Boys In The Cave

In this bumper episode, Dr Shadee joins the team to discuss some essential issues. This includes the real role of tasawwuf and purification of the heart, the importance of a 'street' education, the state of academia, how to understand the world from an Islamic lens, and how to practically do dhikr. Dr. Shadee Elmasry was born and raised in New Jersey and studied in the Muslim world in Fez, Hadramawt, Cairo, Makka, and Madina. He completed a Masters from The George Washington University in comparative religion, then a PhD from the University of London, SOAS on "Da'wa in the Works of Imam al-Haddad." Hosts : Tanzim & Josh Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: boysinthecave@gmail.com, and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes! Follow us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/ Instagram – @boysinthecave Twitter - @boysinthecave Become a Patreon today! https://www.patreon.com/boysinthecave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Shadee's online presence https://twitter.com/DrShadeeElmasry https://www.facebook.com/DrShadeeElmasry/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Upbringing and the importance of having passion and putting effort into the din 9:30 - The importance of knowledge; the superiority of the scholar over the worshipper. Discussion of how Muslims cannot just be ideologues; there has to be practical application so we are the complete package. Importance of ibadah, Quran, Tajweed etc. 22:00 - The sanad tradition allows Islam to be preserved and gives us something firm to act upon. 28:00 - Introduction. Dr Shadee talks about his journey coming out of academia and his 'second education' on the streets. The importance of knowing what's affecting the people so you can be effective. The problems with a lot of modern academia; often it is disconnected and has no effect on the world. True knowledge is that which benefits the listener. 44:00 - Career discussions and Dr Shadee's advice on STEM and the liberal arts. 46:30 - The framework we use to understand the world; materialist vs an Islamic framework. The Muslim considers both the asbaab (means) and their status with Allah. The way to think about and act in the face of oppression. 1:02:30 - Islamic conception of spirituality; not usually an escape from reality, but a preparation for it. The importance of remembrance of Allah and ways of doing it. Discussion on doubts, darkness and purification of the heart. 1:11:45: More on the heart and tasawwuf. Discussion on how to come to certainty and rational proofs. Importance of dhikr (remembrance) of Allah again. Practical ways to do dhikr. Importance how you deal with others and the link to your state in the grave. 1:24:15 - Brief discussion on Karamaat. Book reference: Sufis of Andalusia. 1:28:40 - If you were to sit in a cave with 3 people, who would you pick?

Time for an imaan boost during Ramadan! We bring on our beloved close friend Rafael to talk about his journey to Islam from Atheism, the insane experiences he had before converting and also the struggles he went through after converting. Rafael Bruzzese is currently studying Teaching, majoring in English Literature at The University of Sydney. He was part of a 'Converts Panel' at the University of Sydney and very recently was part of a 'Ins and Outs of Islam' panel, which took place at the University of New South Wales. Host - Tanzim & Josh Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: boysinthecave@gmail.com, and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes! Follow us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/ Instagram – @boysinthecave Twitter - @boysinthecave Become a Patreon today! https://www.patreon.com/boysinthecave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rafael Bruzzese's Online Presence https://millennialmuslims.wordpress.com/2017/04/20/if-youre-muslim-why-are-you-white/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [2:30] Other revert stories and different experiences [8:15] Planting the seeds when giving dawah [12:30] Rafael's upbringing and how his parents influenced him [20:45] When Rafael first encountered Islam [24:00] General perception of religion [29:00] Rafael's initial experiences with Islam [37:00] Objectification of women [38:00] Rafael's experience of alcohol poisoning [40:00] Rafael's encounter with a Muslim Turkish girl [45:00] Rafael's Shahada [47:00] How did Rafael gain certainty in Islam? [51:00] Rafael's experiences and encounters after converting [1:01:00] Where Rafael is currently at in regards to Islamic knowledge [1:05:00] Orientalism & perspectives of history [1:08:00] Rafael's encounters with particular Islamic groups [1:16:00] Perennialism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennial_philosophy

