The Deenspiration Podcast

How does Shaykh Amer Jamil approach the blessed month of Ramadan?

In this uplifting episode of ‘Heart 2 Heart’, we’re joined by Shaykh Amer Jamil – an Islamic Scholar and Islamic Family Law expert and consultant.

Having travelled across various countries to seek knowledge from some of the world’s most respected scholars, learning a variety of Islamic sciences and traditions, Shaykh Amer has had his fair share of cultural experiences.

As the blessed month of Ramadan approaches, Shaykh Amer shares with us one of his most memorable and spiritually uplifting Ramadan experiences whilst on his travels as a student. In doing so, he also shares with us an incredibly important piece of advice that one of his teachers shared with him and his classmates on how to maximise productivity during the blessed month.

During the rapid round of questions at the end of the episode, we also learn some personal facts about Shaykh Amer including his favourite hobbies, the weirdest question somebody’s ever asked him, his hidden talent, and some valuable words of wisdom and life advice.

If you have a question for Shaykh Amer, any comments on the show or your own inspiring stories, scroll down and share them below!

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Islamic Scholar / Co-founder - Isyllabus

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The post EP 24: Preparing for Ramadan – feat. Shaykh Amer Jamil appeared first on Deenspiration.

In this inspiring episode of ‘Heart 2 Heart’, we’re joined by the wonderful Zara Mohammed – a leader and role model who’s passionate about empowering young voices and supporting women in her community.

In 2016, Zara was successfully elected as the President of the largest umbrella organisation for Muslim students in the UK and Ireland – FOSIS (Federation of Student Islamic Societies) – making her the first female leader of its 100,000+ students.

Founded in 1963, FOSIS is a broad and diverse body that aims to serve and represent Muslim students in further and higher education.  It is the backbone of Islamic societies across the country; annually distributing tens of thousands of freshers packs, organising dozens of annual national and international speakers tours, providing outstanding training and continuous support, advice and resources to ISocs / MSAs on a daily basis and organising a variety of socials, dinners, camps and sports tournaments.

Zara sits with Usman to discuss her eventful journey in the lead up to her presidency, her role as a Muslim women in society and as a leader, as well as some of the challenges she faced along the way.

Related: Listen to Zara discuss the importance of balancing studies and spirituality whilst being part of a University Islamic Society

If you have a question for Zara, any comments on the show or your own inspiring stories, scroll down and share them below!

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If you enjoy lisening to our podcast show and have taken any benefit, we’d be really grateful if you could leave a positive review on iTunes. This not only  helps our show to reach more people, but we also love reading your comments! We may also mention your review on a future podcast.

President - Federation of Student Islamic Societies (2016/17)

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The post EP 23: Life, Leadership & Purpose – feat. Zara Mohammed appeared first on Deenspiration.

It’s that time of year again.

Those spine-tingling Ramadan vibes are taking over you more each day as you realise that the blessed month is just around the corner. The memories of family iftars, heart-melting Taraweeh prayers and the spiritual buzz your soul has been longing for are adding to the anticipation. The thoughts of losing yourself within the pages of the Qur’an by day and praying to your Lord by night are comforting you, knowing that you’ll have another chance to take a break from life and focus on your heart.

But wait! Not so fast…

Aren’t you a busy student, frantically flicking through your books as you drag yourself through exam season? Aren’t you a working professional with more unfinished to-dos than you could care to count? Aren’t you a tired parent stressing out over 1001 things to take care of at home? Aren’t you a teenager with all of those incredibly addictive pastimes, the best of which are releasing just before Ramadan?

At this point you might be feeling slightly overwhelmed thinking, “Hold on, he’s right… how on Earth am I going to have a productive Ramadan with everything that’s going on?”

I feel you, my friend. I feel you. But hey, that’s why you started reading this blog, right? You want a solution?

I gotchu. Keep reading.

Here are 2 facts:

Fact 1: regardless of how busy you are, you CAN still have an epic Ramadan experience.

Fact 2: if you don’t approach Ramadan with a PLAN, you might have an “okay” experience, but it won’t be the most epic, most productive, soul-nourishing experience possible.

What’s that I hear you thinking out loud? “Well Usman, yeah… duh. But HOW do I do that?”

** cue the dramatic (halal) music **

So, the important question:

“OMG USMAN WHERE CAN I GET ONE?!”

Literally 1000s of planners have been pre-ordered within just a couple of weeks, and with international orders already having sold out, folks in the UK should be quick to get their hands on the last few remaining copies!

