This episode was recorded on December 28th, 2021.

In this episode, Hamza Yusuf and I discuss the core beliefs of Islam, Hamza’s conversion, the importance of bridging religions, and the problem with our culture now.

Hamza Yusuf is an American neo-traditionalist Islamic scholar, co-founder of Zaytuna College, and the author of seven books, including Purification of Heart: Signs, Symptoms, and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart, Agenda to Change our Condition, and The Marvels of the Heart: Science of the Spirit.

—Links—

Follow Hamza on Instagram: https://instagram.com/shaykh_hamzayusuf

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sh_hamzayusuf

YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/user/SandalaMediaCenter

Every other Hamza link: https://linktr.ee/HamzaYusuf

—Chapters—

0:00 — Intro

1:01 — Religious upbringing

5:09 — Community & freethinking

7:03 — The glue that holds things together

9:59 — The problem with our culture 

10:01 — Arabic word for disbeliever 

13:00 — Gratitude despite suffering

17:02 — Jacques Lusseyran 

20:53 — Repentance I

30:11 — Cleanliness, prayer, discernment

32:48 — Repentance II 

33:55 — Hamza's conversion & near-death experience

40:24 — Preparing to die

45:38 — What drew Hamza to Islam

48:30 — Obedience to God—practically & conceptually 

50:29 — Islam vs. collectivist philosophies

53:20 — Differentiating religious beliefs

54:48 — Aurel Kolnai 

57:23 — The idea of evil

1:00:49 — Religiosity, atheism, values

1:07:04 — Creation, evolution, consciousness

1:09:26 — Islam in practice

1:16:44 — Importance of bridging religions

1:18:57 — Summary of Islam’s core beliefs 

1:22:20 — Commonalities among religions

#Islam #Atheism #Values #Gratitude #Religion