Women in Islam is a big topic so we chat with The Salafi Feminist in regards to Muslim women issues that are prevalent in the Muslim community, how we should deal with it, compare our current situation with the Muslim women of The Prophet peace be upon him's time and how as a community we can solve the current issues. The Salafi Feminist aka Zainab bint Younus is a Canadian Muslim woman who has been active in grassroots da'wah and writing about Islam and the Ummah for the last ten years. Her main focus is on gender relations, Muslim women in Islamic history, and combating misogyny in Muslim communities. She can be found posting regularly on her Facebook page (The Salafi Feminist) and her blog TheSalafiFeminist.blogspot.com Host - Tanzim & Josh Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: boysinthecave@gmail.com, and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes! Follow us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/ Instagram – @boysinthecave Twitter - @boysinthecave Become a Patreon today! https://www.patreon.com/boysinthecave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Salafi Feminist's Online Presence; https://www.facebook.com/TheSalafiFeminist/ Twitter: @AnonyMousey thesalafifeminist.blogspot.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shownotes [1:30] State of halal food places in Canada & differences between Canada and Australia [6:30] Introducing The Salafi Feminist & her journey as a writer [12:00] Why Zainab chose her moniker as The Salafi Feminist [19:00] Using the term "feminism" to reclaim Muslim rights under Islam [23:20] Stephen Hawkings and how some Muslims reacted to his death [27:30] What are the exact struggles of Muslim women and what can we do to solve them? [29:30] Are women issues only particular to a group of community of Muslims i.e. Arabs, Desis? [33:30] Do women from other faith groups go through similar struggles that Muslim women go through? [36:20] Is the struggles of what the Muslim women face in The West different to the struggles Muslim women face in other parts of the world? [39:30] Comparing the freedom of the women of RasulAllah's time to the times of today [48:00] How did Muslim women's "freedom" become limited in today's day and age? [49:15] Patriarchy that exists in the Muslim community [53:00] How should we look after our Muslim daughters?

Daniel Haqiqatjou delves deep into the whole concept of being a "homosexual" that is coined in The West, the Islamic position of people who have same-sex desires, the effects of gay marriage being legalised within today's society and also how to approach Muslims who have same-sex desires. Daniel Haqiqatjou attended Harvard University where he studied Physics and Philosophy, has also completed a Masters degree in Philosophy, and has spoken at universities. His work has been featured in outlets such as The Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, Aljazeera, Public Discourse. He teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Respect Graduate School, and is also a contributor to the Muslim Debate Initiative, muslimskeptic.com, yaqeeninstitute.org, muslimmatters.org. Host - Tanzim Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: boysinthecave@gmail.com, and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes! Follow us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/ Instagram – @boysinthecave Twitter - @boysinthecave Become a Patreon today! https://www.patreon.com/boysinthecave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel Haqiqatjou's Online Presence; Website: muslimskeptic.org Email – haqiqatjou@gmail.com Twitter: @haqiqatjou Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haqiqatjou/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this episode, we look at the relationship between Islam and psychology with Karim Serageldin. A wide variety of topics are explored including the problems with mainstream psychology, an Islamic conception of the self, depression, happiness, and the importance of one's relationship with Allah. Karim, the founder of Noor Human Consulting, has a BA in psychology & religion and an MA in east-west psychology with a specialization in spiritual counseling. He is a certified life and relationship coach with years of teaching and community outreach experience. He consults with leading scholars of Islam and is working on his own theory of Islamic psychology for Muslims in the west. Karim is also the Host of his own podcast show called 'Coffee with Karim'! Host - Tanzim Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: boysinthecave@gmail.com, and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes! Follow us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/ Instagram – @boysinthecave Twitter - @boysinthecave Become a Patreon today! https://www.patreon.com/boysinthecave -------------- Karim's online presence: https://www.facebook.com/CoffeewKarim/ https://coffeewithkarim.com/ http://www.noorhumanconsulting.com ------------- 1:30 Introduction and about Karim and his work 11:00 Mainstream psychology; issues with it and how it conceives the human compared to Islam. Materialist conception of the self. Problem of consciousness. Free will. 26:00 Religion and spirituality within mainstream psychology. Importance of Islamic understanding of the self. 33:00 Depression; what it is, and how it can be handled, and the Islamic approach. 45:40 Taking knowledge from all sources and the benefit of having multi dimensional knowledge and perspectives. 49:30 Importance of self-care; physically, mentally etc. Eating good food and relation to Islam 58:15 - More on depression and dealing with it. Is it enough to just do Islamic rituals. Importance of addressing deeper issues. 1:07:50 Discussion of those who seek happiness or well-being without regard to any moral constraints; 'whatever makes you happy' kind of thinking. Islam not about whatever makes you happy. How one can harm one's one self. 1:15-50 - Happiness; it's definition and how it isn't a good goal to have. 1:21:00 - The importance of one's relationship with Allah to achieving a good state. Islam being the foundation for everything. 1:25:50 - More on happiness and what kind of state we should be aiming for in this world. How often what we think is difficult leads to good. 1:30:05 If you could meet any 3 people, who would they be?

