Muslim Culture

We produced the TV show to understand and humanize Iran. I've written this to share my personal experiences, lessons learned, and opinions that were shaped by my trip. And it's your chance to wander with me behind-the-scenes in this rich, perplexing society. I hope you enjoy this journal, and the TV show.       Last year, a friend from …

It needs no gainsaying that Turkey is a rich land with a long history. Not only did it once form the Byzantine Empire, the most powerful and influential Christian power in the world in the few centuries after Christ, but it was also home to a number of Greek communities that produced brilliant scholars such as Herodotus, not to mention …

Think of the origins of that staple of modern life, the cup of coffee, and Italy often springs to mind. But in fact, Yemen is where the ubiquitous brew has its true origins.       Along with the first university, and even the toothbrush, it is among surprising Muslim inventions that have shaped the world we live in today. …

Most modern coffee-drinkers are probably unaware of coffee’s heritage in the Sufi orders of Southern Arabia. Members of the Shadhiliyya order are said to have spread coffee-drinking throughout the Islamic world sometime between the 13th and 15th centuries CE. A Shadhiliyya shaikh was introduced to coffee-drinking in Ethiopia, where the native highland bush, its fruit and the beverage made from …

The word ‘ Urdu ‘ is derived from Turkish word ‘ Ordu ‘ meaning ‘ Army Camp ‘ or ‘Lashkar ‘ . Exact origin of ‘ Urdu ‘ is some what difficult to trace; but many different theories have been developed to explain it. Mohammad Hussain Azad, an eminent Indian scholar, believes that Brij Bhasha, a dialect of Western Hindi, …

Little is it known that there was a time when the Sultans of Turkey ruled the hearts of the Musalmans of the far-famed isle of Sarandib. Sri Lanka is home to a large number of Muslims many of whom comprise the descendants of Arab traders who had settled down here several centuries ago. It would appear that in the early …