Al-Mahdi Institute Podcasts

Dr Nisha explores how digital technologies are reshaping religious life in contemporary India. Challenging the strict divide between the secular and the religious, she argues that digital media has given rise to new hybrid forms of belief, practice, and spiritual experience.

This talk critically examines transhumanism and AI through the lens of Christian theological anthropology. Professor Valčo contrasts visions of technological “optimization” with religious understandings of embodiment, vulnerability, and communion, offering an alternative ethical vision for the digital future.

This talk centres Black women's digital religious leadership through a Womanist lens. Rev. Dr Gladden explores how digital rituals, online worship, and algorithmic systems intersect with justice, creativity, and resilience in contemporary faith communities.

Drawing on major UK and European research projects, this talk explores how digital spaces are reshaping Muslim religious authority, identity, and practice. Professor Cheruvallil-Contractor examines how different generations navigate faith across online and offline worlds.

This presentation critiques transhumanist visions of remaking humanity through technology. Rev. Anyanwu examines how such ideas challenge religious understandings of human nature, divine providence, and moral limits in an age of rapid technological enhancement.

This talk explores how classical ethical traditions and religious philosophy can respond to the growing moral challenges posed by artificial intelligence. Drawing on Buddhist thought and contemporary philosophy, Dr Maurya examines whether AI threatens human agency and how ethical frameworks might help safeguard humanity in an increasingly automated world.

This presentation examines Islamic apocalyptic thought in relation to modern technological change. Professor Mirza explores how digital culture, scientific worldviews, and rapid social transformation shape Muslim imaginaries of the future, offering a balanced theological response beyond fear or utopianism.

This joint presentation investigates how large language models influence Catholic theology and moral reasoning. Karr and Conwill examine how AI systems can blur doctrinal distinctions, while also considering how faith-based ethical frameworks might guide responsible religious uses of AI.

Focusing on the work of Romano Guardini, this talk examines how modern technology reshapes human power, faith, and social structures. Professor Vila-Chã reflects on the loss of authentic human experience and considers how religious thought can help address the dehumanising tendencies of modern technological systems.

Professor Campbell analyses how internet memes shape public perceptions of religious communities. She explores how humour, stereotypes, and digital culture can reinforce religious bias, while also highlighting how faith communities can critically engage and respond.

Professor Fatemi introduces the concept of the “Cyber-Leviathan” to describe the totalising power of digital surveillance and algorithmic governance. From an Islamic ethical and theological perspective, he argues for rethinking human rights and moral responsibility in order to protect human agency in the digital age.

Professor Reed addresses the ethical challenges of weapons control through Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. She explores how shared moral resources can contribute to contemporary debates on warfare, accountability, and emerging military technologies.

Dr Rahimi explores Muharram rituals as embodied, technical practices that shape religious experience and communal life. By examining devotional performance, material culture, and sensory engagement, he shows how religious traditions adapt and endure through specific technologies of practice.

This presentation challenges instrumental views of technology by drawing on Sikh philosophy and global traditions of thought. Professor Mandair explores how alternative models of individuation and spirituality can reshape our relationship with technology beyond modern Western frameworks.

In this Research Seminar, Dr Zairu Nisha (University of Delhi) explores infertility among Muslim women in India through feminist bioethics and phenomenology. She introduces the concept of the body as a site of moral injury, showing how reproductive expectations, religious belief, and assisted reproductive technologies shape women's moral identities and lived experiences.Drawing on thinkers such as Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Simone de Beauvoir, Dr Nisha challenges mind–body dualism and argues that the body is not separate from the self, but a moral subject formed through relationships with others. When infertility disrupts social and religious expectations of womanhood and motherhood, women experience guilt, shame, and alienation — not because of moral failure, but because they are caught between conflicting moral worlds.Read more or watch the full seminar:Audio Chapters:0:00 - Introduction2:40 - Self and Body Dichotomy04:53 - The Lived-Body in a Lived World07:35 - Embodiment and Moral Injury 12:27 - Female Body and Reproduction15:30 - Infertility and Moral Problem17:55 - Technology and Motherhood22:24 - Muslim Women and Reproduction25:26 - Conclusion: Towards Moral Repair

