The Adnan Husain Show

Professor Adnan Husain, historian and scholar of religion, hosts a show spanning history, politics, global affairs, intellectual culture, as well as religion and spirituality. The format ranges from scholarly guest interviews, panel discussions, recorded lectures, and his own readings and commentary.

Iran vs. Empire: Burning Questions for the Resistance--Philadelphia Panel 04/04/2026

Iran at War: Sovereignty against Empire Helyeh Doutaghi 03/31/2026

Political Persecution in Kenya w/Booker Omole-Guerrilla History and Adnan Husain Show Collaboration 03/23/2026

From Persia to Iran: Islam, Empire, and the Politics of West Asia-Adnan on RevLeftRadio! 03/18/2026

From Persia to Iran: Islam, Empire, and the Politics of West Asia-Adnan on RevLeftRadio! Adnan joined Breht O'Shea on Revolutionary Left Radio for a deep dive into history. We are sharing it here for our subscribers to the Adnan Husain Show as a bonus and relevant extra! Thanks to Breht for the invitation and graciously allowing us to repost here. Check out his amazing, long-running podcast: and on all the usual platforms. And you can support his efforts, just like ours, on patreon. Detalis at Here is his episode description: In this episode, Breht interviews -- Historian of the Medieval Mediterranean and Islamicate Worlds and Director at the School of Religion at Queen's University -- about the deep historical roots of today’s Middle East. The conversation traces the arc from ancient Persia to the Islamic era, explores how Iran became a center of Shi’a Islam, and examines the long rivalry between Persian and Ottoman power. Along the way, they unpack the Sunni-Shia split, the political role of Turkey in the region, the ways Western narratives about Islam were forged through the Crusades and carried forward into the modern world, Zionist Expansionism, and the ongoing illegal war of aggression waged by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, and indeed, the whole region. Check out Adnan's previous appearences on Rev Left Subscribe to Adnan's YouTube channel Watch Adnan's 2 Part episode on Yemen Listen to Guerrilla History podcast Support the show on Patreon or Substack, if you can (and get early access to episodes as well as full audio of all livestreams)! www.patreon.com/adnanhusain https://www.adnanahusain.substack.com Or make a one-time donation to the show and Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/adnanhusain Like, subscribe, share! Also available in video on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@adnanhusainshow X: @adnanahusain Substack: adnanahusain.substack.com www.adnanhusain.org /episode/index/show/c4dcb37c-8f08-4246-a286-0f8feb6c4e23/id/40528580

The Names of God (5)-al-Raheem, "the Compassionate" 03/14/2026

Iran vs. Epstein Empire w/David Yaghoubian & Resistance is Fertile 03/07/2026

Emergency Struggle Session-War on Iran w/Nina and Navid Farnia 03/05/2026

Iran under Siege w/Navid Zarrinnal (The Colony Archive) 02/25/2026

Taking ACTION for PALESTINE w/Huda Ammori 02/23/2026

Office Hours 20-Iran: Strategic Patience vs. Preemptive Strike w/Ali Alizadeh 02/09/2026

Struggle Session 7 Live w/Lara Sheehi and Nina Farnia 01/22/2026

Office Hours 17-Iran: Society under Sanctions w/David Yaghoubian 01/19/2026

Reflections on 2025; Visions for 2026 01/15/2026

2025 A Year in History w/Revolutionary Guerrilla Menace! 01/06/2026

The Imperial Theory Industry w/Gabriel Rockhill 12/19/2025

Office Hours 15-Sovereign Development vs. Imperialist War w/Bikrum Gill 12/03/2025

Office Hours 15-Sovereign Development vs. Imperialist War w/Bikrum Gill The radical academy is in session Friday, Nov. 21 at 5pm for Office Hours. In this session Adnan hosts Dr. Bikrum Gill, a professor at Virginia Tech, a scholar of international political economy, and member of the Anti-Imperialist Scholars Collective. We will talk about the key confrontation of our time: the possibility for sovereign development by peoples of the Global South and the imperialist wars waged against these projects by the colonial West. We'll examine these processes and projects of alternative development outside of Western capitalist hegemony, the geopolitical economies and ecologies of imperial capitalism, and the various theatres in which sovereign development is under violent intervention and attack across the globe. This will be an important discussion, so join us and post your questions and comments on socials and in the YT chat! Bikrum's research is guided by third world Marxist political and methodological commitments. He is concerned, in particular, with how the contradictions of capitalist imperialism bear upon the sovereign capacity of peoples in the Global South. His research and writings have inquired into this question through a focus on agriculture and development, the climate crisis, sanctions, and anti-colonial/anti-imperialist resistance. To prepare for Office Hours, you can read some recent pieces by Bikrum: You can have priority for your questions and comments by becoming a supporter and posting on patreon.com/adnanhusain or make a one time contribution via buymeacoffee.com/adnanhusain Support the show on Patreon if you can (and get early access to episodes)! Or make a one-time donation to the show and Buy Me a Coffee: Like, subscribe, share! Also available as audio podcast on all major platforms: https://adnanhusainshow.libsyn.com X: @adnanahusain Substack: adnanahusain.substack.com www.adnanhusain.org /episode/index/show/c4dcb37c-8f08-4246-a286-0f8feb6c4e23/id/39247080

