Browse Resources

MinaretIslam is often seen as either a cultural or a political phenomenon. In what ways does Najwa’s faith defy these easy categorizations?Minaretmight be read as a critique of Sudanese patriarchy, as every man in Najwa’s life seems to…

Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem GirlhoodHudud, or the “sacred frontier,” is defined by Fatima Mernissi’s father as necessary because “harmony exists when each group respects the prescribed limit of the other; trespassing…

SnowAs a returning exile, Ka’s nostalgia for the homeland puts him in an optimistic state of mind. Does he remain in this mood throughout his stay in Kars?Is his involvement in the affairs of Kars a miscalculation on his part?In Snow, Orhan…

Conference of the BirdsHow does the hoopoe become leader of the birds?Is he a competent leader?How do you interpret the excusesthe birds come up with for avoiding the perilous journey to find the Simorgh?Which of the hoopoe's stories do you most…

The Arabian NightsHow would you categorize these stories: moral tales, fables, fantasies, adventure, or a mix of these?Which aspects of these stories most interests you: the human or the supernatural?Describe the roleswomen play in these stories.…

The Butterfly Mosque Based on your reading of G. Willow Wilson’s memoir, what doyou think are some of the key difficulties in cross-cultural understanding. Based on your personal experiences with cultural differences, how do you assess…

Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation In Acts of Faith, Patel writes about the personal struggles associated withreconciling multiple identities. What are some of thediscoveries in Patel's life…

A Quiet Revolution: The Veil’s Resurgence from the Middle East to America In A Quiet Revolution, Leila Ahmed complicates politicized understandings of “the veil.” Based on your reading of her text, what do you think hijab means…

The Columbia Sourcebook of Muslims in the United States Scholar’s note: The suggested selections from this sourcebook address varying aspects of the history of Islam in America during the first half of the twentieth century. While there are…

Prince Among Slaves: The True Story of an African Prince Sold into Slavery in the American South Scholars estimate that there were tens of thousands of African Muslims who came to antebellum America through the transatlantic slave trade. The…

In an Antique Land One of the most difficult topics addressed in Amitav Ghosh’s book is the issue of slavery in the medieval Muslim world. How does the slavery experienced by Bomma differ from the system of chattel slavery known to us from…

Leo Africanus What do you think about the opening paragraph of Leo Africanus? In what ways does this particular statement of identity—or perhaps “anti-identity”—inform the rest of the book?How does it relate to the overall…

The Ornament of the World In the history of al-Andalus, there seems to be a surprising correlation between rising political disunity (following the dissolution of the Caliphate) and rising cultural florescence.Why might this be?Can you think of…

The House of Wisdom Having read Al-Khalili’s book, what would you identify as the most critical elements that led to the florescence of Islamic science?In what ways are these the same as other moments of great intellectual creativity in world…

When Asia Was the World: Traveling Merchants, Scholars, Warriors, and Monks Who Created the "Riches of the East" Were you surprised to find that When Asia Was the World—a recommended for a reading liston the history of Islam—actually…