Sublime
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Muhammad’s role during those first couple of years in Yathrib was very likely that of a Hakam—albeit a powerful and divinely inspired one—whose arbitration was restricted to the Aws and Khazraj, and whose authority as a Shaykh was confined to his own “clan” of Emigrants: one clan out of many; one Shaykh out of many. Muhammad’s claim to be the
... See moreReza Aslan • No god but God (Updated Edition): The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam
In 1877, Sayyid Ahmed Khan founded the Aligarh School, the primary goal of which was the revitalization of Islamic glory through modern European education. Sir Sayyid was convinced that if he could shine the light of European rationalism and scientific thought upon traditional Muslim beliefs and customs, the result would be an indigenous Islamic
... See moreReza Aslan • No god but God (Updated Edition): The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam
we had no compulsion to try to be what we’re not. The freedom to say about a program, “That worked one year, it doesn’t work now,” is incredibly liberating.
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer • Empowered Judaism: What Independent Minyanim Can Teach Us about Building Vibrant Jewish Communities
An organization that was at first based around social welfare services, dawah, now added political ambitions and jihad, a holy war.
Noa Tishby • Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth
This was the primordial faith that had been preached to the whole of humanity by the prophets of the past.
Karen Armstrong • Islam: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles Series Book 2)

So when an itinerant preacher named Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703–66) arrived in his oasis looking for protection, he immediately seized the opportunity to create an alliance that would increase…
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Reza Aslan • No god but God (Updated Edition): The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam
Some highlights have been hidden or truncated due to export limits.