The History of Revolutionary Ideas: Islam

01/26/25 • 63 min

1 Listener

Today’s episode in our history of revolutionary ideas explores the world-altering impact of Islam from the seventh century onwards. David talks to the leading Islamic scholar Tim Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad) about what changed – and what didn’t – with the appearance of Islamic law, Islamic culture and Islamic ideas of community. Was Islam really egalitarian? How could a universalist religion encompass so much variety? Why did it spread so fast? And what caused it to split so soon?

Come see PPF recorded live! As part of the Curious Minds festival in Bath David will be in conversation with regular PPF contributor Robert Saunders about the legacy of Winston Churchill: The Politician With Nine Lives. It’s happening at the Komedia in Bath at 11am on Saturday 29th March. Priority booking for PPF listeners opens at 9am on Tuesday 28th January – just go to our website for more info and to get your tickets: https://www.ppfideas.com/event-list

Out now on PPF+: the second part of David’s conversation with Agnes Callard about Socrates, exploring politics, AI, therapy and death. Sign up now for £5 per month or £50 for a whole year to get this and all our bonus episodes (21 and counting!) plus ad-free listening https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus

Next up in The History of Revolutionary Ideas: Magna Carta

Past Present Future is part of the Airwave Podcast Network

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next up in The History of Revolutionary Ideas: Magna Carta

Past Present Future is part of the Airwave Podcast Network

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previous Episode

The History of Revolutionary Ideas: Christianity w/Tom Holland

Today’s episode in our series on revolutionary ideas is a conversation covering two millennia with the historian Tom Holland exploring the never-ending upending of human understanding brought about by Christianity. How can weakness be the ultimate strength? How can political order be built out of the glorification of suffering? How can a universal religion create so much hierarchical division? And in a Christian world, is it ever possible to escape the charge of hypocrisy?

Out now on PPF+: the second part of David’s conversation with Agnes Callard about Socrates, exploring politics, AI, therapy and death. Sign up now for £5 per month or £50 for a whole year to get this and all our bonus episodes plus ad-free listening https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus

Next up in The History of Revolutionary Ideas: Islam w/Tim Winter

Past Present Future is part of the Airwave Podcast Network

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next Episode

The History of Revolutionary Ideas: Magna Carta

Today’s episode in our history of revolutionary ideas is about a medieval document that is sometimes thought to contain a ground-breaking promise of basic political rights. David talks to historian Nick Vincent about Magna Carta (1215) and what it did and didn’t actually say. Why did the warring parties agree to it? Was it a constitutional charter or a peace treaty? What happened when its terms were broken? And how did it come to acquire the totemic significance it has today?

Sign up now to get our free fortnightly newsletter out tomorrow – with writing, clips, links and more to accompany this series https://www.ppfideas.com/newsletters

Come to see PPF recorded live! As part of the Curious Minds festival in Bath David will be in conversation with regular PPF contributor Robert Saunders about the legacy of Winston Churchill: The Politician With Nine Lives. It’s happening at the Komedia in Bath at 11am on Saturday 29th March. Tickets now available https://www.ppfideas.com/event-list

Next up in The History of Revolutionary Ideas: Humanism

Past Present Future is part of the Airwave Podcast Network

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices