Boys In The Cave

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: [email protected], 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: [email protected], 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 [email protected] 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: [email protected], 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: [email protected], 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 – [email protected]

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: [email protected], 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 – [email protected]

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.

We discuss with Mahir Bhuiyan the essence of keeping healthy, how it ties in with Islam, the positive and negatives of gym culture and the rise of steroid use.

Mahir Bhuiyan is a bodybuilder, has completed a Bachelors in Health Science, is currently studying Occupational Therapy.

Hosts – Tanzim and Joshua

Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: [email protected], and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes!

Follow us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/

Instagram – @boysinthecave

Twitter - @boysinthecave

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mahir Bhuiyan's Online Presence;

Email – [email protected]

Instagram: @mhb_31

Mahir Bhuiyan is a dear older brother who we have looked up to within the community. He is a bodybuilder and an avid gym-goer. He has completed a Bachelors in Health Science, and is currently studying Occupational Therapy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shownotes

[2:05] – Who is Mahir Bhuiyan?

[3:10] – How long has Mahir been going to the gym and how did he get to where he is today?

[6:35] – What is the point of gym for you and why do you think other people in the society do it?

[8:00] – Discussion on the mentality/motivation for others to gym (wrong reasons?)

[11:05] – How did the popularisation of gym come about in the community here?

[12:32] – What does your gym routine look like?

[14:20] – Blessings of waking up for Fajr and starting your day early

[16:30] – Finding the religion in everything that you do

[17:45] – How big is Big Ramy? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamdouh_Elssbiay

[20:02] – What are the exercises that Mahir does specifically?

[21:28] – What does Mahir recommend for sisters who want to become fit and healthy?

[23:12] – Discussion about Islam's connection to staying fit and healthy (Hadith: https://www.eaalim.com/download/index.php/blog/entry/what-is-the-islamic-stance-on-obesity.html)

[25:05] – "Sitting is the new Smoking" (Victoria Health: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/the-dangers-of-sitting)

[25:35] – Commercialisation of health and fitness in the modern times

[26:41] – Fitness of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. (Hadith: https://theislamicworkplace.com/2011/12/01/follow-the-sunna-of-the-prophet-s-how-exercise-benefits-the-brain-and-overall-performance/)

[28:15] – The dangers of becoming addicted or obsessed with everyday tasks such as gym

[28:55] – Moderation in Islam (Hadith: https://abuaminaelias.com/moderation-and-balance-in-islam/)

[31:40] – Importance of getting young children into sports, especially young girls

[34:45] – What is the current prevalence of steroid usage, specifically in the Muslim community?

[38:30] – The importance of patience in gym

[41:06] – Instagram world creating body image issues for girls

[43:45] – Prophet Muhammad's Rural Spirituality Visits – Character Building

[44:40] – Environmental factors play the biggest role in shaping who you are

[46:36] – "When you're healthy, you're at your best"

[47:40] – Islam and physical activity (Hadith: http://www.sunnahsports.org.uk/reference.html)

We discuss with Shaykh Wael about the nature and impact of pornography addiction, the root causes for addiction, and how we should help those suffering.

Shaykh Wael Ibrahim is an Islamic speaker, founder of MentorPlus, and author of a few books on pornography addiction.

Hosts – Aquib, and Joshua

Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: [email protected], and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes!

Follow us on:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/

Instagram – @boysinthecave

Twitter - @boysinthecave

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shaykh Wael's Online Presence

Website – http://wael-ibrahim.com/

Email – [email protected]

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WaelIbrahimHK/

Twitter: @WaelIbrahimHK

Shaykh Wael Ibrahim is an Islamic speaker, scholar, professional trainer & life coach. With a BA in Islamic Studies, he is also the Founder & Chairman of Serving Islam Team in Hong Kong. He has published a few books such as 'Change', and 'Beat It: Fifty-Plus Shades of Hope'.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shownotes

[2:16] – How did Shaykh Wael get into researching and discussing pornography addiction?