How do stories create political power? Why do narratives matter in shaping legitimacy, justice, and belonging? In this Research Seminar, Dr Fatemeh Sadeghi (University College London – Institute for Global Prosperity) examines the powerful role of narratives and storytelling in legitimising political authority. Drawing on examples from Islamism, nationalism, and contemporary far-right populism, she shows how political stories do not merely reflect power but actively produce it. The seminar explores how movements mobilise ideas of moral renewal, nostalgia, and collective identity to justify authority, and how these same narratives can both inspire emancipation and reproduce exclusion or authoritarianism. Dr Sadeghi also situates these dynamics within an “age of crisis,” marked by inequality, political disillusionment, and declining trust in institutions, where emotional resonance increasingly replaces ideology as the basis of legitimacy.Read more, or watch the full seminar:https://ami.is/sadeghi-seminarAudio Chapters:0:10 - Introduction01:29 - What is Narrative? 04:02 - Types of Narrative in Islamic Culture08:46 - Storytellers & Storytelling15:10 - Significance of Narratives in Politics17:45 - Examples of Political Narratives 31:49 - The Age of Crisis and the Future of Politics

If God is everywhere, why can't God be in an image? If devotion dissolves the self before the Beloved, what remains to draw the line between Hindu and Muslim? And can we ever find an answer to suffering that satisfies both the heart and the mind? Drawing from his acclaimed book, "The Hindu Self and Its Muslim Neighbors," Dr Barua guides us through the shared devotional languages of Bhakti and Sufi traditions. He reveals how figures like Kabir, Tagore, Nazrul Islam, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan inhabited spaces of “creative ambiguity” that transcended rigid boundaries. This episode explores Dr Barua's journey from physics to metaphysics, delving into the theology behind “idol worship” and the intersection of quantum mechanics and religious truth. It invites us to discover profound resonances and honest tensions between two great spiritual traditions. Dr Ankur Barua is a Senior Lecturer in Hindu Studies at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge. He researches the conceptual constellations and the social structures of the Hindu traditions, both in premodern contexts in South Asia and in colonial milieus where multiple ideas of Hindu identity were configured along transnational circuits between India, Britain, Europe, and USA. In recent years, his research focus has moved to an exploration of the intersections between the idioms of bhakti, yoga, tawḥīd, and taṣawwuf on the multiply-stratified postcolonial landscapes of South Asia.Audio Chapters: 0:00 – Highlights 1:23 – From Physics to Metaphysics 12:30 – Language of Science vs Language of Religion 19:10 – Are There Revelations in Hinduism?24:50 – On Infallibility of the Vedas 28:28 – Revelation in Hinduism and Abrahamic Traditions 33:16 – Between Monotheism and Idol Worship in Hinduism 45:07 – Idol Worship and Muslims 47:15 – Why Muslim Neighbours? 55:52 – Muslims as Foreigners 1:04:45 – Bhakti and Sufi Love 1:17:01 – Quantum Mechanics and Truth of Religion 1:23:10 – Religion and Meaning for Modern Individuals 1:28:46 – Thinking Islam QuestionMentioned in This Episode: "Images of the Unimaginable God" by Dr Ankur Barua: https://renovatio.zaytuna.edu/article/images-of-the-unimaginable-god "The Hindu Self and Its Muslim Neighbors" by Dr Ankur Barua: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/hindu-self-and-its-muslim-neighbors-9781793642585/ "Form and Essence" by Shaykh Arif: https://www.shaykharif.com/blog/impurity?categoryId=24615

In this episode, Dr Attar explores how two major theologians — al-Ghazālī and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī — challenged the idea that miracles serve as proof of prophethood. Drawing on their engagement with the occult sciences, Dr Attar shows how both thinkers believed that extraordinary acts could be imitated by magicians and thaumaturges, raising new questions about what truly verifies a prophet. He concludes by proposing an Avicennian reinterpretation of miracles as signs of an elevated prophetic soul rather than evidentiary proofs.

