“I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate.” This saying is attributed to the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings upon him). It not only immortalizes Ali but also captures his defining characteristic. Ali —called Hazrat Ali as a mark of respect–was the quintessential scholar. But he was also a warrior, the […]
3SharesThe story of Hayy ibn Yaqdhan is as unlikely as is its impact on the world centuries after it was written. The twelfth century novel was written by Abu Bakr Ibn Tufail, advisor to the ruler in Marrakesh, whose kingdom then included Andalusia, Tufail’s native land. The anthropomorphic and philosophic novel tells the story of the book’s […]
When Friedrich Nietzsche ran to stop the brutal owner of a horse from thrashing it mercilessly in Turin, Italy, and threw his arms around the animal crying, “I understand your pain,” it gave us an extraordinary insight into his character and mind; more than his usually convoluted philosophic utterances. Nietzsche, who blithely declared to the world, […]