Details

This is the thoughtful, comprehensive, extraordinarily well-taught course on Islam you’ve always wanted.  

In these 12 erudite lectures, renowned Islamic scholar Akbar Ahmed introduces you to the Islamic world, an exploration few Westerners have experienced. Through this unique lecture series, you'll explore the life of the Prophet of Islam as well as the Quran's five pillars, which govern the beliefs and behavior of Muslims everywhere. Learn how the incredible legacies of the great Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal empires still influence the Arab world, Iran and South Asia while exploring Islam in other parts of the world. The current Muslim struggle to preserve tradition in an age of globalization and ethnic and religious strife are examined in detail. Professor Ahmed explores all these issues with insight and sympathy, penetrating beyond stereotypes to the realities of Islamic life.

Professor Ahmed offers a message of hope and reconciliation between the Western world and the Islamic world by leveraging the power of dialogue to build bridges across ethnic, religious and cultural divides. With dialogue comes knowledge and understanding. 

This lecture series is essential for anyone hoping to learn more about the Islamic world and its people, and to understand the world in which we live.
Material in this program was adapted from four books by Dr. Ahmed: Islam Under Siege: Living Dangerously in a Post-Honor Word (Polity Press, 2005), Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World (I.B. Tauris, 1999), Journey Into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization (Brookings Institution Press, 2007), Discovering Islam (Routledge Press, 2002).

Material in this program was adapted from four books by Dr. Ahmed: Islam Under Siege: Living Dangerously in a Post-Honor Word (Polity Press, 2005), Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World (I.B. Tauris, 1999), Journey Into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization (Brookings Institution Press, 2007), Discovering Islam (Routledge Press, 2002).

About Your Presenter

Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ph.D., Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington DC, is "the world's leading authority on contemporary Islam," according to the BBC. He served as High Commissioner of Pakistan to Great Britain, and his numerous books, films and documentaries have won many awards.

Dr. Ahmed is regularly interviewed on CNN, CBC, and BBC and has appeared several times on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Night Line. His most recent book, Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization, is the result of extensive travels and interviews conducted by Dr. Ahmed and a young American team throughout the Muslim world.

In 2004, he was given the Professor of the Year Award for Washington DC by the Caregie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

 

Here is what other experts had to say about Professor Ahmed:

"[Akbar Ahmed is] one of contemporary Islam's outstanding exponents" - Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the UK

"One of the most distinguished Muslim scholars today" - Lord George Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury

"His voice needs to be heard, and his courage strengthened." - Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Laureate

 

 

Topic Titles

• Introduction: Encountering Islam
• The Quran and the Prophet of Islam
• The Five Pillars of Islam
• Shia/Sunni Differences and the Sufis of Islam
• Women in Islam
• Tribes in Islam
• The Legacy of Arab Dynasties
• Andalusia: The Time of Harmony
• The Three Great Muslim Empires
• The Muslim World under Western Colonization
• Modernity and Muslim Leadership
• Conclusion: The Way Forward