In Methala, Kodungallur, in the Indian state of Kerala, stands a small, unassuming mosque with a pale blue exterior; if not...
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Friday prayers were about to begin; our taxi driver sped through the ancient streets of Jerusalem, towards the Sacred Sanctuary...
Constructed around the middle of the twelfth century as a church by the Crusaders, the Great Mosque of Gaza, or...
Muslim travellers want to know if it is permissible to visit, enjoy and appreciate the city of Petra in Jordan, which was the capital of the Nabatean civilisation. They also want to know the same about the second largest city of that civilisation which is called al-Hijr and is in Saudi Arabia. The area of al-Hijr is now known as ‘Mada’in Salih’ (The Cities of the Prophet Salih), leading a great deal of Muslims to think that the destroyed people of Thamud, to whom the Prophet Salih was sent, were the Nabatean people.
For centuries, the dargah of Moinuddin Chishti, otherwise known as Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, has attracted rulers and lay-men alike. Both...
A travel journal or blog, is not a new fad. Persians called it a safarnama, a travelogue. Nasir Khusrow, a Persian...
Historic photos of Palestine from the 19th and 20th centuries
There are times and spaces that are considered more sacred or blessed than others; times and spaces of increased baraka,...
Historian Hassam Munir tells Zara about the cultural exchange between the Muslim and Chinese worlds. He talks about the history of Islam in China, explaining how and when it first reached the region and whether or not a Companion of the Prophet (pbuh) ever visited China. He also tells us about the Uyghur people and their history, as well as the influence of prominent Chinese Muslim scholars and the scholarship they produced.
If we take a 400 metre walk from the bustling Sultan Ahmed tram station – the gateway to the two...
Muazzam is joined by journalist, producer and avid traveller, Salahuddin Mazhary. Salahuddin tells us about the history of Islam in the Caucasus, with a focus on Chechnya and Dagestan. He talks about the Sufi tariqas in the region and the role dhikr played in resisting the Russians. He also tells us about notable figures such as Imam Shamil and Kunta-haji and their legacies.
Omar, Yasmine and Shahroze discuss the history, evolution and spiritual significance of qawwali. Qawwali incorporates music, poetry and story-telling in to a celebration of Love. The singing of qawwali in Sufi shrines and mausoleums is a practice of samaa, a devotional practice that involves singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, praying, reciting poetry and participating in rituals in order to achieve a higher spiritual state.
