Interesting podcast but it ended just when the story was getting started. Somewhat biased to the traditional narrative which is still very interesting but the podcaster has a hard time coping with alternative viewpoints. He dismisses Tom Holland’s book as utter nonsense and dismisses the revisionist historians from the 70’s without explaining why their arguments are so ridiculous.

Only disappointing thing about this podcast is it ended abruptly at episode 17. Otherwise it’s done so amazingly. Finer details that glue you to it. Not just dry reading of facts or at worst some Wikipedia page. Scholarly.

Thank you for educating me. Thoroughly accessible and interesting. Please don’t quit this project. Americans need to understand this faith. Peace out.

Very good, may it continue.

Hopefully reviews like this would gain popularity and lead to continuation of the show inshallah

I quickly settled into listening this good piece of work by Elias, but it was discontinued so abruptly, I really hope the Brother is OK

I love this podcast! It’s thorough, well-researched, and narrated beautifully. I’m disappointed it stopped in 2016 without any explanation. Can someone explain why Elias stopped so abruptly.

I recently discovered this podcast, I was enjoying it immensely, But, why did it end/ stop abruptly? The history wasn’t even half way,, Elias if you read this, please come back!!

Really enjoyed listening to the podcast, loved the details. Wish I had known about it when it was being released. Elias, if you are still able to read these reviews hope to hear from you soon.

If you’re still reading these reviews Elias, thank you so much for making these Pods, you’re very good at this and I’m sad that you only made it to episode 17. I’m hoping you got too busy with your life too continue what I’m assuming was a time intensive hobby, and that you’re okay. Your description of the importance of camels in Arabia is the kind of detail that I am always hoping for from history pods. It’s frustrating that I can find so many good history pods on Greece and Rome(to a lesser extent China) but none that cover the history of Islam, equally if not more important events and period with respect to understanding our present.

I’m so happy I found this, but sad to find that it’s completed ages ago. I really enjoy the host to listen to and I like how he introduced his vision to bring the podcast to the public, work with listeners and provide a lot of supplemental information. He makes it interesting by telling history like a story with little tid bits of fun facts along the way, as well as lots of linkage with world history which makes it easy to understand. Kudos, I don’t want it to end

Well done. The narrator makes the subject matter very listenable, and is likable in a way that was pleasantly surprising. Incorporates the history of animals, landscapes, and other interesting facts that make up the fascinating elements of the Arab world.

Thank you for the great work. A very enjoyable listen.

Thanks for this amazing podcast, little bit recorded lower, at crowded aria like gym it’s hard to hear it correctly..

This show is fantastic. I’m a professional historian, who studies modern Near Eastern history and found that it really helped me better understand the origins of Islam, better than many books I’ve read. However, I was extremely sad to realize that the show ended so abruptly, leaving me wanting many more episodes to better understand the schism, Islam’s expansion across Africa, the wars with the Sasinians and Byzantines, the Golden Age, and countless other topics. Bring it back!

Really annoying voice and nasally accent, goes into detail on the wrong sort of content, and too hagiographic and not historical enough to be a history podcast. Repetitive in a way that doesn’t provide new information for the listener. Not to mention that the series abruptly stops. An immature production.

In his introduction, this guy says he was inspired by “History of Rome”. Unfortunately, no matter how noble the inspiration not everyone is equipped to be a good podcaster. This guy sounds awful. He sounds uneducated: he has that awful accent so many “loser” asians seem to develop. It is endemic to the poorer asian community - apparently, they feel they have street cred if they mangle the english language. It was perfectly parodied in a brilliant BBC comedy “Goodness Gracious Me”.

Just finished the last episode, I loved this series from start to finish. The presenter has a great voice and the narrative structure he presents is very engaging. In the event Mr. Belhaddad ever decides to try his hand at podcasting again, he’d have a sure subscriber in me!

Hello, I would just like to say that this podcast has been one of my favorite to engage with. I think that the storys/narrative you add to this audio is quite magnificent. I don’t think a degree (PHD) hinders your ability to tell a great historical story. Keep up the great work, thank you so much! My only suggestion is that if you are going to go off tangent, you should state when you will begin and end that topic so that the listeners do not get confused. Other than that great job!

The speaker does a great and honest job in providing well researched content in an engaging way. Superb!

Bummed that this podcast suddenly stopped. I listen to a lot of history podcasts (never found one about wedding dresses). I did not know anything out the origins of Islam and was really enjoying this one during my long commute.. Does anyone know what happened? I wish Elias well.

