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.
How Coffee Went from a Mystical Sacrament to an Everyday Drink
The history of coffee starts in Ethiopia, where it grew wild. Locals used it as a sacrament in communal ceremonies and to keep up energy.
Ancient Maps Are Mirrors for the Ancient Psyche
The Book of Curiosities of the Sciences, and Marvels for the Eyes, an eleventh-century Arabic geography, is still a wonder.
How Buddhism Is Being Used to Justify Violence in Myanmar
What's behind the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar in which the minority Rohingya people are being violently driven out of the country?
How European Empires Helped Shape the Hajj
Despite the Hajj's celebration of ascetic faith and brotherhood, there has always been plenty of profit made off the pilgrims traveling to Mecca.