School of Islamic History
Lectured by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, Dr Yasir Qadi, Shaykh Omar Suleiman & Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad (Tim Winter)’s Crash Course in Islamic History.
(7 Sessions)
This is the most succint and yet comprehensive Islamic History available. 7 sessions which was given over the course of a weekend in Oslo in early 2011.
Session 1:
Session 2: http://www.lastprophet.info/gallery/audio/abdal-hakim-murad-s-crash-course-in-islamic-history-ii
Session 3: http://www.lastprophet.info/gallery/audio/abdal-hakim-murad-s-crash-course-in-islamic-history-iii
Session 4: http://www.lastprophet.info/gallery/audio/abdal-hakim-murad-s-crash-course-in-islamic-history-iv
Session 5: http://www.lastprophet.info/gallery/audio/abdal-hakim-murad-s-crash-course-in-islamic-history-v
Session 6: http://www.lastprophet.info/gallery/audio/abdal-hakim-murad-s-crash-course-in-islamic-history-vi
Session 7: http://www.lastprophet.info/gallery/audio/abdal-hakim-murad-s-crash-course-in-islamic-history-vii
This is the most succint and yet comprehensive Islamic History available. 7 sessions which was given over the course of a weekend in Oslo in early 2011
13 Centuries of Islamic History — Sheikh Abu Ja’far Al-Hanbali
Online video series conducted by Sheikh Abu Ja’far Al-Hanbali on the history of Islam, from the period at the end of the rightly guided Khalifah, all the way up until today.
Untold Stories of World and Islamic History — Ep 1 Dr. Abdullah Hakeem Quick
This series is intended to bring untold stories from world history, highlighting few scenes from the Golden Age of Islam when ruled the world, Islam within 100 years was able to go far to the east to China and far to the west all the way to the Atlantic ocean. The Muslim world leads the planet in science, medicine and technology. Throughout history there were high points for the Muslims and low points too, but Muslims were always naturally oriented toward success in science, knowledge and education “Untold Stories of World History”
Islamic History a quick overview — Various
The Khulafa al-Rashidun — Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
(4 classes)
This series concerns the lives of the Khulafa al-Rashidun, the first 4 Caliphs, ‘rightly guided’. The talks on Hazrat Abu Bakr, Umar Uthman and Ali
- The Khilafa of Abu Bakr: A Time of Challenge http://quilliampress.com/video/the-khilafa-of-abu-bakr/
- The Khilafa of Umar: Days of Glory http://quilliampress.com/video/the-khilafa-of-umar/
- The Khilafa of Uthman: The Wisdom and the Agony http://quilliampress.com/video/the-khilafa-of-uthman/
- The Khilafa of Ali: The Mortal Choice http://quilliampress.com/video/the-khilafa-of-ali/
Lives of the Khulafaa — Yasir Qadhi
45 classes
This series details the lives of the Khulafaa Ar-Rashidun (rightly guided caliphs), successors to the Prophet Muhammad (S), whose reign helped to establish one of the greatest civilizations in humanity.
The Four Caliphs — Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera
A comprehensive course covering the lives of the first four Caliphs in Islam, collectively known as the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Taught by Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera, it has eight lectures; two on each Caliph. Each lecture explore various topics such as the oppositions of rebels against Sayyiduna Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), the final altercations during Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)’s caliphate, and most importantly, the incredible morals and timeless advice of these pious leaders, may Allah be pleased with them all.
Omar Ibn Khattab Series — Qatar TV
Rest of Series:
Co-produced by Qatar TV, this series is based on the life of Omar ibn Al-Khattab, the second Caliph of Islam, which depicts his life from being 18 years old to till the moments of his death.
Lives of the Sahaba — Yasir Qadhi
(7 Classes)
This series details the lives of the Aashara Mubashara (the 10 promised Paradise) and various other companions of the Prophet Muhammad (S)
Mothers of the Believers — Shaykh Omar Suleiman
(10 Videos)
A video series on the Wives of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
The Five Abdullah’s and Abu Huraira — Shaykh Omar Suleiman
(32 Videos)
Abu Huraira:
A look at the biographical and historical influences of the “Five Abdullahs” by Sheikh Omar Suleiman
The Massacre of Karbala: A Historical Analysis — Dr. Yasir Qadhi
Journey back in history to revisit one of the most controversial and misconstrued events in Islamic history: The Massacre of Karbala. Are Sunnis ‘on the side of Yazid’ or ‘on the side of Husayn’? Who is to blame for the death of Husayn? Should we curse Yazid?
