Tag: Interfaith
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Reading al-Biruni’s ‘Kitab al Hind’ as Phenomenology of Religion
by Saad Ismail *A paper originally presented at the Department of Islamic Studies, Aligarh Muslim University in January 2024. 1. Introduction: “I have found it very hard to work my way into the subject, although I have a great liking for it, in which respect I stand quite alone in my time.” al-Biruni Abu Rayhan…
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What al-Biruni Can Teach Us About Hindu-Muslim Dialogue Today
by Saad Ismail “I have found it very hard to work my way into the subject, although I have a great liking for it, in which respect I stand quite alone in my time.” Al Biruni Abu Rayhan al-Biruni’s precocious and magisterial study al-Hind (India) was undoubtedly far ahead of its times. Exactly one millennium…
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The Muslim self and its Hindu neighbours: amity and antagonism in the homelands of Bengal
Earlier this year, I published a book with the title “The Hindu Self and its Muslim Neighbors: Contested Borderlines on Bengali Landscapes”. When the manuscript was nearing completion, I realized – somewhat to my shock – that I had unwittingly written a book with the title “The Muslim Self and its Hindu Neighbors”. In other…
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The Hindu Self and its Muslim Neighbors in Bengali Landscapes
What do we learn from Rabindranath Tagore’s copious yet lesser-known writings on the Hindu-Muslim question? What do we learn from the fascinating interplay of Hindu-Muslim interactions in the history of Bengal? How do the behavioral patterns between the two communities fare and change over the course of history, particularly entering into the modern period? What…
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The Island of Remembrance
On a rainy afternoon in July, Reginald took a wrong turn at the busy intersection. Instead of walking in the direction of the noisy marketplace that would take him home in a few minutes, he accidentally stepped into a narrow lane that drew him towards a small garden shaded with leafy trees. As the golden…
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Prof. Ankur Barua’s Gift to Project Noon
A song from Shah Abdul Karim, dedicated to Project Noon by Prof. Ankur Barua, Senior Lecturer in Hindu Studies in the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge. Stay tuned for our podcast release.
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How to do Hindu-Muslim Dialogue
Dr. Saad Ismail engages Prof. Seyyed Hossein Nasr on how best to approach Hindu-Muslim dialogue in a manner that is both academically rigorous as well as spiritually cognizant of the wisdom of these rich traditions. Prof. Nasr has long maintained close ties as well as deep engagement with Indian thinkers, spiritual gurus, religious leaders from…
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How Not to Do Hindu-Muslim Dialogue
Dr. Nick Sutton, director of the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies, offers a critical and respectful response to some of the gross misrepresentations of Hindu Traditions knowingly or unknowingly employed by Zakir Naik in his talks on Hinduism and Islam. The figure of Zakir Naik remains a paradigmatic example of how not to go about…
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Who is a Hindu? What is Hinduism?
Prof. Arvind Sharma and Dr. Saad Ismail continue their conversation on Hindu-Muslim dialogue. This conversation explores the central role of the historical encounter of the two traditions, and asks whether history is essential or accidental to our encounter. If history is accidental, then this opens up great possibilities for better interfaith relations in the present.…
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