The Journey – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Shaykh C Hamzah Wald Maqbul shocked not only me, but also the barista when he ordered in fluent Uzbek at a coffee stand outside the Registan Square in Samarkand a few years ago. That’s when I knew we were in the best possible hands in Uzbekistan with Shaykh Hamzah leading our Muslim Legacy tour group. 

Shaykh Hamzah learned Uzbek while doing  a double major in Biochemistry and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Washington. While he initially intended to go to med school he was also drawn to his faith and was actively looking for a path to study Islam. 

During his undergrad years, the doors opened for him when he was able to do a combined independent study and study abroad trip to Mauritania. He was able to study with scholars in Mauritania and the UAE. He then went to study for four years in Pakistan at Jamia al Madaniya. 

Currently he works with Imam Ghazali Institute, teaching aqidah intensives across the country as well as organizing heritage trips to explore Muslim history in Turkey, Uzbekistan, Sicily and Bosnia. He also founded Ribat and teaches locally in the Chicago area. 

In this episode, he discusses the value of connecting with Muslim history and tradition in an immersive way, connecting with the layman as a scholar, and the importance of zuhd and detaching from one’s wealth.

His story intersects with many familiar names:

Murabit al-Hajj, Murabit Haddamin, Murabit Ahmad Fal, Mufti Abdul Wahid, Syed Nafees Hussaini, Mawlana Abdul Haleem Chishti, Dr. Imam Zijad Delic Delic; he has also worked closely with Shaykh Mohammed Amin Kholwadia's Darul Qasim College, Musa Sugapong, and HFSAA Midwest.

After over a year-long hiatus, I'm very excited to be posting this episode. Please note, it was recorded in May 2023. 

Please note this episode was recorded in May 2023. 

Assalamu alaykum,

As I pursue my own spiritual journey, I want to hear from those who have taken this path before me. This podcast focuses on them and listening to their stories — uninterrupted. My name is Hebah Masood and I invite you to reflect on the trajectories of their lives, and the guidance and blessings provided by Allah swt along that journey.

At age 16, Ustadh Omar Popal was an extremely homesick madrasa student in Campertown, South Africa. He was far from home, his family and friends.  He was struggling to adjust to life at Madrasa In’aamiyya, so different from his public high school and life as he knew it in Fairfax, Virginia. He found his way to the madrassa library, and there he found a mentor in Maulana Muhammad Abbas Omar, who befriended him and took him under his wing. In the same library he found three books which awoke a thirst for knowledge within him and were his introduction to tasawwuf: Protecting Yourself from Whisperings of the Devil, the Path to Perfection, Ma’arif Al Mathnawi. After completing two years in South Africa, Ustadh Omar returned to Virginia and continued studying the Islamic Sciences and completed high school as one of the first students at Mufti Yusuf bin Yaqub’s school, Madinatul Uloom.

After high school, he was looking for the next opportunity when his father heard about Tarim, Yemen. He had met someone whose daughter was studying at Dar al Zahra, the girls madrassa in Tarim, and so he decided to send Ustadh Omar and his sister to Yemen as well. Ustadh Omar spent two years in Tarim at Dar al-Mustafa, the boys madrassa, including one year at a campus in Ai’nat. The Ai’nat campus was even more remote, academically rigorous and challenging, and he was the only Westerner there at the time. Despite the challenges, he grew fond of his unique time in Ai’nat and refers to it as the best year of his life.  

After returning home, he continued his studies at Darul Qasim in Chicago with Shaykh Amin Kholwadia  and later with Dr. Recep Senturk in Turkey. 

Ustadh Omar is now the founder of the Tanwir Institute in Fairfax, VA. where he is attending to the educational and spiritual needs of Muslims in his hometown as well as the DMV area (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia) at large.

In this episode, he discusses both the struggle of adjusting while studying overseas as well as the many distractions and difficulties that come with seeking knowledge while staying in the West. He gives heartfelt advice to students of knowledge on humility and setting priorities. 

His story intersects with many familiar names: 

Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Maulana Haroon Abbas Omar, Maulana Muhammad Abbas Omar, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Mufti Yusuf bin Yaqub, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Maulana Ibrahim Muhammad, Maulana Ridwaan Desi, Shaykh Amin Kholwadia, Dr Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, Shaykh Khaled Al-Kharsa, Dr. Hamza al-Bakri  Dr. Mahmoud al-Masri, Shaykh Faisal Matadar, Shaykh Hamzah Wald Maqbul, Shaykha Mariam Sheibani, Dr. Recep Senturk

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Also available on most other major podcast streaming services including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox and Podbay.

