The Barakah Effect

What legacy do you wish to leave behind? It might just be the most important existential question we can ask ourselves, as it has the potential to be the driving force for us to take action towards leaving behind something lasting, meaningful, and far greater than ourselves and shape us into people of high aspirations. Yet discovering our calling may not be so clear-cut. It requires a level of self-discovery and awareness; to know where we stand in this dunya, the abilities and rizq that Allah has given to us, and how we can use it to our advantage In this episode, our guests share their thoughts on what legacy means to them and what lasting imprint they aspire to leave behind It is our hope that this compilation may inspire us all to discover this important question for ourselves, and take action while we still have the time and the ability bi 'idhnillah 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:57 Dr. Ali Albarghouthi | EP42 | https://youtu.be/Su1Eh0JikMk 00:04:58 Dr. Ibrahim Nuhu | EP43 | https://youtu.be/6TnhBMQOabY 00:12:49 Shareef El-Arbi | EP49 | https://youtu.be/6NupwUVXamU 00:17:20 Wael Ibrahim | EP50 | https://youtu.be/IVwv9g9SUpI 00:19:32 Ahmad Fakhri and Jamilah Samian | EP51 | https://youtu.be/PIU2eWpc4yg 00:21:47 Farid Abu Ahmed | EP52 | https://youtu.be/IdNSCQL0Ce4 00:24:09 Abdulrahman Chao | EP53 | https://youtu.be/V15Ih-V9-D4 00:30:06 Sajid Hussain | EP55 | https://youtu.be/KgNuIadE6RI 00:33:42 Adam Voo | EP56 | https://youtu.be/9_JsFZu1ZlM 00:35:24 Muhammed Faraz | EP57 | https://youtu.be/_D97ro4NMIg 00:38:04 Dr. Abdullah As-Sueidi | EP58 | https://youtu.be/eRS8fKpIlgU

In case you missed it! Watch the recording of our special live session discussing the theme of Loving our Country. In this special Live Episode, we discussed some of the following thoughts: ✅ Is loving our country an ibadah? As Muslims, should we even Love our country? Are we even rewarded for our patriotism? Is it appropriate to be PROUD of our country? ✅ Does Islam forbid you to love your country? ✅ How should we express our “loyalty” to our country? Can I be patriotic AND a Muslim at the same time? ✅ Appreciating the gift of independence, peace and all those other great blessings we take for granted ✅ What does it MEAN to “love your country”? Is loving our country merely about lip service and declaring our love? ✅ How can we express true gratitude and love for our country? How can we “give back”? Join us, as we would love to hear from you, too, if you have any other questions or curiosities related to the topic. BarakAllahu fikum. - Team Barakah Effect -

Our guest for this session, Syeikh Abdullah Suiedi. A Swedish Muslim reverted, PHD holder from the Islamic University Of Madeenah in Dakwah and Usuluddin. He teaches at Masjid An-Nabawi in Madinah for English listeners. In this episode titled, Is Islam Rational? The objective of this episode is to clear the misconceptions regarding the Islamic view on rational thinking. Syeikh answers the question such as: What is rational thinking? How to identify true rational thinking, because every religion and philosophy claims that they are rational. How is ibadah rational? Syeikh also shares methods of preventing and solutions to the problem of widespread ideologies that are far away from the fold of Islam. Time stamps 0:00:00 Start 0:05:03 Discovering Islam in Sweden as a teenager 0:11:03 how "Rationality" and existential questions led Sheikh to eventually embrace Islam 0:20:00 What drives aethism? How Aethism also leads to racism 0:29:36 Facing challenges in combating aethism 0:33:46 How aethism branched out to how it is today 0:37:09 How psychological factors and trauma leads to aethism and deviation 0:42:38 Is Aethism really spreading amongst Muslims? 0:50:36 More knowledgeable = more critical = doubt religion? 0:54:03 What exactly is "Rational thinking"? Is Islam really "rational"? 1:01:35 To get the right answers, you need to ask the right QUESTIONS 1:05:21 How can we protect our children from falsehood and chaotic corrupting ideologies? 1:11:30 Psychological factors 1:16:58 Upcoming projects Dr. Abdullah is working on 1:26:26 What legacy Dr. Abdullah hopes to leave behind 1:28:44 Dr. Abdullah's favorite quote 1:31:36 How to get in touch with Dr. Abdullah 1:32:47 the Key to Barakah is..

