Partners in Sacred History: The Role of Animals in Building the Early Muslim Polity
By Professor Sarra Tlili
Noor is continuing its tradition of facilitating conversation on social justice during Ramadan.
Please join us online for the first of two Ramadan programs – a lecture followed by moderated discussion.
The program will end with the adhan (call to prayer) at maghrib (sunset) to signal the end of the fast. Maghrib prayers and iftar (fast-breaking meal) will of course be in people’s own homes as required under covid-19 lockdown rules.
As always, everyone, regardless of faith or observance, is most welcome to join.
About the Lecture
When Prophet Muhammad emigrated to Mecca, a spider and two doves reportedly worked together to hide him from his chasers – one by weaving a spider net at the entrance of the cave where he hid, the others by setting their nest in front of the same cave. This is one of numerous anecdotes that point to a sense of interspecies affinity, and indicate that the early Muslim community perceived non-human creatures as partners and helpers.
Sarra Tlili, PhD is associate Professor of Arabic literature and language at the University of Florida. She obtained her Masters and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Department. Her main research areas are animal and environmental ethics in Islam and Qur’anic stylistics. She is the author of Animals in the Qur’an (Cambridge University Press, 2012)
Date: Saturday April 24, 2021
Time: 7:10 pm (to end at maghrib, 8:13 pm)
Location: Virtual by Zoom
Admission: Free
Access: Click here at the appropriate date/time
Please note: you will be put in the virtual ‘waiting room’ until the start of the program.