The Golden Age of Islam

68 - (6.2) Muslim-Christian Encounters II

The Caliph al-Mahdi and Patriarch Timothy I had a famous debate at the height of the Abbasid Caliphate about the differences between Christianity and Islam, over a thousand years ago.  It stands as one of the greatest examples of mutual understanding and respect between the two faiths.

67 - (6.1) Christian-Muslim Encounters I

One of the first Christian writers to write about Islam was the Orthodox monk, St. John of Damascus.  Writing from the center of the Umayyad Caliphate, he offered harsh warnings about Islam in his book of heresies.  It was the first of many attempts of Christian Europe to deal with the coming of Islam, but John is still quoted today as an authority.

66 (0.3) - The early life of The Prophet

In this episode, we look at the early biographies of The Prophet Muhammad from his origins to the beginning of his prophetic ministry.

65 - (0.2) The Religions of Pre-Islamic Arabia

On the eve of Islam, Arabia was a mixture of hundreds of competing tribal gods, monotheism, Christianity and Judaism.  Sorting the history from the legends of this pre-Islamic past remains a challenging task.

64 - (0.1) The Bedouin Culture of Arabia

Like any religion, Islam was shaped by the culture in which it emerged.  The rules and values of the Bedouin - from the treatment of women to concepts of honor and leadership - would impact the Islamic society that grew out of Arabia.  In this episode, we take a look at that culture to understand what Islam preserved and what it changed.

63-Ottoman Origins III

In this episode, we look at the third of the founding sultans of the Ottoman empire, Murad I, whose victory over the Serbs at Kosovo would be invoked 600 years later as a cause for war.

62 - Ottoman Origins II

As a divided Europe fights among itself, the Ottoman state continues to establish itself as the new power of the age.  In this episode, we discuss Orkhan I, second of the three founding sultans of the Ottoman Empire.

61 - The Ottoman Empire - The Beginning

The great empire that would rule from North Africa to Arabia and threaten the gates of Vienna started from the most humble origins.  The leader of a small Turkish tribe escaping the Mongol advance, Osman the First would lay the foundations of the last great empire of the Golden Age of Islam.

60 - Khadija, Wife of The Prophet

The richest merchant of Mecca and the first person to convert to Islam, Khadija was one of the most important people in the early history of Islam.

59 - The Fall of Granada

In 1492, seven centuries of Muslim rule in Spain come to an end and History takes a very sharp turn.  Today we discuss the reasons for the fall of Granada and its implications on all sides.