Full Audio! Struggle Session 6 Live w/Nerdeen Kiswani, Sina Rahmani, Henry Hakamaki & Mehmet Ali Arslan 12/01/2025

Full Audio! Struggle Session 6 Live w/Nerdeen Kiswani, Sina Rahmani, Henry Hakamaki & Mehmet Ali Arslan The Struggle Session was back for November on Sunday Nov 23rd at 3pmET! Enjoy full audio of the program. This monthly livestream panel program is not convening to make you feel better--the unvarnished analysis and fierce self-criticism may make you feel a bit worse! But, it will inform and, hopefully, spur you to taking action. As Marx said, the point isn't just to understand the world but to change it. This is an activist panel for a much needed Struggle Session: Nerdeen Kiswani, founder of Within our Lifetime; Sina Rahmani, host of East is a Podcast and impressario/producer of the online tankie left; Henry Hakamaki, editor at ISKRA Books and co-host of Guerrilla History podcast; and Mehmet Ali Arslan, musician, activist, and co-host of Fredshetsarna podcast in Swedish and English. Join us for a wide-ranging discussion of the key developments and issues for the anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, anti-genocide left. We'll talk about directions of the Palestine solidarity movement and Gaza resistance in light of the ceasefire/UN occupation force resolution that Russia and China didn't veto, Mamdani on the Left and MAGA civil war on the Right, Jolani at the White House and Kremlin, imperial wars on Venezuela, Lebanon, Iran brewing and much more. Post your questions, suggested topics, and comments. Note there are now two livestream formats: landscape and portrait depending on which fits best on your screen. So do choose the alternative if it doesn't show up properly on your mobile device or computer monitor/screen. You can get priority for your questions/suggestions/comments by posting on patreon.com/adnanhusain. Support the show on Patreon if you can (and get early access to episodes)! Or make a one-time donation to the show and Buy Me a Coffee: Like, subscribe, share! Also available as audio podcast on all major platforms: https://adnanhusainshow.libsyn.com X: @adnanahusain Substack: adnanahusain.substack.com /episode/index/show/c4dcb37c-8f08-4246-a286-0f8feb6c4e23/id/39146090

Bonus Full Audio! Office Hours 13-Sudan: Resistance, Compradors, an Existential Fight for Liberation w/Hamza Al-Muqawi 11/29/2025

No god but God--after 20 years w/Reza Aslan 11/26/2025

The Names of God (4): al-Rahman, "The Merciful" 11/19/2025

The Names of God (4): al-Rahman, "The Merciful" In this episode, Adnan and Marc explore the most frequently mentioned of the names that serves both as an attribute and a sort of "proper name" in some fashion. We explored the meanings of the Arabic root R-H-M that gives rise to "rahmah" or mercy as a noun and the two adjectival attributes al-Rahman and al-Raheem, the names that are part of the invocation of chapters of the Qur'an. We considered the particular onological and psychological relationships surrounding al-Rahman as the most merciful or the most benificent. In addition, we wrestled with questions of theodicy. How can we reconcile the manifest cruelty and oppression humanity has wrought--something the angels in Qur'anic origin narratives objected to and charged that humans would sow corruption and shed blood in the world rather than serve as responsible stewards--with the cosmic foundations of the universe in rahma/mercy and the fact that God is pre-eminently understood and uniquely described as al-Rahman? What can this possibly mean in the face of the suffering of most of the world's population in deprivation, during a time of genocide in Palestine and Sudan, as well as in the suffering and difficulty we all face in our lives? This was a problem medieval mystics and theologians also tried to think through. Intriguingly, these included a sense of a profoundly necessary social empathy as a spiritual value of making the name al-Rahman real that impels sacrifice for the weak, defenseless, and suffering. We had to recognize the limits of these discourses however and consider further what this might mean for the contemporary human experience from psychological and spiritual perspectives. Many issues and concerns came up in the discussion and particularly in contending with how we can understand spiritual and psychological growth in the apparent contradiction of cosmic mercy in a cruel world. that will flow naturally into the next episode on al-Raheem, the compassionate. Thank you for joining us in this journey through the Names of God. We look forward to your comments and questions. Support the show on Patreon if you can (and get early access to episodes)! www.patreon.com/adnanhusain Or make a one-time donation to the show and Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/adnanhusain Like, subscribe, share! Also available in video on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@adnanhusainshow X: @adnanahusain Substack: adnanahusain.substack.com www.adnanhusain.org /episode/index/show/c4dcb37c-8f08-4246-a286-0f8feb6c4e23/id/39053335