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Do you enjoy this podcast? Support the Patreon to ensure the best podcast quality possible. All funds go to equipment and editing software. May Allah reward you. https://www.patreon.com/thejourneypodcast

Assalamu alaykum,

As I begin my own spiritual journey, I want to hear from those who have taken this path before me. This podcast focuses on them and listening to their stories — uninterrupted. My name is Hebah Masood and I invite you to reflect on the trajectories of their lives, and the guidance and blessings provided by Allah SWT along that journey.

Shaykh Nuh Lavotte Saunders grew up in Philadelphia, a place he describes as having a lot of Muslims but very little Islam. As a teenager, he lacked good suhba, the right kind of friends. But one day, he heard a recording of a khutbah by Shaykh Abdur Rahman Sondalaani in his grandmother’s car and broke down in tears. Shaykh Abdur Rahman— whose grandfather was part of the first Muslim community in Philly— talked about the challenges of growing up as a young Muslim in the city, something Shaykh Nuh could relate to. A month later he met Shaykh Abdur Rahman, who became his mentor, teaching him aqidah, introducing him to Imam Amin Muhammad from Atlantic City, and taking him to meet Habib Omar during his 2011 visit to the United States.

For the past eight years, he has been studying in Tarim, Yemen at Dar al-Mustafa. His kids are still there, while he is taking a break to study Quranic recitation in Lebanon. He also founded Dar Al Qurra, an online institute dedicated to connecting youth, particularly in the inner city, with the Qur’an. His plan once he returns to the United States is to expand it into a boarding school InshaAllah.

In this episode he talks about the importance of meeting people where they are when giving da’wah, the tarbiyah (spiritual mentorship) of the scholars in Yemen and the need to instill prophetic character in children.

His story intersects with many familiar names: الحبيب عمر بن حفيظ - Habib Omar, Habib Ali al-Jifri, Shaykh Munir Ba-Zahayr, Shaykh Ali Bafadal, Sayyid Ali Ba Alawi, Shaykh Bashar al Riz, Shaykh Samir al-Nass, Shaykh Abdur Rahman Sondalaani, Imam Amin Muhammad, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Shaykh Amin Buxton, Shaykh Musab Penfound, Suliman Yaseen, Ibn Ali Miller.

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Also available on most other major podcast streaming services including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox and Podbay.

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Do you enjoy this podcast? Support the Patreon to ensure the best podcast quality possible. All funds go to equipment and editing software. May Allah reward you. https://www.patreon.com/thejourneypodcast

Assalamu alaykum, As I begin my own spiritual journey, I want to hear from those who have taken this path before me. This podcast focuses on them and listening to their stories - uninterrupted. My name is Hebah Masood and I invite you to reflect on the trajectories of their lives, and the guidance and blessings provided by Allah SWT along that journey. Like many Afghans, Imam Yama Niazi's family left Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion. By the '90s, he was an 18 year old aspiring rapper in Santa Barbara, California, a typical American teen who knew little about the religion but made a dua that changed the course of his life. One day, perhaps in answer to that dua, a mysterious visitor stopped by the family business. The visitor, a convert and former rapper, befriended him. He taught him how to pray, the basic tenets of the religion and mentored him. Imam Yama gave up rapping, began practicing Islam and eventually sought sacred knowledge. Through an ISNA catalogue, he learned about Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and started driving five hours weekly to the take classes with Shaykh Hamza in the Bay area. The classes introduced him to other scholars including Shaykh Salek ibn Siddina and Shaykh Muhammad Yaqoubi and a whole new world. In this episode, Imam Yama narrates an emotional story of how Allah SWT guided him. He gives important and nuanced advice about dawah, the limits of interfaith work and the challenges of being an American Imam. He now lives in Vancouver, B.C., teaches youth classes at SeekersGuidance: The Global Islamic Seminary and runs the The Blessed Tree Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on spreading the beauty of Islam. His story intersects with many familiar names: Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Salek ibn Siddina, Shaykh Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi الشيخ محمد اليعقوبي,,الحبيب عمر بن حفيظ - Habib Omar, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Shaykh Rami Nsour, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, Ustadh Feraidoon Mojadedi, Shaykh Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera , Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Shaykh Tameem Ahmadi

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Also available on most other major podcast streaming services including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox and Podbay.

