|
  The
speaker begins with an outline of the demographics of Muslims
in the world and then moves to a discussion on the idea of "civilization".
From there he introduces the main topic and focuses on two significant
historical periods of Muslim history after the Prophet (S): the
early united caliphate an d
the medieval synthesis of Islam. For the first period, Dr. Blankinship
covers the various Muslim conquests as Islam spread outside the
Arabian  Penninsula. Thereafter,
he discusses the controversy of the nature of Jesus among Christians
living in Egypt and Syria under the Roman Empire and how this
facilitated the coming of Islam into these lands. For the second
period, some major events are analyzed such as
the triumph of the Shi'ahs and the Mongals respectively, the
"gunpowder" empires, the expansion of Islam into Spain,
the opening of India through the conversion of the Buddhists,
and the Turkish diaspora throughout the world. A great resource
for Muslims and non-Muslims alike! (Recorded at the Dar
al Islam Teachers' Institute  seminar).
Other topics discussed: the Bedouins
of Arabia, the rapid conversion of the Berbers, the collapse
of the Ummayid dynasty, the spread of Islam and the issue of
compelling people to believe, Muslim slavery in the history of
Islam, the different sources of authority in Islam, the Iranian
Revolution, and Saddam Hussein.
|