West African Sufi Resistance and Contemporary Freedom Struggles w/ Butch Ware 11/10/2025

*UNLOCKED!* Indigenous Spiritualities and Anticolonial Resistance Movements w/Nick Estes 10/17/2025

UNLOCKED!! Office Hours #8 w/Nihal El Aasar: Full Audio 10/08/2025

The Names of God (3): Allah or The Divine Being 10/07/2025

Remembering Anticolonial Algiers: Panthers & Pan-African Revolutionaries w/Elaine Mokhtefi 09/26/2025

Subverting Syria: Dark Histories of US Empire w/Patrick Higgins 09/18/2025

Struggle Session #4 *UNLOCKED* 09/16/2025

The Airing of Grievances with Sina Rahmani & Friends 09/10/2025

The Names of God (2): Beginnings and Openings 09/03/2025

The Names of God (2): Beginnings and Openings Adnan and Marc continue their conversation about the Names of God in the Sufi Muslim mystical tradition and its wider resonances for spiritual experience and self-examination. In particular we observe some of the challenges of beginning such an ambitious project and the preparation required by discussing the openings to two major medieval Arabic commentaries on the divine names introduced in episode 1, al-Ghazali’s treatise on the “beautiful names” and al-Tilimsani’s commentary on the names and attributes as they appear in the Qur’an, the scriptural text of Islam. We also give a brief overview of the names to comment on the contrasts among the “jamali” and “jalali” or “beautiful” and “majestic” attributes as facets of the divine and the nature of apparent synonyms among the traditional 99 names. What does it mean that God self-describes in the Qur’an as both “the Just” and “the Merciful”, “the Punisher” and the “Forgiving”? How do these contrasting qualities, like “the First and the Last” or “the Hidden and the Manifest,” often paired in the devotional tradition of reciting the names, relate to the human encounter with these dimensions? We also respond to an interesting comment from a listener about our preference to translate as “the Complete Human” rather than “the Perfect Man” the concept the great mystic Ibn al-Arabi developed and we discussed in the first episode of the Insan al-Kamil. Marc has a new companion video on “Relating to God: the God image in Sufism.” You can follow his work: Support the show on Patreon if you can (and get early access to episodes)! www.patreon.com/adnanhusain Or make a one-time donation to the show and Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/adnanhusain Like, subscribe, share! Also available in video on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@adnanhusainshow X: @adnanahusain Substack: adnanahusain.substack.com www.adnanhusain.org /episode/index/show/c4dcb37c-8f08-4246-a286-0f8feb6c4e23/id/38056390

Office Hours #5: Taking Action against Genocide and Empire w/Calla Walsh 09/02/2025

Office Hours #5: Taking Action against Genocide and Empire w/Calla Walsh An excerpt from a very exciting and inspiring Office Hours livestream Friday Aug 29, 5pmET. For the full conversation and full audio of all livestreams (Office Hours and Struggle Sessions), join patreon.com/adnanhusain. In this edition of Office Hourse, I talked with Calla Walsh about taking action against genocide and empire. Calla is a brilliant analyst and courageous anti-imperialist activist. She discussed her experience in Cuba solidarity, direct action against the Israeli genocide in Gaza with comrades following the example of Palestine Action (UK), about her recent trip to Iran, and her analysis of and thoughts about moving from spectatorship to action in resisting ZioAmerican empire and its genocidal violence in Gaza, Palestine, and beyond. Do not miss this edition of Office Hours w/Prof Adnan Husain. Again, you can hear the full audio version on patreon.com/adnanhusain and also watch for free on YT. These Office Hours and Struggle Session livestreams are meant for interaction and engagement. You can post questions to social media announcements ahead of time or join the YT livestream comments to post your questions and comments and also discuss with other members of the audience community. But, by becoming a patron and supporter, you will have priority for your questions, suggested topics and comments for livestream guests and panels. So join patreon.com/adnanhusain You can also support with a one-time donation via buymeacoffee.com/adnanhusain You can support Calla's work on Substack: In particular, support our political prisoners, notably T. Hoxha and now Casey Goonan on hunger strike. Calla calls for your action here: It has a toolkit for calling the prison administration to support political prisoners! Read her account of her trip to Iran: Support the show on Patreon if you can (and get early access to episodes)! www.patreon.com/adnanhusain Or make a one-time donation to the show and Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/adnanhusain Like, subscribe, share! Also available in video on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@adnanhusainshow X: @adnanahusain Substack: adnanahusain.substack.com www.adnanhusain.org /episode/index/show/c4dcb37c-8f08-4246-a286-0f8feb6c4e23/id/38053225

The Adnan Husain Show

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