One of al Mansur’s first acts as caliph was to lure Abu Muslim to his court and assassinate the powerful and popular governor. This led to immediate turmoil in the East, leaving him to contend with sporadic upheavals for almost an entire decade. The caliph proved up to the task: his adept management of all these challenges helped him emerge from the chaos wi ... Show More
Jul 2021
Khalid Ibn al-Walid: The Sword of God
In the 7th century, the world saw the rise of one of the most important religious and political forces in history: Islam. Springing forth from the Arabian Peninsula, within a matter of months, the Islamic Caliphate had become one of the largest empires on Earth. Much of that grow ... Show More
10m 25s
Oct 2023
376. Baghdad: The Forging of Islam (Part 1)
A story of great myth and of huge historical significance, the foundation of Baghdad is a fundamental episode in the development of Islam. The Umayyad Caliphate, the first great Islamic empire, stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the borders of China; no dynasty had ever preside ... Show More
51m 3s
Jul 2020
Abu Bakr (ra) - Part 1: Second to None in the Pursuit of God
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (ra) was the ultimate “first”: quick to believe, quick to do good, never hesitant to follow the Prophet ﷺ, and had a natural instinct toward good. In Episode 9 of The Firsts, Sh. Omar Suleiman describes the noble character of Abu Bakr (ra), his friendship with ... Show More
54m 27s
Jul 2020
Abu Bakr (ra) - Part 2: Setting His Own Standards
Abu Bakr’s (ra) character is best described by the words of Ali (ra), “he is the first to every good”. Abu Bakr (ra) was the ultimate trendsetter, the fastest to do the good deed. In Episode 10 of The Firsts, Sh. Omar Suleiman continues to talk about Abu Bakr (ra) and his elevati ... Show More
59m 46s
Jul 2023
The Firebrand from Damascus (Part 1)
Ibn Taymiyyah is known as the “Sheikh of Islam” to his admirers, and to his detractors, one of the most significant antecedents of modern Salafi Jihadism. Simultaneously a genius scholar, brutal warrior and unflinching polemicist, he is one of the most important pioneers of a mil ... Show More
52m 46s