Burn after Reading: Epistolary Heresy in Tenth Century Baghdad
A police raid, a cache of letters, an inquisition, an execution. Sometimes you have to be careful what you write. In 322 AH/ 934 CE, the house of a man known as al-Shalmaghānī was raided by the caliph’s men. They…
The Governor’s Orders, Part One
*** Read now also Part Two! *** Have you ever wondered what the Arab conquests of Egypt meant for the average Egyptian villager? The following story takes place a few years after 700, in the countryside of Middle Egypt. It’s…
Hide and Seek: Forms of Protection in Early Islam
Recently, an unusual religious service was held in Bethel church, The Hague. Reverends from all over the Netherlands held a constant service in order to protect five members of an Armenian family, facing deportation back to their country. The family took refuge…
Bactrian Documents: New Source for the Early Islamic History of Tukharistan
Traditionally, the history of the early Muslim conquests of Tukharistan is based on Arabic historical narratives compiled during the early Abbasid period. However, they are written in Arabic by Muslim figures for Arabic speaking audiences within a particular framework to…
When is an Arab not an Arab?
Conversations with EmCo guest Robert Hoyland, and Leiden specialists Peter Webb, Marijn van Putten and Ahmad al-Jallad inspired EmCo researcher, Ed Hayes to write a post for the Leiden Islam blog, When is an Arab Not an Arab?