We look at the importance of the Prophet (pbuh) to us today and how we can build a connection with him. We also touch on the miracle of the Quran as well as Isra & Miraj and what we can learn from it. Ustadh Muhammad Al-Bizry studied Islam locally before he travelled to Egypt to pursue further studies, particularly in the Arabic language. He possess a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Science, Sport & Exercise Science, a postgraduate degree in education, and is currently completing a Masters of Classical Arabic. He is a well known daee and teacher in Sydney, teaching at various Islamic centres and colleges, specifically at Markaz Al-Imam Ahmad. He is also a qualified primary and secondary teacher and teaches at private Islamic schools in Sydney. Hosts - Aquib & Tanzim Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: boysinthecave@gmail.com, and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes! Follow us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/ Instagram – @boysinthecave Twitter - @boysinthecave Become a Patreon today! https://www.patreon.com/boysinthecave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ustadh Muhammad Al Bizry's Online Presence: https://www.facebook.com/MuhammadAlBizryOfficial Ustadh's Current Project. Muslim Kid Friendly TV Programs http://one4kids.net/start/ https://www.facebook.com/one4kids/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0:00 Introduction to Ustadh Muhammad Al-Bizry and the importance of being approachable 4:50 Importance of having a connection with the Prophet (pbuh) and how we can build this. 10:00 How love for the Prophet (pbuh) manifests and how to learn from the Seerah today 16:00 How we can increase our emaan through the Seerah and the Quran. 19:00 - The Miracle of the Quran and how we can witness it today 23:45 Isra and Miraj; the Night Journey and what we learn from it.

The Boys were chilling before their episode recording with Ustadh Muhammad al-Bizry so they decided to catchup on what was happening. But as per usual it turns into a dnm. Tanzim talks about his adventures at cricket training, whilst somehow also talking about Islam in the process and Aquib talks about his hiking experiences whilst also sprinkling a dose of his insights of Islam, society and people's behaviour in general. Hosts: Aquib and Tanzim SPECIAL WEEK WITH TWO BACK TO BACK EPISODES RELEASED ON THE SAME DAY! TUNE INTO OUR NEXT EPISODE WITH OUR BELOVED USTADH MUHAMMAD AL-BIZRY (WILL BE RELEASED IN A FEW HOURS). Send us your comments, feedback, and questions at boysinthecave@gmail.com or through Facebook, and please leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes! Follow us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/ Instagram – @boysinthecave Twitter - @boysinthecave

We delve into the whole concept of love and Islam's position on true love, whilst talking about how the youth should approach marriage, the issues that husband and wife face in marriage and how to approach it. Shaykh Bilal Dannoun has a degree in Languages majoring in Arabic and English. He has studied Classical Arabic under Sheikhs. He has done enormous amount of dawah work through conducting lectures and videos which are all online and you can check it out on Muslim Central. He has delivered several intensive courses on Jurisprudence, Tajweed and various other Islamic sciences. He is also the co-founder of Al-Firdaus Quran College and is a Arabic and Quran reading instructor. But now he is very well known especially around Sydney as an Authorised Marriage Celebrant and Marriage Counsellor, aka The Love Doctor. counselling people on a daily basis through his office, online and social media. Host - Tanzim & Josh Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: boysinthecave@gmail.com, and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes! Follow us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/ Instagram – @boysinthecave Twitter - @boysinthecave Become a Patreon today! https://www.patreon.com/boysinthecave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shaykh Bilal Dannoun's Online Presence; https://www.facebook.com/bilaldannoun Instagram: @bilaldannoun Twitter: @bilaldannoun http://www.muslimmarriagecelebrant.com.au/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [0:00] Introduction [3:00] Bilal Danoun's routine and what he does [7:30] The nature of love; how does it come about in a marriage? [12:00] What is causing the high divorce rates amongst Muslim marriages. What is required to create and maintain a good marriage. [19:00] More on what's required to ensure a good marriage. The importance of your relationship with Allah and how it's linked to your marital life. Other important things to consider. [27:00] Is age just a number? [31:30] Expectations set for young people before they can get married such as a degree, job etc. When should you get married. Considering the Western context and difficulties faced by young people. [36:00] Dealing with issues related to parents. [45:10] Expectations again. Importance of communicating expectations before hand. [48:00] Extravagant marriages [51:50] Intercultural marriages and the Shaykh's experience with them

