The AMI Podcast

Al-Mahdi Institute
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AMI Podcasts explore a range of different topics including the latest cutting-edge research within the field of Islamic Studies, book reviews by prominent authors and academics, and discussions among scholars of diverse faiths and denominations within Islam.

  1. Rumi and the Pure Heart: Reading the Qur’an Existentially with Dr Soroush | Thinking Islam | Ep.12

    1 DAY AGO

    Rumi and the Pure Heart: Reading the Qur’an Existentially with Dr Soroush | Thinking Islam | Ep.12

    How does listening to the Qur'an differ from reading it? What does it mean to approach the Qur'an not with your mind but with your whole existence?In this episode of Thinking Islam, Dr Abdolkarim Soroush proposes an existential encounter with the Qur'an, one that asks us to set aside our assumptions and approach it not as a book of law or philosophy but as maw'iẓa (admonition) that speaks to the whole being. This conversation explores the difference between reading and listening, why Rumi's Mathnawi is called the Persian Qur'an, and what it means to have a pure heart as a precondition for understanding the Qur’an. We delve into how kufr in the Qur'an is not about non-belief but about arrogance before truth, and why, as Dr Soroush tells us, the companion according to Sufis is everything.Dr Abdolkarim 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 held visiting positions at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale Universities. Dr Soroush is renowned for his influential work on prophetic experience and his contributions to contemporary Islamic philosophy and Qur'anic hermeneutics. Audio Chapters: 0:00 - Highlights 01:30 - Relation between Qur’an & Its Reader 07:20 - Uneven depth of the Qur’an 13:09 - Reading vs Listening to Qur’an 24:44 - Existential Reading of the Qur’an 32:36 - Losing the Sense of Maw’iza in Translation 39:33 - Rumi’s Mathnawi: A Persian Qur’an 44:50 - Pure Heart & Qur’an 49:17 - Love & Companionship 55:19 - Is Qur’an not a Kitab? 58:32 - Thinking Islam Question

    1h 1m

  2. 26 JAN

    A People's History of Islam: Tales of Mystics, Pilgrims and the Ordinary by Dr Hassan Abbas

    Who writes Islamic history — empires and rulers, or ordinary believers?In this research seminar hosted by AMI on 14 January 2026, Dr Hassan Abbas presents insights from his forthcoming book project, A People’s History of Islam. Challenging state-centred and court-sponsored historiography, Dr Abbas explores Islam through the lived faith of pilgrims, mystics, poets, and everyday communities across centuries.Drawing on extensive travels to major pilgrimage sites — from Fez, Konya, and Baku to Lahore, Karbala, and Makkah — the seminar highlights how oral tradition, spirituality, and devotion preserve histories often absent from official archives. Dr Abbas also reflects on the role of mysticism alongside juridical tradition, the challenge of writing accessible yet rigorous scholarship, and the problem of sectarian framing in Western representations of Islam.Speaker:Dr Hassan Abbas is a Distinguished Professor of International Relations based in Washington, DC, and a Senior Advisor at Harvard University’s Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs. He is the author of The Prophet’s Heir (Yale University Press) and several other widely cited works on Islam and global affairs.

    41 min
  3. Why Are Shi‘as Still Mourning? Death, Muharram & Senses with Dr Babak Rahimi | Thinking Islam Ep. 11

    15 JAN

    Why Are Shi‘as Still Mourning? Death, Muharram & Senses with Dr Babak Rahimi | Thinking Islam Ep. 11

