ImanWire Podcast

Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui speaks about the changes of the heart that is required to make the advancements to Allah. He speaks about how the murid (the seeker) can pursue their goal to arrive at the gate of nearness to their Lord. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Invocation for Blessings 4:52 - Spiritual Journey to Allah 17:25 - Essential Dua for Spiritual Growth 24:50 - Significance of Steadfastness Prayer 27:30 - Analyzing the Initial Segment of Dua 29:50 - Understanding the Middle Segment of Dua 38:50 - Concluding Segment of the Dua Explained 44:23 - Harmonizing External and Internal Worship 48:48 - Prayer for Inner Grace in Worship

Shaykh Yasir Fahmy joins hosts Sami Catovic and Naeem Saloojee to discuss the importance of developing a Prophetic lens to process the events we see in the world and respond in a Divinely-inspired way. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction 2:02 - The World Needs the Prophetic Lens 7:15 - Seeing the Seen and Unseen Realm 12:11 - An Immersive Experience 18:33 - Know Him, Love Him, Follow Him 26:12 - Trauma and the Internal Reality 28:53 - Lessons From Bosnia 37:06 - Activism and the Liberating Nature of the Prophetic Lens 42:31 - Living With Dignity and Clarity

Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui emphasizes the significance of breaking the attachments to worldly possessions and beings, allowing the heart to soar freely. As the heart purifies and reaches a higher level of sincerity, acts of obedience become effortless, leading to an ultimate experiential connection with Allah. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani Guidance 1:28 - Spiritual Freedom Concept 6:02 - Safina: The Journey's Beginning 21:05 - Sincerity in Salah Significance 27:15 - Enhancing Focus During Salah 31:15 - Du'a Sincerity Importance

The ImanWire hosts convene to discuss the current events in Syria, Khaled Nabhan, and Muslims celebrating Christmas. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction 1:35 - Smartphone Doomscrolling 6:48 - Syria is Free 45:00 - Soul of My Soul: Remembering Khaled Nabhan 48:59 - Conferences and the Zawiyah-Mobile 57:34 - Muslims and the Christmas Season

Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui discusses the process of spiritual growth and freedom from attachments. He emphasizes the importance of detaching oneself from worldly desires and possessions using the analogy of the embryo within the egg shell. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction 03:17 - Spiritual Q&A Session Importance 05:28 - Overcoming Ego Constraints 14:56 - Expanding Awareness Beyond Limits 20:24 - Severing Unhealthy Attachments 24:10 - Journey to Spiritual Liberation 26:25 - Embodying Freedom: Bird Metaphor 31:15 - Human Experience and Detachment 34:55 - Understanding Dunya's Cage 38:45 - Escaping Dunya's Confinement

Husain Abdullah joins the podcast to discuss his previous career in professional football and his recent unique experience of walking in the footsteps of the Prophet on the Hijrah route. He is the author of "Mecca to Medina: 100 Personal Reflections on Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ Hijrah Journey". CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction 3:07 - Fasting and Football: Worship 24-7 8:18 - The Sajda Heard Around the World 14:06 - Showing Off or Praising Allah? 17:18 - Elite Athletes, Spirituality and Gratitude 23:42 - Retracing the Hijrah of the Prophet 27:30 - Recognizing When Allah Chooses You 29:41 - GPS Mapping of the Hijrah 34:52 - Changing Terrain and the Footsteps of the Prophet 50:53 - Nafs-Breaker: Submitting to the Mountain 52:29 - In the Presence of Sacred History 1:00:16 - A Trip of Love

Dr. Celene Ibrahim, author of "Women and Gender in the Qur'an", joins the podcast to discuss her analysis of the rich and wide-ranging portrayals of female figures in the Qur'anic sacred history. Using the women around Prophet Musa to anchor the discussion, she offers insights on how their stories exemplify the spiritual truths of the Qur'anic message. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction 1:50 - Analyzing the Female Figures in the Qur'an 8:26 - The Mother of Prophet Musa: Faith and Resilience 17:32 - The Sister of Prophet Musa: Watchfulness & Wit 21:03 - The Sisters of Madyan: Multiculturalism, Marriage and Modesty 29:54 - The Wife of Pharoah and Tyranny at Home 40:06 - Women's Speech and Agency in the Qur'an

Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui emphasizes the need to focus on internal transformation and seeking closeness to Allah. He highlights the stagnancy of hearts despite outward actions, urging individuals to rectify their intentions and break free from the confinement of their own existence. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction to Tazkiyah 1:17 - Tazkiyah Essentials: Himmah & Qurb 2:34 - Al-Hakim Al-Tirmidhi Biography 6:21 - Himmah's Goal: Achieving Qurb 14:56 - Spiritual Steps: Understanding Qurb 23:20 - Exploring the Heart's Spiritual Path 25:25 - Analyzing the Heart in Worship 35:50 - Improving Heart's Worship: First Step 43:10 - Metaphor for the Seeker's Journey 44:30 - Heart's Liberation: Escaping the Egg 46:20 - Heart's Liberation: Breaking Barriers

Alex Kronemer and Michael Wolfe, co-founders of Unity Productions Foundation, join the podcast to reflect on lessons learned from over 20 years at UPF, sharing the stories of Muslims in the media, and tackling Rumi and the refugee crisis onscreen in Lamya's Poem. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction 4:48 - Hajj: Bringing the Recipe of Islam Together 9:35 - Working to Create Understanding of Islam and Muslims 14:18 - Framing in the Context of Stories 19:43 - Islam Requires People 21:43 - The Prophetic Legacy of Communication 24:57 - Emergence of UPF 32:30 - Telling the American Muslim Story 41:11 - Adapting to Changing Times 49:07 - Rumi, Refugees and Lamya's Poem 59:24 - Muslims in the Media: The Artist and the Audience

In part 1 of this double episode, Dr. Denise Spellberg, author of "Thomas Jefferson's Qur'an: Islam and the Founders" discusses how conceptions of Muslims played a crucial role in the religious pluralism in the early republic, anxieties over a Muslim president, and the clash between principles and prejudice that continues today. In part 2, the ImanWire hosts get together for a round table discussion on Muslims and the 2024 election. CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction 2:50 - Conceptions of Islam at the Time of the Founders 11:16 - Jefferson's Qur'an 15:55 - John Locke, Jefferson and Religious Freedom 23:51 - A Muslim President? 30:48 - Imaginary Vs Real Muslims 32:22 - Slavery and Racial Hypocrisy 37:06 - Omar bin Said and the Legacy of Islam in the United States 41:19 - Participating in a Flawed Political System 48:40 - A Critique of the Judeo-Christian Construct 52:20 - Retelling Islam in American History 58:30 - Round Table Discussion on Muslims and the 2024 Election 1:05:18 - The Moral Obligation of American Muslims 1:09:50 - Weakening Religiosity and Liberalism 1:13:38 - Returning to the Source of Peace and Community 1:16:26 - Conceptualizing a Spiritual Framework 1:29:27 - Political Differences 1:41:05 - Anchoring in the Divine Reality 1:45:26 - American Muslims Mattering