Islam in English

Islam in English

From Language on the Move by New Books Network

June 10, 2026 · 38 min

About this episode

Tazin Abdullah interviews Dr. Oludamini Oguannaike about the intersection of Islam and the English language in his research and poetry.

In this episode of the Language on the Move Podcast, Tazin Abdullah speaks with Dr. Oludamini Oguannaike, Associate Professor of African Religious Thought and Democracy at the University of Virginia. Tazin and Oludamini talk about his work into how languages, such as English, express concepts that originate from onto-epistemic perspectives that are not historically associated with the English language. They discuss his 2019 article “Islam in English,” which he co-authored with Dr. Mohammed Rustom and how this research is expressed in the literary genre in his book of poetry called The Book of Clouds. The conversation considers how the distinctive philosophical and metaphysical concepts associated with Islam collide with the use of English as a result of the global dominance of English. Tazin and Oludamini discuss how he has used his research and knowledge of historical religious thought to express these concepts using English in poetry. References Ogunnaike, O. (2024). The Book of Clouds. Fons Vitae of Kentucky. Ogunnaike, O., & Rustom, M. (2019). Islam in English. American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, 36(2), 102-111. For additional resources, show notes, and transcripts…

People in this episode

Host: Tazin Abdullah

Guest: Dr. Oludamini Oguannaike

Topics covered

  • Islam
  • English language
  • poetry
  • philosophy
  • metaphysics
  • religion
  • cultural expression

Keywords

  • Islam
  • English
  • poetry
  • philosophy
  • metaphysics
  • cultural expression
  • religious thought
  • language

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Virginia, American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences

Books & works: The Book of Clouds, Islam in English

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