In many Biblical and Qur'anic stories, the protagonist isolates themselves and, at times, even go to prison. In this interview, I chat with Walaa' Qusaiy about her new book "When Only God Can See: The Faith of Muslim Political Prisoners". Walaa' discusses how faith and spirituality of Muslim prisoners merge with that of prophetic ones, and how they find inspiration and hope in their stories. The prison experience is pervasive in Muslim society and Islamic scholarship and we need to study that space to better understand the lives of the various Muslim scholars and activists.

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Modern Qur'anic Studies often focuses on "echos" or phrases that connect particular stories, figures and prophets. In this episode, I look at the phrase "you were not there" and how it connects certain Biblical and Qur'anic figures and how it emphasizes certain parts of the stories. Specifically, it emphasizes the plotting against Joseph/Yusuf and the caretaking of Mary/Maryam.

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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 cry which leads him to pray for God to make him grateful and live a righteous life. The story speaks to the idea of humility, gratitude and conservation.

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This month marks the 25 year anniversary of 9/11, an event that had a profound impact on global politics, religion and relations. I reflect on the anniversary and its impact on me and my career as well as go over a pew poll regarding Americans perceptions of Islam.

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As I write the second edition of my book "The Bible and the Qur'an: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition", I came across an article by Shawkat Toorawa which tries to turn the story of Joseph/Yusuf into a play. I discuss the article, the challenges of depicting prophets and read some of the play.

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I discuss how the Qur'an presents Maryam as a model, not just for women and the wives of the Prophet Muhammad but for men as well. She also plays an important role in discussions regarding gender egalitarianism in the Qur'an.

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In this episode, I do a deep dive into the Stories of the Prophets literature on Zechariah/Zakariyya. The commentators focus on his Qur'anic prayer, birth of his son John/Yahya and caretaking of Mary/Maryam. Along the way, he expresses his vulnerabilities and fears and learns from Mary/Maryam

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Subscribe to the Islamic Mary podcast which is available on the major podcast streaming services, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

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I speak about how the Qur'an speaks directly to Maryam as well as other Qur'anic women and addresses their hopes, aspirations and fears. The direct communication leads to the discussion of the importance of intimacy within our various relationships.

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Subscribe to the Islamic Mary podcast which is available on the major podcast streaming services, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Order my new book The Islamic Mary: Maryam Through the Centuries

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Join my listserve to be updated about my research, speaking and publications, especially my book on the Islamic Mary.

Thanks for listening to The Islamic Mary Podcast!