The Scholar and The Student

We sat down with Melati Lum, Australian author, to kick off the 2nd Cour of Season 3 of Botswana's First Muslim Podcasst.

The conversation centred, inter alia, around writing, the arts and representation of Muslims in artistic spaces as well as Melati's background in Criminal Law. She also does an expose on Mos...

Be sure to check out Melati's socials:
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/melati.lum/
YouTube ➔ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU2AkFLABn0Ae8DtQhoho2A
Facebook Page ➔ https://web.facebook.com/melatilum.author
Website ➔ https://www.melatilum.com.au/

DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.

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Our Sponsors;
Alpha House of Fashion ➔ https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063487902760
Baselline Media ➔ https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063702443138
Batch. ➔ https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084281207916

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View on Facebook Watch instead ➔ https://www.facebook.com/snspodBW
Stream the audio on your platform of choice ➔ https://linktr.ee/snspodbw
Like us on all our social media platforms:Facebook ➔ https://facebook.com/snspodBW
Instagram ➔ https://www.instagram.com/snspodbw
Twitter ➔ https://www.twitter.com/snspodbw
E-mail: [email protected]


Donations;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ https://Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ https://patreon.com/snspodbw
Although you might wanna go for Launchgood during Ramadan ➔ https://launchgood.com
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Outro music ➔

"Tokyo Music Walker - Colorful Flowers" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3lL...
🎵 Music provided by BreakingCopyright: https://youtu.be/5ntfgZ1s3gU

All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com

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TIMESTAMPS
Coming soon!

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On the 1st July 2022, my teacher, friend and mentor, Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef, the founder of @TheDiscoverULife and @AlMaghrib Institute left this world to meet his Lord.

Not the easiest of topics.

Kindly remember him in your Du'as as well as his remaining family members.

Mana, Mana?

It was an absolute pleasure having the influencer and travel vlogger, Mana (better known for her channel, PanAsian Goes Global), on Botswana's First Muslim Podcast.

Mana, a.k.a PanAsian, is a Canadian born and bred Singaporean Malay Muslimah living in Tokyo. This is her second time living in Japan, and she has also lived in Korea before as well. Besides her full time job teaching, she has a YouTube Channel/Instagram account where she explores being Muslim in Japan. Her social media includes Mosques, prayer places, halal restaurants and the Muslim experience in Japan and beyond.

Our conversation centred around the ease/difficulty of practising Islam in Japan vs. the rest of the world, what it's like to teach Japanese teens as well as origin stories on the names, 'PanAsian' and 'The Scholar and The Student'. We hope you'll enjoy the conversation as much as we did!

Be sure to check out Mana's socials:
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/panasian/
YouTube (PanAsian Goes Global) ➔ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI7CSnvGrhGl1Fv_MUDv2bg
Blog ➔ https://panasiangoesglobal.blogspot.com

DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.

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View on Facebook Watch instead ➔ https://www.facebook.com/snspodBW
Stream the audio on your platform of choice ➔ https://linktr.ee/snspodbw
Like us on all our social media platforms:Facebook ➔ https://facebook.com/snspodBW
Instagram ➔ https://www.instagram.com/snspodbw
Twitter ➔ https://www.twitter.com/snspodbw
E-mail: [email protected]


Donations;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ https://Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ https://patreon.com/snspodbw
Although you might wanna go for Launchgood during Ramadan ➔ https://launchgood.com
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The intro consists purely of clips from some of Mana's videos. Make sure you go check them out! As for the both the intro and outro music ➔

"Tokyo Music Walker - Colorful Flowers" is under a Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0) license. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3lL...
🎵 Music provided by BreakingCopyright: https://youtu.be/5ntfgZ1s3gU

All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com

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TOPICS DISCUSSED

Who is Mana? What's up with, "Mana, Mana?"
Experiences as a Muslim in Canada, Singapore, Korea and Japan (also UK and Botswana)
Halaal Food and certification in Botswana vs Japan
Tolerance in the Muslim Community - Japan vs other places
Teaching English in Japan, why she started, the JET Programme, avoiding disaster
Attitudes of students across the world, school rules, how to manage teenagers
Keeping up with Islamic obligations as a Muslim teacher
REVERSE UNO CARD where Mana interviews Mos, snspodbw origin story, why it's called The Scholar and The Student
How Mos finds guests... EXPOSED
Benefits of having a podcast/YouTube channel/social media presence
What's the future of PanAsian Goes Global? Why is it called PanAsian Goes Global?

