Usul Talks with Shaykh Ahmed Hussein El Azhary

Traversing Time and Text: The Legacy and Future of Islamic Scholarly Reading Practices

Join us this Thursday, Febraury 1st at 11am UTC as we embark on a captivating journey through the ages, exploring the profound tradition and evolving relevance of deep reading practices in Islamic scholarship. Our talk will delve into the historical roots of these practices, shedding light on how they have been nurtured and preserved through time. We'll examine influential manuals and scholars, illuminating the methodologies and philosophies integral to Islamic scholarly reading. This exploration is not just a retrospective glance but a vibrant discussion on how these age-old practices can be adapted to the needs of today's world, particularly in the realm of Islamic studies.

Shaykh Ahmed Hussein El Azhary, a scholar in Islamic intellectual history and traditional Islamic sciences, presently holds the position of Visiting Fellow at the Tabah Foundation. He is also the Director of Religious Affairs and Social Enterprise at MIJ International Hub and The Forgotten Souls. His contributions extend to founding Miftah Academy, offering specialized curricula in Islamic Psychology, and Qiyas Institute, providing courses in Islamic Philosophy and classical Islamic Logic. Shaykh Ahmed’s academic scholarship includes various printed publications that help us understand the post-classical scholarly community in the Islamicate. One of which is al-Matali` fī Adāb al-Mutali`, a compendium of seven edited treatises in the art of deep reading. He’s currently working on the second edition, which will include another five treatises in the same subject, making it the largest compendium ever compiled on the “art of reading” in the history of the Islamic tradition.