Dr Calis introduces listeners to the rich metaphysical world of Ibn al-‘Arabī and the Akbarī tradition, where revelation is seen as an ontological process rather than a historical event. He explains how divine speech unfolds through the hierarchical realms of existence and clarifies the misunderstood distinction between risāla (messengership) and wilāya (sainthood). The discussion connects classical Sufi metaphysics to contemporary debates on divine communication.

Dr Nazir Khan presents Ibn Taymiyya's comprehensive rethinking of prophetic evidence. Rather than relying solely on miracles, Ibn Taymiyya integrates moral integrity, rational coherence, and alignment with human nature into a broader epistemology of prophethood. The episode examines his critique of kalām theologians, his distinction between angelic and jinn-assisted feats, and his preference for Qur'anic terminology such as āyāt and barāhīn.

In this presentation, Professor Aijaz revisits David Hume's famous critique of miracles and argues that it has major — and often overlooked — implications for Muslim philosophy of religion. He explains why arguments for prophecy based on miracle reports fail under Hume's analysis and calls for Muslim philosophers to rethink the epistemological foundations of belief in prophecy and revelation.

Dr Jamie Turner brings the medieval philosophy of al-Fārābī into conversation with the modern thought of John Hick. He proposes that both thinkers offer a “bottom-up” model of prophecy that emphasises human intellectual and moral refinement. This model opens possibilities for religious pluralism and offers new ways to respond to epistemic and moral challenges in Islam, while still preserving much of the traditional narrative.

Dr Saemi tackles the tension between revelation and independent moral judgment. He argues that when a believer perceives a moral conflict, it is rational to follow their moral reasoning — but this does not render revelation redundant. Instead, revelation provides new moral reasons, including coordination solutions and relationship-based reasons tied to one's bond with God.

Professor Naraghi examines Fazlur Rahman's influential theory of revelation, focusing on its psychological dimension — how divine meaning becomes prophetic language. Drawing on the work of Iqbal and the philosophy of Charles Sanders Peirce, he clarifies Rahman's view on how “feeling,” “idea,” and “word” interact in the Prophet's heart to generate revelation.

Professor Kadivar surveys major models of revelation in Judaism and Christianity before proposing a distinctly Islamic alternative. He critiques six well-known non-propositional models and argues that Islam affirms a primarily propositional model grounded in the Qur'an and Sunnah — yet one that still differs significantly from classical Christian and Jewish formulations.

Dr Wahid Amin applies modern speech act theory to classical Shīʿī legal debates on divine commands. How do Qur'anic addresses to specific audiences apply to later generations? By engaging thinkers such as Mīrzā Qummī, Ākhund Khurāsānī, and Nāʾinī, he explores how divine speech maintains normative force across time and context.

Dr Ibrahim examines the role of Maryam in the Qur'an and asks why, despite her exceptional status and extensive interactions with divine messengers, most exegetical traditions exclude women from prophethood. Through a careful intra-textual reading, she highlights inconsistencies in classical arguments and proposes paths for reducing gender bias in Muslim prophetology.

Dr Asghari explores how the Qur'an pairs the Book (al-kitāb) with wisdom (ḥikma) as twin components of prophetic guidance. He shows how wisdom enables ethical interpretation, universal moral language, and interreligious dialogue — positioning prophetic wisdom as a bridge between divine revelation and human ethical reasoning.

Shaykh Arif re-examines key Qur'anic terms to propose that the Qur'an is not a pre-fixed text but an articulation of formless meanings (Umm al-Kitāb) unveiled in the moment. He distinguishes between God and the agent of revelation speaking within the Qur'an, offering a nuanced linguistic and theological model rooted in inter-Qur'anic analysis.

