The Qarawiyyin Podcast

❝Do people think they will be left alone after saying ‘We believe’ without being put to the test?❞ [Qur'an 29:2]

The Qarawiyyin Podcast returns with an episode on Israel's war on Gaza. These events have sent shockwaves throughout the Muslim Ummah and beyond, raising questions about how we got here and what comes next.

In Episode 26, the team share their feelings regarding the past five months, examine current discourse on the Palestinian struggle, and discuss the political fallout of the assault.

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Abu Hurayra (RA) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Remember often the severer of pleasures [i.e. death]." There are myriad ways to reflect on death, both on our own death and that of others. How do we engage in periodic remembrance of our final abode? Why does death feel far away, and why do we shy away from discussing it? On Episode 25, the team explores the physical and spiritual realities of dying, and how we can benefit from its remembrance.

The strength of one's connection to Islam can waver. Attacks on our spiritual strength can come from within or without, but there are common strategies for withstanding challenges to our iman from all sides. 

In Episode 24, the team sits down to discuss how we can attain spiritual resilience, especially in light of how countless women see their status in the Muslim community as undervalued and dispensable. How can we correct our mindset regarding our relationship with Allah, our own self-worth, and the authority of community leaders? Where can we turn to bolster our spiritual resilience? How do we remain connected to the Muslim community without becoming cynical? We discuss these questions and more as we consider the best ways to become resilient believers.

The ummah of Islam is growing, as are efforts to spread its message. Though da'wah is often seen as an outward-facing effort, the way it is conducted has serious implications for the faith of Muslims themselves. In this episode, new TQP staff members join the podcast to share their experiences with local da'wah culture, the online scene, da'wah training, and interfaith in non-Muslim majority societies. We discuss common pitfalls and inspiring successes in the world of calling people to Islam.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

This Ramadan, the team shares reflections on the passing and usage of time, the rows of tarawīḥ, and the nature of communal worship. What does it mean to exit our private sphere of spirituality and see Ramadan as a time for ummah-wide transformation? How can we take heed of Allah's ﷻ reminders about the passing of time?

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Published at the beginning of this year, Usaama Al-Azami's Islam and the Arab Revolutions: The Ulama Between Democracy and Autocracy analyzes the rhetoric of religious scholars throughout the Arab Spring. Focusing on the Egyptian revolution, Al-Azami explains what defines the factions standing for or against the revolution and assesses their key figures, including Ali Gomaa, Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, and Abdullah Bin Bayyah.

On Episode 20, we discuss the content of the book, the role of ulama in politics, and how to navigate their problematic stances.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Facing conflicting standards and blurred lines, Muslim women often struggle to understand femininity and what Islam has to say about it. Is there an ideal we should strive or fulfill, or an archetype by which to measure ourselves? What role does culture play in defining gender? Can we be ourselves while pleasing Allah, or are our personalities up for consideration?

On Episode 19, the team sits down to discuss gender norms, what fiqh rulings (don’t) say about the nature of women, feminine role models, and how to move towards a better understanding of the feminine.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Following the 20-year memorial of September 11, 2001, we sit down to reflect on how this day has shaped the last two decades. Our Ummah has faced the physical, spiritual, and intellectual consequences of American imperial violence, which inspires and goads police states around the globe in their persecution of Muslims. How do we reckon with these effects, and where do we go from here?

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

It was a dark and stormy night, and the TQP team had gathered to discuss all things storytelling: books, film, drama, romance, wizardry, tropes, representation (and whether we need it). It began on a good-humored note, with the sisters cordially chatting about their favorite genres — but it soon took a turn. The commentary got dicier and the opinions less popular. Casualties included Ertugrul and The Kite Runner. Several staunch defenses were launched in favor of anime. Contemporary Muslim fiction could scarcely get back up before getting beaten down again. Perhaps most alarmingly, an eerie koreaboo undercurrent was ever-present throughout. It remains unclear whether the hosts were participating in a challenge to see who could say “degeneracy” the most times. 

How will it end? Listen to Episode 17: now on podcast platforms.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Iman Masmoudi joins the Qarawiyyin Podcast for a conversation on ethical fashion, production, and consumption. We discuss our role in the global capitalist economy, addressing the gruesome realities of exploitative labor and environmental degradation. As the havoc wreaked by capitalism becomes more plain to see, we grapple with where to place Islam on the spectrum of economic ideologies, as well as practical steps to disengage from unethical chains of production.

Shaykha Maryam Amir joins the Qarawiyyin Podcast for a conversation on women seeking religious knowledge: access, barriers, missteps, and successes. We discuss the challenges women commonly face when attempting to access even basic information about their deen. Shaykha Maryam dispels misconceptions regarding women reciting the Qur'an, and illustrates the power of reciting and memorizing the Word of Allah ﷻ.

Shaykha Maryam Amir received her master’s in Education from UCLA and a second bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies through Al-Azhar University. She has also studied in Egypt, memorized the Qur’an and has researched a variety of religious sciences, ranging from Quranic exegesis, Islamic jurisprudence, Prophetic narrations and commentary, women’s rights within Islamic law and more for the past 15 years. She actively hosts women who have memorized Quran from around the world to recite and share their journeys through her Into the Revelation Series and the #FOREMOTHERS campaign. Maryam’s focus in the fields of spiritual connections, identity actualization, social justice and women’s studies have humbled her the opportunity to lecture throughout the United States and the world, including in Jerusalem, Mecca, Medina, Stockholm, London, Toronto and more. She holds a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and speaks multiple languages.

Our honored guest, Heraa Hashmi, joins us to discuss secularism in science. Continuing the discussion from our previous episode, we discuss the relationship between religion and science in academia, as well as the moral implications of attempting to divorce theology from the study of the natural world. Broaching a range of topics including mental health, medical ethics, and abortion, we delve into the biases present—and denied—in the world of supposedly objective scientific research.

A clinical researcher by profession, Heraa is a graduate in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. She is also a founding member and contributor at Traversing Tradition, an online publication geared towards examining modern society through an Islamic worldview. 

The TQP team discusses the concepts of secular and sacred knowledge, how they came to be defined as such, and the problems that come with these definitions. Does studying the "secular sciences" require us to leave deen at the door, and can one truly be a mu'min as a student at a secular university?

 We also explore insights from the book recommendations on our University Reading List.

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Our first honored guest, Ilham Ibrahim, joins us to discuss her article “Individualism and the Destruction of Community”. We get a look into the founding of Ilham’s project, Qurtuba Online, and reflect on the departure of the holy month of Ramadan.

Ilham Ibrahim is the founder of Qurtuba Online. A surgical nurse by profession, she’s an avid reader, martial arts enthusiast and enjoys studying history and the sacred sciences.

Has communal discourse among Muslims become polarized? In this episode, we discuss the ways in which some are addressing liberal tremors in the Muslim community, where they may fall short, and how to begin gathering the broken pieces.