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 trad

Episode 17: Revisiting Riba (usury) featuring Sitara Akram

Sep 8th, 2021 1h 17m

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 Islam

Episode 16: Women (featuring Sitara Akram)

Aug 18th, 2021 1h 35m

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

Episode 15: Impediments to Understanding the Qur’an

Jul 25th, 2021 1h 1m

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

Episode 14: The Born Muslim Experience

Jul 8th, 2021 58m 54s

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 t

Episode 13: The Convert Experience

Jun 20th, 2021 1h 1m

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

Episode 12: Sharia

Jun 6th, 2021 1h

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 b

Episode 11: Sunnah

May 24th, 2021 58m 52s

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 Isla

Episode 10: Ramadan Pt.3

May 8th, 2021 44m 3s

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

Episode 09: Ramadan Pt.2

Apr 26th, 2021 51m 31s

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

Episode 08: Ramadan Pt.1

Apr 11th, 2021 52m 3s

It’s that time in the Muslim calendar! The month of Ramadan! Do you partake in it? Do you look forward to it? Do you dread it? Do you find purpose in it, or does it seem like an imposition? In this episode we suggest some ways to shift our lens

Episode 07: Rationality

Mar 28th, 2021 1h 4m

In this episode we dive deeper into rationality. What is reason founded on? To what extent can we use our reason in relation to the dictates of revelation? We talk about the existential crisis that Muslims sometimes suffer when antiquated legal

Episode 06: The Good Qualities and Tazkiah Pt.2

Mar 14th, 2021 1h 5m

Part two of the “good qualities” series where we delve into the virtues that beautify a person. We talk about truthfulness, veiling flaws (our own and those of others), and sincerity of character. We talk about patience, thankfulness, praise of

Episode 05: The Good Qualities and Tazkiah Pt.1

Mar 1st, 2021 46m 30s

In this episode we begin talking about the “good qualities” that mature a human being. We explore the concept of “tazkiah” (purification of the self). We describe how this purification process has three aspects and we debate if they are equally

Episode 04: Who Speaks for Islam?

Feb 14th, 2021 53m 47s

In this episode we try to answer the question—who speaks for Islam? We talk about the importance of the intellect as evidenced by the Qur’an itself. We question why the Muslim community is so obsessed with “halal” (permissible) and “haram” (imp

Episode 03: Prayer and Other Fundamentals

Feb 3rd, 2021 41m 2s

In this episode we begin by exploring the concept of “The Five Pillars of Islam.” Where does this concept come from is it a useful or a limiting notion? We talk a little about Arab society before Muhammad’s message and what practices were alrea

Episode 02: God, Believers and Unbelievers

Jan 29th, 2021 36m 20s

Today we continue exploring how we think of God and the conscious and unconscious images we tend to form. We talk about the male pronoun and we question whether it’s simply a linguist limitation or a patriarchal tendency. We discuss the “99 nam

Episode 01: What is Islam?

Jan 28th, 2021 48m 10s

Today we take an unconventional approach to defining Islam. We look at how the Qur’an refers to previous Jewish Prophets as “Muslim”, meaning “ones who are submitted to God’s will” rather than “followers of the Prophet Muhammad” as is commonly

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