The Golden Age of Islam

Despite the constant threat of the Christian Reconquista from the north, the last Muslim foothold in Spain, the Emirate of Granada, managed not only to survive, but to flourish for over two centuries, leaving some of the greatest symbols of Muslim culture in Europe.  Hear how skillful leadership managed to defy the odds and sustain a mini-Golden Age.

The fighting in Spain and Portugal turns into a bona fide Crusade, with both sides seeing themselves appointed by God to save the true religion.  In this episode, we look at the lesser known, but at times, higher priority crusade against Islam: the battle for Iberia.

Almost immediately after the Muslims conquered Iberia, the long fight for control began.  What would be called by Europeans a "Reconquest" would take nearly eight centuries and leave lasting marks on both sides.  In this episode, we look at the beginnings of this long battle.

A thousand years ago, the mysterious philosophical group Ikhwan al-Safa' imagined humankind put on trial for its treatment of the animals.  Far ahead of their time in thinking about rights and compassion, the Ikhwan remain controversial and inspiring.

The Brethren of Purity, or Ikhwan al-Safa' were one of the most mysterious, yet influential groups of philosophers.  A secret society of eclectic thinkers, they attempted to reconcile all the world's knowledge--from Greek, Hindu, Persian, pagan, Christian and Muslim sources--into a single system that explained everything.  How did they do?  We will see in this episode.

Before Dante and long before Bill and Ted, the great Arab writer Abu 'Alaa' al-Ma'arri described a mythical journey into Heaven and Hell that challenged the views of religious officials of his day.  He remains as popular and controversial today as ever.

Proper values and behavior of the elite in the Golden Age capitals of Baghdad and Cordoba was not just a matter of trial and error.  Detailed manuals of adab taught what was expected in respectable society.  Today we look at one of the greatest of these, The Unique Necklace of Ibn Abd Rabbih

In the conflict between philosophers and religious writers of the Golden Age, no question was more divisive than the eternity of the world.  Although it may seem abstract today, this was the ultimate litmus test back then.  In this episode, we look at how both sides lined up on this issue and why they considered the others infidels.

In this episode, we look at the conflict between religious traditionalists and rationalist philosophers for the upper hand in Islamic society.  What was at stake in the heated debates about the role of religion vs. science, revelation vs. logic and the philosophers against the traditionalists?  How would the outcome of that conflict shape the direction of society in the future?

The battle between Philosophy and Religion; Reason and Revelation; it has been at the heart of debate within Muslim circles throughout the Golden Age.  This episode looks at one of the last, and most influential voices on this subject: the Andalusian intellectual Ibn Rushd.  He is one of the few Muslim thinkers to be as famous in the West as in the Muslim world.  Known as Averroes in Latin, he was a major influence on European philosophy, but managed to get himself declared a heretic by the Pope.