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WE FINALLY GOT A FEMALE GUEST!

Welcome Sanaa Asim, a British-Pakistani Muslimah who has a Masters in German and Arabic from the University of Oxford and is currently doing her post-grad in Digital Engineering at the University of the Arts, London. She also is really into Japanese culture. Like seriously.

The conversation centred around Sanaa's identity as a British-Pakistani Muslimah, what it was like living and working in Japan as a Muslim, what got her into Japanese culture in the first place as well as fashion (think Harajuku).

Unfortunately the video got corrupted, but the audio is fine and dandy! Enjoy!

Be sure to check out Sanaa's Instagram:
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/glumgrrl/



How Mos found her ➔ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX4yg0GoJh8
She's really quite famous ➔ https://twitter.com/TokyoFashion/status/1162808318340956160





DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements..


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View on YouTube instead ➔ https://youtu.be/7N3XDHS8csY



Stream the audio on your platform of choice ➔ https://linktr.ee/snspodbw






Like us on all our social media platforms:
Facebook ➔ https://facebook.com/snspodBW

Instagram ➔ https://www.instagram.com/snspodbw

Twitter ➔ https://www.twitter.com/snspodbw





E-mail: [email protected]


Donations;

Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw

Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

Although you might wanna go for Launchgood during Ramadan ➔ https://launchgood.com
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The intro and outro music is 'Fakir' by the one and only Celt Islam! Purchase on Bandcamp here ➔ https://urbansedatedrecords.bandcamp.com/track/fakir
All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com

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TOPICS DISCUSSED
Sanaa's intro to Japanese vs Mos's intro to Japanese Culture
Yorushika, Hatsune Miku, Japanese Music
How and why she learned Japanese, JLPT, Kanji
Sanaa interning in Tokyo, what was it like living there as a Muslim?
MOS BURGER - we're serious, it exists!
Osaka Da'wah Centre and their innovative approaches to Da'wah
Being Muslim in the UK vs Japan vs Botswana, Halaal food
Having to explain Islam - more on Islam in Botswana
Being a minority within a minority, ijtihaad (making ones' own judgments)
Diversity and Homogeneity, cultural differences, changing and avoiding people
Coping with people's attrition
Why study German AND Arabic? Learning a language is never time lost
Sanaa's advice, where to find her
Fashion and Islam, navigating identity, wearing the Hijab
Search for Beauty in Islam
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SEASON PREMIERE

That's right, we are back for Season 3!

Our first guest hails all the way from Atlanta, Georgia, USA, a man of many talents - some of which are visible from the thumbnail - Thalib Razi.

Thalib Razi is a world music singer songwriter who plays guitar, oud, violin, and piano, and is also a fantasy novelist. His music is inspired by cultures from all over the world as well as Islamic spirituality (also known as Sufism), and his writing is inspired by world history and the tropes of the high fantasy genre. He lives in Georgia, USA with his wife and son.

The conversation centred around Thalib's musical endeavours, his journey as a musician as well as a write; his first novel, The Enchanter's Counsel, was just published!



Be sure to check out Thalib on all his platforms:
Linktree ➔ https://linktr.ee/ThalibRazi
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/thalibrazi
Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/Thalib_Razi
The Enchanter's Counsel ➔ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WHFB1CD
Bandcamp (buy his music) ➔ https://atrazi.bandcamp.com/
Spotify ➔ https://open.spotify.com/artist/5o3vb0c0kwaP6GOwP9IECp




DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements..