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Do you enjoy this podcast? Support the Patreon to ensure the best podcast quality possible. All funds go to equipment and editing software. May Allah reward you. https://www.patreon.com/thejourneypodcast

Assalamu alaykum,

As I begin my own spiritual journey, I want to hear from those who have taken this path before me. This podcast focuses on them and listening to their stories — uninterrupted. My name is Hebah Masood and I invite you to reflect on the trajectories of their lives, and the guidance and blessings provided by Allah swt along that journey.

Sidi Saleh Clemons’ journey starts with the adhan. He first saw the word in a novel, then listened to a recitation on YouTube. He was struck by the beauty of the adhan (call to prayer). It would lead him to learn more about Islam and eventually take his shahada. A close Muslim friend taught him about the religion and offered “good” suhba, (companionship), helping him transition into Islam. He got on the path of Islamic learning initially through tapes from Sheikh Abu Yusuf Riyadh Ul-Haq, a Hanafi, Deobandi scholar based int he UK. He then met Shaykh Yahya Rhodus and other teachers and students who guided him to Tarim and studying with Habib Omar. He also studied in Egypt and Kenya with his wife and now teaches at the Sakinah Institute and Islamic Center of Ewing in New Jersey.

In this episode, Sidi Saleh talks about how seeking knowledge can sometimes reveal our own faults, and the importance of being there for other Muslims through difficult times.

His story intersects with many familiar names: الحبيب عمر بن حفيظ - Habib Omar, Habib Khadim As-Saqqaf, Habib Ali al-Jifri English, Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq, Mufti Muhammad Ibn Adam Al - Kawthar, Sh Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Ustadh Abdul Qadir Wiswal, Ustadh Hasan Petrus, Shaykh Nuh Lavotte Saunders, Shaykh Hamdi Ben Aissa

My sincere apologies for the poor sound quality for the first 20 minutes.

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Also available on most other major podcast streaming services including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox and Podbay.

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Do you enjoy this podcast? Support the Patreon to ensure the best podcast quality possible. All funds go to equipment and editing software. May Allah reward you. https://www.patreon.com/thejourneypodcast

Assalamu alaykum, As I begin my own spiritual journey, I want to hear from those who have taken this path before me. This podcast focuses on them and listening to their stories - uninterrupted. My name is Hebah Masood and I invite you to reflect on the trajectories of their lives, and the guidance and blessings provided by Allah swt along that journey. Shaykh Jamal Ud-deen Hysaw describes his childhood as nomadic. He moved across the United States, living in suburban communities where he often felt the effects of racism and isolation, and found it difficult fitting in with both his Black and white classmates. His journey to Islam began in college as he started exploring Black history and reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X. A few years after he converted, he was introduced to then translator Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller who was visiting Atlanta at the time. He got his phone number and after months of almost daily phone calls, Shaykh Nuh and his wife Shaykha Umm Sahl suggested that he come to Damascus and study Islamic sciences full-time. He was in Syria for three years before becoming one of the first foreigners to be invited to Tarim by Habib Omar. He eventually settled there for five years to finish his studies. Shaykh Jamal is a natural storyteller. This is a four hour interview, but he keeps the listener engaged from beginning to end with stories from his life and beautiful descriptions of his time in Hadhramaut. He talks about what it was like seeking knowledge in the '90s with scholars like Habib Omar and Shaykh Nuh. There's also great advice here about the importance of humility throughout one's spiritual journey. While Shaykh Jamal may not be a household name, he was instrumental in guiding many on their path to knowledge. Shaykh Jamal Ud-Deen Hysaw describes his childhood as nomadic. He moved across the United States, living in suburban communities where he often felt the effects of racism and isolation, and found it difficult fitting in with both his Black and white classmates. His journey to Islam began in college when he started exploring Black history and read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. A few years after he converted, he was introduced to then translator Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller who was visiting Atlanta at the time. He got his phone number and after months of almost daily phone calls, Shaykh Nuh and his wife Shaykha Umm Sahl suggested that he come to Damascus to study the Islamic sciences full-time. He lived in Syria for three years before becoming one of the first foreigners to be invited to Tarim by Habib Omar. He would stay there for five years while he completed his studies. Shaykh Jamal is a natural storyteller. This is a four hour interview, but he keeps the listener engaged from beginning to end with stories from his life and beautiful descriptions of his time in Hadramawt. He talks about what it was like seeking knowledge in the '90s with scholars like Habib Omar and Shaykh Nuh. There's great advice here about the importance of humility throughout one's spiritual journey. While Shaykh Jamal may not be a household name, he was instrumental in guiding many on their path to knowledge. His story intersects with many familiar names: الحبيب عمر بن حفيظ - Habib Omar,Habib Ali Al-Mashhur and his son Habib Abdur Rahman bin Hafid, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf English, Habib Ali al-Jifri English, Shaykh Abdul Rahman Shaghouri, Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Shaykha Umm Sahl, Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi الشيخ محمد اليعقوبي, Habib Ali Abu Bakr bin Shaikh, Habib Salim Al-Shatiri, Habib Hashim bin Aqil, Habib Shahabideen, Habib Tahir Al Attas, Shaykh Dr. Muhammad bin Yahya al-Husayni al-Ninowy الشيخ د. محمد النينوي, Shaykh Umar Hussein Al-Khatib, Musa Furber, Shaykh Jihad Hashim Brown, Imam Zaid Shakir, Abu Munir, Ali Keeler,