Daniel Haqiqatjou delves deep into the whole concept of being a "homosexual" that is coined in The West, the Islamic position of people who have same-sex desires, the effects of gay marriage being legalised within today's society and also how to approach Muslims who have same-sex desires. Daniel Haqiqatjou attended Harvard University where he studied Physics and Philosophy, has also completed a Masters degree in Philosophy, and has spoken at universities. His work has been featured in outlets such as The Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, Aljazeera, Public Discourse. He teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Respect Graduate School, and is also a contributor to the Muslim Debate Initiative, muslimskeptic.com, yaqeeninstitute.org, muslimmatters.org. Host - Tanzim Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: boysinthecave@gmail.com, and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes! Follow us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/ Instagram – @boysinthecave Twitter - @boysinthecave Become a Patreon today! https://www.patreon.com/boysinthecave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel Haqiqatjou's Online Presence; Website: muslimskeptic.org Email – haqiqatjou@gmail.com Twitter: @haqiqatjou Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haqiqatjou/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0:00 - Intro 5:50 - Reality of Muslim life in the US. Discussing the Trump administration compared to previous administrations, and the tactics of some government agencies. 14:30 - Same-sex desire; is it nature or nurture? Islam's history of recognising same sex desire and fiqh surrounding it. 23:20 - Using our own Islamic vocab instead of the vocab from LGBT/Western thought. Questioning the idea of sexual orientation such as being 'straight' or 'gay', and how this shouldn't form part of one's identity. 31:10 - The negative effects on society of same-sex relations becoming accepted, and how everyone is affected. The social ills that can come of it. How Muslims are also affected by this. The importance of the family as an institution. 42:50 - Story of a child with multiple gay parents. The victims and negative consequences of same-sex relations. Islam's emphasis on importance of knowing one's lineage, having kinship bonds. 50:10 - How Muslims navigate a society where same-sex relations are normalised; in public, in corporate life, MSAs, masjids etc. Maintaining an Islamic position. 55:30 - How can we help Muslims who are struggling with same sex desires, who want to be practicing Muslims? The services that exist and some solutions. Importance of using the correct language again. 1:03:20 - Importance of Muslims discussing this issue and conveying the Islamic position. Importance of how we must be careful when discussing the issue, and bringing our own Islamic concepts instead of taking Western concepts for granted.

We discuss with Nuriddeen Knight about the rise of feminism in The West, gender and family roles in traditional Islam, the issues of finding the right spouse in the modern world and women scholarship in Islam. Ustadha Nuriddeen Knight completed an MA in Psychology from Colombia University, studied Islamic knowledge in Jordan including Islamic law, theology, spirituality and prophetic biography. She started nooralshadhili.com, has written the books '40 Hadith of 'Aisha' and Our Mother 'Aisha: 40 Hadith Collection, also has her own blog bythefigandtheolive.com and has her own podcast called 'In The Days of Noor'. Host – Tanzim Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: boysinthecave@gmail.com, and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes! Follow us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/ Instagram – @boysinthecave Twitter - @boysinthecave Become a Patreon today! https://www.patreon.com/boysinthecave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nuriddeen Knight's Online Presence; Website: nuriddeenknight.com Blog: bythefigandtheolive.com Email – info@nuriddeenknight.com Twitter: @nuriddeenknight @figandoliveblog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Knight.Nuriddeen Ustadha Nuriddeen Knight completed an MA in Psychology from Colombia University, studied Islamic knowledge in Jordan including Islamic law, theology, spirituality and prophetic biography. She started nooralshadhili.com, has written the books '40 Hadith of 'Aisha' and Our Mother 'Aisha: 40 Hadith Collection, also has her own blog bythefigandtheolive.com and has her own podcast called 'In The Days of Noor'. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Show notes [2:00] - Introduction to Ust. Nuriddeen Knight; her background, studies, living in Jordan [10:45] - Feminism; whether all these online discussion have a point, the use of language, and the risks of debate. [21:00] - How modern ideas about gender like patriarchy, equality etc stand in relation to Islam. Gender roles within Islam [25:45] - The Western historical experience in relation to women vs the Muslim historical experience. [29:18]: "Al-Muḥaddithāt: The Women Scholars in Islam" Sh Mohammad Akram Nadwi [29:27]: "Muslim Women: A Biographical Dictionary" Aisha Bewley [30:35] Navigating cultural Islam vs traditional Islam in relation to women, working out gender roles in the modern world. Importance of looking at fiqh and the historical experience of women. [37:13] Gender roles; what roles women should take on; work, housework, etc. [43:00] Marriage, divorce, and how gender is involved [1:00:08] Perceived lack of female Islamic scholarship; is this the case, and if so, why? Relation to gender roles. [1:24:00] Degradation of the home. The importance of home life vs public life.