Latest essays
Religion and science have been compartmentalized by artificial frames. However, they each must be challenged to rise above their imposed limitations.[...]
Academic endeavors often purport themselves as neutral analyses of socio-historical phenomena yet their metaphysical assumptions are no less biased than any other scholarly endeavor.[...]
Pre-modern Jewish references to the Prophet Muḥammad are nuanced. This article highlights medieval Jewish references that see the Prophet in a favorable light.[...]
The birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated by most Christians in the winter. However, a reference from the Muslim tradition and a recently discovered astronomical phenomenon could suggest that Jesus was born in June.[...]
Alī b. Abī Ṭālib is often compared to Jesus Christ in Muslim sources. This article explores the similarities between Christology and Imamology.[...]
For early Church Fathers like St. Chrysostom, marriage was primarily a means for chastity. Sexual disobedience and denial by either spouse risked endangering the household and the Church community.[...]
The “debate of the century” was on capitalism, Marxism, and happiness. This essay aims to compare the points of these two viral intellectuals to the Islamic tradition.[...]
SUPPORT US
Learn about all the ways that you can give. Help BLIIS provide you with frequent and high-quality content on the academic study of Islam and the Near East.
Academic RESEARCH
Despite the influence of Sharīf al-Murtaḍā’s Amālī, the paratextual features of its manuscript copies are seldom discussed. This paper compares such features in two 17th and 19th-century manuscripts. Abstract A number of Sharīf [...]
Numerous studies of Mamlūk books congeal around luxury manuscripts. Doris Behrens-Abouseif’s monograph offers a new window into the production and reception of ordinary books in the Mamlūk world.[...]
The relationship between Malcolm X and the Twelve Imams of Ahl al-Bayt has so far been little-known even though it may have shaped a significant aspect of Malcolm's religious and political worldview.[...]