Taha Hussein – On science and dogma – 2
THE CONTROVERSY RAISED by Taha Hussein’s book goes beyond its subject matter, and its true importance lies in his establishing…
Taha Hussein – On science and dogma – 1
IN THE FACE of a project for scientific enlightenment, a wasted, unrealized possibility persisted. If one of the axioms of…
The problem of documentation, credibility and interpretation
THIS APPROACH of following, imitation, repetition and regurgitation is evident, and its results have become patent. Simply put, this is…
Makka in history – 1
SOME PROPONENTS of Qur’ānic miracles have imbibed this illusion and claimed that Makka indeed stands at the centre of the…
The Arabs before Islam – 2
SINCE THE ROMAN Empire had hostile relations with the Sasanian Empire in Persia, the Roman Empire in Constantinople sought the…
The Arabs before Islam – 1
ACCORDINGLY, WE CAN say that all works of Arab genealogy are nothing but tales written by some who claimed to…
Van Ess on the beginnings of Islamic theology
LATER ISLAMIC SOURCES considered the sects that appeared in distant and scattered cities as deviant or heretical. But when they…
Van Ess and the great battle over Orientalism
FROM THE OUTSET, Claude Gilliot gets straight to the point: Some are complaining about the deteriorating situation of Oriental studies…
They have wiped out “Unto you your religion”!
WHEN IT WAS COLLECTED together following the death of the Messenger, the Qur’ān was assembled in several stages, the last…
Between ‘Read!’ and ‘Ask!’ lies the nation’s mental grave
LOOKING CAREFULLY at the constant presence of this tale in Arab society, we can restrict its repercussions or impact to…