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Stream the audio on your platform of choice ➔ https://linktr.ee/snspodbw






Like us on all our social media platforms:
Facebook ➔ https://facebook.com/snspodBW

Instagram ➔ https://www.instagram.com/snspodbw

Twitter ➔ https://www.twitter.com/snspodbw





E-mail: [email protected]


Donations;

Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw

Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

Although you might wanna go for Launchgood during Ramadan ➔ https://launchgood.com
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The intro is Thalib's music video for The Fire Inside, directed by Radio Rahim ➔ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe8AJAjb8ag
All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com

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TOPICS DISCUSSED
Differences of Opinion on Music
The Musical Muslim, Mos’s musical journey
Is Thalib a child prodigy, from orchestra to Celtic folk
YouTube tutorials, transition from Guitar to Oud
Maqam Rast
Maqams – what they are
Metal, joy
Technical skill vs meaning
Crescent Moon, pushback from Muslims?
What is music and why is it Haraam?
Ahsan (excellence), the ‘right’ instrument
Playing in Jeddah and ‘liberalism’ in Saudi
Raising a child with music, music as a career
Thalib’s wife and music
A personal question re Music
Thalib’s book, how to get started
‘Islamic’ stories, and repackaging, Muslim representation
Morally ambiguous books
Complex characters, premise of Thalib’s book, The Enchanter’s Counsel
The reality of publishers
Can Muslims get inspiration from non-Islamic stories? Some of Thalib’s inspirations
Harry Potter and Islam
Artistic licence and depicting Islam
How can Muslims create art that doesn’t suck
A question to Mos
Where to find Thalib Razi
OUR FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE



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Talk about ending off with a bang. 
Our final guest for this season is the one and only Celt Islam, hailing all the way from the UK.
The only other full-length interview with Celt Islam after Mindtrap with Mufti Abu Layth :D
Celt Islam is an English pioneering artist, producer and peace activist performing high octane Neuro Dub Driven Electro Punk BreakBeat Drum and Bass, transnational dubstep and Future Synthwave electronica with a twist of the Orient. Using a fusion of music which combines Islamic and world grooves to create a dub driven dance crossover. The unique sound of Celt Islam is a fusion of western and middle eastern influences combined with a futurist Islamic dub attitude. Open the doors of your mind and soul to Electro Sufism!
Celt Islam has played at various Festivals in UK and Europe alongside Public Enemy's Bomb Squad { Hank Shocklee }, Youth, Don Letts , Eat Static, DJ UMB, The Orb, Hardfloor , Zion Train, Slamboree Gaudi , Engine Earz, DJ Bobby Friction, DJ Pathaan ,Inder Goldfinger { Ian Brown-Natacha Atlas-Apesta} Mick Reed { 1919 , Ship of fools and Nine Invisibles } , Oova Matique , Dr weevil [ Desert Storm/ DMC] , Peppery aka Bongo Chilli , D Bo General [ The Arsonist ] and DanMan { Iration Steppers }. Celt Islam was also chosen by the BBC to perform at the BBC Introducing stage Glastonbury 2010.
Mos rekindled his punk identity and had a blast speaking to a kindred spirit.  We spoke about faith, music, Sufism, LSD and everything in between. If this isn't controversial, we don't know what is.
DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of  their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.
Be sure to check out Celt Islam on all his platforms:
Facebook (page) ➔ https://www.facebook.com/celtislamsoundsystem
Facebook (group) ➔ https://www.facebook.com/groups/celtislamdub
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/celtislam
YouTube ➔ https://www.youtube.com/c/CeltIslamTheAnalogueFakir
Bandcamp (you can buy his records here!) ➔ https://celtislam.bandcamp.com/
Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/celtislam
Loopmasters ➔ https://www.loopmasters.com/genres/62-Dub/products/333-Celt-Islam-Sufi-Dub-Sound-System
Soundcloud ➔ https://soundcloud.com/celt-islam
Spotify ➔ https://open.spotify.com/artist/3sbT0whDXAVhScgk0Hguzm
The music in the intro and outro is sampled from 'Hikam', composed by Celt Islam himself and featuring Aki Nawaz. You can purchase it from Bandcamp or anywhere else you see fit.
All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com
If you've got the funds, consider helping us out on the following platforms;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

