Zirrar Ali is a London-based author who has spent the past decade exploring the Near and Middle East – from North Africa and Egypt, through Sham and Hejaz, to the lands of Khorasan. His work seeks to revive and illuminate a vision of Islamic cultural and spiritual renewal, inviting a new generation to rediscover the might, beauty, and depth of Islam.
An active writer, essayist, and researcher, Zirrar specialises in Islamic history, art, and architecture, and critiques modern Orientalist perspectives, particularly in travel photography and literature. He regularly contributes to MiddleEastEye and TRT, and his work has been featured by Al Jazeera and CNN. He has also appeared on podcasts with BrownHistory.
Zirrar has published several books, including Ghazi and the Garden and Masnavi Iqbal (Secrets of the Self) – translations of Muhammad Iqbal’s Urdu and Persian works into English – as well as Finding Him, an intimate photographic journey through the Muslim world accompanied by reflective essays. He is currently researching and writing his next book on the history of Islamic Andalusia.
Listen to the book-release Podcast with Brown History.
Purchase from Waterstones and Amazon.