Soul of Islam Radio – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Based upon the Hadith of Jibril (as), we learn that included in the fundamental and foundational components of the religion is knowledge of the signs that pertain to the last days of the current age, traditionally known as Akhir Zaman.

Traditional knowledge transmits that the world will continue to descend into its demise with increasing corruption, tyranny, abuse and oppression, and that a tragic state of affairs will continue to deteriorate until an entity known as the Dajjal, or the anti-Christ, manifests as the embodiment of evil upon the earth.

At this point, the Mahdi (as), or the “Guided One,” will be revealed and revive divinely guided leadership within the nation of believers. This moment will then be immediately followed by the return of the great messenger and prophet of God, Jesus (as), who will then proceed to slay the anti-Christ and re-establish peace and justice within the earth.

Regarding the anti-Christ, or perhaps more accurately the “anti-Messiah,” the Messenger of God ﷺ described the signs as well as the trials and tribulations that would accompany this great deceiver, and admonished the believers to strengthen faith in their hearts so as to not be seduced by the deception of this greatest of tests for humanity.

Among the qualities and characteristics that describe the anti-Christ, the following are chief and essential for they who seek truth to be mindful and vigilant of:

1. Materialism.
2. Deception.
3. Corruption.
4. Inversion.

In this post, I share essential traditions related to the trials and tribulations of the anti-Christ, and make the point that there is a strong correlation between the above characteristics that define his methodology with the current trajectory of technological innovation.

As they who seek to prepare ourselves for the inevitable destiny of this world and the conclusion of our own personal lives, we remind ourselves of the vital imperative to strengthen the light of faith within our hearts so as to meet eternity in the best of states and conditions, and to stand upon truth, excellence and beauty in times of both ease and difficulty.

May Allah Almighty grant us the sacred and divine power of discernment through the light of faith within our hearts, and lead us to our best possible destinies in seeking to serve He Most High, Most Sublime, Absolute and Eternal.

Ameen.

To your divine and eternal success.

Teresa Lesher is the author of the new Searching for God, Finding Love, which is an inspirational account of her personal journey deeper into faith upon the quest for truth, and in which she details her personal healing path and realization that God’s divine love and mercy are both imminent and accessible by turning “inwards and upwards.”

The truth is easy to see. The decision is the hard part. I thank God every day for being Muslim. I’m very grateful to be among the Muslims.

Teresa Lesher

In this illuminating conversation, Teresa describes how she came to embrace Islam in the early 1980’s while at college in the United States at a time prior to the internet and when there was remarkably little information about the faith.

She explains the importance of belief in the Day of Accounting, the necessity of balance in faith by deepening one’s spirituality in addition to upholding the formal disciplines of religion, that love must be based in action and in service, the key to authentic self-discovery, and much more.

Teresa also shares the impact of the Course in Spiritual Healing upon her personal spiritual journey and awakening to the power and presence of God, and emphasizes the importance of realizing that the key to connection with our Creator lies in the very breath we are given each living moment.

The best part of the course for me were the meditations and the breathwork. They helped me to still my soul, to feel more centered and to find some balance, and to find some quiet and peace.

Teresa Lesher

We also discuss the importance of recognition of results in the context of discernment, the profound and incomprehensible gift of access to the very speech of God in the form of the Holy Qur’an, how love heals and connects, the impact of technology and the internet on our culture, the importance of unplugging from the world, the difference between information and enlightenment, the power in the emptiness of the desert, and much more.

Teresa Lesher as of the time of writing lives in Kuwait with her family and is wife, mother, writer and most importantly servant of God. She is the author of Searching for God, Finding Love, and you can learn more about Teresa as well as purchase her book and connect with her directly via her website, Teresa Lesher.

All this time I’ve been searching for God, and I found Him, as close to me as my breath.

And so, before and beyond all my labels, titles, positions, and duties, I remembered my source in God, His breath breathed into my tiny body, and eventually a breath my body will exhale as I make my return journey to my Maker. Now I’m sure of who I am. And now that I know myself, I know everyone. We are all, essentially, a breath from God; we are created by Him, we belong to Him, and we are returning to Him. In the meantime, I will do my best to honor the privilege of my existence and implication of my origin. I will respect myself, and strive to be whole and wholesome, loving and loved, tender and joyful. I will honor all living things, since they, too, house that divine breath. I will stay conscious of my source and my destination and, in between, during this sojourn on earth, I will do my best to stay true to my essence, to always be, first and foremost, a breath of God.

