Digital Commons Network^™

Yoga Sūtra Book Four And The Yogabindu, Christopher Key Chapple

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

Four themes from the fourth pāda of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra are examined here: karma (IV:2-13), individuality (IV:16), humility (IV:20-22), and freedom (IV:29-34). Affirmations and variant interpretations of these four are provided from Haribhadra Virahāṅka’s Yogabindu, most likely composed a century or two later.

Collective Karma: From The Yogasūtra To Taylor Swift, Zoë Slatoff

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

The Indian knowledge traditions speak at length about karma, which is divided into three categories—accumulated (saṃcita), ripe (prārabdha), and future (kriyamāṇa). While much is said about our individual karma and how it affects our repeated reincarnation in cyclic existence, how does this affect others and how do others affect us? In other words, as this paper explores, what is our reciprocal and collective karma?

Painting Liberation: A Visual Ontology Of The Interplay Of Mind And Consciousness In Book Four Of The Yoga Sūtras, Melissa Townsend

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

This presentation explores how artistic practice can illuminate philosophical questions about the nature of mind, consciousness, and liberation as articulated in Book Four of the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. Through a series of paintings that visually translate these sūtras, I propose that art offers a unique, experiential means of engaging with the complex relationship between citta (mind) and puruṣa (consciousness).

The paintings function as a form of “visual ontology,” inviting viewers to engage with abstract philosophical concepts in a sensory, tangible way. By depicting the interplay between the mutable processes of the mind and the unchanging awareness of consciousness, these …

Disrupting The Timeline: Challenging Notions Of A Singular, Linear Early Muslim Historiography, Grayson D. Shaw

Pomona Senior Theses

Few historical events have received the same attention in the formative years of Islam as the so-called “‘Abbāsid Revolution” in 132 AH/750 CE. In both the medieval and modern contexts, this event has been recognized as a monumental formation from which the rest of Islamic history comes downstream from. Problematically, there are no cohesive historical sources from the losers of this conflict; the Umayyads. Utilizing numismatic and architectural evidence, I argue that the alleged rupture between the Umayyads and their ‘Abbāsid successors is overblown by historiography two centuries after the fact. Then, I further analyze what this continuity means for …

Transnational History And Asean’S Young Scholars In Regional Connectivity : Perspectives From Mainland Southeast Asia, Liem Vu Duc, Thu Ha Nguyen Thi

Journal of Urban Culture Research

Past legacies profoundly shape contemporary relationships between ASEAN’s countries. Unfortunately, voices of history do not always generate a healthy motivation for regional connectivity, but recall painful images of warfare and conflict between polities that developed into present-day Southeast Asian nation-states. Such histories can be seen in ongoing disputes over the South China Sea, or at a temple on the Thai-Cambodian border. Taking countries in mainland Southeast Asia as a case study, this paper explores the role history education and Southeast Asian studies play in managing past legacy and facilitating the ASEAN Community with a particular focus on the integration of …

Exploring National Identity Through Modern Monumental And Decorative Tapestry Of Kazakhstan, Baurzhan Doszhanov, Ainash Nauryzbayeva, Yerbol Kairanov, Mukhamejan Suleimenov, Malik Mukanov

Journal of Urban Culture Research

In the context of technical and global transformations, art persists in articulating national identity. The aim of this study is to analyze in depth the art of monumental decorative tapestry in Kazakhstan, with a focus on its contribution to the search for a new paradigm and national identity in contemporary visual arts. Methods of analyzing and comparing artistic works of tapestry artists of contemporary Kazakhstan were used. This research analyses chosen works and their impact on the cultural environment, demonstrating that current monumental and decorative tapestries in Kazakhstan serve not merely as aesthetic objects but also actively contribute to the …

Dies Legibiles V

Dies Legibiles

Welcome to the fifth volume of Dies Legibiles!

As always, I was blown away this year by the superb work undergraduate students submitted to this journal, some first forays into medieval studies and others final projects before pursuing a graduate degree in the field. If the submissions to Dies Legibiles are any indication, the next generation of medievalists are thinking deeply about the past, about which histories have been neglected, and about what those histories reveal about the present moment.