We are back.
This episode was initially envisioned as the season finale, but  circumstances have forced us to make it the penultimate ep instead.  Please welcome Dr. Syed Hammad Ali, who recently defended his PhD thesis  at the University of Calgary. He is one of the many guests poached from Mindtrap with Mufti Abu Layth - in fact he will be going on again soon, which is why we need to compete!
The conversation centred around sociology, Dr. Syed's chosen area of  research, the multiplicity of Islamic interpretations, the role of the  clergy as well as Dr. Syed's position that ibn 'Arabi's works are  essential to navigate the current socio-economic climate as Muslims. Dr. Syed has authority to speak on these subjects as well, given his  training at classical seminaries in Pakistan, which was also discussed in the ep.
DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of  their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.
Be sure to check out Dr. Syed on all his platforms:
E-mail and Skype ➔ [email protected]
An Article he published ➔ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13602004.2020.1836598?journalCode=cjmm20
Credit for the background vocals in the intro and outro ➔ https://www.noiiz.com/sounds/free_packs/1317
All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com
If you've got the funds, consider helping us out on the following platforms;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

First off - it's surreal to think that we have more than 20 eps. Second off, it's even more surreal to have Momodou Taal, an absolutely inspirational figure, on our show.
Momodou Taal was born in The Gambia, but grew up in the UK. He completed  his LLB from the University of East Anglia before travelling to Egypt  to study the Islamic sciences at Al-Azhar Mosque, as well as other seminaries such as Markaz Imam Malik.
Currently he is focused on completing his studies before proceeding even further in a field which he is passionate about (we discuss that in the  ep), while also actively running his own podcast, The Malcolm Effect, and campaigning against white supremacy and structural racism.
The conversation centred around almost all the aforementioned topics as  well as our own journeys, and how we would like to make sense of things.
DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of   their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The  team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally  liable for any controversial/damaging statements.
With regards to the claim of Mandela seeking refuge in Botswana (at around 45:00), whilst I (Mos) do not have a source for this off the top off my head, it is known that other members of the ANC (designated 'criminals') did seek refuge in Botswana. Apologies in advance, for any inconsistencies, corrections are welcome!
Be sure to check out Momo on all his platforms:
Podcast (The Malcolm Effect) ➔ linktr.ee/Themalcolmeffect
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/thegambian
Facebook ➔ https://facebook.com/Momodou.Taal
Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/MomodouTaal
TikTok ➔ https://tiktok.com/@thegambian1
YouTube (Baraka Boys Podcast) ➔ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1a1vbNE9AyfdoYAl2soqFA
YouTube (Muslim Millenials) ➔ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Yl2nWhsBpwFFN5Ft-dpYw

Credit for the background vocals in the intro and outro ➔ Custom-made by me! Used sounds from Looperman. Initially made it for The Malcolm Effect.
All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com
If you've got the funds, consider helping us out on the following platforms;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

It was an absolute joy hosting a guest who has been a supporter of The Scholar and The Student since its conceptual stages.
Welcome Sheikh Ali Abdallah Mwimbe, Imam of Kanye to the show! The conversation centred around issues we both noted to be of importance in  Botswana, such as the role of culture, casting away the cult-like mentality, the journey of a person of knowledge as well as a civil war that almost broke out in the Muslim community over KFC (yes that's a REAL issue!).
Sheikh Ali Abdallah Mwimbe is a resident of Botswana who finished his memorization of the Qur’an and ‘Alim course in Darul Uloom Zakariyya,  South Africa. Shaykh Ali is the head Imam and evening Maktab teacher at and a high school Islamic Studies teacher at Forest Hill English Medium  School. He is also pursuing his Bachelors of Education at the University  of South Africa.
Sheikh Ali currently works as a T.A. for Lubab Academy, and also conducts various short courses.

DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of  their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.
Be sure to check out Sheikh Ali on all his platforms:
Facebook (page) ➔ https://www.facebook.com/aliabdallahmwimbe
Instagram ➔ https://www.instagram.com/ali_abdallah_mwimbe
Facebook (personal) ➔ https://www.facebook.com/ali.mwimbe
Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/Ali_A_Mwimbe 
YouTube (Sheikh Ali) ➔ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL_aqyQELjsLf-xcCHQCy9g
LinkedIn ➔ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-abdallah-mwimbe-4b178a125/

Lubab Academy, where Sheikh Ali teaches a few courses ➔ https://lubabacademy.com/
YouTube (Lubab Academy) ➔ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq1DZwM815PEfriGoGvCMBA

Also consider using the following link to support students in need of financial assistance to study at Lubab Academy.
Launchgood ➔ https://www.launchgood.com/campaign/funding_atneed_students?src=internal_discover#!/

Credit for the background vocals in the intro and outro ➔ https://www.noiiz.com/sounds/free_packs/1317
All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com
If you've got the funds, consider helping us out on the following platforms;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

We interrupt our normal programme schedule to bring you a special  episode leading up to the month of Ramadan 2021; do excuse any temporary discrepancies in the numbering of the episodes. It was a pleasure to welcome back to the show the most controversial guest of last season.
Sheikh Ismail Kamdar began his study of Islam at the age of thirteen. He  has been actively involved in Islamic work since the age of sixteen. He has completed a seven-year Alim course in 2007 and a BA in Islamic  Studies from the International Open University in 2014. He served as a senior lecturer, as well as the Faculty Manager of IOU from February  2010 until October 2020. He currently works as a research manager at Yaqeen Institute.
Over the past decade, Sheikh Ismail has served as a school teacher and  administrator in multiple schools in South Africa and India. He has also delivered lectures and workshops in many locations locally and abroad  and appeared on many Radio Stations across the country. He has also served as a Radio Presenter at Radio Al-Ansaar for several years, until  November 2016. 
In 2011, Sheikh Ismail discovered the importance of personal development  and noticed a lack of Islamic literature dedicated to this field. After consuming dozens of books and courses on the topic, he decided to start  this blog. The focus of this blog is articles and books related to the field of Islamic Self Help. Sheikh Ismail is the author of Having Fun the Halal Way: Entertainment  in Islam, Getting The Barakah: An Islamic Guide to Time Management, Best Of Creation: An Islamic Guide to Self-Confidence, and Homeschooling 101, among other titles.  
The conversation centred around what a person can do in the lead up to  Ramadan 2021, which will begin in a few days (or hours) from the time of this upload. We spoke about practical advice for laymen as well as  those with underlying health conditions, Taraweeh prayer, as well as  advice to non-Muslims who would also like to experience fasting in Ramadan.
DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of  their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.

Be sure to check out Sheikh Ismail on all his platforms: 
Website ➔ https://www.islamicselfhelp.com/
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/ismailkamdar
Facebook (page) ➔ https://facebook.com/ShIsmailKamdar
Facebook (personal) ➔ https://facebook.com/ismail.kamdar.1
Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/IsmailKamdar
YouTube ➔ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0EkFNXSl7ae4PYr7qW3sfA
E-mail ➔ [email protected]
Books ➔ https://gumroad.com/islamicselfhelp
E-mail ➔ [email protected]
Everything else ➔ https://linktr.ee/ismailkamdar 

Also check out LaunchGood, a revolutionary charity and crowdfunding app ➔ https://www.launchgood.com/ramadan
As well as Visionaire, a course on taking your Du'as to the next level.  This podcast is a reality because of Visionaire! ➔ visionaireramadan.com

Credit for the background vocals in the intro and outro ➔ https://www.noiiz.com/sounds/free_packs/1317
All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com
If you've got the funds, consider helping us out on the following platforms;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw