About
“There are no others.”
– Ramana Maharshi
The great sage of the twentieth century, Ramana Maharishi, was once asked “how are we to treat others?”, to which he replied: “there are no others.”
This Vedantic insight is central to Project Noon. We seek to understand the other while simultaneously recognizing that in the cosmic scheme of things we are all like the multiple and identical rays of light emanating from a single Sun, as Sri Krishna teaches in the Bhagavad Gita. Or as the Quran states: “O humankind! We created you from a single self.” The unity of the Atman that underlies us all is our fundamental common ground.
This acceptance of the Other as oneself must come not with the desire to subsume the Other into oneself, but indeed, to respect and cherish the particularity of the Other as the Other. The Quran is unequivocal that diversity is part of the divine plan: “if God had so willed, He would have made you one community”.
Project Noon is a forum dedicated to improving Hindu–Muslim mutual understanding through philosophical, theological, as well as faith-based engagements. Engaging leading scholars and academics on Indic—Hindu and Muslim—traditions through extended podcasts, in-depth essays and reviews, and webinars and workshops.
Dr. Saad Ismail
Founder and Editor
Saad is a resident at the Department of Physiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, India. In 2024, he received the Cambridge-Hamied Visiting Lecture grant to collaborate with scholars and students at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge. During the visit, he also engaged with scholars at the Cambridge Muslim College, the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies and St. Anthony’s College at the University of Oxford, and The Institute of Ismaili Studies at the Aga Khan Center at London.
Saad’s interdisciplinary work spans philosophy, religion, and medicine. His writings and reviews have been published in journals such as The Journal of Hindu Studies and Critical Muslim. His scientific research focuses on the neurophysiology of sleep and memory consolidation.
Luke Wilkinson
Associate Editor
Luke is a graduate in Political Thought and Intellectual History MPhil at the University of Cambridge, for which he wrote a dissertation on the philosophy of Muhammad Iqbal. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Cambridge, working on the history of Muslim-Christian relations in Malta, where he grew up. He works as Contributing Editor at the Journal of the History of Ideas Blog and has written on Iqbal as well as Islamic philosophy and mysticism more broadly for the Journal of the History of Ideas Blog, Manara, and for the forthcoming publication of Critical Muslim.
What does Noon signify?
The Arabic letter ‘ن‘/noon is the symbol of the inkpot, which allows the pen/qalam to create meaningful further symbols. It is that which precedes all words. It represents a semicircle which is detached yet intangibly linked to its center point. An incomplete image, that is perhaps best coupled with the Devanagari letter ण्/ṇa to form a complete circle.
“The Hindu tradition and the Islamic tradition are the only ones that explicitly affirm the validity of all the other orthodox (religious) traditions. And if this is so, it is because being the first and the last in the course of the manvantara, they must equally integrate, although in different modes, all these various forms which have arisen in the interval, so as to render possible a ‘return to the origins’ by which the end of the cycle must rejoin its beginning, and which, at the starting point of another manvantara, the true sanatana dharma will again externally manifest.”
– Rene Guenon, ‘Studies in Hinduism‘.
Why Support Noon?
Hindu and Muslim communities in India have long co-existed alongside each other. But, it seems that the present rift between the communities is only growing wider, with great social and political consequences. Underlying the apparent mutual intolerance, however, is a mutual ignorance of each other’s traditions. While questions of social, legal, and political injustice have to be dealt with in their own arenas, what is nonetheless a consistent finding in these areas, all the way from journalistic to juridical pronouncements, is that certain misgivings and misunderstandings have become the default background of our collective imagination.
Thus, there is a dire need to bridge this knowledge gap in a manner that steers clear of immediate politics, and seeks to understand these questions on intellectual terms and in the wider context of our rich and multiple traditions. What is required is a unprejudiced, patient, long-sustained, sincere, and sympathetic approach towards our own and the other’s traditions.
Primum non nocere. – First do no harm.
The first rule of Medicine
The present project seeks to compile and collate conversations with scholars of Hinduism and Islam, focusing on the themes of philosophy, theology, spirituality, and ritual practice. The aim is first and foremost to address English-speaking Indian Muslims, and indirectly, Hindus or other non-Muslims interested in bridge-building between our communities.
Interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding is a chance for us not so much to speak or teach, but to listen and learn. To know the Other through their own self-description, from their sources, and in a manner that is respectful of their traditions of interpretation. To this end, the conversational medium seems best suited. By bringing leading academics and scholars of Hinduism and Islam to bear on the topic, we have the opportunity to learn from insiders and authorities of our various traditions.
Project Noon 