Links and Resources
An interview with Michael Sells, author of Approaching the Qur'an (August 23, 2002) in which he discusses the material included and omitted in his book, his understanding of Islam after September 11, 2001, and academia's approach to Islam in basic curricula.
A site from the American Academy of Religion devoted to the study of Islam, which serves as a forum and gives voice to a variety of Muslim perspectives that have been largely missing from the national media.
An exhibit at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia that explains the significance and meaning of Arabic calligraphy in the lives of contemporary Muslims.
Transcript of a 1995 talk presented by Nuh Ha Mim Keller about the role of Sufism in contemporary Islam.
Section of the BBC's Religion & Ethics Web site that provides an overview of Islamic history, customs, and beliefs. It also includes a glossary, a list of holy days, and special features such as the Hajj.
Article by Brendan Koerner from Slate magazine (April 4, 2004) explaining how Shiite clerics earn the prominent title of "ayatollah."
A detailed explanation of the dance of the whirling dervishes, including drawings and photos.
Festival site features videos of a sema ceremony, Seemi Bushra Ghazi singing and speaking, and other instructional discourse.
An essay by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, one of the foremost experts on Sufism, who contends that Sufism is a name for the esoteric dimension of Islam.
Paper by Omid Safi for The Journal of Scriptural Reasoning (August 2003) examining particular Sufis and their teachings of love.
Page devoted to explaining the levels of remembrance.
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Safi is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Colgate University, co-Chair of the Study of Islam Section at the American Academy of Religion, and editor of Progressive Muslims.
