Reviewed by Abdul Hai In the contemporary global landscape, the term “madrasah” has become a lightning rod for political debate and cultural war, often reduced to a caricature of religious isolationism, anti-process or, more darkly, a breeding ground for radicalism. Since the events of 9/11, Western policymakers have frequently viewed these traditional Islamic institutions through…
Reviewed by Abdul Hai Huda Saharawi (1879-1947) was Egypt’s famous feminist, who gave birth to the Egyptian Feminist Union (EFU) in 1923 to fight the so-called male-controlled society and establish an equal platform for the women of Egypt. Its aims were also to redefine or even reject some of the Islamic teachings and values concerning women. Many…
By Abu Zayed Al Hasan Al-Sirafi Reviewed by Abdul Hai Allama Syed Sulaiman Nadvi’s book the ‘Arab Navigation’ highlights the historical relationship that existed between the Arabs and the sea; although this relationship existed from the pre-Islamic era, however, the post-Islamic era saw this relationship blossom, to such an extent that almost all major cities…
Part II of The Road to Macca Vol. 2 of 2 Asad, Muhammad. Asad, Pola Hamida. Homecoming of the Heart. Pakistan. Pakistan Writers Cooperative Society 3685 pp. £29.99 (HB) ISBN 978-969-8460-41-9 Reviewed by Abdul Hai At this solemn hour in the history of India, when British and Indian statesmen are laying the foundations of…
Vol. 1 of 2 Asad, Muhammad. The Road to Mecca. USA. Fons Vitae. 375 pp. £7.63 (PB) ISBN 188-775-237-4 Reviewed by: Abdul Hai. Classic rihla (travel) literature like the journey of Ibn Battuta (1307-1369) or Marco Polo (1254-1324) is no doubt an exceptional narrative of events, experiences, and landscapes. The readers are fascinated by the…
“[The Taliban soldiers] showing more courtesy than British police”. Yvonne Ridley. Reviewed by Abdul Hai Some may say the narrative by the British journalist Yvonne Ridley presented in “In the Hands of the Taliban” is merely a classical manifestation of Stockholm Syndrome. A superficial reading of the book may lead one to believe this claim…
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” The Travels of Ibn Al-Tayyib Ibn Al-Tayyib Translator: El Mustapha Lahlali et al. Reviewed by Abdul Hai Travellers have always been major contributors in understanding the world; their experiences of other cultures, description of the landscape and their eyewitnessing of the events and rituals…
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” Desert Encounter Knud Holmboe Reviewed by Abdul Hai Desert Encounter covers the travels of a young Danish journalist and explorer Knud Holmboe (1902 -1931) who converted from Protestantism to Catholicism in 1921 and, after a sojourn in North Africa, ultimately converted to Islam in 1929. The book records his journey to Algeria,…
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