What is branding? Should you even care about branding? And if you should, How can you actually develop your brand? In this episode, we are joined by Muhammed Faraz, co-founder and Chief Brand Officer at Outta the Box, a consultancy specializing in brand strategy and brand identity, responsible for designing the brands of various recognizable organizations such as An-Nadaa Educational Foundation, Revivers, Ink of Faith, Quraany, and the Barakah Effect! We discuss: ✅ Faraz' own story of self-discovery towards finding purpose in his work and how he discovered his calling in the field of branding. ✅ The basics of branding; how best to describe branding, and why even build a brand? ✅ How we can be intentional and clear about our own personal brand and capitalize on branding principles and use it to our advantage in any endeavor we pursue Connect with Faraz IG: instagram.com/ipatch_design 🌐 www.outtathebox.design 0:00:00 Start 0:03:48 Engaging Faraz and Outta the Box for the Barakah Effect 0:07:20 The hardship of seeking knowledge: How Reeza met Faraz 0:9:50 Between passion and purpose: Faraz's transition journey from architecture to the creative field 0:23:21 "You need to niche down": Where "branding" first came into the picture 0:29:35 By setting your intention right, you can turn EVERYTHING into an ibadah 0:32:18 Branding 101. Is a "brand" just a logo? 0:39:57 The emotional mark you leave behind. On a personal level, brand = reputation! 0:44:53 Tips: How can we discover our identity and the brand we project? 0:53:14 Companions of the Prophet ﷺ : the Brand that they've built 0:58:05 Lessons of Branding from the Hadith of Rasulullah ﷺ 1:05:07 Islam is a historically proven brand: 1400+ years, still going strong, and will remain until the End of Time! 1:09:12 Look out for Faraz's new book: 101 Branding Lessons from the Life of the Prophet ﷺ 1:11:30 What legacy Faraz wants to leave behind 1:14:19 How to overcome the impostor syndrome 1:23:30 the One quote that motivates Faraz the most 1:27:48 How to get in touch with Faraz and Outta the Box 1:30:49 Does being Muslim put Faraz at disadvantage in the industry? 1:35:37 Do customers really own the business? 1:39:25 the Key to Barakah is..

Islam: The gift we take for granted? For this Episode of The Barakah Effect podcast, we invite Adam Voo, a Chinese Malaysian from Sabah who reverted to Islam at the age of 28. An engineer, student of knowledge, teacher of deen, author, and father of four, Adam shares with us: ✅ His journey of discovering Islam coming from his upbringing in a Catholic family; his journey from anger, to curiosity, through denial, until finally embracing Islam, ✅ How Islam elevated his work ethic and inspired him to be a better professional at the workplace ✅ How upholding his Islamic principles at the workplace didn’t become a disadvantage, in fact, surprisingly, actually did FAVORS for his career and professional reputation! ✅ His personal journey of how he, gradually progressed into da’wah and conducting classes ✅ His experiences of giving da’wah at his workplace, including some of the outrageous misconceptions and conspiracies people have about Islam; and how da’wah really should be a sign of our love for others, ✅ And his experiences in publishing his first book (and exciting news of an upcoming one, insha Allah!) ✅ He also shares his big secret on productivity: how he manages to juggle so many multiple responsibilities and excel in everyone of them. Hint: it’s not that you expect! ❤️ 0:00:00 Intro 0:05:46 About Adam’s first book: “100 Hadith Sunan Abu Dawud” 0:14:14 Adam shares valuable experience & lessons in publishing his first book 0:20:06 Adam’s background: his upbringing in Sabah 0:22:47 Adam’s discovery of the Bible & Christianity through Muslims! 0:30:57 Contradictions in Bible? Sincere study of the scriptures eventually led Adam to Islam 0:39:36 Going through denial phase, confronting the parents & fellow Christian friends 0:48:11 Taking Syahadah & advice to reverts: involve your family, have a conversation 0:57:33 LOVE: Da’wah should be fuelled by passion to love for others what we love for ourselves 1:08:11 How we respond when people mock or make fun of Islam. Channeling conversation opportunity! 1:14:40 We’ve got a lot of work to do for da’wah. Utilize every opportunity you get! 1:19:28 How Islam had an effect to Adam’s professional life and work ethic 1:28:00 The Islamic perspective about leadership. Don’t chase it, but prepare yourself for it just in case! 1:33:40 Never stop learning “Knowledge is the only thing people cannot steal from you” 1:36:30 Productivity tips: How do you juggle so many responsibilities and excel at them? 1:42:20 Courage in Da’wah: Facing the intimidation and fear of conveying & teaching Islam as a revert 1:53:14 The Legacy Adam Voo wants to leave behind 1:55:19 Adam’s favorite quote.. 2:01:20 How to get in Touch with Adam Voo 2:06:09 The Key to Barakah is.. 📱Connect with Adam Voo 📧 Email: adamvoo@yahoo.com 📚 Live Classes at Alkhaadem: https://www.alkhaadem.com Arees University: https://www.facebook.com/arees.edu ▶️ YouTube - Alkhaadem New Muslims Class: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBQbpvlXmhNptG-_zQE0QNQXku1AxOO56

Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? In this episode, we interview the author of The Gift: Young Muslim Entrepreneur, Sajid Hussain. He shares practical lessons on how to build a successful business. Sajid has successfully launched over 12 businesses globally, 25 social charitable projects impacting millions, and provides coaching and consultancy to numerous prominent industry leaders worldwide. We discuss: ✅ Is entrepreneurship for everyone? If so, where do you begin? ✅ How can you leverage the surrounding ecosystem to launch a business? ✅ When should you give up on your business? ✅ Which factor should we prioritise while starting a business? Is it a matter of passion, skill, or market? 📱Connect with Sajid Hussain 🌐 Website: https://sajid-hussain.com 👤 FB: https://www.facebook.com/stickysaj72/

Critical thinking. Just a buzz word? Or is it the missing ingredient to unlock a more meaningful and lasting learning outcome particularly in our youth? In this episode, we are joined by Ustadh Abdurrahman Chao, a Houston native who is a graduate from the Islamic University of Madinah and Vanderbilt University, and a passionate educator who is a firm advocate of empowering youth with critical thinking. 0:00:00 Start 0:02:06 What exactly is critical thinking? 0:07:45 "Deconstruction" by itself is not critical thinking. What is the End Result? 0:14:21 Practical Application: The critical thinking Muslims should aspire to achieve 0:18:22 Linking subjects to the big picture; how the pieces of the puzzle are linked 0:26:43 Islam is supposed to be easy: "so why is it so difficult?" 0:30:06 is critical thinking only for the youth? What about us grown-ups? What is our role? 0:35:16 Priority of the parents: Create a learning environment at home, elevate your own level of knowledge 0:42:26 Am I parenting right? Are you parenting the way YOU were parented? 0:45:00 Advice for the skeptics: separate the emotion + discover the truth 0:50:18 Being overly skeptic eventually makes you a blind follower! 0:55:18 Why are Muslims leaving Islam? What is the real reason? 1:00:55 Our problematic tendency to love "Diagnosing" - Sometimes the solution is simply to listen 1:05:35 Example: How we think and react when people "Question" the Qur'an 1:12:35 Parents & teachers: we need to put in the work! Don't just dismiss-and-outsource! 1:14:21 Focus on connecting Islam with what they see in their day-to-day life 1:20:06 How do you implement this for remote or virtual students? 1:24:38 The First step to attain Grit is to have RESPECT for it 1:32:14 What legacy does Ustadz Abdul Rahman Chao want to leave behind? 1:38:45 Abdul Rahman Chao's favorite quote Join us as we explore: ✅ What critical thinking is all about; and ✅ Why is it important to empower our Muslim youth with critical thinking Connect with Ustadh Abdul Rahman Chao FB: https://www.facebook.com/abdulrahmanchao/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/a.r.chao/

Why are many from our youth so disconnected from Islam today? What does this have to do with education and critical thinking? In this episode, we are joined by Ustadh Abdul Rahman Chao, a graduate from the Islamic University of Madinah who is a passionate educator and a firm advocate of empowering youth with critical thinking, We derive lessons from his own journey of skepticism towards his surroundings as a youth, his search for meaning and ultimately rediscovering the truth which is Islam. Connect with Ustadh Abdul Rahman Chao FB: https://www.facebook.com/abdulrahmanchao/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/a.r.chao/

