The Arabs & the Ummah of Muhammad | A Conversation with Prof. Sean W. Anthony

In this episode of the Real Talk Podcast 🎙️, hosts we sit down with Professor Sean W. Anthony 🏛️ (The Ohio State University) to discuss his article “The Arabs and the Ummah of Muḥammad.” 📜 Together we explore one of the most overlooked questions in early Islamic history 🕰️ — what exactly was the ummah of Muḥammad? 🤔 Was it a purely religious community of believers 🕌, or an already existing people the Prophet was sent to? 🌍 Professor Anthony walks us through the Qurʾānic evidence 📖, early Arabic sources ✒️, and the broader Late Antique context 🏺 that shaped how the ummah was first understood and later reinterpreted through Islamic historiography. 📚 Topics Discussed: 📖 The origins and meaning of the term ummah 🏛️ Late Antique models of community 🕊️ The Qurʾānic view of a pre-existing ummah ✍️ How early Muslim authors imagined the ummah 🔍 What modern scholarship gets wrong 📖 Guest article: 🔗 The Arabs and the Ummah of Muḥammad. — https://www.degruyterbrill.com/docume... 💬 Join the conversation: What are your thoughts on the Prophet’s leadership in Medina and how these events have been interpreted today? Drop your insights and questions below! 🗣️👇 👍 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more deep-dive interviews with leading scholars in Islamic Studies and Late Antiquity. 🌍🎧 🎧 Real Talk Podcast Hosted by Terron Poole & Roxanna Irani 📺 Subscribe:    / @skepsislamica   📱 Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/Terodotus & https://x.com/IraniRoxanna