Background
Omid Safi was born in 1970 in Jacksonville, Florida. He is the son of Ali and Pouran Safi.
Omid Safi as a kid
Omid and Ali Safi
(Developed in response to the events of September 11, 2001...)
Developed in response to the events of September 11, 2001, these 14 articles from prominent Muslim thinkers offer a provocative reassessment of Islam's relationship with the modern world.
https://www.amazon.com/Progressive-Muslims-Justice-Gender-Pluralism/dp/185168316X
2003
(In a far-reaching analysis that combines social, cultural...)
In a far-reaching analysis that combines social, cultural, and political history, Omid Safi demonstrates how the Saljuqs tried to create a lasting political presence by joining forces with scholars and saints, among them several well-known Sufi Muslims, who functioned under state patronage.
https://www.amazon.com/Politics-Knowledge-Premodern-Islam-Civilization/dp/0807856576
2006
(Memories of Muhammad presents Muhammad as a lens through ...)
Memories of Muhammad presents Muhammad as a lens through which to view both the genesis of Islamic religion and the grand sweep of Islamic history, right up to the hot button issues of the day, such as the spread of Islam, holy wars, the status of women, the significance of Jerusalem, and current tensions with Jews, Hindus and Christians.
https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Muhammad-Why-Prophet-Matters/dp/0061231355
2009
(This stunning collection showcases the love poetry and my...)
This stunning collection showcases the love poetry and mystical teachings at the heart of the Islamic tradition in accurate and poetic original translations.
https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Love-Teachings-Mystical-Tradition/dp/0300225814
2018
Omid Safi was born in 1970 in Jacksonville, Florida. He is the son of Ali and Pouran Safi.
Omid Safi studied at Duke University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in religion in 1992, a Master of Arts in history of religion in 1998, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic studies in 2000.
Omid Safi started his career at Colgate University. He was an assistant professor in 1999 and then became an associate professor. In 2006 Safi joined the University of North Carolina, where he served as an associate professor in 2006-2008 and a professor in 2008-2014. Since 2014, he is a professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University. Safi specializes in the study of Islamic mysticism and contemporary Islam. He also was affiliated with the Pluralism Project at Harvard University, where he also was a co-chair of the steering committee for the Study of Islam and the Islamic Mysticism Group at the American Academy of Religion.
In 2002 Omid Safi founded the Illuminated Courses. Courses are designed to enrich people's life spiritually, aesthetically, and intellectually. Additionally, it included Tours, which have taken more than a thousand people from over twenty countries to Turkey and Morocco. They focus on the rich spiritual heritage of these countries. Omid often appears as an expert on Islam in the New York Times, Newsweek, Washington Post, Public Broadcasting Service, National Broadcasting Company, British Broadcasting Corporation, Cable News Network, and other outlets. He is a recent columnist for On Being and now has a podcast at Be Here Now.
Moreover, Omid Safi is a writer. In addition to writing books, he is a contributor of articles, reviews, and translations to periodicals, including Journal of Scriptural Reading, Religious Studies News, Muslim World, Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, Islamic Studies, and Journal of Muhyiddin ibn Arabi Society.
(Memories of Muhammad presents Muhammad as a lens through ...)
2009(In a far-reaching analysis that combines social, cultural...)
2006(Developed in response to the events of September 11, 2001...)
2003(This stunning collection showcases the love poetry and my...)
2018Omid Safi is committed to traditions that link together love and justice.
Quotations:
"I want to know how your heart is doing at this very moment. Tell me. Tell me your heart is joyous, tell me your heart is aching, tell me your heart is sad, tell me your heart craves a human touch. Examine your own heart, explore your soul, and then tell me something about your heart and your soul."
"We are like watermelons. Each of us has a crusty external rind. A case that both protects us and keeps others out. The closer you get to the middle, that is to say - the closer you get to the heart - the sweeter we get."
Omid Safi has a wife Corina Safi-Fehr. He also has a son.