Assalamu alaykum,

As I begin my own spiritual journey, I want to hear from those who have taken this path before me. This podcast focuses on them and listening to their stories — uninterrupted. My name is Hebah Masood and I invite you to reflect on the trajectories of their lives, and the guidance and blessings provided by Allah swt along that journey.

I first met Imam Sohaib Sultan at a weekend retreat organized by the Princeton MLP. Imam Sohaib and his wife Arshe Ahmed welcomed me to the Central Jersey community with open arms, and I think I’m not alone in saying that they go the extra mile to make everyone feel included – even if you’re not part of the university.

Imam Sohaib’s journey started in the Midwest. He describes himself as an “ISNA baby,” whose parents were heavily involved in the establishment of ISNA’s headquarters in Indiana. During an ISNA convention, then President Dr. Ingrid Mattson recruited him to be among the early graduates of the Islamic Chaplaincy program at Hartford Seminary. He has served as the first full-time Muslim Life Coordinator and chaplain at the Muslim Life Program at Princeton for the past 12 years. Within the world of Muslim chaplaincy, he is known as a trailblazer and a prominent community builder.

A few months ago, Imam Sohaib was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. This was devastating news for the Central Jersey community. In this episode he talks about the diagnosis and his own journey to being content with the Qadr of Allah. There are many lessons in his story and his ability to see everything in life as an opportunity to get closer to Allah SWT — which should help make us grateful for both our blessings and our trials.

For more of his reflections please see his blog.

Please share any memories of Imam Sohaib here.

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Also available on most other major podcast streaming services including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox and Podbay.

-

Do you enjoy this podcast? Support the Patreon to ensure the best podcast quality possible. All funds go to equipment and editing software. May Allah reward you. https://www.patreon.com/thejourneypodcast

Assalamu alaykum, As I begin my own spiritual journey, I want to hear from those who have taken this path before me. This podcast focuses on them and listening to their stories - uninterrupted. My name is Hebah Masood and I invite you to reflect on the trajectories of their lives, and the guidance and blessings provided by Allah swt along that journey. Reflecting on the order and harmony within nature, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya knew at a young age that God existed. He embraced Islam in his junior year of high school in Berkeley, California. A translation of Imam Ghazali's renowned "Ihya Uloom al-Deen" ("The Revival of the Religious Sciences") inspired him to seek out teachers who embodied those characteristics. His journey took him to Syria where he studied Arabic and Tajweed. And then onto Tarim, Yemen, where he was one of the first American students to enroll in the newly opened Dar al Mustafa. That became his base for 13 years, and he became a translator for Habib Omar and the other habaib all over the world. After returning to the U.S. he would eventually establish Dar Al-Rahma in 2017 to serve and teach the Muslims of the Detroit area. In this episode he talks about serving and learning with people of knowledge over the last 23 years. He also discusses the inner-city community in Detroit where he teaches, and how it's been impacted by COVID-19 and ongoing police brutality against the Black community. His story intersects with many familiar names: Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller and his wife Shaykha Umm Sahl, Habib Ali al-Mashhur bin Hafiz, الحبيب عمر بن حفيظ - Habib Omar, Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Habib Ali al-Jifri English, Habib Abdurrahman bin Hafiz, Shaykh Umar Hussein Al Khatib, Habib Abdullah bin Muhammed bin Alawi bin Shihab, Habib Salim al Shatiriy, Shaykh Muhammed Ali al Khatib, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Abdullah Alkadi, Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa, Shaykh Jamal Ud-Deen Hysaw, Shaykh Abu Muneer al-Sha’ar, Abu Anas, Dr. Omar Mahmood عمر محمود, Imam Dawud Walid, Imam Abdullah El-Amin, Imam Saleem Khalid and Shaykh Ali Sulaiman Ali.

