Jonathan Brown - What the West could Learn from the Life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

About this lecture

In this lecture, Professor Jonathan Brown explores what the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ can teach the modern world about social justice, drawing on the Quran, Hadith, and the Constitution of Medina. He examines key themes including racial equality, gender equity, economic justice, religious pluralism, humanitarian law, and the obligation to stand against injustice — demonstrating how the prophetic model offers a rich and practical framework that in many respects surpasses modern Western conceptions of liberty and fairness. The lecture is followed by an extended Q&A covering topics ranging from the spread of Islam, COVID-19 and Islamic public health tradition, the concept of adab, and the place of women in early Muslim public life.