Islam 101: History, Beliefs, and Practices

Podcast-style audio course -
Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
Professor at the School of International Service,
(2 customer reviews)
Audio Download + Subscription
$0.00
Audio Download + Subscription
$0.00
Audio Download + Subscription
$0.00

The BBC called him “the world’s leading authority on contemporary Islam.” Saudi Gazette lauded him as, “Perhaps the most influential living authority on contemporary Muslim societies.” Lord George Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, describes his as “one of the most distinguished Muslim scholars today.” Now you are invited to learn all about Islam from Professor Akbar Ahmed.

In these 12 captivating lectures, 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. You’ll learn how the incredible legacies of the great Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires still influence the Arab world, Iran, and South Asia. You’ll also look at 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 wisdom, penetrating beyond stereotypes to the realities of Islamic life. Offering a message of hope and reconciliation between the Western world and the Islamic world, he leverages the power of dialogue to build br

The BBC called him “the world’s leading authority on contemporary Islam.” Saudi Gazette lauded him as, “Perhaps the most influential living authority on contemporary Muslim societies.” Lord George Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, describes his as “one of the most distinguished Muslim scholars today.” Now you are invited to learn all about Islam from Professor Akbar Ahmed.

In these 12 captivating lectures, 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. You’ll learn how the incredible legacies of the great Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires still influence the Arab world, Iran, and South Asia. You’ll also look at 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 wisdom, penetrating beyond stereotypes to the realities of Islamic life. Offering a message of hope and reconciliation between the Western world and the Islamic world, he leverages the power of dialogue to build bridges across ethnic, religious, and cultural divides.

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, including Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World and Discovering Islam.

This course was previously published as Understanding Islam

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Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ph.D., is the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, D.C., and the former Pakistani High Commissioner to the U.K. and Ireland. Named “the world’s leading authority on contemporary Islam” by the BBC, Ambassador Ahmed also serves as a trustee for the World Faiths Development Dialogue. Previously, he served as a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, the First Distinguished Chair of Middle East and Islamic Studies at the U.S Naval Academy, and the Iqbal Fellow (Chair of Pakistan Studies) and Fellow of Selwyn College at the University of Cambridge. He has taught as well at Harvard and Princeton Universities.
 
Ambassador Ahmed’s numerous books, films, and documentaries have won many awards, and he is regularly interviewed on CNN, CBC, and BBC. He is the recipient of the Star of Excellence, one of Pakistan’s highest honors; the 2004 Gandhi Memorial Center Peace Award; the 2007 Purpose Prize; and many other honors. In 2004, he was given the Professor of the Year Award for Washington DC by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Praise for Ambassador Ahmed
“His voice needs to be heard, and his courage strengthened.”– Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Laureate
“[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

  • 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

2 reviews for Islam 101: History, Beliefs, and Practices

  1. James

    The best and most eloquent exposition of Islam I have ever heard.

    The best and most eloquent exposition of Islam I have ever heard. The presenter is erudite, gentle and learned.

  2. Carla

    The content is objective, carefully done, and sensitive.

    The content is objective, carefully done, and sensitive.

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