Introduction I find Ahmed El Shamsy's 2013 monograph The Canonization of Islamic Law - A Social and Intellectual History more ambitious in scope than its more well-known counterpart Jonathan Brown's 2007 offering The Canonization of Al-Bukhārī and Muslim: The Formation and Function of the Sunnī Ḥadīth Canon. Shamsy is to be commended for the clarity of his writing … Continue reading The Canonization of Islamic Law (Review Article) →

We read in the Gospel of Mathew Chapter 11 Verses 2 - 5: When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John … Continue reading The Blind Receive Sight →

The Way of the Samurai is found in death. Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily [Hagakure] Most existential thinkers and psychologists agree that at the root of our angst lies the fear of death, that great destroyer which has the potential to crush our sense of self (the ego). If unchecked this fear can metastasize … Continue reading Conquering the Fear of Death →

The Imam al-Sadiq uses a beautiful metaphor to describe how debates should be won. He likens it to the flight of a bird. One should majestically fly above his opponent on a higher plane of logic not allowing him to tie you down. This is when he is describing the prowess of the famous Hisham … Continue reading Taking Flight (How to Win in Debates) →