The Thinking Muslim

The sadness we feel after the earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria is heightened by our Ummatic feelings of closeness to the worldwide muslim community. Many of those affected have been subject to years of civil war at the hands of a brutal dictator. Sadly, this is yet another disaster that has befallen this Umma and we pray that Allah has mercy on those that died and enter them into a place where there is eternal peace. This week we interview Dr Omar Suleiman to discuss the issue of earthquakes and whether they are a punishment from Allah, as many ascribe to these natural events or whether they are a test. Human beings can never understand the wisdom of Allah (swt) and we are without knowledge of the ultimate good and bad impacts of natural disasters. We ask Dr Suleiman to give us an understanding of the texts from the Quran and sunna that explain these events to us. Sadly, many especially in the West who may have not consolidated their Iman on a strong footing, question the wisdom of Allah and fail to develop the intellectual and spiritual resilience that is required to be a believer. We tackle how to build up this store of resilience. We also take the opportunity to discuss some of his political views on the broader Syrian civil war and the inconsistencies in some political activists. As always, you can comment your thoughts below. You can donate to the show here: Join our Telegram group here: https://t.me/thinkingmuslim You can donate to the show here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/contributeFollow us on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jalalayn and https://twitter.com/thinking_muslimWebsite Archive: thinkingmuslim.com - Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The war on terror, a US-led strategy that saw deadly interventions in the Muslim world, has transformed a generation of Muslims. Some, like my guest today, unwittingly got caught up in this mindless campaign and 21 years after the events of 9/11, we still feel the aftereffects of programmes that placed every Muslim in categories, moderate or extreme, good and bad, loyal or disloyal.Moazzam Begg, a former Guantanamo detainee upon his release, has been a tireless campaigner for the truth, exposing its lies and deceits. In the process, he and his organisation CAGE international have tactically contacted non-Muslim sympathisers and wider Human Rights organisations. But I asked him about the risks involved in this strategy. Many a time, Muslims that receive such support are forced to compromise. The left wants Islam to change and come with various social positions we find problematic. The right often possesses a chauvinism that calls upon Muslims to accept a secondary role in society. I ask Moazzam to conceptualise how he navigates these binaries.Join our Telegram group here: https://t.me/thinkingmuslim You can donate to the show here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/contributeFollow us on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jalalayn and https://twitter.com/thinking_muslimWebsite Archive: thinkingmuslim.com - Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a brief pause, we are back and now on YouTube video. In this episode, we explore with Hamza Tzortzis the crisis of the modern Muslim man. We live in a fast-paced world dominated by technology. Social media has enhanced our lives and given space for Muslims to build networks, raise the profile of beleaguered members of our ummah and forward the call of Islam.With the goodness that comes from this compression of time and space, there are also challenges. In their eagerness to contribute to da’wah, many young men often lack the necessary characters to meet its requirements. Borrowing from the worst marketing strategies, they employ click-bait, shock and awe tactics and cheap stunts as a shortcut to achieve electronic likes and fame. Response videos and futile debates are used to curry favour with their growing base. Hamza Tzortsis shares the same concerns about this approach to dawah. We ask him about his journey and how he believes the community must address the absence of good mentoring and a programme of personal development. We also discuss the general perceptions, right or wrong, about young Muslim men.Join our Telegram group here: https://t.me/thinkingmuslim You can donate to the show here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/contributeFollow us on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jalalayn and https://twitter.com/thinking_muslimWebsite Archive: thinkingmuslim.com - Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joram van Klaveren, a former member of the far-right Dutch Freedom Party, shares his remarkable journey from vehement anti-Islam sentiments to embracing the religion himself. He discusses the pivotal moment of rediscovery through the Quran and how personal research transformed his views. The dialogue sheds light on the rise of white nativism and its societal impacts on Muslim communities. Van Klaveren also emphasizes the need for a more compassionate approach to identity in the face of rising far-right ideologies.

Guest Mobeen Vaid addresses the liberalization of social attitudes within the Muslim community. The podcast explores American Muslims' perspectives on Islam, challenges of aligning political views, controversy surrounding religious education, culture wars within the Muslim community, the role of school boards in addressing cultural issues, political decision making within the Muslim community, and challenges faced by Muslims in the West.

