Music and Gender in Medieval Islamic Court
As Islam spread across the Arabian peninsula and the Mesopotamian region, it changed the relationship between gender and musicianship.
Life with a Jinni
A jinni in the home can help a Muslim explore religious tenets, but it may also interfere with the direct relationship between human and god.
Mosques of Their Own
The long, little-known history of Muslim women in communal religious life.
Muslim Women and the Politics of the Headscarf
For many women, wearing the hijab was—and is—an element of piety, but it's been coopted into a political symbol.
The Nation of Islam’s Role in US Prisons
The Nation of Islam is controversial. Its practical purposes for incarcerated people transcend both politics and religion.
What Was the Zanj Rebellion?
A remarkable episode of Medieval Islamic history that often goes untold.
An Islamic Approach to Environmentalism
A number of contemporary Muslim environmentalist groups have been inspired by Koranic verses that stress the conservation of nature.
A Book of Divination for the End of the World
The Falnama, or Book of Omens, combined apocalyptic representations from many sources. Say a prayer, ask your question, and flip to a random page.
The Ultimate Bespoke Manuscript
In The Miscellany of Iskandar Sultan, sections of text stack on top of one another, interlaced like fretwork. Bursts of flowers and tangles of vines fill the empty spaces.
What the Prisoners’ Rights Movement Owes to the Black Muslims of the 1960s
Black Muslims have been an influential force in the prisoners' rights movement and criminal justice reform as early as the World War II era.