When I leave my bodily dwelling and return to God, I hope that I am recognized as belonging to Him, deemed worthy of His presence, welcomed home at last.

Teresa Lesher

Crowdfunding, also referred to as crowdsourcing, is an ingenious method of sourcing funding for all types of projects and causes by facilitating direct relationships between campaigns and a global audience via the internet, and over the last decade or so has become a key method of making possible programs and initiatives that otherwise would have been impossible to undertake to fruition.

Chris Blauvelt was inspired with the idea of creating a crowdfunding platform primarily designed and intended to support Islamic projects and communities early on when crowdsourcing first became a thing. Guided by both faith and persistence, he was able to successfully launch Launchgood, which to date has funded nearly a billion dollars worth of causes and projects.

In this episode of Soul of Islam Radio, I sit down and discuss with Chris, also known by his Muslim name as Abdul-Rahman, about the remarkable success of Launchgood as we near its ten year anniversary. We discuss topics of spiritual excellence and identity, principles of success and entrepreneurship, the importance of giving and generosity, the great variety of campaigns that can utilize crowdfunding, the unique role of Launchgood in supporting Islamic and faith-based campaigns, and much more.

As we near the holy and blessed month of Ramadan, which is often a time of unity, solidarity, generosity and giving, I pray you enjoy, benefit and are inspired to take action either by supporting a worthy cause, or by initiating one.

To your divine and eternal success.

To learn more about Launchgood and discover how you can create or support a valuable project, campaign, cause or initiative, please visit www.launchgood.com.

To connect with Chris Blauvelt and stay abreast of his latest updates, follow him on Twitter @arblauvelt.

A. Helwa is the author of the beautiful book Secrets of Divine Love, which is a wonderful introduction to Islam and its spiritual dimension, the goal of which is connection and communion with the Divine.

The great mystic poet Jalaluddin Rumi (qs) stated, “Love is the bridge between you and everything,” and they upon the spiritual path have always ultimately realized that the bridge between the human being and his or her Lord is the door of divine love. Thus, they have often focused on and emphasized the preeminence of self-purification so that nothing remains in the soul and shell of the aspirant but transcendent and eternal love.

Join me in this wonderful and illuminating discussion with author A. Helwa as we discuss the secrets of divine love. Topics covered include attachment to God, an alternative paradigm in the perception of death, humility as the essence of the spiritual path that leads to the pleasure and presence of God, and more.

To learn more about A. Helwa, please visit her website Author A. Helwa. Her book, Secrets of Divine Love is available wherever books and audiobooks are sold.

The student and teacher relationship is as old as humanity, and the path of faith, religion and spirituality is no different in the necessity of learning from a qualified guide so as to avoid the myriad of pitfalls, misinterpretations and misunderstandings that inevitably arise without guidance from a qualified mentor upon the path.

A qualified and competent master is even more essential upon the path of spiritual awakening, for the goal of the way is nothing short of the transcendence of the self and the knowing of God. Because we are each in our own blindspots, having a rightly guided model and leader is indispensable for they who seek to advance towards the Divine Presence of God.

In this episode of Soul of Islam Radio, I explain the role of a shaykh in the religion, and point out the key and defining qualities and characteristics that constitute a competent leader. I also point out what a shaykh is not, and how to avoid the error of cultishness that will inevitably arise around the company of an enlightened and illuminated master of the way.

In an age in which cultural confusion is pushing for the ever increasing androgenization of human beings and the increasing blurring of gender differences, it is high time we in the Muslim and faith-based communities begin discussing the importance of a return to sacred manhood and masculinity which seeks to uphold the original purpose of creation with excellence, beauty, wisdom, light and love.