Sunrise In The Heartland: The Ahmadiyya Movement And The Foundations Of African American Islam, Hazel Videon

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

During the early 1920s, an immigrant missionary from colonial India named Muhammad Sadiq established headquarters in Chicago for a branch of Islam called the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam (AMI). The AMI became the first institutional expression of Islam in the United States to draw a significant number of American converts and was particularly popular among African Americans. Following the Second Great Migration, Black migrants to the urban Midwest sought new ways to express their identity, fulfill both spiritual and material needs, and resist racist violence. The AMI became attractive to them as an alternative to respectability politics and drew upon …

The Truth And Other Fictions: The Nuance Of Truth In Medieval Literature, Mark-Allan Donaldson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation, “The Truth and Other Fictions,” is an exploration of the functional relationship between fiction and truth. It discusses truth as a type of nuanced information which may exist in a variety of forms (i.e., objective truth, narrative truth, emotional truth, cultural truth, etc.) and explores how these truths may be created or communicated through the medium of literature. The dissertation also explores how fiction, either narrative or structural, assists in said creation and communication of truth and in some cases is the necessary component to these processes. The Middle Ages and its literature provide the ideal staging ground …

Alhambra Alcazaba In Granada (Historical And Architectural Study), Ibrahim Abu Irmies

Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث

The research focused on Alcazaba, fortress, of the Alhambra, located in the city of Granada in Al-Andalus, the reasons for its name, its geographical location, the reasons for its construction and how it is different from the old Alcazaba in Granada. It also discussed the historical stages of its construction since the era of the Umayyad State, the Zirid Dynasty as well as the era of the al-Muwahhidin and finally during the era of the state of Nasrid. The study was also supported by some evidence from the original historical sources, and important signs from the history of the internal …

The Impact Of Islam On Malaysia Before Independence, Sadiqa Binti Abdul Rahman

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

This article discusses the influence and significance of the introduction of Islam in the Malaya on Malays before achieving independence. Prior to the advent of Islam, the Malaya was heavily influenced by several belief systems, including Hinduism, Animism, Buddhism, Dynamism, Hyang, and others. Nevertheless, Malaya, like other regions influenced by Islamic Civilization, has embraced the Sunnah teachings of Prophet Muhammad. Since 12 AD, the way of life in Malaya has been firmly rooted in Islamic teachings. The research objectives are to examine the general background of Malaysia and analyse the impact of the arrival of Islam in Malaya on the …

أبو الصَّلْتِ الهَرَوِيُّ وإشْكالِيَّة الرِّوايةِ والدِّرايةِ, Mohamad Daher

Al Jinan الجنان

In this research I titled, “Abu l -Salt al - Hirawi and the Problematic Issue of both Narrating (Riwayah) and Deep Comprehension (Diraya) of Prophetic Statements”, I pursue the biography of a scholar well-known for his speech arguments that reflected sophisticated knowledge and acute acumen in his age, which in turn helped curb the spread of Jahami and Mu’tazila into the House of Caliphate. The life of this intellectual has stimulated me to write this research that may help expose and reactivate some of the bright and beneficial aspects of his attitudes, and this may indeed help us reach some …

A Religion For The Common Man: A Culturally Subversive Understanding Of Kabir’S Simple State, Wyatt Golden

NEXUS: The Liberty Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

No abstract provided.

Casar Auc Community Only Lecture: Men, Women’S Body Autonomy & Gbv Crimes In Egypt, Us & Canada: Why Men Need To Step Up For The Education Of Women's Body Autonomy, The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

This was a hybrid CASAR AUC community only lecture titled: ‘Men, Women’s Body Autonomy & GBV crimes in Egypt, US & Canada’: Why men need to step up for the education of women’s body autonomy.

This lecture featured Tadwein from Egypt, Women’s Advocates from the US & London Abused Women's Counseling Center from Canada (via Zoom). This lecture was part of course AMST 1091 ‘Exploring Feminist Perspectives in Egypt & the US’ (core curriculum pathways two- American studies) taught by Yasmeen El-Ghazaly, CASAR Assistant to Director & Adjunct Faculty - Wednesday May 15th, 2024

The lecture pondered on the following …

Imagination, Performance, Expression: Unraveling Global Pakistani Identity, Omaer Naeem

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

Expressions of Pakistani identity are presently being flattened out by both the state and global West, dominantly being explored through religion. This project argues that gender is used domestically and internationally to present a multifaceted resistance to the state’s idea of the national identity. This project interrogates the creation of global Pakistani identity through examining the historical antecedents in imagining Pakistan, resistance to the state’s identity- construction process demonstrated in performing Pakistan, and transnational expressions of identity. This project argues that gender, while leveraged by the state in a top-down construction of national identity, has been used bottom-up to reconfigure …

