Dr. Rania Awaad joins the ImanWire Podcast to discuss mental health and the history of the Maristans throughout the Muslim world. Ahead of their time, these institutions of healing provided an integrated system of care treating the mind, body and soul. Rooted in the foundations of the religion itself, their innovative approach provide a model for reimagining and revitalizing health care today.

Rania Awaad, M.D. is the Co-Founder and President of Maristan, a nonprofit reviving the Islamic legacy of holistic healing through spiritually and culturally congruent clinical care, education, and training. She is also a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab. Dr. Awaad is a nationally recognized speaker, award-winning teacher, researcher, and author in both the Islamic and medical sciences. She holds traditional certifications (ijaza) in Qur’an, Islamic Law, and other Islamic sciences.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction

2:09 - Human Psychology in the Qur'an and Sunnah

4:06 - Mental Health and the Objectives of the Shariah

5:02 - Majnun in the Hadith: A Treatable Condition

8:52 - Ahead of Its Time: Maristans as a Place of Healing

15:15 - A Shared Ethos Across Time and Space

17:02 - Sustainability Through Awqaf

18:27 - Holistic Healing Rooted in the Religion

19:58 - Caring for the Poor: A Central Spiritual Motivation

22:11 - The Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual Framework

24:19 - Customized Sound Therapy and Engaging the Five Senses

27:26 - Talk Therapy

29:01 - Fitrah Alignment: Healing Through Architecture

35:53 -Ihsaan in Practice: The Responsibility of the Provider

39:26 - The Caregiver is the Mirror to the Patient

41:58 - Why Did Mental Illness Become Stigmatized?

47:03 - Colonization of the Mind

50:26 - Shifting Trends: Islamic Psychology and Contemporary Psychiatry

54:34 - Implementing the Maristan Model Today

Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui describes the difference between Salah and the Christian definition of the word 'Prayer' and how we as Muslims must understand the incredible distinction.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction

1:58 - Importance of Salah

9:24 - Salah as Enlightenment

18:03 - Believers' Success

20:32 - Attaining Focus in Prayer

28:03 - Distractions During Salah

33:15 - Salah Reflects Life

35:42 - Daily Impact of Prayer

39:13 - Immediate Self-Improvement

41:05 - Understanding Through Similarity

42:40 - Dua for Purpose

Dr. Shadee Elmasry from NBIC and Safina Society joins the ImanWire Podcast for a trip down memory lane with Moutasem and Ghuydar and a roundtable discussion on building spiritual communities.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction

2:26 - New York Vs New Jersey

5:38 - Building Intentional Community

10:13 - Fear of Communal Dhikr

14:22 - No More Secret Invites

18:31 - Spiritual Transformations in the Circles of Dhikr

22:54 - Qasidahs Are the Lessons for the Layman

24:56 - Drivers of Muslim Culture

31:00 - The Decline of Salafi Dawah

34:46 - Teenage Souls

40:38 - Spiritual Guides

45:35 - Right and Left Extremes and Influencers

52:16 - Waves of New Muslims

54:05 - Ibadah Over 'Ilm

55:23 - Spiritual Diets and Dinner Invitations

59:21 - Remembering Muhammad Shareef

1:01:14 -Differing Positions and Character

1:04:01 - The Saintly Worker

Shaykh Mokhtar defines the root of the word 'Salah' and what it means to connect our hearts to Allah ﷻ through the act of prayer.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction

9:43 - Significance of Salah in Daily Life

19:15 - Salah's Role in Islamic Faith

27:00 - Spiritual Impact of Neglecting Salah

45:40 - Prophet Muhammad's Final Teachings: Salah and Compassion

50:33 - Divine Support for the Patient Believers

The relationship between God and the Messenger of God ﷺ was rooted in love, and the experience of knowing Allah through the door of love caused our Prophet ﷺ to be the beloved of God. How can we connect with the Beloved of God ﷺ? Ustadha Zaynab Ansari from Tayseer Seminary returns to the Imanwire podcast to discuss how to find Prophetic love amidst the challenges of the modern age.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction

2:19 - How Can We Embody Love of the Prophet?

