Uploaded July 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Considered by Sunni Muslims as the second most authentic book after the Quran, Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl al-Bukhārī's collection of the Prophet's sayings and traditions, or ḥadīth, holds an esteemed station in Sunni scholasticism.
To discuss with me the life, works and legacy of al-Bukhari is Dr. Jonathan Brown. Dr. Brown is the Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. His PhD title and first book was "The Canonization of al-Bukhari and Muslim: the Formation and Function of the Sunni Hadith Canon".
Timestamps 02.25 Al-Bukhari was born 810CE in present day Uzbekistan almost 60 years after the Abbasid revolution and just after the passing of the fabled caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd and the start of the Fourth Fitna civil war between his two sons, al-Amīn and al-Ma`mūn. What do we know about his socio-political and cultural context and what impact would it have on his formation as a scholar? 15.53 Al-Bukhari travelled extensively to collect ḥadīth including to the Levant and Egypt and died in 870CE in his country of birth. Give our listeners an overview of his life before we look at his works and legacy. 27.10 Al-Bukhari is best known for his Ṣaḥīḥ collection. Before we look at that in detail, described to us his other works. 35.31 There has been continued doubts cast on how authentic are the traditions recorded in al-Bukharī's work. What are broader consideration and premises that should be borne in mind when trying to reconcile these views and where should listeners go next to learn more about al-Bukhari and his works? 01.02.13 You are the author of "Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenges and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet’s Legacy", "Slavery and Islam" and other works. What are other current projects that listeners can anticipate?
Sponsors We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit IHRC bookshop at shop.ihrc.org and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. We are also sponsored by Turath Publishing. Buy now An Introduction to Sahih al-Bukhari by Mustafa al-Azami. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit Turath Publishing at Turath.co.uk and use discount code POD15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact Turath Publishing for details. ErrataAl-Ismāʿīlī died 371/981 and it was Abū Sufyān who asked the Prophet to marry Umm Ḥabībaḧ.
Considered by Sunni Muslims as the second most authentic book after the Quran, Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl al-Bukhārī's collection of the Prophet's sayings and traditions, or ḥadīth, holds an esteemed station in Sunni scholasticism.
To discuss with me the life, works and legacy of al-Bukhari is Dr. Jonathan Brown. Dr. Brown is the Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. His PhD title and first book was "The Canonization of al-Bukhari and Muslim: the Formation and Function of the Sunni Hadith Canon".
Timestamps 02.25 Al-Bukhari was born 810CE in present day Uzbekistan almost 60 years after the Abbasid revolution and just after the passing of the fabled caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd and the start of the Fourth Fitna civil war between his two sons, al-Amīn and al-Ma`mūn. What do we know about his socio-political and cultural context and what impact would it have on his formation as a scholar? 15.53 Al-Bukhari travelled extensively to collect ḥadīth including to the Levant and Egypt and died in 870CE in his country of birth. Give our listeners an overview of his life before we look at his works and legacy. 27.10 Al-Bukhari is best known for his Ṣaḥīḥ collection. Before we look at that in detail, described to us his other works. 35.31 There has been continued doubts cast on how authentic are the traditions recorded in al-Bukharī's work. What are broader consideration and premises that should be borne in mind when trying to reconcile these views and where should listeners go next to learn more about al-Bukhari and his works? 01.02.13 You are the author of "Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenges and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet’s Legacy", "Slavery and Islam" and other works. What are other current projects that listeners can anticipate?
Sponsors We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit IHRC bookshop at shop.ihrc.org and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. We are also sponsored by Turath Publishing. Buy now An Introduction to Sahih al-Bukhari by Mustafa al-Azami. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases. Visit Turath Publishing at Turath.co.uk and use discount code POD15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact Turath Publishing for details. ErrataAl-Ismāʿīlī died 371/981 and it was Abū Sufyān who asked the Prophet to marry Umm Ḥabībaḧ.
![💧EP047 GUEST EPISODE (1/8) Water History and the Pre-Modern Middle East [AUDIO ONLY]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XGsFtLz3Ars/mqdefault.jpg "💧EP047 GUEST EPISODE (1/8) Water History and the Pre-Modern Middle East [AUDIO ONLY]
Part of the “Source of Life: Water Management in the Premodern Middle East” project (Radboud Institute for Culture and History)
This episode was produced by Edmund Hayes and Jouke Heringa.
Ep1. Water History and the Pre-Modern Middle East
The cities of the medieval Middle East were some of the largest in the world, dwarfing the major cities of western Europe, for example. So how did they support large populations in relatively arid conditions? In this episode we provide an overview of the kinds of hydraulic infrastructure and social institutions that allowed pre-modern Middle Eastern cities to function.
Speakers: Maaike van Berkel and Josephine van den Bent. Interviewer: Edmund Hayes.
This episode, and this series on water history and the medieval Middle East was produced by Edmund Hayes and Jouke Heringa as part of the project, “Source of Life: Water Management in the Premodern Middle East” at Radboud University. The “Source of Life” project was funded by the Dutch NWO VICI funding scheme. Additional funding for this podcast series was supplied by the Radboud Fonds of Radboud University.
Maaike van Berkel is Professor of History at Radboud University and director of the project “Source of Life: Urban Water Management in the Premodern Middle East” funded by the Dutch NWO VICI programme.
Josephine van den Bent is a researcher on the Source of Life project at Radboud University and assistant professor of Medieval History at the University of Amsterdam.
Further reading
Maaike van Berkel, “Waqf Documents on the Provision of Water in Mamluk Egypt,” in M. van Berkel, L. Buskens and P.M. Sijpesteijn (eds.), Legal Documents as Sources for the History of Muslim Societies (Brill: Leiden, 2017).
Peter Brown and Maaike van Berkel, “Water Provision in Early Islamic Cities: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Urban Water Governance,” in E Rose, M de Bruin, and R Flierman (eds) City, Citizen & Citizenship 400–1600: A Comparative Approach (Palgrave Macmillan: London, forthcoming).
Josephine van den Bent and Peter Brown, “Constructing Hydraulic Infrastructure in the Abbasid and Tulunid Capitals: Water Conduits in Baghdad, Samarra, and Cairo between the eighth and ninth centuries,” Al-Masāq, forthcoming.
Edmund Hayes, “A Late Umayyad Reform to the Water Distribution System in the Hinterland of Damascus,” Al-Masāq, forthcoming.
Edmund Hayes
https://twitter.com/Hedhayes20
https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmund-hayes-490913211/
https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/EdmundHayes
https://hcommons.org/members/ephayes/
Maaike van Berkel
https://radboud.academia.edu/MaaikevanBerkel
Josephine van den Bent
https://radboud.academia.edu/JosephinevandenBent
Abbasid History Podcast is sponspored by IHRC Bookshop
Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases online and in-store.
Visit IHRC bookshop at shop.ihrc.org and use discount code AHP15 at checkout.
Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details.
https://linktr.ee/abbasidhistorypodcast")