Really appreciate your work!. I am a add bad history podcast listener I spend up to 40 hours a week listening and learning!. I really appreciate how your podcast is starting to fill in all the gaps of my other favorite history podcast! . This podcast is very easy to listen to thank you!

Tells the story of islam from the perspective of the orthodox sunni. Well told and engaging.

Easy listen and highly informative.

Belhaddad is obviously in love with this story, but his infatuation leads to an unfortunate tendency to deliver much extraneous material that should've been hemmed and trimmed from the wedding dress. The treatment rarely clearly distinguishes well-established history from religious legend, but everyone understands that a good wedding dress is not supposed to reveal all. Nevertheless, it is very unfortunate that the story has barely begun when the listener discovers that the groom's infatuation did not sustain itself and the wedding guests, having travelled great distances, must return home dishonored and unsatisfied.

Any more episodes coming? It's been a while. Elias... you're doing a great deed in helping people learn about the history of Islam... keep up the excellent work!

This is one of the best podcasts I have ever heard. Elias, brilliant writing, excellent narration, great vocals, can't say anything bad about this podcast nor can I think of any improvements. Honestly, well done! Just wish we can get new episodes more often.

The narrator is very knowledgeable and a fine storyteller. Enjoying exploration of a faith I'm not to familiar with. Hope it keeps going

Not recommended.... The guy tries hard but his voice is irritating and parts are monotonous and at times redundant with un necessary information shoved incoherently....

But this guy is more than what i was looking for. He goes in depth without sounding like he's reading or being too academic and he's a great storyteller. I plan on listening to this whole series and I rarely do that as I pick and choose podcasts episodes and rarely return once I got the tidbits I came for

Extremely interested and well spoken!

Elias has filled a topic that needed to be done in history podcasting format. Not only has he taken on a rich and complicated topic, he is doing it extremely well.

This is a great podcast. Easy narrative style and essential for western listeners to understand Arab culture and religion. Supplemented with Youtube videos to help with geography. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for making this podcast.

Ft

And interesting. Elias has so far told the origin of Islam very well. It gave me very interesting insights into Arabian culture.

This is a terrific podcast. You're able to do what few manage to do, turning history into a story. Excellent work.

While I'm a little late on subscribing, I can't seem to put this podcast down. Ive been listening for the last two days solid. Well explained and rich in historical detail.

A great breakdown of the climate and culture. I enjoy listening.

Appreciate the accuracy and style of this historian. He delivers a wonderful story of the history of not only Islam, but Arab people.

This is a very well-researched and beautifully presented podcast. The narrator's voice is inviting and gripping. I have really enjoyed it so far.

As an "amateur" historian, the host of this podcast truly delivers! He brings personality to history. As a fluent speaker of Arabic, he can use sources unavailable to most, and recites poems and quotes in Arabic and translates them into English. If you are interested in either Middle Eastern or religious history, this you will want to listen to this.

I have listened to the first six episodes and Elias is doing a fantastic job so far.

This is a great podcast and the amount of detail is extraordinary. Thank you for all of the work and effort to make this so enjoyable.

a great history podcast thus far. and pertinent.

I just signed on to this Podcast and was immediately taken in by it. Elias does a commendable job framing the topics and telling the story of the Arabian experience. This should be mandatory listening for anyone who wants to put today’s events into historical perspective and judge for themselves how Islam relates to western culture. I am looking forward to all new episodes and they couldn’t be more timely.

I am enjoying it so far. Keep it up!!!

Loving it. Keep it going.

All Westerners, such as my self, need to get into this. If you see Muslims as your enemy, Lao Tzu's Art of War advises one to know thine enemy. If you have a cursory knowledge of the subject, this is where you get to sharpen it up. If you see Muslims as yet another bunch of folks caught in the grips of a monotheism, there will be something for you here. This podcast is full of information, the death of ignorance. As for the host, I get the feeling that he doesn't yet know that he has a pretty natural aptitude for this. I look forward to when he really finds his flow after a dozen or so more episodes and the few vocalized pauses (uh, er, uhm, etc.) evaporate... Not to say it's a bother now. He's got his own style and he pronounces the Arabic words correctly (at least wherever he and his family came from before going UK). In light of recent events, information and understanding are in such sorely short supply. This podcast is a brilliant candle in the cavern of ignorance. People, get into this...... Please

Finally a well developed podcast on Islam! The narrator does an outstanding job of delivering a well rounded and super-informative podcast. Mr Belhaddad has done his homework and brings a fresh perspective on not just Islam, but the world, environment, geography and cultures (even livestock) that were present during the period in history that he is covering. Thank you!