[5:33] – Delving into the reasons why Muslims do not engage in discussion on pornography addiction in an open and frank manner

[9:29] – Emphasising the point of seeking professional help, or encouraging sufferers to get professional help to relieve themselves from addiction

[11:52] – Delving into the distinction between sin and addiction, and the nature of the addiction

[13:23] – Surah Saba, ayat 13 [https://quran.com/34/13]

[13:44] – Surah Ar-Ra'd, ayat 11 [https://quran.com/13/11]

[14:12] – Some root causes for pornography addiction

[24:07] – Some statistics underpinning the problem among Muslims

[27:41] – Continuing to explore root causes for pornography addiction

[35:06] – Specifics on how this cycle of addiction works

[38:56] – Delving more on the triggers for relapsing

[43:52] – The spiritual impacts on pornography addiction, transitioning into Islamic solutions

[48:53] – Hadith on Reliance from Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2344; Sahih (authentic) grade according to At-Tirmidhi

[51:00] – Surat Al-Mu'minun [https://quran.com/23]

[52:24] – Hadith from Sunan Ibn Majah; Vol. 3, Book 12, Hadith 2236

[53:15] – Disrupting the old habit of addiction with new healthy habits to prevent an addict from relapsing

[55:45] – Books published by Shaykh that are available for download or purchase

[57:04] – A few success stories of people breaking free from pornography addiction

On this episode, we talk to Sr. Abida about Orientalism and the portrayal of Muslim women throughout history, as well as modern representations that affect Muslims.

Abida is a postgraduate student at the University of New South Wales, pursuing a Juris Doctorate degree. She previously occupied the Vice President position at UNSWMSA, the Muslim Students Association on her campus, and has been actively involved in several community initiatives. Her informed interests include sociology, philosophy, as well as the current state of the Ummah.

Hosts: Joshua, and Aquib

Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: [email protected], and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes!

Follow us on:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/

Instagram – @boysinthecave

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shownotes

[2:33] – The evolution of topics and discussions in the scene for Sydney Muslim Students Associations

[5:10] – What is Orientalism and why does it concern Muslims?

[8:14] – Charles Hamilton [Wael B. Hallaq (2009). Sharī'a: Theory, Practice, Transformations. Cambridge University Press (Kindle edition). pp. 374–376]

[9:09] – Snouck Hurgronje [Algadri, Hamid (1994). Dutch Policy Against Islam and Indonesians of Arab Descent in Indonesia]

[14:08] – How have Muslim women been used by certain discourses involving orientalism to further narratives against Islam?

[17:03] – How have these depictions, particularly the body and veil constructs, been portrayed in modern times?

[19:03] – In what ways are these representations used by media, policymakers, art, literature and in mainstream discourse?

[20:04] – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/18/republican-voters-bomb-agrabah-disney-aladdin-donald-trump

[20:49] – http://reappropriate.co/2014/04/hey-air-france-your-orientalism-is-in-the-air/

[21:59] – Returning back to discussions on discourses using Orientalism to advance their views

[25:54] – Delving into how Orientalism affects Muslims in their practice of the Deen

[39:40] – What are the ways to reconstruct a better and lasting portrayal of Muslims?

On this episode, we talk to Bradley (Abdur-Rahman) about the journey to finding Islam from Christianity, the moments that have shaped his conviction, and delving into some discussions on observations of other beliefs to generate some insights for dawah carriers and activists.

Bradley is a regular Jamaat activist with Bonnyrigg Masjid, and offers reverts support, which includes teaching the basics for new Muslims

Hosts: Tanzim, and Joshua

Please email us your comments, feedback, and questions at: [email protected], and leave a review and 5-star rating on iTunes!

Follow us on:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/boysinthecave/

Instagram – @boysinthecave

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abdur-Rahman's Online Visibility:

You can contact Abdur-Rahman at [email protected] for any questions regarding revert support.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shownotes

[1:29] – Introductions

[6:15] – Abdurrahman's life prior to Islam

[10:16] – Exploring Abdurrahman's state of belief through Catholic teachings

[14:33] – Delving into family dynamics while growing up, and after accepting the Deen

[16:30] – High school experiences

[22:16] – Living within the two different faiths (Vision compatibility, accountability, morality etc)

[24:54] – Encounters of Islam

[26:22] – What made Abdurrahman more interested in learning about, and building conviction in Islam?

[46:53] – Exploring the clarity of Islam

[50:00] – Life after taking the Shahada

[58:59] – Future Aspirations