Prophets often report vivid perceptual experiences — seeing angels, hearing recited verses — but what makes these experiences veridical? Professor Morvarid surveys classical explanations from al-Fārābī, Ibn Sīnā, Suhrawardī, and Mullā Ṣadrā, before offering a new account inspired by philosopher David Chalmers. He argues that prophetic visions can be veridical in their “imperfect content,” even when their sensory details are not literally present in the physical world.

What does solidarity look like from the stands of a football stadium? How do sport, identity, and politics intertwine in the struggle for justice and belonging? And what does it mean to grow up displaced yet deeply rooted in a homeland carried through memory and resistance? In this episode of Thinking Islam, we explore these profound questions with Dr Kholoud Al-Ajarma, anthropologist and award-winning filmmaker at the University of Edinburgh.This captivating conversation traces Dr Al-Ajarma's personal and intellectual journey—from life in Palestinian refugee camps to becoming an acclaimed scholar of migration, identity, and activism. Drawing on her ethnographic research into pro-Palestinian solidarity among football fans in Scotland, she discusses the power and limits of public protest, the challenges of representing a cause across cultural boundaries, and what forms of hope persist amid displacement.Dr Kholoud Al-Ajarma is a social anthropologist whose work bridges scholarship and lived experience. Her award-winning films and academic research explore themes of exile, belonging, and social justice across Palestine and the diaspora. She has worked with numerous international organisations and universities, and her recent research examines how global solidarity movements express political empathy and resistance through everyday cultural practices.

In this talk, Professor Seyyed Mohaghegh Damad and Hossein Mousavi explore ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī's theory of idrākāt-i iʿtibārī — or mentally-posited conceptions — and its transformative implications for Islamic legal reasoning. They discuss how human constructs of obligation, action, and morality, though mentally posited, shape Sharīʿa's adaptability to evolving human needs. Their conversation invites listeners to consider how Islamic law distinguishes between immutable divine principles and flexible human conventions in a changing world.

Professor Abdolkarim Soroush reflects on how Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) must continually evolve to remain relevant. He contrasts its practical and theoretical dimensions, arguing that true renewal depends on deeper engagement with theology, philosophy, and anthropology. Through thought-provoking examples—from modern bioethics to cosmic prayer—Soroush demonstrates that shifts in how we understand God, duty, and knowledge can revolutionise Islamic law itself.

In this talk, Professor Oliver Leaman cautions against overstating rationalism's place in Islamic law. Drawing on Qurʾānic narratives like Moses and Khidr, he argues that divine wisdom often transcends human reasoning. Leaman challenges the assumption that Islam fully aligns with modern liberal rationality, urging listeners to rethink how theological humility can coexist with intellectual inquiry in today's discourse on religion and law.

Shaykh Arif Abdul Hussain explores how the metaphysical insights of Ṣadrāian philosophy can reshape our understanding of rationality in Islamic law. He revisits the tension between reason and Sharīʿa through concepts like aṣālat al-wujūd (the principiality of existence), proposing a dynamic vision of evolving legal norms aligned with human growth and existential purpose. This episode bridges classical metaphysics and contemporary reform.

Dr Imranali Panjwani identifies a major gap in Shīʿī legal theory—the neglect of human experience in understanding legal subjects. He argues that jurisprudence must account for the intellectual, moral, and psychological dimensions of the individual (mukallaf). This episode presents a compelling call for rethinking Sharīʿa as a lived moral framework responsive to human reality.

Dr Mariam al-Attar examines how modern Muslim scholars balance revelation, reason, and science in forming ethical and legal judgments. By contrasting theological voluntarism with rational moral inquiry, she highlights how approaches to emerging issues—like AI and genetics—reflect enduring debates about divine authority and human intellect in Islamic ethics.

Dr Haidar Hobballah and Ali R. Khaki discuss the principle of sad al-dharāʾiʿ (blocking the means) and how Shīʿī legal thought approaches causal reasoning. They unpack the logic behind preventive rulings and explore their modern implications—from bioethics to environmental ethics—offering a rational framework for ethical decision-making in contemporary Islamic contexts.

