's standing as hadith transmitter and allegations of his Murjia heresy. Sponsored by shop.ihrc.org

Dr. Khalil Andani gives perhaps the most succinct introduction to the history of Ismailism. We cover their beginnings, understanding of revelation, the Qaramatians, the Fatimid caliphate and sub-sects. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org.

Dr. Eric Hanne speaks passionately about not imposing simple sectarian or ethnic identities onto the history of the Buyid dynasty's relationship with the Abbasid caliphate. Funny, candid and insightful. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org.

Dr. Rachel Schine speaks about understandings of race and blackness in premodern Islamic(ate) societies through the tale of Delhemma, a popular epic of rival families and 'Abd al-Wahhāb, the black offspring of Fāṭimah, the eponymous Delhemma (lit. "the one of high aspiration"), disowned by her husband. Sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Visit shop.ihrc.org.

We speak with Dr. Liana Saif for an introduction on astrology in premodern Islamic(ate) societies. We cover origins, developments and key writers. A much overlooked topic explored with one of the leading authorities in the field. Find her work here: sas.academia.edu/LianaSaif.

Considered a heretic, the vegan anti-natalist poet Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī (d. 1058) provoked throughout his life but only had his head chopped off in 2013 as a statue by fanatics in his Syrian hometown. Dr. Kevin Blankinship, Assistant Professor of Arabic Language and Literature at Brigham Young University, challenges what we think we know about the man. For more on his work, see kblankinship.com.

We hear from Ottoman Studies specialist Dr. Ahmed about the cusp of our podcast's remit: the assumption of the caliphate from the shadow Abbasid caliphs of Cairo by the Ottomans. We also speak candidly about his thoughts on the TV show Ertugrul, how he navigates academia as a practising Muslim and teaching in Istanbul as an ex-pat

Originally recorded 21 August 2019 via Zencastr. Produced by Talha Ahsan. 00.00 Introduction and biography 01.45 Arabic Commentaries on the Hippocratic Aphorisms project at the university of Manchester 02.25 A description of the Hippocratic Aphorisms 03.30 A survey of Arabic commentaries 04.20 Why look at paediatrics? 05.25 On the five aphorisms of paediatrics 06.55 Commentators disputing classifications within paediatrics 07.55 On the importance of Galen to the Arabic...

Originally recorded 15 August 2019 via Zencastr. Produced by Talha Ahsan. 00.00 Introduction and biography 02.00 On the success of the Party-Crashing book Shawkat Toorah 04.15 On defining Adab 05.38 On defining ḥikāyah and risālah 07.35 On defining mujun 08.08 On how to learn Latin as an Arabist Amy Richlin Loeb Classical Library 10.15 On the circadian structure of HAQ 24 (TV series) 12.27 On the plot 13.40 A work to be read or performed? 16.29 On authorship 18.29 ...

Originally recorded 20 May 2019 via Zencastr. Produced by Talha Ahsan. You can read more about Ian D.Morris's work at iandavidmorris.com and follow him on Twitter @iandavidmorris.

Originally recorded 13th April 2019 at a private location. Produced by Talha Ahsan. You can read more about Yusuf Chaudhary's work at yusufchaudhary.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter @ayusuf_c.

Originally recorded 29th April 2019 at SOAS. Produced by Talha Ahsan. You can read more about Dr Strick's work at  alexstrick.com and follow him on Twitter @strickvl.

Originally recorded 26th March 2019 at SOAS Radio studio. Produced by Talha Ahsan You can see some of Dr. Lodhi's work here aku.academia.edu/AneesLodhi.

Originally recorded 26th March 2019 at SOAS Radio studio. Produced by Talha Ahsan. Pre-order Prof. Kennedy's translation of Al-Baladhuri's History of the Arab Invasions: The Conquest and Administration of Empire on Amazon.

This is an extract from our interview with Prof. Hugh Kennedy, author of "The Caliphate" (2016) and an authority on early Islamic history.