What does solidarity look like from the stands of a football stadium? How do sport, identity, and politics intertwine in the struggle for justice and belonging? And what does it mean to grow up displaced yet deeply rooted in a homeland carried through memory and resistance? In this episode of Thinking Islam, we explore these profound questions with Dr Kholoud Al-Ajarma, anthropologist and award-winning filmmaker at the University of Edinburgh.This captivating conversation traces Dr Al-Ajarma’s personal and intellectual journey—from life in Palestinian refugee camps to becoming an acclaimed scholar of migration, identity, and activism. Drawing on her ethnographic research into pro-Palestinian solidarity among football fans in Scotland, she discusses the power and limits of public protest, the challenges of representing a cause across cultural boundaries, and what forms of hope persist amid displacement.Dr Kholoud Al-Ajarma is a social anthropologist whose work bridges scholarship and lived experience. Her award-winning films and academic research explore themes of exile, belonging, and social justice across Palestine and the diaspora. She has worked with numerous international organisations and universities, and her recent research examines how global solidarity movements express political empathy and resistance through everyday cultural practices.
In this talk, Professor Seyyed Mohaghegh Damad and Hossein Mousavi explore ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s theory of idrākāt-i iʿtibārī — or mentally-posited conceptions — and its transformative implications for Islamic legal reasoning. They discuss how human constructs of obligation, action, and morality, though mentally posited, shape Sharīʿa’s adaptability to evolving human needs. Their conversation invites listeners to consider how Islamic law distinguishes between immutable divine principles and flexible human conventions in a changing world.
Professor Abdolkarim Soroush reflects on how Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) must continually evolve to remain relevant. He contrasts its practical and theoretical dimensions, arguing that true renewal depends on deeper engagement with theology, philosophy, and anthropology. Through thought-provoking examples—from modern bioethics to cosmic prayer—Soroush demonstrates that shifts in how we understand God, duty, and knowledge can revolutionise Islamic law itself.
In this talk, Professor Oliver Leaman cautions against overstating rationalism’s place in Islamic law. Drawing on Qurʾānic narratives like Moses and Khidr, he argues that divine wisdom often transcends human reasoning. Leaman challenges the assumption that Islam fully aligns with modern liberal rationality, urging listeners to rethink how theological humility can coexist with intellectual inquiry in today’s discourse on religion and law.
Shaykh Arif Abdul Hussain explores how the metaphysical insights of Ṣadrāian philosophy can reshape our understanding of rationality in Islamic law. He revisits the tension between reason and Sharīʿa through concepts like aṣālat al-wujūd (the principiality of existence), proposing a dynamic vision of evolving legal norms aligned with human growth and existential purpose. This episode bridges classical metaphysics and contemporary reform.
Dr Imranali Panjwani identifies a major gap in Shīʿī legal theory—the neglect of human experience in understanding legal subjects. He argues that jurisprudence must account for the intellectual, moral, and psychological dimensions of the individual (mukallaf). This episode presents a compelling call for rethinking Sharīʿa as a lived moral framework responsive to human reality.
Dr Mariam al-Attar examines how modern Muslim scholars balance revelation, reason, and science in forming ethical and legal judgments. By contrasting theological voluntarism with rational moral inquiry, she highlights how approaches to emerging issues—like AI and genetics—reflect enduring debates about divine authority and human intellect in Islamic ethics.
Dr Haidar Hobballah and Ali R. Khaki discuss the principle of sad al-dharāʾiʿ (blocking the means) and how Shīʿī legal thought approaches causal reasoning. They unpack the logic behind preventive rulings and explore their modern implications—from bioethics to environmental ethics—offering a rational framework for ethical decision-making in contemporary Islamic contexts.
Mohammad Amin Hessami reinterprets the philosophical legacy of Nāṣir al-Dīn Ṭūsī, uncovering a subtle balance between reason and revelation. Through close reading of Tajrīd al-Iʿtiqād and Akhlaq-i Nāṣirī, he reveals how Ṭūsī navigated competing rationalist and traditionalist schools. The discussion highlights how a medieval thinker’s nuanced model of harmony between intellect and faith remains deeply relevant for modern theological discourse.
Professor Mahmoud Morvarid brings philosophical precision to a core principle of Shīʿī jurisprudence: the authority (ḥujjiyyah) of certainty. Questioning traditional formulations, he argues for a more nuanced approach informed by contemporary epistemology. Listeners will encounter a rigorous exploration of how knowledge, belief, and rational justification shape accountability in Islamic legal thought.
Professor Seyed Mohammad Ghari S. Fatemi examines the very being of reason within Islamic legal theory. Engaging classical Sunni and Shīʿī perspectives, he asks: Is reason a substance, an accident, or a kind of knowledge? This discussion unpacks how uṣūlī scholars understood the nature, scope, and variability of rational faculties, illuminating how metaphysics, epistemology, and theology converge in defining ʿaql.
Professor Devin J. Stewart delves into early Islamic legal thought, tracing how reason (ʿaql) evolved as a recognised source of law among Muʿtazilī and Twelver Shīʿī scholars. Through a historical journey from al-Jaṣṣāṣ to al-Ṭūsī, Prof. Stewart shows how theological debates on rational investigation shaped the very foundations of Islamic jurisprudence, revealing a vibrant intellectual culture negotiating between divine command and human judgment.
