M. Mehdi Ali

Arab poets insult so hard. Indeed, my rhymes didn’t put you to sleep. They simply annihilated you until you became what doesn’t exist [i.e. because you were so jealous of my poetry that it destroyed you and rendered your existence null, to the point that you became like nothing]

This year at Yale has been so lovely. I'm sad to be leaving, though I have a feeling this won't be my last visit here.

My response to Yaqeen Institute’s “Sunni v. Shias” video. @m.mehdi.ali427/imam-tom-and-chatgpt-polemics-1874c5ca8c00" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@m.mehdi.ali42…

One of the greatest lines in all of Arabic poetry: She criticized us for being few in number, so I replied: "The honorable are always few."

Some thoughts on the Yasir Qadhi hadith controversy. @m.mehdi.ali427/some-thoughts-on-the-yasir-qadhi-hadith-controversy-408f5461d87f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@m.mehdi.ali42…

Just submitted chapter 2 of my dissertation to my advisor! It's about pre-modern debates regarding the nature of Divine speech (kalām Allah) and their implications for the doctrine of abrogation (naskh).

I have written an article exploring the applications of artificial intelligence for Islamic studies. @m.mehdi.ali427/applications-of-artificial-intelligence-for-islamic-studies-ea49e70edcdd" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@m.mehdi.ali42…

Me: I’m going to do something relaxing today. No more working on my dissertation. Also me:

A PhD in Islamic Studies trains us as intellectual historians - not religious authorities. @m.mehdi.ali427/ground-rules-for-a-phd-qualification-in-islamic-studies-understanding-our-role-as-intellectual-713c058df5ff" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@m.mehdi.ali42…

My favorite part of the semester is the last day of class, when the professor ends the lecture and everyone claps to thank the professor for the knowledge that was imparted. It’s a beautiful moment.

Islamic theology is a dying field in the Western academy. Which is tragic, because the primary source material is wonderfully rich. For the past 13 weeks, we have been reading theological texts debating whether the speech of God is "created/temporal" or "uncreated/sempiternal."

This is a must have book for any student of Islamic legal theory. It beautifully conveys the richness of interpretive approaches to law in Islamic history, including the variety and importance of theories of language.

Please don't recommend a new book to me because I will traverse the seven continents to find it.

As I prepare to write my dissertation in Qur'anic studies, I wanted to share some reflections on the state of the field in the Western academy. @m.mehdi.ali427/quranic-sciences-in-the-western-academy-4c8fb450c9c0" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@m.mehdi.ali42…

For people interested in hawza studies, I have written a comprehensive article: "A Beginner's Guide to Hawza Studies: A Compilation of English-Language Resources" @m.mehdi.ali427/a-beginners-guide-to-hawza-studies-a-compilation-of-english-language-resources-36291a75e1b4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@m.mehdi.ali42…

I wrote an article about some of the gems I found (and inherited) in the personal library of Gustave E. Von Grunebaum, former professor of Islamic studies at UCLA @m.mehdi.ali427/inheriting-books-from-the-personal-library-of-gustave-e-von-grunebaum-25f61a396b66" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@m.mehdi.ali42…

"Pursuing a PhD in Islamic studies, especially as a Muslim in the West, is a delicate balancing act." @m.mehdi.ali427/pursuing-a-phd-in-islamic-studies-in-the-west-91918c600dee" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@m.mehdi.ali42…

After spending several days exploring the bookshops of Makkah, the holiest city in Islam, I have written a bookstore itinerary: @m.mehdi.ali427/makkah-bookstore-itinerary-762f98c61de8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@m.mehdi.ali42…

It is my privilege to present a bookstore itinerary for Madina, where I encountered seminary students from China, a copy of the Qur'an in Amharic, and a complete 20-volume set of Ibn Taymiyya's Fatawa for $40: @m.mehdi.ali427/madina-bookstore-itinerary-8b72c5f8be6d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@m.mehdi.ali42…

After spending several wonderful days perusing the lovely bookshops of Riyadh, I have written a bookstore itinerary: link.medium.com/BtSYn8I9IFb