In order to bag one in time for the blessed month, click here to pre-order your Ramadan Legacy Planner.

Click below to open the interactive flip-book to explore the entire planner.

The post EP 22: The Ultimate Ramadan Tool (For Busy Muslims) appeared first on Deenspiration.

The memorisation of the Quran has taken place ever since its very first revelation, and continues to remain as one of the most preserved traditions in the Muslim world.

We all know of the immense virtues and rewards associated with memorising the Book of Allah (swt), however for most of us, the thought of embarking on a long, difficult and highly demanding journey seems almost impossible considering our daily hustle and bustle.

Or at least that’s what we think!

There’s a common misconception that unless you begin memorising at a young age – during your ‘prime years’ – your chances of  memorising the Quran are very slim. Similarly, many of us think that unless we dedicate hours upon hours and complete multiple pages of Hifdh per week, there’s no point in trying to become a Hafidh. As we’ll learn in this episode, this couldn’t be further from the truth!

We’re joined in this episode by Shaykh Suleiman Hani who is the author of the renowned book ‘114 Tips to Help You Finally Memorize the Quran’ – a book which has been years in the making and has been praised by the likes of Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan, Imam Omar Suleiman, Dr. Yasir Qadhi and many others.

Shaykh Suleiman provides some highly practical tips on how to begin your journey of Quran memorisation, as well as some much needed motivational and inspiring stories that will, InshaAllah, leave you with no excuses to begin!

“Many Muslims have the earnest desire to memorize as much of the Quran as possible but don’t even know where to begin. It’s refreshing to see Imam Suleiman’s effort in this book to facilitate that journey. So many of us know the value of bringing the Quran into our lives and works like these give us realistic ways of making that happen. A must-have for every Muslim household.” – Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan

“This well-researched book will surely become a standard reference in its field for years to come.” – Dr. Yasir Qadhi

What did you think of the show? Do you have any of your own tips on how to memorise the Quran? Scroll down and leave a comment below.

If you enjoy listening to our podcast show and have taken any benefit, we’d be really grateful if you could subscribe and leave a positive review on iTunes. This not only  helps our show to reach more people, but we also love reading your comments! We may also mention your review on a future podcast.

Dr. Suleiman Hani is the Dean of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib Institute, a resident scholar in Michigan, and an international lecturer on Islam, philosophy, leadership, and human rights. Suleiman holds master’s degrees from Harvard University and the University of Jordan, and a doctorate in leadership from NYU. His unique background includes mastery of classical Islamic texts since a young age with traditional certifications, alongside contemporary leadership theory and practice. Over the past decade, he has delivered lectures across more than fifty countries, consulted national and international organizations, and published numerous books and articles.

Visit his website here.

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The post EP 21: Quran Memorisation – Practical Tips & Motivation feat. Shaykh Dr. Suleiman Hani appeared first on Deenspiration.

For many Muslims living in the West, it has become harder than ever to push a positive narrative of Islam amidst the clutter of media propaganda, conflicting viewpoints, and floods of emotional outrage following the tragic incidents occurring around the world in the name of religion.

While some may have an agenda to portray Islam in the most negative light possible, the vast majority of people are simply confused, unsure who or what to believe. With conflicts rising, frustrations growing and deep misunderstandings of our faith becoming widespread, how can Muslims act as beacons of light for society? How do we remain confident as Muslims, and instead of apologising for the acts of a few, build strong bonds and dialogue with others to exemplify and promote the true nature of our beautiful Deen?

In this episode, we’re joined by the young and bright Heraa Hashmi, a 19 year-old molecular biology student who made headlines and inspired thousands after her brilliant response to one particular student in her history class.

When her classmate claimed that Muslims don’t openly condemn acts of violence in the name of religion, Heraa became frustrated by the idea that the acts of just a few could be used to demonise an entire group of people. Determined to prove him wrong, Heraa began researching for an answer, only to find that there were no comprehensive resources detailing the vast number of mainstream Muslim responses to these acts of violence.

Three weeks later, Heraa had produced a 700+ Google doc – references and all – listing every incident she could find in which a Muslim condemned an act of violence carried out in the name of religion. After her tweet went viral, Heraa caught the eyes of the likes of Teen Vogue, The Guardian, and head of Yaqeen Institute, Imam Omar Suleiman.