In this episode, we interview the founder of Dakwah Corner Bookstore, brother Farid Abu Ahmed. We discuss: ✅ Farid's origin story and how that led to the establishment of his businesses ✅ His roots and upbringing in Burma, experiencing first hand, the difficult persecution faced by the Rohingya people, after which he moved to Bangladesh and eventually to Makkah where he started off working odd jobs; ✅ His passion in da’wah, and how he had this high ambition of fulfilling the demand of spreading Islamic knowledge English language ✅ Eventually how Allah opened up the doors to meet the right people who eventually supported his vision and ambition that led to the opening of Dakwah Corner bookstore, leading up to the opening of his main center of business here in Malaysia ✅ His focus and vision in this business, and some entrepreneurial tips, especially implementing ihsan in our businesses, and especially the importance of building relationships, which is i quote, the most important capital ✅ How this capital eventually led to bigger opportunities not only in business, but also in da’wah: eventually opening up doors to add value to the local community here in Malaysia ✅ Some personal tips on how to develop a reading habit, including some practical ideas to inculcate the reading habit in our children TIME STAMPS 0:00:00 Start 0:04:44 Introduction, how we met 0:15:13 Farid's Rohingya origins in Arakan, Burma 0:23:04 Fleeing to Bangladesh after the Revolution 0:25:33 His father's role in instilling passion for Islam 0:30:13 Moving to Saudi Arabia 0:32:33 The Dream: to establish something related to faith, in the center of faith = Makkah 0:38:44 Importance of Strategic Location in Business establishment 0:43:40 Ihsan strategy: five distinguishing elements for DCB to standout 0:49:58 The struggle to bring some books: up to 10 years! 0:52:01 If your goal is to make money, don't open a bookstore 😂 1:00:18 Was reading a passion since Day 1, or developed & nurtured over time? 1:04:38 Tips: How to build a reading habit for 1:11:28 Why move to Malaysia? How DCB established in Malaysia 1:19:13 Publishing: Learning from failures & horrible experiences 1:23:56 Debunking the myth of "don't judge a book by its cover" 1:30:13 Find your niche: your role & unique contribution 1:34:37 Bringing Mufti Menk in Malaysia for the first time MMKL2012 1:39:57 Customize your Da'wah to be relevant to the intended audience 1:45:50 Fact: People Love Malaysia 🇲🇾😍 1:48:33 Advice for Malaysians: Step up, realize your potential  1:52:03 Faisal's nervewracking experience of giving talk in TSP 2019 convention, "Bravery and Generosity" 1:57:13 The Legacy Brother Farid wants to leave behind 2:00:50 that ONE quote that changed Brother Farid's life and motivated him the most 2:10:42 Importance of his mother's supplications (du'aa) for him 2:13:05 How we can get in touch with Farid & Dakwah Corner 2:17:33 The Key to Barakah is..

Is there a purposeful approach to raising kids in this digital age? How do we enable them to flourish in this exciting age of opportunities, while fostering adherence to the deen, building healthy family relationships, and instilling sound core principles that will set them up for success in the dunya and akhirah? In this episode, we are joined by the husband and wife team of Ahmad Fakhri & Jamilah Samian of the Cool Mum Super Dad consultancy, who are subject matter experts on the topics of youth leadership, leadership in parenting, and community development, with the mission to "inspire parents to raise future leaders”, as we discuss practical strategies and mindsets to navigate giving good tarbiyah with the challenges that we face in the modern age 0:00:00 Intro, biography & how we got to know Uncle Ahmad & Aunty Jamilah 0:07:35 how did they get started into their journey of parenting? 0:11:50 Aunty Jamilah's story and turning point in parenting: the realization of children being distant 0:14:24 Turning Point: Catching the kids doing something right (instead of just criticizing the wrong things!) 0:17:51 Where are the fathers? The Reason Uncle Fakhri joined: Need more involved fathers playing their part! 0:19:29 How much money do you need to spend to raise a child? Realize the gravity of your role 0:25:25 How the role of fathers influence the child's religion 0:27:53 What does it mean to have "Leadership" in Parenting? How do we embark on "purposeful parenting" when we are struggling to barely stay afloat? 0:35:05 Firefighting without direction: A lot of activity, no productivity? 0:43:38 Fruits of our labor: Instilling delayed gratification in our parental expectations 0:51:34 How do you know you are a "successful" parent? What does successful parenting look like? Importance of hope during unpleasant moments