Mohammad Amin Hessami reinterprets the philosophical legacy of Nāṣir al-Dīn Ṭūsī, uncovering a subtle balance between reason and revelation. Through close reading of Tajrīd al-Iʿtiqād and Akhlaq-i Nāṣirī, he reveals how Ṭūsī navigated competing rationalist and traditionalist schools. The discussion highlights how a medieval thinker's nuanced model of harmony between intellect and faith remains deeply relevant for modern theological discourse.

Professor Mahmoud Morvarid brings philosophical precision to a core principle of Shīʿī jurisprudence: the authority (ḥujjiyyah) of certainty. Questioning traditional formulations, he argues for a more nuanced approach informed by contemporary epistemology. Listeners will encounter a rigorous exploration of how knowledge, belief, and rational justification shape accountability in Islamic legal thought.

Professor Seyed Mohammad Ghari S. Fatemi examines the very being of reason within Islamic legal theory. Engaging classical Sunni and Shīʿī perspectives, he asks: Is reason a substance, an accident, or a kind of knowledge? This discussion unpacks how uṣūlī scholars understood the nature, scope, and variability of rational faculties, illuminating how metaphysics, epistemology, and theology converge in defining ʿaql.

Professor Devin J. Stewart delves into early Islamic legal thought, tracing how reason (ʿaql) evolved as a recognised source of law among Muʿtazilī and Twelver Shīʿī scholars. Through a historical journey from al-Jaṣṣāṣ to al-Ṭūsī, Prof. Stewart shows how theological debates on rational investigation shaped the very foundations of Islamic jurisprudence, revealing a vibrant intellectual culture negotiating between divine command and human judgment.

Professor Ali Fanaei compares the logic of juristic reasoning with everyday rationality, arguing that misunderstanding this relationship leads to flawed religious verdicts. He proposes a reconstruction of fiqh grounded in a more accurate model of how humans reason and justify beliefs. This talk bridges analytic philosophy and Islamic jurisprudence to advocate for rational legal reform.

Dr Yaser Mirdamadi reinterprets the Shīʿī legal maxim “accept what contradicts the majority” through the framework of epistemic justice. Rather than a sectarian bias, he argues it functions as an early form of epistemic resistance—amplifying marginalised voices within Islamic tradition. This episode reframes classical jurisprudence as a site for contemporary reflection on inclusion and fairness.

Farzaneh Hosseini Hejazi analyses the clash of three rationalities—religious, revolutionary, and modern state reason—in the legal structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Through this critical lens, she explains how philosophical and constitutional contradictions have undermined coherent legal authority, giving rise to a system where mystical authority, clerical rationality, and state pragmatism uneasily coexist.

Professor Mohammad Rasekh investigates a classical theological problem: do divine laws derive from inherent benefits and harms, or from pure command? Engaging Shaykh Anṣārī and the principle of maṣāliḥ wa mafāsid wāqiʿīyya, he dissects the tension between reason and revelation in determining moral reality. His discussion challenges listeners to consider whether religious law is descriptive of truth or prescriptive of obedience.

Dr Karen Bauer examines how the Qurʾān unites intellect, emotion, and moral behaviour in a single vision of human virtue. Rejecting the modern separation between thought and feeling, she shows that Qurʾānic rationality is profoundly moral: to think rightly is to feel rightly and act justly. This podcast invites reflection on how the heart, mind, and ethics intertwine in Qurʾānic spirituality.

What happens when the language of love transcends religious boundaries?In this thought-provoking seminar, Dr Ankur Barua (University of Cambridge) explores the deep intersections between Hindu Bhakti (devotional love) and Islamic Sufism (taṣawwuf) in premodern South Asia.Through figures like Dārā Shukōh, Ras Khān, and Kazi Nazrul Islam, Dr Barua reveals how devotional poetry, music, and theology became a shared language of divine love that crossed cultural and religious lines. This talk challenges both the narrative of conflict and the illusion of perfect harmony, offering a balanced view of how Hindus and Muslims have expressed love for God—and for each other—through shared traditions of beauty and longing.

