Muslim Footprints Podcast

Maqrizi, Egypt’s most famous historian Hello again and welcome to our fourth episode of Muslim Footprints Season 2! It’s on Al Maqrizi, the most influential historian of Egypt before modern times. That’s all the way from the Pharaohs, through to the 15th century! Telling us his story is Professor Nasser Rabbat, head of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Art and Architecture at MIT. So, why should we care about a medieval Egyptian historian? Well, he left a rich legacy of writings that offer a window into the social, economic, and cultural life of the medieval Islamic world. His meticulous documentation of Cairo's history was used centuries later by the Ottomans to understand the land they had inherited. It was also appropriated by Napoleon’s teams for their monumental Description de l’Égypte, so his work became the go-to source for anyone studying the country. Maqrizi’s writing continues to influence the nation to this day. Egyptian nationalists in the 20th century considered him as the voice of the true Egyptian, while novelists and poets referred to him as the embodiment of resistance to corruption and oppression. Professor Rabbat calls him a rebel: Maqrizi’s commentaries remind us of the importance of looking critically at our own societies and learning from history’s successes and failures - a theme that resonates across time and cultures. Chapters Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Al-Maqrizi: The Historian of Egypt 05:54 Life and Character 12:03 The Mamluk Sultanate 17:49 Maqrizi as a Rebel 21:09 His Biographical Dictionary 24:13 Astrology and Divination in Maqrizi's Time 27:09 His Relationships with Women 34:57 His Work As Main Source of Fatimid History 38:47 His Legacy 42:49 The Ottoman Interest in Maqrizi's Works 47:53 Relevance for Modern Egyptian Identity 52:02 References in Literature 55:52 The State of Islamic Art and Architecture

Al Kindi, The Father of Arab Philosophy Great to see you for our third episode, which features Peter Adamson, Professor of Philosophy at the LMU in Munich and at King's College London. The way the story of philosophy has been presented is that it started with the ancient Greeks, and then you had the Renaissance, followed by the Enlightenment and then all the way to today. Professor Adamson is keen to tell us what happened in the 2,000-year gap between those famous Greeks - Socrates or Plato or Aristotle - and Thomas Aquinas, described as a founding figure of modern thought. Professor Adamson has hosted a podcast since 2010 called the History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps. He’s also a specialist on Al Kindi, often known as the first Arab philosopher. Enjoy! Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:09 The Translation Movement 05:55 Falsafah and Kalam 09:01 The Role of Baghdad in Intellectual Exchange 12:11 Motivations Behind the Translation Movement 15:08 Al-Kindi's Philosophy 21:10 The Translation Circles: Kindi and Hunayn 30:11 Al-Kindi's Mandate 36:12 The Legacy of Ibn Sina 39:00 Continuity and Change 42:02 The Modern Landscape

It’s great to see you again and we hope you enjoyed the start of Season 2! Our second episode features Richard McGregor, Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Vanderbilt University. The episode focuses on his work around material objects in islam. We explore the significance of objects in Islamic religious practices, including a study of the Mahmal and the role it played for 700 years in the Hajj ritual. Professor McGregor discusses how objects serve as powerful symbols of devotion and community, and how their historical and cultural contexts shape their meanings. The conversation also addresses the evolution of relics, opposition to devotional objects in modern times, and the power of museums in shaping how religious material culture is preserved and experienced. The episode concludes with a discussion about why broadening our understanding of religion to encompass its material and spiritual dimensions matters. 00:00 Introduction 03:07 The Mahmal: A Historical Perspective 09:03 The Role of the Kiswah and Political Symbolism 18:05 Relics and Their Significance in Islam 21:02 The Kaaba: Centrality in Islamic Pilgrimage 26:45 The Fatimid Dynasty and Relic Culture 29:55 Modern Challenges to Devotional Objects 33:11 The Role of Inscriptions and Banners 38:52 Community Practices and Interfaith Parades 48:13 The Modern Museum and Secularization of Sacred Objects 50:50 The Future of Devotional Practices We’d love to hear what you think about our new-look Season 2! Leave us a comment below! And follow us for more: @ootprints/ @/muslim-footprints @intsPod @.php @Footprints @footprints

Our first episode features David Damrosch, Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University and Director of Harvard’s Institute for World Literature. The episode focuses on his work, “Around the World in 80 books”. Entitled Tales from Muslim Lands, Professor Damrosch takes us through examples of key works from three regions - the Middle East, where he gives examples of Stories Within Stories; Palestine/Israel, which he unites under the theme Strangers in a Strange Land, and Persia, where he takes us from Tehran to Shiraz - showing both the diversity of Muslim narratives and emphasising the interconnectedness of stories across cultures. We’d love to hear what you think about our new-look Season 2! Share your reflections in the comments below and continue the conversation with us! Listen - and watch! - now to this episode, and subscribe to the Muslim Footprints social media channels: @ootprints/ @/muslim-footprints @intsPod @.php @Footprints @footprints