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Also available on most other major podcast streaming services including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox and Podbay.

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Do you enjoy this podcast? Support the Patreon to ensure the best podcast quality possible. All funds go to equipment and editing software. May Allah reward you. https://www.patreon.com/thejourneypodcast

Assalamu alaykum,

As I begin my own spiritual journey, I want to hear from those who have taken this path before me. This podcast focuses on them and listening to their stories — uninterrupted. My name is Hebah Masood and I invite you to reflect on the trajectories of their lives, and the guidance and blessings provided by Allah swt along that journey.

Sidi Wendell Uthman Ames’ story begins at a hip hop store in Southern California where he worked during high school. He watched his manager take breaks during the day to pray in a back room. A group of Filipino converts began visiting the store further triggering his interest in Islam. The Filipino converts would befriend him, and he took his shahada with them at the age of 17, MashaAllah! He began driving with them to the Bay Area to take classes with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. This is pre-Zaytuna College. Sidi Uthman would eventually move to the Bay Area and live with Sidi Usama Canon. He’s now a well-known munshid and shares his beautiful voice at gatherings all over the world. Many of you may have heard him at Al-Maqasid or Ta'leef Collective.

In this episode, he talks about what many call the “Golden era” of converts coming to Islam in California, watching institutions like Zaytuna and Ta’leef develop from the ground up, and his own spiritual development over the years.

He’s met many beautiful teachers and befriended many familiar names along his journey: Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Nuh Keller, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Ustadh Amjad Tarsin, Dr. Shadee Elmasry, Sidi Usama Canon, Shaykh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, Shaykh Tameem Ahmadi, Ustadh Tarif Arabi, Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, Dr. Hatem Bazian, Amir Muhammad Shareef, Shaykh Muhammed al-Yaqoubi, Mauritanian scholars like Shaykh Khutri and Shaykh Abdullah, Shaykh Walead Mohammed Mosaad, Shaykh Abdullah Qadi, Shaykh Mahmud Kellner, Shaykha Maryam Dhuhayb, Shaykh Faraz Khan, Habib Ali al-Jifri English, Feraidoon Mojadedi,

Assalamu alaykum,

As I begin my own spiritual journey, I want to hear from those who have taken this path before me. This podcast focuses on them and listening to their stories — uninterrupted. My name is Hebah Masood and I invite you to reflect on the trajectories of their lives, and the guidance and blessings provided by Allah swt along that journey.

Sister Zainab Ismail is known by many for her popular Instagram page @zainab_fitforallah. Prior to taking her shahada, she worked as a fitness trainer and nutritionist with the “one percent” — hopping between Las Vegas, Miami, the Hamptons and Hollywood for work.

A life threatening car accident and deeper reflections on faith led her to Islam and a new lifestyle. She began taking classes for new Muslims at the New York City Muslim Education and Converts Center of America, where Fit for Allah was born.

After studying further at MECCA Center, Al-Maqasid, and SeekersGuidance: The Global Islamic Seminary she embarked on a da'wah opportunity to Chiapas, Mexico. That led to more da'wah trips in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Panama. She also sparked the idea to translate Dr. Asad Tarsin’s “Being Muslim” to serve the Spanish speaking world and would later help it be translated into Portuguese as well.

In this episode she reflects on how influential it was to learn about tasawwuf and meet scholars like Habib Omar in her early years as a Muslim. She also talks about how important it is for new converts to be in spaces where they feel mercy, care and compassion.

Her story intersects with many beautiful teachers: Habib Omar, Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Amin Muhammad, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Dr. Asad Tarsin, Ustadh Amjad Tarsin, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Shaykh Samir al-Nass, Ustadha Wajiha Khalil, Ustadh Khalid Abdu, Shaykh Imadudeen Abu Hijleh, Shaykh Walid al-Rifa’i, Shaykh