Join Dr. Yasir Qadhi as he analyzes and contextualizes the events that led up to the martyrdom of al-Husayn (radiAllahu `anhu), its occurrence and aftermath.
The Four Great Imams — Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
Four great legal theorists dominate the history of Islamic Sacred Law
- Imam Malik: Sage of the City of Light http://quilliampress.com/video/imam-malik/
- Imam al-Shafi’i:The Worshipping Jurist http://quilliampress.com/video/imam-al-shafii/
- Imam Abu Hanifa: Baghdad’s Auspicious Fortune http://quilliampress.com/video/imam-abu-hanifa/
- Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Victor Over Tribulation http://quilliampress.com/video/imam-ahmad-ibn-hanbal/
The FIour Imams’s in Detail- Shaykh Omar Suleiman
9 Videos
Sheikh Omar Suleiman introduces the first of four great imams of Sunni religious law
Also get the classes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLftz6Qd2zo-kqvfuPgzQ2nUP1ptD0exE5
Saviours of Islamic Spirit — Shaykh Abdur Rahman Ibn Yusuf
A riveting series of lectures to captivate, inspire, and revive the hearts of the young and old alike
Based on the acclaimed work of the late Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali al-Nadwi, these lectures draw on the lives of ten of the most influential personalities of Islam after the time of the beloved Companions from Hasan al-Basri, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, and Salah al-Din to ‘Izz al-Din ibn ‘Abd al-Salam. These lectures also cover the time-period of the Tartars and their ultimate conversion into the fold of Islam, which ensued from the untiring struggle of the Muslims living in their midst.
The pre-eminence of these ten individuals is utterly extraordinary and puts forward for each and every one of us, a remarkable guide in the journey of Islam. The lives of these exemplary individuals and the conviction with which they endured their struggles, will impart a compelling and invigorating way of life — a way of life tread by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) himself.
“If the lives of these great individuals had been available to me when I was younger, I would have had a completely different perspective of my religion and of the world around me” — The speaker’s reflection on the Saviours of Islamic Spirit
Prescribed Reading: Saviours of the Islamic Spirit — Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali al-Nadwi
Shaikh Abdulhakim Murad Winter — Master Classes on Imam Al Ghazali-
(6 videos)
A fascinating series of lectures on the life and thought of Imam al-Ghazali
Part 1
Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxY_AU90j1M
Part 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur_epMS1TMM
Part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldi9d7VIafs
Nine Hundred Years Reviving The Spirit Of Andalusia — Hamza Yusuf
Hamza Yusuf speaks about the golden age of Islamic Spain (Andalusia) and trying to recapture it in this age.v
Masjidul Aqsa — Shaykh Omar Suleiman
1914: The Shaping of the Modern Muslim World~ Dr. Yasir Qadhi
(two videos)
Part one:
Part two:
1914 marked the beginning of a series of catastrophic political and social changes that would lead to, amongst other things, the abolishment of the Islamic Caliphate and the division of Muslim lands into the modern countries of the Middle East that we are all familiar with. In this highly provocative and well-researched lecture, Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi enlightens us regarding the major events that set the stage for the modern Muslim world.
The Caliph — Featured Documentary by Al Jazeera
For almost 13 centuries, from the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 to the overthrow of the last Ottoman caliph in 1924, the Islamic world was ruled by a caliph.
Revival, Rejuvenation & Reform In Islam — Dr. Ovamir Anjum
A 6 hour seminar explaining some of the stages of the Muslims world from 2nd Century (AH) onward
Science and Islam — BBC
Physicist Jim Al-Khalili tells the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries.
Al-Khalili turns detective, hunting for clues that show how the scientific revolution that took place in the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe had its roots in the earlier world of medieval Islam. He travels across Iran, Syria and Egypt to discover the huge astronomical advances made by Islamic scholars through their obsession with accurate measurement and coherent and rigorous mathematics.
He then visits Italy to see how those Islamic ideas permeated into the West and ultimately helped shape the works of the great European astronomer Copernicus, and investigates why science in the Islamic world appeared to go into decline after the 16th and 17th centuries, only for it to re-emerge in the present day.
Islamic Golden Age — Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
The Crusades, An Arab Perspective — Al Jazeera
The dramatic story of the Crusades seen through Arab eyes — from the seizing of Jerusalem under Pope Urban II in 1099 to its recapture by Salah ad-Din, Richard the Lionheart’s efforts to regain the city, and the end of the movement two centuries later.
Recommended Reading
(my favourite topic so there are a lot of sources.