4:59 - Physical Distance, Spiritual Proximity

12:33 - Finding Love Through Books and People

18:40 - The Roadblock of Reductionism

22:15 - Problematizing the Age of Aisha

26:09 - The Prophet ﷺ and Male Authority

32:09 - Finding the Feminine in the Prophetic Story

39:15 - Connecting to the Prophet ﷺ as a Woman

40:57 - Role of Aesthetics in Cultivating Prophetic Love

Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui describes how the world around us is affected by what is inside of us, at both a micro and macro level, and how the worth of a civilization is by the existence of one's 'akhlaq.'

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Opening Du'a by Shaykh

1:25 - Inner World Reflection

1:48 - Tazkiyah Significance

1:54 - Civilization Value

10:55 - Truthful Poet's Wisdom

14:42 - Tazkiyah Focus on Allah

18:20 - Heart's Spiritual Progression

23:40 - Character in Islam

27:50 - Value of Good Companionship

34:08 - Salah's Spiritual Importance

37:40 - Benefits of Regular Salah

39:50 - Consequences of Neglecting Salah

43:25 - Salah's Influence on Morality

Dealing with a narcissist can be an unpleasant experience, whether it is in our family, workplace or community. How does narcissism connect with the Islamic discourse on the nafs and self-purification? Aaatifa Shareef, a professional licensed counselor and instructor at Qalam Institute, bridges the fields of modern psychology and Islamic knowledge to discuss how we can manage our relationships with narcissists who can make our lives very difficult.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Narcissist-in-Chief and the Nafs

13:03 - Diagnosis and the Balance of Psychology and Islamic Knowledge

21:34 - A Strong Sense of Self vs. Self-Admiration

32:26 - Dealing With Problematic Family Members

35:26 - Severing Ties

37:13 - Ihsaan, Birr & Boundaries

42:22 - Only Human: Not Letting It Affect Us

52:39 - Drawing Attention to Narcissism in a Loving Way

57:33 - Finding a Support System

1:01:29 - Respecting the Elderly vs. Questioning the Family

1:04:21 - Institutional Leadership

1:12:22 - Getting Cut Off

1:15:58 - Self-Care Regimen

"I must never be the defender of my nafs, or thinking that I have nothing to change and others must change. I must always begin with the premise, that I have everything to change." Shaykh Mokhtar Maghroaui continues the conversation of the addiction of the nafs and how to begin taking the steps to changing them.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction

03:09 - Homecoming Journey

05:46 - Facing Bankruptcy

10:23 - Embracing Emptiness

15:30 - Achieving Ultimate Freedom

17:59 - Understanding the Cup Analogy

22:12 - Exploring Khalifa Concept

27:50 - Spiritual Cleansing Beliefs

37:40 - Anwar: Divine Illumination

40:10 - Experiencing Allah's Light

44:40 - Self-Reflection on Faults

51:39 - Angelic Intervention Story

55:43 - Divine Support for the Devout

56:48 - Embracing Rectification

57:40 - Intermission Break

As people worldwide struggle to cope today with the negative impact of man-made environmental degradation, the crucial step to a solution is understanding our place in the created world and its connection with our Creator. Dr. Amir Abdelzaher joins the podcast to discuss an Islamic vision for spiritual ecology, connecting theology with environmental ethics.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction

2:34 - Challenging Definitions: What Is the Environment?

7:53 - The Creation of Allah: How We Value the Environment

17:39 - The Environment in Worship of Allah

21:08 - The Environment as a Sign: The Contingency Argument for God

29:02 - Environmental Literacy: Deducing the Attributes of Allah

32:39 - A Witness for or Against Us?

35:19 - Reverence and Glorification: Resonating With the Environment

43:24 - Environmental Sensitivity

44:56 - Where the Environment Stands Today

50:30 - Representing the Divine: The Command of Abu Bakr and Its Principles

55:29 - Man Vs Nature: Who Takes Priority?

1:01:14 - Concrete Jungles and Reconnecting With the Environment

Addiction overpowers us even when knowing its harm. In this episode Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui teaches how to have the will, the desire, and the resolve to change and begin removing habits that cause addiction in the heart.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction to Addiction and Purification

1:52 - Willpower and Change Initiation

15:35 - Self-Reflection and Negative Traits Acknowledgment

18:50 - Realization of Self in Addiction Recovery

24:15 - Al-Qawi: Embracing Inner Strength

29:35 - Al-Matin: Cultivating Resilience in Sobriety

33:15 - Al-Aziz: Achieving Dignity in Addiction Battle

37:40 - Qalb's Role in Overcoming Addiction

40:50 - Ego's Influence on Addiction Journey