Before she knew it, Heraa was sharing her story on stage in front of thousands of Muslims at the ICNA-MAS  conference, and soon after found herself enjoying an eventful dinner with the daughters of the late Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X (may Allah have mercy on their souls) after winning the first ever ‘Muhammad Ali Confident Muslim Award’.

Join us in this episode as we discover Heraa’s story, and receive her advice on how Muslims can better contribute to portraying a positive narrative of Islam, and acting as beacons of light in times of darkness.

Heraa’s ‘Muslims Condemn’ List

Heraa on Twitter

“Unity is not about being the same, unity is about people of all backgrounds and cultures being able to come together”

Click to tweet this gem

If you have a question for Heraa or want to share your story / advice on this topic, scroll down share your thoughts below!

If you enjoy lisening to our podcast show and have taken any benefit, we’d be really grateful if you could leave a positive review on iTunes. This not only  helps our show to reach more people, but we also love reading your comments! We may also mention your review on a future podcast.

Charity

In the current climate, Islam has been cast as irrational, incompatible with modern civilization, and inherently violent. Yaqeen aims to address relevant topics head-on with the help of the foremost experts in this space, and believe that telling our own story is the only way to counter the narrative that has been forced upon our community.

Yaqeen Institute is a registered charity. Donate here: https://yaqeeninstitute.org/en/donate/ 

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Founder - MuslimsCondemn.com

Heraa is the founder of ‘Muslims Condemn’, a spreadsheet with over 5000 instances of Muslims condemning acts of violence in the name of religion, and is a part of the Bridge Initiative at Georgetown University – an initiative dedicated to tackling Islamophobia through education.

She was a speaker at the ICNA Baltimore conference in 2017, and regularly hosts open houses at the Islamic Centre of Boulder. She is also the first recipient of the annual Muhammad Ali Confident Muslim Award presented by Yaqeen Institute.

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The post EP 20: Being a Light in Times of Darkness (feat. Heraa Hashmi) appeared first on Deenspiration.

From annual charity events to weekly spiritual circles, social gatherings, Islamic lectures, campus-wide campaigns and much more, there’s no doubt that the ISOC experience creates life-long friendships, builds tremendous skills and an array of fond memories.

The excitement and sense of belonging that comes with participation in an ISOC can also, however, lead to one losing the ability to balance between their studies and extra-curricular duties. Quite often this can cause undue stress, a lack of prioritisation, the neglect of family and friends, and an internal battle between maintaining a social identity, being involved in Da’wah work, and actually succeeding at University.

How do we make the most of the ISOC experience whilst ensuring that we maintaining a healthy student-life balance, grow and self-develop as Muslims, and ultimately succeed as University students?

In this episode, we’re joined by Zara Mohammed, Sajjad Khan, Naairah Aftab and podcast host Usman Majid – a panel with a plethora of ISOC experience – who discuss this in depth and provide advice to the Muslim students across the globe.

Today’s Ayah of the Day is Surah Al-Maa’idah, Verse 35.

Zara has contributed to a number of public consultations including Muslim women and employment, islamophobia, and has spoken at a number of events across the UK and Ireland.

Naairah is a Chemistry graduate from the University of Glasgow and is working towards a career in academia. Her research focuses on sustainable energy technologies. Naairah is currently serving as the FOSIS Scotland Chair, and she has previously played an active role in university-based initiatives, ranging from ISoc projects to STEM outreach. Alongside her degree, she has furthered her Islamic studies via the iSyllabus courses. Naairah is passionate about educating and empowering the youth, and she hopes to continue promoting this in all her endeavours.

His passion for using creative media to provide practical solutions for Muslims led him to launching the Deenspiration blog & podcast show, on which he invites special guests from around the world to share their gems of wisdom.

Enter your details to get the free Du'a sheet straight away

Are you a student currently involved with and ISOC / MSA? What have been your experiences, and what advice can you share with others? Scroll down and leave a comment.

If you enjoy lisening to our podcast show and have taken any benefit, we’d be really grateful if you could leave a positive review on iTunes. This not only  helps our show to reach more people, but we also love reading your comments! We may also mention your review on a future podcast.

Did you enjoy this episode? Click below to subscribe to the podcast show for free on your smartphone via a range of apps for iOS and Android.

The post EP 19: Islamic Societies & The Student Life Balance (feat. Zara Mohammed, Sajjad Khan & Naairah Aftab) appeared first on Deenspiration.

For so many of us, emotions like sadness, anxiety and depression are a part of our lives, dictating the quality of our lives from how we feel, to how we act around others, and how we feel about ourselves.