The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State by Noah Feldman.
Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary.
Al-Muhaddithat: The Women Scholars in Islam by Akram Nadwi.
The Holy Cities, The Pilgrimage and The World of Islam — Sultan Ghalib al-Quaiti
Orientalism by Edward Said
Islam and Secularism — Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (Author)
Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain by Maria Rosa Menocal
Islam and Democracy: Fear of the Modern World by Fatema Mernissi
Lost Islamic History by Firas Alkhateeb
The End of the Jihad State: The Reign of Hisham Ibn Abd Al-Malik and the Colla — Khaled Yahya Blankenship
The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History — ibn Khaldun (Princeton Classics)
The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth Century — by Ross e Dunn
Islamic Societies to the Nineteenth Century: A Global History by Ira M. Lapidus (Author)
The Great Arab Conquests: How The Spread Of Islam Changed The World We Live In — by by Hugh Kennedy
The Oxford History of Islam by John L. Esposito
Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers, and Artists by Michael H. Morgan
After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split in Islam by Lesley Hazleton
The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives by Carole Hillenbrand (Islamic Surveys)
The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates: The Islamic Near East from the Sixth to the Eleventh Century — by Hugh Kennedy (Author)
The Age of the Crusades: The Near East from the Eleventh Century to 1517. — P.M. Holt’s
The Great Seljuk Empire by A. C. S. Peacock
Osman’s Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire by Caroline Finkel
The Venture of Islam, Volume 1: The Classical Age of Islam: 001 by Marshall G. S. Hodgson
002: The Venture of Islam, Volume 2: The Expansion of Islam in the Middle Periods by Marshall G. S. Hodgson
003: The Venture of Islam, Volume 3: The Gunpowder Empires and Modern Times (Venture of Islam Vol. 3) byMarshall G. S. Hodgson
A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East by David Fromkin
Knowledge Triumphant: The Concept of Knowledge in Medieval Islam (Brill Classics in Islam) Hardcover — November 29, 2006 by Franz Rosenthal (Author)
Mecca: From Before Genesis Until Now byMartin Lings
The Cambridge History of Islam: by P. M. Holt (Editor), Ann K. S. Lambton (Editor), Bernard Lewis (Editor)
The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer
The Colonizer and the Colonized by Albert Memmi
The Future of Islam by Wilfred Scawen Blunt
The Saint and the Sultan: The Crusades, Islam, and Francis of Assisi’s Mission of Peace by Paul Moses
A Literary History of the Arabs by Reynold A. Nicholson
The Influence of Islam on Medieval Europe (The New Edinburgh Islamic Surveys) by William Montgomery Watt
Islam in Britain, 1558–1685 by Nabil Matar
Islamic Reform: Politics and Social Change in Late Ottoman Syria (Studies in Middle Eastern History) by David Dean Commins
The Devil’s Horsemen: The Mongol Invasion of Europe byJames Chambers
General Islamic History
When Baghdad Ruled the Muslim World: The Rise and Fall of Islam’s Greatest Dynasty by Hugh Kennedy
The Middle East: A History by William Ochsenwald
Islam: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles) by Karen Armstrong
A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani
Islamic Spain:
Blood and Faith: The Purging of Muslim Spain by Matthew Carr
God’s Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe 570–1215 by David Levering Lewis
Islamic Spain, 1250 to 1500 by L.P. Harvey
Medieval Iberia: Readings from Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Sources edited by Olivia Constable
Muslim Spain and Portugal by Hugh Kennedy
A History of Islamic Spain by William Montgomery Watt
Islam in Africa & African American Muslims:
Black Pilgrimage to Islam by Robert Dannin
Ibn Battuta in Black Africa by Said Hamdun
Servants of Allah: African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas by Sylviane Diouf
The History of Islam in Africa by Nehemia Levtzion
The Swahili: Reconstructing the History and Language of an African Society 800–1500 by Derek Nurse
The Ottoman Empire:
A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin
Osman’s Dream by Caroline Finkle
The First World War in the Middle East by Kristian Ulrichsen
The Grand Turk by John Freely
The Ottoman Empire and Islamic Tradition by Norman Itzkowitz
The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age 1300–1600 by Halil Inalcik
Miscellaneous:
Afghanistan: A Short History of its People and Politics by Martin Ewans
Invisible Nation: How the Kurds’ Quest for Statehood is Shaping Iraq and the Middle East by Quil Lawrence
Jerusalem: The Biography by Simon Sebag Montefiorre
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf
The Jews of Islam by Bernard Lewis