In this episode of Soul of Islam Radio, join myself and coach and counselor Jamil Popatia as we discuss the role of men within the community and the unique roles they must again embrace as pillars of faith and strength so as to better guide and lead ourselves as well as our families and communities towards that which matters most—the divine pleasure of God.

Jamil Popatia is a certified coach and counselor in Nonviolent Communication, and currently coaches young men towards noble and dignified leadership within their homes and communities. You can learn more about Sidi Jamil via his website, Dignified Dialogue.

Michael Haroon Sugich is the author of several important works within the Islamic faith and spiritual tradition including Signs on the Horizons and Hearts Turn, both of which are invaluable resources upon the path for they who seek to draw nearer unto the Divine Presence of Truth and who seek to awaken to their divine purpose.

His most recent project is the pioneering Exemplars for Our Time, which is a nine-volume work that is a collection of biographies of modern day spiritual luminaries who can serve as inspiring guides upon the path of self development and spiritual awakening.

On a recent visit, I had the opportunity to meet with Sidi Haroon in his home in Turkey and have a conversation about his personal journey to Islam, his most recent contribution to Islamic faith literature, and the subtleties of the spiritual path of self-transcendence that ultimately leads to the pleasure and presence of Allah Almighty.

Khabib Nurmagomedov recently announced his retirement with an unblemished record of 29 wins and 0 losses after defeating Justin Gaethje in the second round at UFC 254.

In this episode of Soul of Islam Radio, we look more deeply into the spiritual, emotional and psychological sources of Khabib’s seemingly unmatched strength, skill and success in the octagon, and seek to shed light on what is increasingly becoming a lost aspect of human culture: our relationships with our Creator and our lineage.

In maintaining proper alignment and direction through our hearts by orienting ourselves first and foremost towards God, and secondly towards our parents, family and tribe, we maintain integrity and wholeness, and are best supported to succeed both in this life and the next.

In this episode of Soul of Islam Radio, we have a much needed conversation with clinical psychologist Dr. Nafisa Sekandari on the subject of mental health and wellness for Muslims, and for human beings in general.

Based on her extensive clinical experience and professional practice, in addition to her own personal path, Dr. Sekandari shares with us the startling reality of the unprecedented global pandemic of mental illness due to persistent and chronic stress, fear, anxiety and worry.

Topics discussed include the power of presence and the present moment in healing the heart from the pressure of persistent anxiety, how faith inoculates us against fear, the power of dhikr, meditation and mindfulness to alleviate suffering and bring tranquility to the human heart, the power of breath and breathing to anchor and root us in the now and in the body so as to reduce the experience of anxiety in the mind, the importance of conscious and intentional eating as well as the role gut health plays in our mental and emotional state, the significant value of adequate and restful sleep, the consequences of loneliness on human health and happiness, the plight of the elderly in modern society and culture, and much, much more. Lastly, Dr. Sekandari shares practical steps and tips to immediately reduce stress, fear, anxiety and worry.

Dr. Nafisa Sekandari is an integrative and holistic licensed clinical psychologist practicing in the state of Arizona. She iss also the creator of the online and self paced course, Transforming Anxiety, in which she teaches not only how to regain control of one’s life from the clutches of anxiety, but also how to transform and understand the root cause of the malaise for a more permanent solution to the problem.

Dr. Sekandari is also the director of the website Mental Health and Wellness 4 Muslims and manages its Facebook page.  

To learn more about meditation with Dr. Sekandari, seekers may enroll in her free 21 Day Meditation Challenge.

Dune, first published by Frank Herbert in 1965, has been heralded as the most significant work of science-fiction ever written, and has captured the imagination of millions since its original publication.

Now again a major motion picture adaptation and directed by Denis Villeneuve set for release in December of 2020, and featuring a star studded cast including the likes of Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard, Oscar Isaac, Jessica Ferguson and many others, Dune is again entering and with force into public consciousness.

In this episode of Soul of Islam Radio, we take a brief dive into the deeper dimension of Dune, which takes extensive inspiration from classical Islamic spirituality and eschatology.

In Dune: The Deeper Dimension, we explore the representative meanings and values of the Fremen culture, the role of Paul Muad’Dib, spiritual asceticism, the mastery of the self, the awakening of human potential, and much more.