Is there a third way?

In about year 610, an Arab merchant had an experience that would ultimately change the history of the world. This is how I started my essay which I had written during the last week of the first term at Oxford. As you could probably guess I am speaking of Prophet Mohammad here.
Apparently every single part of my first sentence can be much scrutinised and easily doubted in historiography. Was it really the year 610? Was Mohammad an Arab? Was he a merchant? Was it all really happening in Mecca? Where is Mecca? and most importantly -- did Muhammad really exist?
The list of questions is endless and one can really go on with these debates for a very very long period of time. I enjoy looking and studying all these methods and exploring the research tools and ways of looking at history in general, but what strikes me as the most extraordinary thing is the division of scholars.
 One group, that is called revisionists, say that they reject the Islamic traditional accounts as they cannot be trusted and the others, traditionalists, say that the revisionists are wrong and that the Islamic historical accounts are all true and cannot be doubted.
These debates have been going on for a long time, and one thing has become obvious to me: At the heart of these divided camps lies a big fear of committing the deadly sin of irrationality on the side of the former and the deadly sin of infidelity on the side of the latter, none of which can be considered serious in historiography.
But is there a third way?
 There seem to be many intelligent historians who understand these problems and try to do as much as possible in order to provide us with the most accurate information as possible. However, the number of those who blindly reject these attempts and try to do everything to create confusion is growing.

But I think we, the new generation of historians who are interested in understanding more about Islam and Prophet Mohammad must understand that apparently, intelligence is not enough, we must bring passion in. It is only with intelligence AND passion that we can maybe find the third way that everyone is looking for.

Education in the service of a dream

These weeks have been very busy for me -- I have been studying a lot. I am studying Arabic, which is considered to be the main tool in what I do, because with the help of this language I am going to research the materials that will be needed for my thesis. This is how you say it academically. If I put it my own language, it means -- I need to learn Arabic so that I can work on my dream project.
It is very interesting when you have a dream. In the beginning, you think you are very very special and unique and there is noone like you. Then, you become a part of a group where people are similar and by the end of the day you understand that actually -- you are all the same.
You come to a class, let's say Arabic, and you complain to yourself that you are wasting your time learning where to put this dot or that circle, when in your head you have such a great dream!
In other words, you think that you know it all and that there is no need to learn more, you just need to go and do it. You know they say: you don't need no education, all you need is inspiration. I think there is another approach to this. I think we need education to serve our dream.

There is an incredible amount of smart, intelligent and decent people we need to learn from. There are many books we need to read and many sleepless nights to work. We need to do all this, because we have a dream!

Are you mad enough to do it?

The first week at Oxford was intense. In one week your life changes completely -- you become a student again, going to school, with homework and reading to do etc.
Then there is so much unnecessary information that does not directly relate to what you want to study. There is structure, methodology, and many many other things that seems to intentionally distract you from what you really are interested in and what you really want to study.
And the difficult thing is, these things cannot be ignored or neglected -- they are a part of the "process" and you must participate.
There are also lots of people involved. Usually fellow students are fine, but it is the lecturers, doctors, professors and their egos you must deal with, too. But this is the case everywhere else, isn't it?
However, that is not the question. The question is are you mad enough to do it? Because one's got to be mad enough to go through this with a dream and not give up.

I hope we are all mad enough!

The University of Oxford -- a place to dream?

This Tuesday I went for my Induction day to Oxford.

Oxford is a beautiful little town -- very spiritual in my mind. The reason I say this is that as I was walking by those magnificent, ancient buildings and architectural sites, I could almost feel the spirit of those scientists and scholars who walked those streets many centuries ago, passed those buildings, studied in them, lived in them and most of them carried a dream inside!

I entered one of those buildings, where we had the Induction. As I was listening to every speaker speak, I also wanted to have a feel of what they really talked about: Was it a dream that had brought them here? Are we all - people who have come here today - united by a dream? 

Later on we were divided into small groups in accordance with our programs of study. There were 13 of us and as we introduced ourselves and talked about our main interests I could see and feel in the eyes of every one of us that twinkle, the twinkle of a dream! But the question is: Are we going to be able to persevere with a dream at Oxford? I do not know. As Paul McCartney said in his song:

"When will it be right? I don't know

What will it be like? I don't know

We live in hope of deliverance from the darkness that surrounds us!"

Dream project

The first time I left Baku, the city where I was born and raised, was in 1999. Since then, I have been coming and going and frankly speaking I have always been trying to do everything to leave. I always wondered: why?
Recently, I was able to find the answer or rather put my mixed feelings into words and that is probably why I decided to start this blog.
I discovered that it has become impossible to dream in Baku.
The city where my childhood dreams were born did not seem to support them any more. What caused this? I do not know. But why would I spend time speculating? Instead, I decided to find out what I could do to re-learn to dream in Baku.
Funny enough, I live in London now.  And it is in London that I was able to analyse my feelings and maybe detach myself from the strong emotions and find a way of dealing with this.
I am starting my studies at Oxford next month. I will be studying Islamic Studies and History, focusing on the Islamic past of Azerbaijan and how it gave rise to a new culture, focusing on Baku.
Baku and especially the Old town (Icheri sheher) is full of the material culture inspired by Islam.

Islam is apparently the only religion where religious rituals have been assisted by scientific procedures. The organisation of the lunar calendar, the regulation of the astronomically defined times of prayer, and the determination of the sacred direction of the Kaaba in Mecca -- are all the religious rituals supported by scientific work.
To me this means that Muslim scientists dreamt of creating scientific methods that would allow them to pray properly -- to dream!
Somehow there is something fascinating about finding out how a scientist worked so hard for the purpose of religion.
Baku -- was home to many of these scientists. I know nothing about them, but am determined to find out.
This is what I think I can do to re-learn to dream in Baku -- the city of dreams!