Both the Qur’an and later Muslim sources indicate that there were controversies in Muhammad’s home town of Mecca (and perhaps elsewhere in the Near East) that began some three or four years after his initial experience of revelation in 610. If Muhammad did keep his teachings secret 610-613, then it was sometime after he began […]
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religion
Muhammad, Peace and the Jews of Medina: Juan Cole Discussion at Reddit
Collective Interview with Juan Cole about his new book at AskHistorians, Reddit.com (Rearranged for readability.) AMA: I am Juan Cole, author of ‘Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires’ out today. AMA Here is the description from the publisher: “Many observers stereotype Islam and its scripture as inherently extreme or violent-a narrative that […]
Top 5 Reasons for Americans to Admire the Prophet Muhammad
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – In his presidential campaign, Donald Trump notoriously said, “I think Islam hates us.” As is usual with this erratic, fact-free president, the assertion is not true. If we take Muslim-Americans, who at about 3.4 million persons constitute some 1.1 percent of Americans, over 90% say they are proud to be […]
Irony: Nobel Peace Prize for anti-Rape Activist, as US Senate puts Alleged Abuser on Highest Court
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – If the allegations of Professor Christine Blasey Ford against Brett Kavanaugh are true, then he was a juvenile criminal. He and a friend plotted out how to get girls inebriated, force them into an upstairs side room, turn up the music to drown out screams, jump on top of them, […]
The Logos of Abraham in the Qur’an and Universal Salvation for all True Religions
The Qur’an castigates the Jews and Christians of the early 600s AD for their exclusivist theories of salvation. Alan Race and John Hick have identified three possible stances by one religion toward the prospects of going to heaven for members of other religions. Exclusivism is the position that only members of your own religion are […]
Islam: Compassion and Positive Peace in the Qur’an
One of the early chapters of the Qur’an is “The City,” chapter 90 in the standard version. It gives us a good idea of the verses being recited by the Prophet Muhammad around 613, three years into his ministry, once he started preaching publicly. I discuss this period in Chapter 3 of my new book: […]
Why is it Muslim Americans need Military Service to be Accepted as Americans?
(Mizan) – On October 19, 2008, a little over a fortnight before the November 4 election contested by Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, former Republican Secretary of State and retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Colin Powell appeared on the NBC News Sunday morning program Meet the Press to endorse the Democrat. […]
“A Deadly Blow:” Why is Iran Persecuting and Killing Sufi Mystics?
Washington, D.C. (RFE/RL) – Thirty-three-year-old Mostafa Abdi, a member of Iran’s largest Sufi order and editor of a news outlet focused on the Gonabadi dervish community, appears set to spend the most productive years of his life in an Iranian prison. Abdi was reportedly sentenced earlier this month to more than 26 years, and 148 […]
Muhammad and Islamic Peace Studies: Interview with Juan Cole
Author Juan Cole Detroit (World Religion News ) – Joseph Richard Preville, American Writer and Book Critic, interviews Juan Cole. Joseph Richard Preville: What problems do historians face when writing about the life and times of Muhammad? What are the principal sources you consulted to write your book? Juan Cole: The problem is that the […]
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