The Mad Mamluks

We sit down with Sameer Sarmast from the popular halal restaurant review show on YouTube.  Sameer Sarmast is the Host and Executive Producer of “Sameer's Eats”, the popular Halal restaurant review show on YouTube. “Sameer’s Eats” was co-founded by Sameer and his friend, Saad Malik in 2010. In 2013, Sameer and his team launched "The Halal Food Tour" in 5 U.S. cities across the country. The tour was a series of Halal Food Festivals highlighting local Halal restaurants while Sameer and Yvonne Maffei of “My Halal Kitchen” entertained the attendees by hosting cooking demos and “Iron Chef” style cooking challenges.  Sameer has been recognized for his efforts in promoting Halal cuisine through several media outlets and publications such as Fios1 News, Fusion, Al-Jazeera and the U.S. State Department. Sameer is very passionate about Halal Food as he frequently shares his zeal with chefs and personalities from the Food Network. http://www.sameerseats.com/ Instagram: Sameerseats Twitter: Sameerseats Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sameerseats/ ============== E-mail us your comments, feedback, and questions at TheMadMamluks@gmail.com Twitter: @TheMadMamluks Facebook: www.facebook.com/themadmamluks  Instagram: TheMadMamluks    

The guys sit down with Imam Abdul Malik Merchant from ISBCC (Boston).  We have a free-flowing discussion about raising children, being mentors, chaplaincy and his life studying in the KSA.   After ten years of intensive study, both within Umm al-Qura University and privately with respected scholars, Imam Abdul-Malik graduated in May, 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies with a Concentration in Dawah and Islamic Culture. He is currently enrolled at Boston University in a dual masters program in Divinity and Social Work. Imam Abdul-Malik brings a rich cross-cultural sensibility to his position of Associate Imam, one that encompasses working with inner city youth in Washington, D.C., as well as giving khutbas and teaching classes as a Junior Resident Scholar. His valuable experience as a mentor and life coach has further prepared him for his pastoral care responsibilities within the ISBCC.   ============== E-mail us your comments, feedback, and questions at TheMadMamluks@gmail.com Twitter: @TheMadMamluks Facebook: www.facebook.com/themadmamluks  Instagram: TheMadMamluks

We talk to journalist and political commentator, Dilly Hussain about the recent Air Strikes in Syria and the Turkish television series Ertugrul. Dilly is known for his writing at Middle East Eye, Foreign Policy Journal, Al Jazeera English and is the Deputy Editor at 5Pillars.   Contact: Twitter: @dillyhussain88 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dilly.hussain88   ============== E-mail us your comments, feedback, and questions at TheMadMamluks@gmail.com Twitter: @TheMadMamluks Facebook: www.facebook.com/themadmamluks  Instagram: TheMadMamluks  

SIM and Shaykh Amir talk to Hamza Tzortzis about his new book “The Divine Reality: God, Islam & The Mirage of Atheism". Hamza Andreas Tzortzis is a public speaker, instructor, essayist and author of “The Divine Reality: God, Islam & The Mirage of Atheism”. He has over a decade of experience in articulating a compassionate and rational case for Islam and has studied Islamic thought and theology under qualified scholars. He has two postgraduate degrees in Philosophy (PgCert and MA) and is currently continuing his postgraduate studies in this field. He delivers workshops and courses around the world and has taught an accredited diploma course on topics related to Islamic thought and philosophy. He is most famously known for his debates with prominent academics and thinkers on Islam and Atheism. Find out more about his work at www.hamzatzortzis.com ============== References: The Divine Reality by Hamza Tzortzis https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Reality-Islam-Mirage-Atheism/dp/0996545387/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517956738&sr=1-1&keywords=the+divine+reality+hamza+tzortzis   ============== E-mail us your comments, feedback, and questions at TheMadMamluks@gmail.com Twitter: @TheMadMamluks Facebook: www.facebook.com/themadmamluks  Instagram: TheMadMamluks

Mahin, SIM and Shaykh Amir talk to the infamous Austrailian thinker and activist, Uthman Badar.  We discuss how to deal with difficult issues like free speech and narratives the media creates for Muslims.   Uthman is a writer, activist and student of Philosophy, Economics, Arabic & Islamic sciences.   ==============   God & Prophets should be protected from insult https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZGlyymF00I Debate with Lawrence Krause https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JknkomRLXCM https://5pillarsuk.com/2014/02/12/uthman-badar-free-speech-is-a-liberal-tool-of-power/ ============== E-mail us your comments, feedback, and questions at TheMadMamluks@gmail.com Twitter: @TheMadMamluks Facebook: www.facebook.com/themadmamluks  Instagram: TheMadMamluks

Mahin, SIM and Shaykh Amir talk to Mobeen Vaid about several issues like the #MeToo movement, neo-atheism, transgenderism, feminism, etc. Mobeen Vaid is a Muslim public intellectual and writer. His writings center on how traditional Islamic norms and frames of thinking intersect the modern world. As of late, he has focused on Islamic sexual and gender norms. Vaid also speaks at confessional conferences, serves as an advisor to Muslim college students, and was campus minister for the Muslim community while a student at George Mason University. He has reviewed The Study Qur’an for the Journal of Islamic Sciences and published “‘And the Male is Not Like the Female’: Sunni Islam and Gender Nonconformity." ============== E-mail us your comments, feedback, and questions at TheMadMamluks@gmail.com Twitter: @TheMadMamluks Facebook: www.facebook.com/themadmamluks  Instagram: TheMadMamluks