Is the Qur'an truly the word of God, or does it reflect the creative imagination of Prophet Muhammad (s)? How do we understand revelation in a world governed by reason and science? In this episode of Thinking Islam, we grapple with these fundamental questions with Dr Abdolkarim Soroush, one of the most influential voices in contemporary Islamic intellectual reform.This wide-ranging conversation explores Dr Soroush's groundbreaking theory of the expansion and contraction of religious knowledge, his views on revelation and prophetic experience, and the controversial notion that the Qur'an might be better understood as "Kalam Muhammad" rather than literal divine speech. From essentials and accidentals of the Qur'an to the paradoxical nature of Prophetic life, we examine how prophetic experience can be understood in our post-prophetic age.Dr Soroush is a distinguished philosopher of religion and a leading voice in Islamic intellectual reform. A Visiting Scholar at the University of Maryland and former Professor at the University of Tehran, he has also held visiting positions at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale Universities. Dr Soroush is renowned for his influential work "The Expansion of Prophetic Experience" and his contributions to contemporary Islamic thought and hermeneutics.Audio Chapters:0:00 – Highlights1:34 – Understanding the Phenomena of Revelation4:40 – Expansion & Contraction of Islamic Interpretation10:42 – Expectations from Religion13:12 – Between Maximalization & Infallibility17:22 – Is Revelation like Poetry or a Dream?24:49 – Revelation as Creative Imagination28:32 – Kalam e Muhammad or Kalamullah35:58 – God is Also Sad When You're Sad39:17 – The Speech of God is Metaphorical47:18 – Essentials and Accidentals of the Qur'an49:17 – Prophetic Experience & Its Expansion53:15 – Prophetic Paradox56:36 – Finality of Prophethood59:00 – Imamate & Finality1:03:45 – Thinking Islam Question

Was the Qur'an revealed to the Prophet (pbuh) through divine speech, imagination, divine inspiration, or visions? In this seminar, Professor Mahmoud Morvarid, a Researcher at the Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, examines four key models within the Islamic intellectual tradition that attempt to describe the mystery of divine revelation.Drawing on theology, philosophy, and mysticism, the presentation reflects on how revelation has been understood across centuries, the challenges these interpretations face, and why the debate remains relevant for contemporary thought.In this seminar, you will learn:– How revelation has been approached in classical Islamic thought– Why different disciplines (theology, philosophy, Sufism) offer contrasting perspectives– The continuing significance of these debates for understanding the Qur'an todayAudio Chapters:0:00 – Setting the Context: Revelation in Islam4:15 – The Mutakallimūn Model10:30 – The Fārābī–Ibn Sīnā Model33:08 – The Ghazālī Model42:40 – The Suhrawardī Model46:56 – Comparative Analysis of the Models

Does the Qur'an only invite us to think, or does its message also create an emotional state? In this episode of Thinking Islam, we explore the profound emotional trajectories within the Quranic paradigm with leading scholar Dr. Karen Bauer. From the roles of fear and hope in religious experience to the surprising emotional vulnerability of the prophets, we unpack how the Qur'anic text masterfully orchestrates human feelings to create lasting inner transformation. This conversation explores Dr. Bauer's groundbreaking research on emotional plots in Islamic texts. It delves into the emotional trajectories within Quranic narratives, examining how the heart serves as both the seat of perception and feeling, and how emotions are portrayed throughout scripture.Together, we explore how the Quran aims to evoke emotional responses in its listeners. We examine the connection between emotions and both internal and external orientations, and how this shapes the Quranic understanding of what it means to be human. Dr. Karen Bauer is an Associate Professor in Quranic Studies at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London. She earned her PhD from Princeton University and is widely recognised for her work on gender and emotional rhetoric in the Quran. Her recent publications include Women, Households, and the Hereafter in the Qur'an (2023) and Gender Hierarchy in the Qur'an (2015). Dr. Bauer bridges medieval scholarship with contemporary understanding through rigorous textual analysis and extensive fieldwork.