Is it okay to feel these emotions, or should we feel bad for doing so? Isn’t this a sign of having a lack of faith?

Unfortunately in many communities – including the Muslim community – there can be somewhat of a stigma attached to this subject, making it extra difficult for those experiencing these strong feelings of pain, sadness and anxiety to reach out for help. In fear of being shamed or labelled as having “low Iman”, the same people suffer in silence and sometimes can’t escape.

What does Islam really say about these emotions, and how do we go about managing them?

In this episode, we’re joined by sister Hafsa who shares her journey with some of these emotions, and provides us with some powerful advice and direction on how to accept one’s self and seek help.

Surah Luqman – [31:29]

If you have an experience to share, or perhaps your own  tips and advice on how to deal with emotions such has anxiety and sadness, start the discussion below! We’d love to hear from you.

If you enjoy lisening to our podcast show and have taken any benefit, we’d be really grateful if you could leave a positive review on iTunes. This not only  helps our show to reach more people, but we also love reading your comments! We may also mention your review on a future podcast.

Did you enjoy this episode? Click below to subscribe to the podcast show for free on your smartphone via a range of apps for iOS and Android.

The post EP 18: Sadness, Anxiety & Islam (feat. Hafsa) appeared first on Deenspiration.

The vast majority of us will, at some point in our lives, deal with a mental health problem whether we realise it not, or even like to admit. The topic itself is vast, as are the various conditions, diagnoses and treatments, but for many, finding the right answers can be difficult. We hope to clear the air and educate our community in this episode with Shaykh Abdul Hameed.

It’s unfortunate that within the Muslim community, mental health can often times be somewhat of a ‘taboo’ subject, with many Muslims being ignorant on the subject due to lack of education or cultural ignorance. Some Muslims even interpret mental illnesses as a weakness of faith, and advise those who are vulnerable to simply pray more, fear Allah, or completely forget about their situations.

This extremely dangerous approach can lead to many people feeling isolated, lost, confused, and may eventually lead to self harm and even death (e.g. death by suicide).

What is the correct approach to mental health, and how do we as Muslims approach the topic while conforming to our Islamic principles?

1) what should somebody do if they have suicidal thoughts, or are harming themselves?

2) One way I used to cope with low moods and energy was masturbation. I know this is wrong, and I felt guilty. I started to masturbate instead of self harm. How do you deal with these addictions and dependencies until you can get real help?

3) I’m a 19 year old Muslims girl. There are days when I feel good about myself, but then there are times when I become some sort of evil person. My depression makes me act inappropriately with parents, siblings and friends. What do I do?

4) There’s a war going on in my mind all of the time. It feels like there’s no hidayah at all. Help!

5) Is yoga halal (for healing and exercise?)

If you have a question for Shaykh or want to share your story / advice on mental health, leave a comment below!

If you enjoy lisening to our podcast show and have taken any benefit, we’d be really grateful if you could leave a positive review on iTunes. This not only  helps our show to reach more people, but we also love reading your comments! We may also mention your review on a future podcast.

Got more questions? Find Shaykh Abdul Hameed on Facebook by clicking here.

Visit website: www.inspiritedminds.org.uk

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The Shaykh also completed his BA honors in social work/psychology. He currently is perusing his Masters in education/ psychology.  He has a passion to work with young people and is part of many organisations to help serve the needs of the youth.

He currently works as a secondary school teacher in a Leicester state school, and also lectures all over the UK and has been invited by many organisations to deliver lectures in different parts of America.

Some of his hobbies include having a huge passion for Martial arts from a young age, and has competed at a high level. He currently still competes in mixed martial arts (MMA) tournaments across the UK. He also has a passion for riding super-sports motorbikes. His young age, unique hobbies, well grounded Islamic knowledge and passion to “reconnect people to the Quran”, allows him to engage with the youth, in order for them to access and practice Islam in a relevant yet simple manner.

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The post EP 17: Mental Health – An Islamic Perspective (feat. Shaykh Abdul Hameed) appeared first on Deenspiration.

Although every person’s experiences are different, for young “coming of age” Muslims, there seems to be a common trend as they first discover their passion for the Deen. When the first taste of the sweetness of Iman enters the heart, one usually goes all out; they remove all the haram from their lives, they change their clothes and the way they speak, they change their friend groups, and more often than not, they end up burdening themselves with more than they can handle.

