A global understanding of Islam is impossible in absence of the Islamic art, mysticism, and poetry, writes our columnist Ahmad Sadri. I can imagine no greater disservice to Muslim students than the recent events at Hamline Universit y, a small liberal arts school in Minnesota, that ended with a teacher getting fired for showing a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. Aram Wedatalla, an undergraduate business major of Sudanese extraction, effectively “canceled” the teachings of one of the greatest historians of the Islamic world, Rashid al-Din Fadlullah (1247–1318 AD), in the name of sensitivity to Muslim students. The controversial image shows Muhammad receiving his first revelation from the archangel Gabriel. This miniature painting appears in the canonical Jami al-Tawarikh , ( Compendium of Chronicles) written in Persian at the outset of the 14th century, one of the most crucial sources on Mongol culture and history. I treasure my own copy […]

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