Islam and Afghanistan

We are back for Season 3, called "Other Islams." Ten episodes dedicated to the history of Islam at the margins and the stuff they don't teach you in school. In our first episode we explore how Islam arrived to Afghanistan and how the borders of the Islamic world provide a unique snapshot into the process of conversion itself. From Rashidun expansion to cultural renaissance, we explore Afghanistan with its unique history of Sufism, music, monuments, and scholarship. We discuss the Saffarids, the Samanids, the Ghazanavids, the Ghorids, and take a closer look at figures like Muhammad al-Balami with his translation of the Qur'an, Mahmud Ghazni unifying the region, Amr Khusrow with his Qawwali and Fatima Samarqandi the great Hanafi scholar. This is a history of Sufi monasteries, fierce warriors, passionate poets, and of an Islam that fit in alongside Buddhism, Hinduism, and Zoroastrianism.