In this concluding episode, Veronica Polo interviews Dr. Farhad Shafti about his ground-breaking work titled “The True Meaning of the Universality of the Qur’an”, an article that dissects the pluralistic vs. exclusivist view in the Islamic tradition. Dr. Shafti deconstructs five assumptions common to Muslims: 1.) That God only guides people through Prophets 2.) That every region of the planet has received a Prophet at some point in history 3.) That the Prophets that bring divine law automatically abrogate previous ones 4.) That Prophets came to guide all of humanity 5.) That there is only one correct understanding of God, the Hereafter, and the Unseen.

A wider and much more encompassing perspective is offered.

In this episode we define what “riba” is (usually translated to English as usury).  We describe its history within Judaism and Christianity, and then look at the roots of the term in the Qur’an, as well as the classical interpretations in Islamic law. We discuss why Muslims are so concerned with this concept.  We explore the ways in which economic oppression happens today that fall outside the traditional scholarly areas of concern.

Gender seems to play a big role in the way that Islam is perceived both inside and outside the faith. Muslims will generally say (rather fervently) that Islam protects and honors women. Critics of Islam will insist that it is clearly oppressive to women based on disturbing social realities. Why are these two perspectives so hard to reconcile? In this episode, our guest Sitara Akram, in conjunction with Dr. Farhad Shafti and Veronica Polo, dissect these divergent narratives. We touch on controversial topics such as sexual harassment and rape, gender segregation, and the problematic exclusion of women from the field of Qur’anic interpretation.

In this episode, Dr. Farhad Shafti details seven areas that he has identified which may serve as impediments to understanding the Qur’an. An eye-opening and clarifying session! Take a listen and contact us with comments and questions about the points raised.

Every born Muslim has a different experience depending on their upbringing, culture, and personal drive for inquiry. Today once again we have a guest, Waseem Aslam, who describes his own personal journey, being born in Pakistan and emigrating to work as a doctor in the United Kingdom. He describes the factors that led him to wrestle with what being a Muslim meant to him, as well as his growth in finding compassion and affinity with those in other traditions.

What does it mean to switch faiths? What is it like for Muslim “converts” in particular? (For lack of a better term!) What are the typical highs and lows that new Muslims experience? What happens to those open-minded seekers that when joining a group are led to exclusivism and narrow-mindedness? In this episode Dr. Farhad Shafti and Veronica Polo are joined by James Coates, who helps us with these questions as he walks us through his own particular journey.

The perennial question and cause of debate between Muslim scholars and practitioners alike: is the Sharia (what is understood as God’s law, Muslim or otherwise) a static or dynamic concept? In this episode we attempt to categorize regulations by type and then see which aspects of Sharia perhaps require some adaptability.  

What do we mean by “sunnah”? How is it different from “hadith”? How are the customs and traditions of Muslims passed down and considered reliable? Dr. Shafti shares his views, which build upon the work of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi and Amin Ahsan Islahi.

In this final Ramadan episode, we delve into the meaning of Laylat al-Qadr, sometimes translated as the Night of Power or Night of Decree. We question if it’s a singular yearly occurrence or whether it can mean something much more profound than that. We talk about transitioning out of Ramadan. Lastly, Farhad gives a beautiful description of prayer and how it can be used as a tool for transformation.

In this episode we continue to talk about Ramadan. First, Farhad and I catch up to see how the first weeks of our month of Ramadan are going. Afterwards we talk about the tradition of Tarawih prayers, where this practice originated and how the intended benefit sometimes goes astray. We discuss how to benefit from reading the Qur’an this month. We touch on the order of the surahs in the Qur’an as well as its different functions. We finish with a parable on the different states one can enter when reading the Qur’an depending on the intention and perception of the individual.