Nour Goda and Naureen Ahmed talk to Sarah Sultan and Haleh Banani about bringing awareness to mental health. Sarah Sultan is a licensed Mental Health Counselor and has a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She has experience in a variety of therapeutic interventions and has worked with several age groups including children with special needs, adolescents with emotional and behavioral issues, families undergoing difficulties and survivors of trauma and domestic violence. Sarah is currently working as a therapist at a residential treatment center for teens in crisis, where she works with adolescents dealing with suicidality, trauma, self-harming behaviors, aggression and a variety of other issues. She is also an instructor with Mishkah University, where she teaches a course about the intersection between Islam, psychology and counseling. She has been actively involved in serving the Muslim community over the course of the past 10 years through providing lectures, halaqas and workshops. http://www.sarahsultan.com/ Haleh Banani has a Master degree in Clinical Psychology with 20 years of experience working with couples and individuals. She was a featured expert on Al-Jazeera international, Huda TV, Islamic Open University, Mercy Mission and Bayinnah TV. Haleh is an instructor for Ilmflix and Qalam Institute. She was the first female to host a program for Al-Fajr TV called “With Haleh” which combines the principles of psychology and Islam. She does Skype coaching sessions with people from around the world saving marriages, building self-esteem & helping individuals in all their relationships. Haleh is an internationally published writer and counselor for the website www.MuslimMatters.org She received her ijaza for the recitation of the Quran in Egypt. She was recently given the Icon Award representing America in Malaysia for her contribution in psychology & Islam. She has been married for Alhamdulillah 20 years with 3 kids ages 16, 13 & 11. https://halehbanani.com   SEEMA Learn more about SEEMA (Support Embrace Empower Mental Advocacy):  SEEMA ============== E-mail us your comments, feedback, and questions at TheMadMamluks@gmail.com Twitter: @TheMadMamluks Facebook: www.facebook.com/themadmamluks  Instagram: TheMadMamluks  

SIM and Ismail talk to Twitter commentators on the revival of Islamic statecraft. Participants: AQ: Formerly Oxford, now Cambridge grad student. Mostly focused on philosophy and Islamic theology @Evollaqi Dimashqee: Student of politics and history. @Dimashaqee Hossam Gamea studied Psychology at Hunter College, has been involved with several political grassroots efforts, including Criminal Justice reform, anti-government surveillance, anti-racist, anti-war, and Pro-Palestine efforts, and is a co-founder of an organization known as IMJ (Islamic Movement for Justice), which is dedicated to reviving political Islam within the Muslim American consciousness. @FromCairotoBx Haris is a Grad student at Oxford, did undergrad at U of T, interests in international relations, Islamic finance, and Ottoman history. @transakhsanian ============== E-mail us your comments, feedback, and questions at TheMadMamluks@gmail.com Twitter: @TheMadMamluks Facebook: www.facebook.com/themadmamluks  Instagram: TheMadMamluks

Shaykh Hamzah Maqbul talks to Mahin, Shaykh Amir and SIM about rediscovering Rumi, the dilemma of the Qadiani movement and other thoughts. Shaykh Hamzah Maqbul is originally from the West Coast and currently resides in the Chicagoland area. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from the University of Washington in Seattle. After graduation Shaykh Hamzah went on to pursue traditional Islamic studies, which took him to a number of countries, including Syria and Egypt where he studied the Arabic language, Morocco, Mauritania, and UAE, where he studied the madhab of Imam Malik, grammar, usul al-hadith, and the two renditions of the qira’ah of Imam Nafi’, Warsh and Qalun, and finally Pakistan where he had the opportunity to study tafsir, usul al-hadith, hadith, ‘ilm al-rijal and Hanafi fiqh. All of these studies culminated in him receiving an ijazat al-tadris, literally meaning “a license to teach” which is the equivalent in Pakistani Islamic seminaries to a MA in Arabic and Islamic studies, as well as an unbroken chain of transmission by which to narrate the hadith of such books as the Muwatta of Imam Malik, the Sihah al-Sittah (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah), and the Sharh Ma’ani al-Athar of Imam al-Tahawi. Currently Shaykh Hamzah is employed full time at Islamic Relief where he is involved in their fundraising efforts. http://www.islamic-relief.org/ Hamzah Maqbul also teaches at Ribat.org Twitter: @HamzahMaqbul SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/hmaqbul Support bringing the universal creed of Islām into our context on an intellectually robust level. https://www.launchgood.com/project/modern_aqidah   ============== E-mail us your comments, feedback, and questions at TheMadMamluks@gmail.com Twitter: @TheMadMamluks Facebook: www.facebook.com/themadmamluks  Instagram: TheMadMamluks

We talk to Shaykh Abu Taubah from Orlando, FL about his time in Mauritania, his educational approach and marital advice. Hosts: Shaykh Amir Saeed, Mahin, and SIM Abu Taubah (born Marcus Robertson) is a convert to Islam from Brooklyn, New York.  He comes from an educated family where his father was the founding Vice President of Medgar Evers College, the only Negro college in the Northeastern United States.  His mother was a school principal and college professor.  He served in the U.S. Marine Corps before teaching at the Islamic School of Kansas City. He then went on to study at Umm ul Qura in Mauritania under the tutelage of Shaykh Muhammad Saalim wal-udood ash-Shanqitee (rahimahullah).  He is an expert in the Arabic language and is a hafidh of the Qu’ran with a specialization in Warsh.  He is the founder of the Timbuktu Seminary, which is an online institution to transmit the Islamic sciences in a traditional format.    www.timbuktuedu.com Interview with Greta Van Susteren (Fox News) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmHORPlkiD8 YouTube channel for Timbuktu Seminary https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH_6kgPaXDTARM4-pXM4HQw Facebook:  Timbuktu Seminary ============== E-mail us your comments, feedback, and questions at TheMadMamluks@gmail.com Twitter: @TheMadMamluks Facebook: www.facebook.com/themadmamluks Instagram: TheMadMamluks