Prevent, a statutory duty of all public officials, looks to find what the government calls signs of radicalisation. Often, these indicators are conflated with Islamic practice or subject to the prejudices of teachers and other officials that have been whipped up in a McCarthyite-style frenzy.Dr Layla Aitlhadj is the Director of PreventWatch, she Is an academic and activist who has been following the trail of mayhem caused by Prevent and has for years held the government to account. Thanks to the team: Riaz Hasan, Musab Muhammad, Reem Walid, Adeel Alam, Yusra Zainuddin, Ahaz Atif and Umar Abdul Salam.Join our Telegram group here: https://t.me/thinkingmuslimYou can donate to the show here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/contributeFollow us on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jalalayn and https://twitter.com/thinking_muslimWebsite Archive: thinkingmuslim.com - Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The journalist Peter Oborne stands out as one of the few defenders of our community in the mainstream press. Over the past two decades he has worked tirelessly to speak truth to power. He is currently a writer for the Middle East Eye and was named as British Press Awards Columnist of the Year in 2013. Previously he worked as the chief political columnist of the Daily Telegraph until he resigned in 2015. His latest book is The Fate of Abraham: Why the West is Wrong about Islam, which takes a look at the often-opaque world of the Islamophobia industry. Importantly, Oborne is a conservative and until 2019 was a member of the Conservative Party until he resigned in disgust at Boris Johnson’s leadership.Thanks to the team: Riaz Hasan, Musab Muhammad, Reem Walid, Adeel Alam, Yusra Zainuddin, Ahaz Atif and Umar Abdul Salam.Join our Telegram group here: https://t.me/thinkingmuslimYou can donate to the show here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/contributeFollow us on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jalalayn and https://twitter.com/thinking_muslimWebsite Archive: thinkingmuslim.com - Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imam Dawud Walid, an esteemed scholar and author of "Futuwwah: and raising males into sacred manhood," dives deep into Islamic masculinity. He discusses the importance of reviving classical ideals of manhood that emphasize courage, humility, and community responsibility. Imam Walid critiques modern views of masculinity, suggesting we learn from the life of Prophet Muhammad as a role model. He stresses the value of protective instincts balanced with moderation and advocates for nurturing young men through dedicated community involvement.

This is a repeat of a show first published in early 2020Death has become a part of our everyday lives. Covid-19 and its spread have brought home to us the undeniable reality that we are mortal beings and our accumulation of wealth, prestige and power will come to an end. How we think about death impacts on how we think about life. So how should death be conceptualised? How should we really remember death, beyond the occasional thoughts about it? How do we make death our partners and our guide in conditioning our present? To understand this idea, I have invited Kamal Abu Zahra – a lecturer in Islamic studies, currently completing his PhD in looking at the minority fiqh and its compatibility with classical notions of scholarship. I ask Kamal some searching questions about death and how we should see it, how we should confront its claims upon us, and how we should address it when death falls on someone close to us. Thanks to the team: Musab Muhammad, Reem Walid, Adeel Alam, Yusra Zainuddin, Ahaz Atif and Umar Abdul Salam. You can donate to the show here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/contribute Follow us on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jalalayn and https://twitter.com/thinking_muslim Website: thinkingmuslim.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest this week, Professor Ovamir Anjum argues that any future reconstruction of this sacred institution has to be premised upon what he calls an Ummatics framework, an ummah-centric model. He argues that the rashidun model was fundamentally based on the consent of the ummah, and through shura, that is, consultation, and this is how the earlier caliphs successfully built an empire unlike any other. In this interview, Muhammad Jalal asks him to spell out what it means to think in an ummatic way and elucidate on the practicalities.Ovamir Anjum is the Imam Khattab Chair of Islamic Studies at the Department of Philosophy, University of Toledo; he wrote the article ‘Who Wants a Caliphate’ found here: https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/who-wants-the-caliphateOur 2019 interview with Prof. Anjum here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/podcast/17The Ummatics Colloquium website can be found here: https://ummaticscolloquium.org Thanks to the team: Riaz Hasan, Musab Muhammad, Reem Walid, Adeel Alam, Yusra Zainuddin, Ahaz Atif and Umar Abdul Salam.You can donate to the show here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/contributeFollow us on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jalalayn and https://twitter.com/thinking_muslimWebsite: thinkingmuslim.com - Join our Telegram group here: https://t.me/thinkingmuslim Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.