If a slow, balanced approach to the Deen isn’t adopted at this early stage, the dangers of falling into somewhat of an identity crisis or developing unhealthy personality and character traits can become inevitable. Not only can this affect the individual themselves, but it can negatively impact their relationship with those around them.

Does the following sound familiar? A young and excited Muslim first discovers their deep passion for the Deen, and then:

All of these are fantastic, and greatly rewarding. But… they may also:

We all know somebody like this, or rather, may even have been like this once ourselves. You may even be reading this right now and be thinking “Uh oh… sounds like me!”

Being super excited and deeply passionate about the Deen when one first becomes practicing is a wonderful feeling, and yes, one should aim to better themselves in every way possible. However, setting a standard this high from the get go can soon become burdensome, and inevitably, an individual may experience a major “crash” with their Iman. Once they are no longer able to uphold these standards, they feel like a lost cause, that their Iman is now gone, and a deep spiritual depression and emptiness takes over their hearts.

This is where the term “spiritual steroids” stems from. Just like anabolic steroids cause a massive surge in muscle growth at a rapid rate, as soon as the bodybuilder stops them, the body deflates and the muscle can become lost. Similarly, if one tries to cheat their spiritual development and fast track their progress, their Iman may also experience deflation.

How do we avoid this from happening, and how should one approach the Deen in a healthy and balanced manner so as to keep a consistent and steadily growing level of Iman? Join us in this podcast episode with Shaykh Abdul Hameed where he discusses this issue and provides his knowledge, wisdom and advice to those going through, or about to go through this stage of their lives.

If you have a question for Shaykh or want to share your story / tip on how to keep a balanced approach to the Deen, especially when first getting started, leave a comment below.

Got more questions? Find Shaykh Abdul Hameed on Facebook by clicking here.

The Shaykh also completed his BA honors in social work/psychology. He currently is perusing his Masters in education/ psychology.  He has a passion to work with young people and is part of many organisations to help serve the needs of the youth.

He currently works as a secondary school teacher in a Leicester state school, and also lectures all over the UK and has been invited by many organisations to deliver lectures in different parts of America.

Some of his hobbies include having a huge passion for Martial arts from a young age, and has competed at a high level. He currently still competes in mixed martial arts (MMA) tournaments across the UK. He also has a passion for riding super-sports motorbikes. His young age, unique hobbies, well grounded Islamic knowledge and passion to “reconnect people to the Quran”, allows him to engage with the youth, in order for them to access and practice Islam in a relevant yet simple manner.

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Did you enjoy this episode? Click below to subscribe to the podcast show for free on your smartphone via a range of apps for iOS and Android.

The post EP 16: Spiritual Steroids – The Dangers of Being Overzealous in Faith (feat. Shaykh Abdul Hameed) appeared first on Deenspiration.

Intentions play an important role in our everyday lives as Muslims.

In Islam, we are taught that our intentions can determine whether or not our deeds will be accepted by Allah ﷻ, and moreover, how little or how much we’ll be rewarded for those deeds (or even punished).

In part of a famous Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, we’re taught that:

“Actions are judged by their intentions, and each person will be rewarded according to their intention”[Bukhari, Muslim]

This Hadith is incredibly important, and teaches us that if our intentions are good, we shall receive good. If they are bad, we may potentially fall into sin. The purer we make our intentions when doing a good deed, the more Allah ﷻ will reward us.

When we think of perfecting our intentions, we typically do so within the context of our daily acts of worship: prayer, dhikr, reciting the Qur’an, and a multitude of other good deeds we can perform.

For example, we know that somebody who prays just because they ‘have to’ vs somebody who does so purely for the love of Allah ﷻ and to draw nearer to Him, are not equal in the rewards they’ll receive. No doubt, merely fulfilling our obligations because we ‘have to’ will still earn us rewards, but not nearly as much as compared to the latter example.

Is it possible, therefore, to apply the same logic with regards to intentions to the other mundane acts we perform everyday, such as eating, sleeping, studying, going to work, etc.? The answer is YES, and that’s exactly what you’ll learn in this episode.

For this episode, we’ve included a free bonus download – an intention hacking cheat sheet that contains:

You can download it below.

Today’s episode Ayah is from Surah Al Mulk (Chapter 67) verse 13, and was recited by brother Ibrahim Afzal.

Do you have your own ideas for how to turn everyday actions into an act of worship using intention hacking? What examples can you think of? Scroll down and leave a comment below!

The post EP 15: Intention Hacking – Turn Everyday Actions Into Worship appeared first on Deenspiration.