Professor Ali Fanaei compares the logic of juristic reasoning with everyday rationality, arguing that misunderstanding this relationship leads to flawed religious verdicts. He proposes a reconstruction of fiqh grounded in a more accurate model of how humans reason and justify beliefs. This talk bridges analytic philosophy and Islamic jurisprudence to advocate for rational legal reform.
Dr Yaser Mirdamadi reinterprets the Shīʿī legal maxim “accept what contradicts the majority” through the framework of epistemic justice. Rather than a sectarian bias, he argues it functions as an early form of epistemic resistance—amplifying marginalised voices within Islamic tradition. This episode reframes classical jurisprudence as a site for contemporary reflection on inclusion and fairness.
Farzaneh Hosseini Hejazi analyses the clash of three rationalities—religious, revolutionary, and modern state reason—in the legal structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Through this critical lens, she explains how philosophical and constitutional contradictions have undermined coherent legal authority, giving rise to a system where mystical authority, clerical rationality, and state pragmatism uneasily coexist.
Professor Mohammad Rasekh investigates a classical theological problem: do divine laws derive from inherent benefits and harms, or from pure command? Engaging Shaykh Anṣārī and the principle of maṣāliḥ wa mafāsid wāqiʿīyya, he dissects the tension between reason and revelation in determining moral reality. His discussion challenges listeners to consider whether religious law is descriptive of truth or prescriptive of obedience.
Dr Karen Bauer examines how the Qurʾān unites intellect, emotion, and moral behaviour in a single vision of human virtue. Rejecting the modern separation between thought and feeling, she shows that Qurʾānic rationality is profoundly moral: to think rightly is to feel rightly and act justly. This podcast invites reflection on how the heart, mind, and ethics intertwine in Qurʾānic spirituality.
What happens when the language of love transcends religious boundaries?In this thought-provoking seminar, Dr Ankur Barua (University of Cambridge) explores the deep intersections between Hindu Bhakti (devotional love) and Islamic Sufism (taṣawwuf) in premodern South Asia.Through figures like Dārā Shukōh, Ras Khān, and Kazi Nazrul Islam, Dr Barua reveals how devotional poetry, music, and theology became a shared language of divine love that crossed cultural and religious lines. This talk challenges both the narrative of conflict and the illusion of perfect harmony, offering a balanced view of how Hindus and Muslims have expressed love for God—and for each other—through shared traditions of beauty and longing.
Is the Qur'an truly the word of God, or does it reflect the creative imagination of Prophet Muhammad (s)? How do we understand revelation in a world governed by reason and science? In this episode of Thinking Islam, we grapple with these fundamental questions with Dr Abdolkarim Soroush, one of the most influential voices in contemporary Islamic intellectual reform.This wide-ranging conversation explores Dr Soroush's groundbreaking theory of the expansion and contraction of religious knowledge, his views on revelation and prophetic experience, and the controversial notion that the Qur'an might be better understood as "Kalam Muhammad" rather than literal divine speech. From essentials and accidentals of the Qur’an to the paradoxical nature of Prophetic life, we examine how prophetic experience can be understood in our post-prophetic age.Dr Soroush is a distinguished philosopher of religion and a leading voice in Islamic intellectual reform. A Visiting Scholar at the University of Maryland and former Professor at the University of Tehran, he has also held visiting positions at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale Universities. Dr Soroush is renowned for his influential work "The Expansion of Prophetic Experience" and his contributions to contemporary Islamic thought and hermeneutics.Audio Chapters:
0:00 – Highlights1:34 – Understanding the Phenomena of Revelation4:40 – Expansion & Contraction of Islamic Interpretation10:42 – Expectations from Religion13:12 – Between Maximalization & Infallibility17:22 – Is Revelation like Poetry or a Dream?24:49 – Revelation as Creative Imagination28:32 – Kalam e Muhammad or Kalamullah35:58 – God is Also Sad When You're Sad39:17 – The Speech of God is Metaphorical47:18 – Essentials and Accidentals of the Qur'an49:17 – Prophetic Experience & Its Expansion53:15 – Prophetic Paradox56:36 – Finality of Prophethood59:00 – Imamate & Finality1:03:45 – Thinking Islam Question
Was the Qur’an revealed to the Prophet (pbuh) through divine speech, imagination, divine inspiration, or visions? In this seminar, Professor Mahmoud Morvarid, a Researcher at the Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, examines four key models within the Islamic intellectual tradition that attempt to describe the mystery of divine revelation.Drawing on theology, philosophy, and mysticism, the presentation reflects on how revelation has been understood across centuries, the challenges these interpretations face, and why the debate remains relevant for contemporary thought.In this seminar, you will learn:– How revelation has been approached in classical Islamic thought– Why different disciplines (theology, philosophy, Sufism) offer contrasting perspectives– The continuing significance of these debates for understanding the Qur’an todayAudio Chapters:0:00 – Setting the Context: Revelation in Islam4:15 – The Mutakallimūn Model10:30 – The Fārābī–Ibn Sīnā Model33:08 – The Ghazālī Model42:40 – The Suhrawardī Model46:56 – Comparative Analysis of the Models