Danny and Derek welcome to the program Hamza Zafer, associate professor in the department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of Washington, to discuss the world as it stood in the early days of Islam. The conversation focuses on the material conditions of the Arabian peninsula around the 7th century, touching on culture and economy of Mecca, the Red Sea Wars, early historiography of the Qur’an, pre-Islamic civic cults, ḥunafā’, the controversial ideas of Hagarism, and more. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.americanprestigepod.com/subscribe