The Scholar and The Student

Welcome Salahuddin A. Mazhary, our first international guest to the podcast! All the way from the UK, Brother Salahuddin comes from a very diverse background and has always been eager to further delve even further into various cultures. He runs a blog called Adventures In Fashionistan on Instagram.
Join us as we delve into the lessons that Muslims can learn from the Harry Potter series. This is basically two Potterheads coming together and allowing their passion to ebb through!

DISCLAIMER It goes without saying that there will be MAJOR spoilers for the entire Harry Potter series. Do not proceed if that bothers you. There is also a passing reference to Lord of The Rings and some discussion about Dirilis: Ertugrul and Kurulus: Osman. They are minor spoilers at best as most of that information can be garnered from basic historical research.

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.

We learned an important lesson with this session; DON'T RECORD PODCASTS WITH SKYPE! Lol or shall we say JUST with Skype. Cleaning up the audio was a nightmare but Alhamdulillah it came out in the end.

Follow Brother Salahuddin on Instagram: https://instagram/adventuresinfashionistan

Welcome our first guests to be interviewed on the podcast, T.K. and Teezy from Kahawa Entertainment!
We speak about the entertainment industry, how Kahawa came about and the challenges the youth face in Botswana in pursuit of their passion.
Kahawa Entertainment is a multimedia company. You can find out more about their activities on this episode. Be sure to like their Facebook page as well!
https://facebook.com/kahawaent

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.

In this third book review, we go through the final instalment in the Howl's Moving Castle series, House of Many Ways. After almost 20 years, Diana Wynne Jones once again enchants us into believing in this universe which she created.

All your beloved hallmarks are of Jones' writing are here; the colour blue vs. the colour purple, dogs and a character undertaking a journey in self-discovery. Make yourself a cup of tea as we walk in the shoes of Charmain Baker amongst the hydrangeas and gentians.

The foreshadowing which Diana Wynne Jones has expertly weaved into the novel will be analysed, as well as the themes of the disconnect between parents and children and self-authenticity. Mos also gives his rankings on the books in this series.       

UPDATE:- As of 13th April 2020 I have read this book for 5 times! :D Therefore the release of this episode is rather timely.       

WARNING
Some minor and moderate spoilers are abound in this video. Furthermore, as it is the conclusion to the series, the spoilers will more than likely spill over to the other two entries. Care has been taken to avoid the major spoilers, but caution is still recommended.

Plot Review starts at 09:56 and ends at 52:40

This episode was recorded on the 28th of November, 2019, the day after the Muslim Youth Movement (MYM) of Botswana organised 'The Revivers' event in conjunction with the ILM Arts Festival. Mos had attended that and this was him unpacking his raw thoughts.
Each of the speakers' presentations are analysed with a key reference to art in the Islamic sphere as well as the importance of being passionate in the quest for Ihsan (excellence).
Joining Mos is a brother who goes by the name Is'haq. He is a professional sound engineer, cinematographer and media expert who runs a small media business. He became Muslim in Ramadan 2018 and made sure that I include the fact that he is a father to one daughter.

In this second book review, we take a look at the sequel to Howl's Moving Castle which was published 4 years later in 1990.  Castle In The Air, also written by Diana Wynne Jones, shifts the scene to the Arabian-inspired lands south of Ingary, and explores the themes of fate and destiny albeit from a different angle to the first book. 

If you had a heart attack the last time, have an even bigger one today :D There's plenty of romance and magic to go around. That being said, Mos does have more than a few words to say about the rampant Orientalism found in the book.

WARNING
Some minor and moderate spoilers are abound in this video.

Plot Review starts at 12:00 and ends at 44:00

In this first book review on The Scholar and The Student we review  Howl's Moving Castle, written by Diana Wynne Jones and published in  1986. We discuss magic, romance and the importance of reading fiction  from an Islamic perspective.   

WARNING 
Some minor and moderate spoilers are abound in this video. If they bother you refer to the timestamps below or refrain from listening.

Minor Spoilers (Basic Plot Review of 1st Act)
24:43-25:35
29:28-35:25

Moderate Spoilers (Although I kept it in, I'd recommend skipping these sections until you've finished the book)
48:28-49:15
53:19-54:14

Care has been taken to completely avoid major spoilers, but human error may persist.

In  this first episode we cover the basics of what podcasts are in general  and what we aim to do specifically with this one. The interplay between  creativity, passion and faith is also explored.

We are joined by Sheikh Jawad Dalabani, one of the two resident Imams  of Palapye Islamic Centre. He is an active member of the Youth Committee and the Halaal Commitee, amongst others. He completed his Alim course at Darul  Uloom Zakariyya, South Africa.