Governance And Islam In East Africa: Muslims And The State In Kenya And Tanzania, Farouk Topan, Kai Kresse, Erin E. Stiles, Hassan Mwakimako

Exploring Muslim Contexts

Explores the relationship between Muslim communities and the State in East Africa in political, institutional and legal contexts

• Focuses on the relationship between Muslims and the State in Kenya and Tanzania
• Asks which factors, both within and outside the Muslim community, shape and affect this relationship in contemporary times
• Presents 13 case studies exploring governance issues within and across the categories of politics, institutions and law in Kenya and Tanzania
• Identifies cross-cutting issues of governance and Muslim communities which are relevant beyond East Africa

Recent studies of Muslims in Kenya and Tanzania have tended either to examine governance of Muslims …

Kontestasi Kuasa Dalam Perdagangan Rempah Di Pantai Barat Dan Selatan Aceh Abad Ke 18 Hingga 19 M, Muhajir Al Fairusy Ma, Jovial Pally Taran Jpt, R. Michael Feener Mf, Haikal Haikal Hk

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The spice route has become a national discourse in the context of strengthening the Indonesian nation's maritime cultural identity. As one of the big nations, the archipelago was once a cross-national melting pot in the context of hunting and trading spices on an international scale. After all, spices were the prima donna commodity of their time, which raised the name of the archipelago to the international trade stage. This research was conducted to find out the history of the spice route in one of the archipelago regions, especially in Aceh. After all, Islam and the spice trade have become a …

Sowing The Gospel In The Southern "Vorstenlanden"; Wonogiri In The Protestant Evangelists’ Travelogues In The Early Twentieth Century, Adi Putra Surya Wardhana, Dennys Pradita

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

The goal of this study is to analyse the travelogues of Protestant evangelists in Wonogiri, a topic so far barely touched upon. Despite being a predominantly Muslim community, Wonogiri was one of the areas in the principalities of Surakarta targeted by the zending. Therefore, this study explores various aspects, including the purpose behind the visits of Protestant missionaries, the discourses presented in the travelogues, and the perspectives of these evangelists on the belief system prevalent in the community in the early twentieth century. Based on several travel accounts, this research utilizes a critical discourse analysis approach. The evangelists built …

Considering The Historical Houri In Early Islamic History, Vivek K. Rallabandi

Student Publications

This paper examines the question of how the houri (heavenly maidens in Islamic theology) figure into the historical context of early Islam. While the houri have been the subject of much discussion in terms of contemporary affairs, it is worth exploring how the houri may have played a utilitarian role in the growth of Islam. This paper conducts that analysis.

Ideology Of Disaster Education Trauma Handling Post-Earthquake In Picture Stories Book: Critical Discourse Analysis, Silvia Damayanti, I Nyoman Suarka, Maria Matildis Banda, Ketut Widya Purnawati

International Review of Humanities Studies

This research analyzes the ideology that the author intends to instill in picture storybooks for children in Japan. The study aims to explore how the author conveys the ideology of handling trauma in children after earthquake disasters. The objects of the study are two picture storybooks titled "Yuzuchan" and "Yappari Ouchi Ga Ii Na." The research was conducted qualitatively using the documentary data search method. The analysis was carried out with van Dijk's CDA theory and Peirce's Semiotics Theory. The results of the analysis reveal that "Yuzuchan" and "Yappari Ouchi Ga Ii Na" are picture storybooks produced to help children …

Ecumenical Dialogue Between Reformers And Orthodox Under The Ottomans (15-16th Century), Svetoslav Svetoszarov Ribolov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Despite the capture of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, the Orthodox Church continued to make contacts with the West. In the 15^th and 16^th centuries, Patriarchs Joasaph II and Jeremias II had ecumenical contacts and theological dialogues with two generations of Reformers. Martin Luther and Melanchthon, and later Martin Crusius, Jakob Andrеä, and their associates in Wittenberg took up the initiative for a serious ecumenical dialogue with Constantinople. Despite a sincere desire on both sides, lack of a common methodological framework in the talks did not allow for significant results. In the end, both sides did not …

In The Land Of Brothers, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of In the Land of Brothers (2024), directed by Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi.

Lost & Found (Game Series) [Book Chapter], Owen Gottlieb

Articles

Description of game series for use in the classroom with best practices.

Inclusion And Hegemony: Reading Salmān Al-Fārisī'S Conversion Story, Stacey Zhang

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

In the otherwise expansive medieval Arabic literature, the scarcity of information concerning the conversion process of the early Islamic community piques interest in the handful of existing conversion narratives.One particular narrative that stands out is the conversion story of Salmān al-Farisi, recounting his transformation from a devout Zoroastrian to a dedicated companion of Prophet Muhammad. In the compilation of stories of Salmān al-Farisi by Louis Massignon named "Khabar Salmān," the persistence of many plot elements across different accounts of the story suggests a deliberate process of repetition and canonization. Recognizing the Salmān al-Farisi story as a site of memory, curation, …

Feeding Hungry Christians: The Liverpool Muslim Institute On Christmas Day, Brent D. Singleton

Library Faculty Publications & Presentations

The Liverpool Muslim Institute (LMI), a group of mainly British Muslim converts led by Abdullah Quilliam, began an annual tradition of feeding the poor and hungry on Christmas Day soon after the groups’ founding in the late 1880s. The feasts would become the largest and perhaps most important public event on the LMI’s calendar until its demise in 1908. This chapter provides a brief outline of the history of Christmas charity in England and Liverpool and then delves into the Muslims’ rationale for the feedings, their fundraising and preparations, and actual Christmas Day feasts, as recorded in the LMI’s weekly …

The Incoherence Of Orientalists, Sarah Zaid Alafifi

Theses and Dissertations

Orientalism, the Western practice of fetishizing cultures, extends beyond mere misrepresentation of the “other;” it epitomizes the underlying structures of colonialism and imperialism, infiltrating everyday life and eroding the moral fabric of Islamic society.

This thesis analyzes colonial control through the exercise of political power and the production of knowledge, investigating key events related to Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign and the narratives of resistance that emerged in opposition to it.

Through the lens of this 18th-century expedition, the study examines how Western knowledge systematically contributed to the dismantling of Islamic systems of knowledge. Select phrases from Colonial-era printed proclamations are extracted …

17th Century Ecumenical Activities Between Ecumenical Patriarchate And The Early Protestant Churches, Svetoslav Ribolov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The ecumenical activities and contacts between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Protestant churches in the 17th century were largely shaped by two remarkable figures of the Orthodox Church–the Patriarch of Constantinople Cyril Lucaris and Metrophanes Kritopoulos, who later became the Patriarch of Alexandria. Their sincere desire for contact with Protestant theologians, along with their commitment to open dialogue and cooperation was the most important factor in Orthodox-Protestant relations in that era. However, while the political climate in Europe initially allowed for some rapprochement between Christians in the Ottoman Empire and those who had embraced the Reformation, things eventually changed after …

Foreign In Two Homelands, Michelle Lynn Kahn

Bookshelf

What happens when migrants are rejected by the host society that first invited them? How do they return to a homeland that considers them outsiders? Foreign in Two Homelands explores the transnational history of Turkish migrants, Germany’s largest ethnic minority, who arrived as “guest workers” (Gastarbeiter) between 1961 and 1973. By the 1980s, amid rising racism, neo-Nazis and ordinary Germans blamed Turks for unemployment, criticized their Muslim faith, and argued they could never integrate. In 1983, policymakers enacted a controversial law: paying Turks to leave. Thus commenced one of modern Europe’s largest and fastest waves of remigration: within one year, …

Educating Good Moral Values Through Video Game: Harvest Moon Back To Nature Perspectives, Fikry Prastya Syahputra, Mahmud Arief Albar

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

Globalization makes cultural absorption faster, but this also has a negative effect if the culture exposed is unsuitable. This will also affect the morale of a generation. One media that can spread culture and moral values is video games. For example, in a role-playing game genre which makes the players act like it is their real life, they can grasp many valuable experiences. Therefore, this study aims to identify the moral values in a video game called Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. Harvest Moon: Back to Nature or HM BTN is a role-playing game in which the player acts as …

Collection-Based Research On A Kampilan Sword In Jambi People’S Struggle Museum, Irsyad Leihitu, Ujang Hariadi

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This article discusses the kampilan sword in Jambi People’s Struggle Museum. Kampilan is a traditional weapon originating from the Philippines but has spread to several regions in Indonesia, including Jambi. The kampilan sword collection is often overlooked, and there is not much information regarding these objects, despite the museum’s primary function is research and communication. Therefore, we conducted a study of a collection of kampilan swords to explore information related to these objects, allowing the museum to utilize and develop them in the future. The research model was based on the material culture study, using the social life of things …