    Can mourning become a pathway to the divine? Has the modern world sanitised death, and does Muharram insist we don’t look away? Drawing from his forthcoming book Senses of Mourning, Dr Babak Rahimi of UC San Diego asks a question many have wondered, but few have explored: why do Shi'as keep mourning? This episode reveals mourning not as passive grief but as active devotion, a technique for connecting to God through the body, the senses, and collective memory. We explore how modernity's devotion to pleasure has pushed death to the margins, how Muharram insists we confront what modern life conceals, and why the senses are not obstacles to the sacred but pathways toward it. From the festive dimensions of grief to the standardisation of ritual by state and digital platforms, this conversation moves through the space where philosophy meets performance, and where the body becomes a site of hope. Dr Babak Rahimi is an Associate Professor of Communication, Culture and Religion at UC San Diego, where he directs the Program for the Study of Religion and the Middle East Studies Program. His research focuses on sensory religion, public sphere theory, and the historical contexts of early modern Islamicate societies. He is the author of "Theatre-State" and "The Formation of the Early Modern Public Sphere in Iran" (Brill, 2011) and editor of "Performing Iran" (I.B. Tauris, 2021). Audio Chapters: 0:00 – Highlights 01:30 – Why Muharram Performances? 5:50 – Mourning as Religiosity? 18:06 – Mourning as Technique 26:02 – Muharram as Festive Events 36:01 – Role of Senses in Muharram Devotion 46:14 – Panja and Symbolism 51:00 – Memory as a Sense? 57:00 – Gender and Muharram Performances 59:50 – Self-Flagellation as Performance? 1:06:40 – Muharram and the Other 1:11:00 – Why Western Thinkers? 1:19:40 – Modern World and the Sense of Smell 1:24:27 – Digital and the Standardisation of Muharram Rituals 1:38:28 – Thinking Islam Question 📖 Get the Book: "Senses of Mourning" by Dr. Babak Rahimi 🔗 Penn Press: https://www.pennpress.org/9781512828344/senses-of-mourning/ 🔗 Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Senses-Mourning-Moharram-Performances-Qajar/dp/1512828343

    1h 41m

  4. 31/12/2025

    Digital Spiritualism: A New Meaning to Religious Secularism in India by Dr Zairu Nisha

    Dr Nisha explores how digital technologies are reshaping religious life in contemporary India. Challenging the strict divide between the secular and the religious, she argues that digital media has given rise to new hybrid forms of belief, practice, and spiritual experience.

    18 min

  5. 31/12/2025

    Techno-Gnosticism for the Digital Age: AI, Transhumanism, and the Flight from Embodiment by Professor Michal Valčo

    This talk critically examines transhumanism and AI through the lens of Christian theological anthropology. Professor Valčo contrasts visions of technological “optimization” with religious understandings of embodiment, vulnerability, and communion, offering an alternative ethical vision for the digital future.

    22 min

  6. 31/12/2025

    Blue Notes and Black Codes: Womanism, Digital Faith, and the Algorithmic Future by Rev. Dr Shonda Nicole Gladden

    This talk centres Black women’s digital religious leadership through a Womanist lens. Rev. Dr Gladden explores how digital rituals, online worship, and algorithmic systems intersect with justice, creativity, and resilience in contemporary faith communities.

    22 min

  7. 31/12/2025

    Between the ‘Digital’ and the ‘Analogue’: Intergenerational Transformations within Muslim Communities by Professor Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor

    Drawing on major UK and European research projects, this talk explores how digital spaces are reshaping Muslim religious authority, identity, and practice. Professor Cheruvallil-Contractor examines how different generations navigate faith across online and offline worlds.

    22 min

  8. 31/12/2025

    Re-making the Human Being according to the Transhumanist’s Image and Likeness by Rev. Ugochukwu Stophynus Anyanwu

    This presentation critiques transhumanist visions of remaking humanity through technology. Rev. Anyanwu examines how such ideas challenge religious understandings of human nature, divine providence, and moral limits in an age of rapid technological enhancement.

    24 min
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About

AMI Podcasts explore a range of different topics including the latest cutting-edge research within the field of Islamic Studies, book reviews by prominent authors and academics, and discussions among scholars of diverse faiths and denominations within Islam.

Information

  • Creator
    Al-Mahdi Institute
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    317
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Al-Mahdi Institute
  • Show Website
    The AMI Podcast