A People’s History of Islam: Tales of Mystics, Pilgrims and the Ordinary

This talk explores the essence of Islam beyond the familiar narratives of empires, doctrines, and grand monuments. Shifting the focus from official histories and controlled narratives, it delves into a more personal and soulful Islam—one found in sacred sites, pilgrimage journeys, and the everyday lives of believers. Here, Islam is not confined to the palaces of rulers or dogmatic interpretations of theological texts but blossoms on prayer rugs, in the companionship of mystics, and along the pilgrim paths to shrines.

The talk emphasizes the soul of Islam that endures in the midst of modern chaos and contradictions, thriving through human connections, spirituality, and cultural practices. It offers insights drawn from personal travels to key Muslim pilgrimage locations, capturing the vibrancy of faith in the presence of saints, poets, rebels, and ordinary people. This is a history not of kings or conquests, but of the soul—an Islam that belongs to believers and seekers, to pilgrims, to those who challenge the status quo, to those who find in it not only ritual but meaning, unity, and peace.

Speaker: Dr. Hassan Abbas, Distinguished Professor of International Relations at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies

Moderator: Dr. Payam Mohseni, Director of the Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs, Harvard Divinity School

Time: Monday, Nov. 4th, 2pm EST

Location:  Swartz Hall (45 Francis Ave.), Room 125

This is an in-person event with an online hybrid option. Registration required:

**REGISTER HERE**