Zulaykha is often seen in the Islamic tradition as a temptress and someone who tries to seduce the prophet Joseph/Yusuf.  However, minority readings focus on her repentance and how she eventually speaks the truth and seeks the mercy and fo...

I have always wondered about the roots of modern day Islamophobia?  When did it start?  How did it develop?  How was it formed?  In this interview, D...

I go through the Top 5 episodes of 2025.  The top 5 were a mix of interviews, reflections and commentary and touched on various subjects from Christian-Muslim relations to a devotional Qur'an.  I discuss plans for the future, such as ...

David/Dawud is represented in the Islamic tradition as a righteous ruler who combines worship and kingship, piety and authority.  One story that emerges in the Biblical and Qur'anic literature is that David/Dawud sees Bathsheba bathing, le...

One of the most fascinating stories in the Qur'an is the Story of Solomon/Sulyaman and the ant.  An ant see Solomon/Sulyman's army approaching and warns her tribe to take shelter to protect themselves.  Solomon/Sulayman hears the ants...

I got the opportunity to do a book talk at the AbuSulayman Center at George Mason University.  The Center focuses on Global Islamic Studies and is a leader in digital Islamic studies and ...

I had the opportunity to do a program with the Institute for Islamic, Christian Jewish Studies, especially with my good friend Mathew Taylor.  We discuss issues related to new the book

One of the questions that I have gotten on the book tour is "What Can Maryam Do?"  I discuss how Maryam can bring unique audiences together, from Middle Eastern Studies, to Religious Studies to Chaplaincy.  She also brings up overlook...

When I first started my graduate education, I was attracted to the framework of Abrahamic Religions or the idea that Jews, Christians and Muslims should return back to their founder, Abraham, to better understand their faiths and move beyond co...

My father passed away this week so I reshare an older episode of Zechariah/Zakariyya who resembled my father in his age, spirituality and caretaking.  Verse 3 and 4 of the chapter of Mary (surat Maryam) captures about the priva...

As I revise my second edition of my book "The Bible and the Qur'an: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition", I continue to read new articles and resear...

One of the questions that Maryam raises is the level of agency and power of women in religion, especially within scriptures such as the Qur'an and Bible.  In this episode, I speak about the Queen of Sheeba, known as Bilqis in the Islamic t...

One of the questions I received in presenting on The Islamic Mary is why is Maryam silent?  This question is connected to a larger question about wome...

As I speak about the book The Islamic Mary: Maryam Through the Centuries, I keep getting the question: how is your book different?  In this show, I re...

In the climax of the story, Maryam makes a remarkable statement: "I wish I had died before this and been a thing forgotten".  Qur'anic commentators understood this statement as part of the pain and suffering of the righteous and that when ...

Here I present a short commentary on Nostra Aetate, a Catholic document on the church's relationship with other religions.  Specifically, I focus on the paragraphs on Muslims and how it open up modern possibilities for Christian-Muslim rel...

When I was writing

Today, we revisit the first episode of my commentary of the chapter of Mary (Surat Maryam).  I have now done commentaries of over 30 of the first verses of the chapter that you can follow on the podcast archives.  The Chapter of Mary ...

I had the opportunity to speak at Georgetown University on the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, a Catholic document on the church's relationship with other religions.  Specifically, I spoke on the panel on Christian-Muslim relations and ...

When I started writing my book

One of the reasons I became interested in Biblical and Qur'anic figures is because I did my dissertation and initial research on the medieval Ibn Kathir (d. 774/1373) and Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328).  Both Ibn Kathir and Ibn Taymiyya engage...

When I started my career, I was interested in the figure of Abraham/Ibrahim and how he could be a bridge figure between Christians, Jews and Muslims.  However, as I wrote my book on

When Maryam returns to her people, she mocked and told that she come from a righteous family, her father was a good man and her mother was chaste.  In response, she points to her child leading the people to once again criticize her saying ...

I sit down with Alexander Massad to discuss his new book "Witnessing God: Christians, Muslims, and the Comparative Theology of Missions".  Alex is a strong proponent of Evangelical and Mu...

I speak about a recent keynote address that I gave at the Pacific Northeast Virtual Exchange conference where I connect my research on the Islamic Mary or Maraym to COIL Virtual Exchange.  Growing up in the 90s, there was a strong push for...