The Journey – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Journey

Hebah Masood

Religion & Spirituality

Frequency: 1 episode/64d. Total Eps: 33

The Journey podcast is a humble effort to document the spiritual path of my teachers, friends and family. I wanted to explore what people's spiritual journeys were like, especially those who travelled far to acquire knowledge. I hope this serves as an inspiration and motivation for others to seek knowledge near or far.

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Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - islam
23/06/2026
#98
🇨🇦 Canada - islam
22/06/2026
#67
🇨🇦 Canada - islam
21/06/2026
#41
🇬🇧 Great Britain - islam
18/06/2026
#99

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https://www.patreon.com/thejourneypodcast
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Score global : 63%

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Shaykh Hamzah wald Maqbul

Episode 31

Friday, August 9, 2024 • Duration 01:53:42

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.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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Ustadh Omar Popal

Episode 30

Thursday, December 22, 2022 • Duration 01:33:45

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.

Shaykh Nuh Saunders

Episode 21

Thursday, September 17, 2020 • Duration 01:27:26

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: , , Shaykh Munir Ba-Zahayr, Shaykh Ali Bafadal, Sayyid Ali Ba Alawi, Shaykh Bashar al Riz, , Shaykh Abdur Rahman Sondalaani, , Shaykh , Shaykh Amin Buxton, Shaykh Musab Penfound, Suliman Yaseen, .

Imam Yama Niazi

Episode 20

Thursday, August 27, 2020 • Duration 01:21:11

Sidi Saleh Clemons

Episode 19

Thursday, August 6, 2020 • Duration 01:32:35

Assalamu alaykum,

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 , Ustadh Abdul Qadir Wiswal, Ustadh Hasan Petrus, Shaykh Nuh ,

Shaykh Jamal Ud-Deen Hysaw

Episode 18

Thursday, July 16, 2020 • Duration 03:50:00

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: ,Habib Ali Al-Mashhur and his son Habib Abdur Rahman bin Hafid, , , Shaykh Abdul Rahman Shaghouri, , Shaykha Umm Sahl, , Habib Ali Abu Bakr bin Shaikh, Habib Salim Al-Shatiri, bin Aqil, Habib Shahabideen, Habib Tahir Al Attas, , Shaykh Umar Hussein Al-Khatib, , , , Abu Munir, Ali Keeler,

Imam Sohaib Sultan

Episode 17

Thursday, June 25, 2020 • Duration 42:10

Assalamu alaykum,

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.

Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya

Episode 16

Thursday, June 4, 2020 • Duration 57:43

Sidi Uthman Ames

Episode 15

Thursday, May 14, 2020 • Duration 56:02

Assalamu alaykum,

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.

Sister Zainab Ismail

Episode 14

Thursday, April 23, 2020 • Duration 01:23:22

Assalamu alaykum,

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. ’s “Being Muslim” to serve the Spanish speaking world and would later help it be translated into Portuguese as well.

The Journey – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Journey – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

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Facebook99+

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Other5

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Facebook99+

Patreon1

Other5

Apple Podcasts

Spotify