Ep.99 - Can Muslims Survive the Liberal Inquisition? with Imam Tom Facchine
We ask Imam Tom Facchine about the aggressive liberal state that places value-thick demands on the Muslim community and whether Muslims can survive this liberal inquisition. Imam Tom combines a political science study with his traditional Islamic learning.
Ep.98 - Can Muslims Thrive without a Caliphate? with Dr Uthman Badar
We talk to Dr Uthman Badar about the centrality of the caliphate in Islam - are Muslims deficient without Islamic governance?
Ep.97 - Who’s Afraid of the Taliban with Ahmed-Waleed Kakar
We explore US withdrawal from Afghanistan, where it leaves the country, the geopolitics of the region, Afghanistan’s relationship with Pakistan and the role of the Taliban with Ahmed-Waleed Kakar, an analyst specialising in Afghan political history and the founder and editor in chief of The Afghan Eye.
Ep.96 - Raising Confident Muslim Girls in the West with Farhat Amin
This week we explore the issues Farhat Amin raises in her new book ‘Smart Teenage Muslimah, an inspirational guide for Muslim Girls’. Farhat is concerned with Muslim girls' challenges in the West and how society impacts their sense of identity and self.
Ep.95 - What is Belief and Disbelief - An In-depth Discussion with Ustadh Iyad Hilal
What is disbelief and what is belief? And does every act of disbelief take a person outside of Islam? We take a deep dive into this often misunderstood area and reflect on the differences within classical Islam.
Ep.94 - Why are So Many Young Britons Converting to Islam in 2023? With Imam Ashraf Dabous
Imam Ashraf, who leads a congregation in the inner-city London borough of Lewisham, discusses why so many British youngsters are turning to Islam.
Ep.93 - Pragmatism, Politics and Power with Dr Yasir Qadhi
In this episode, we comprehensively examine Islam and politics with Dr Yasir Qadhi. We explore Muslim engagement in politics in the West, its pitfalls, and the vexed issue of politicians that embrace and celebrate socially liberal positions. We also consider the issue of reviving the caliphate, its obligation and its priority.
Ep.92 - Raving in Riyadh – The New Saudi Arabia with Sami Hamdi
From the war in Yemen to raves in Riyadh, political analyst Sami Hamdi analyses the ‘modern’ Saudi Arabia as a regional power.
Ep.91 - 10 Books PAUL WILLIAMS Thinks Everyone Should Read
Paul Williams of Blogging Theology talks to Muhammad Jalal about his ten most influential books, why he recommends them and the importance of reading.
Ep.90 - Palestine, Al Aqsa and Liberation with Dr Azzam Tamimi
The recent atrocity at al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan underscores the brutality of Israel’s settler colonial project. Our guest this week, Palestinian and Islamic activist Dr Azzam Tamimi gave us a background to the apartheid policies of the state and explained why he believes, ultimately, the severity of Israel’s brutality only serves to express its sheer failure as a project.
Ep.89 - How to become a Seeker of the Divine? Lessons from the Spiritual Master Ibn Qayyim with Ovamir Anjum
Professor Ovamir Anjum, the translator into English of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya’s Madarij al-Salikin, talks to The Thinking Muslim about the great Damascene scholar’s spiritual perspectives, including the wisdom of sin, what attributes a believer should shun and acquire, the multiple stations on the route to this journey and the role of obedience to Allah for spiritual felicity.
Ep.88 - A Thinking Muslim’s Guide to Ramadan with Sohail Hanif
This fascinating interview with Dr Sohail Hanif looks to uncover the secrets of Ramadan. What should the month indeed mean to believers? And what should we be striving to achieve this month? How should we treat its minutes and hours? And how do we know whether, as the hadith suggests, we have lost its blessings or gained success out of it?
Ep.87 - Is poor mental health the product of weak Iman? - with Psychiatrist Dr Imran Waheed
Dr Imran Waheed is a consultant psychiatrist who specialises in acute mental health cases. We ask him about the mental health crisis, whether the lack of iman has a role in its prevalence and whether Islam has role in its cure. We look at consumer capitalism and sadness, the absence of community and faith and how one can build mental resilience.
Ep.86 - Hadith: What orientalists and modernists get wrong - with Dr Jonathan Brown
Dr Jonathan Brown joins us this week to engage in an in-depth discussion about the Hadith corpus and why contemporary arguments forwarded by orientalists and modernists lack rigour. He takes us on a journey of informed exploration of some of the key personalities and thinkers of early Islam and the lengths they went through to determine the veracity of a tradition attributed to the Messenger of Allah (saw).
Ep.85 - Why did the Ottoman Caliphate fall 99 years ago? with Dr Yakoob Ahmed
We speak with Ottoman historian Yakoob Ahmed about the causes behind the removal of Abdulmejid II, Ottoman decline and the impact this event had on the Muslim world.
Ep.84 - Is the British government looking to outlaw Islam? – Dr Layla Aitlhadj on the Shawcross Review
We have spoken previously about the British Conservative government’s policy of Prevent, an extraordinary state plan to compel all public servants to monitor Muslims in their midst and report on them if they showed signs of extremism. William Shawcross, known for his anti-Islamic opinions was commissioned to lead an independent review into Prevent and suggest a way forward. We ask Dr Layla about the Shawcross review and its implications for the Muslim community.
Ep.83 - Are Earthquakes a Punishment from Allah? With Imam Omar Suleiman
We ask Omar Suleiman what Islam says about earthquakes and whether they are punishments from Allah? We also ask him to address the inconsistencies in some political positions towards Assad and the Syrian civil war.
Ep.82 - Islam without Compromise with Moazzam Begg
We talk to former Guantanamo detainee and outreach director at CAGE International, Moazzam Begg about navigating activism without compromising one’s Islamic faith and the current state of the War on Terror.
Ep.81 - Hamza Tzortzis on Muslim Men, Misogyny and Masculinity
Hamza Andreas Tzortzis, in this very personal interview addresses his life in da’wah, imparts advice to young Muslim men and covers the controversies surrounding Andrew Tate and such role models.
Ep.80 - My Journey from the Far-Right to Islam with Joram van Klaveren
Joram van Klaveren understands the far-right in Europe, this is because he was one of them. As a leading member of Geert Wilder’s Dutch Freedom Party and MP in parliament, he argued for a Netherlands without Islam. This was until he decided to write a book to attack Islam, and his research ultimately led him to embrace the faith. Today he calls for Europe to reconsider its irrational hatred towards Muslims. I ask him to tell us his story, address immigration and explain how the far-right functions.