In Good Faith

• #9 - Dr Bilal Hassam: God, Culture, Aesthetics, Psychedelics, Physics, AI, Revelation & Migration

  ~ Apply discount code IQBAL20 for 20% off all artwork on https://muslimplicity.com ~My conversation with Dr Bilal Hassam was pretty wild, very insightful and lots of fun. We talked about what it means and what it takes to build a faith-based civilisation in the build up to the 22nd century, covering a vast array of topics in the process. This episode is packed with stories and gems of wisdom - not least from Bilal's unique experience of reenacting the 200 mile prophetic migration (hijrah) from Mecca to Medina in 2024. Bilal is Founder of The Muslim Agency and Creative Director at Muslimplicity. He offers bespoke consultation for leaders working in and alongside the Muslim community. Bilal left medicine years ago to turn his attention to a range of roles as business development consultant, senior executive, as well as creative and communications lead across the media industry, charity sector and faith/multi-faith spaces. He is also a freelance writer, having contributed to the Guardian, Independent, Metro, Al Jazeera and more.Check out: https://www.themuslimagency.comFollow Bilal:https://www.instagram.com/bilalhassam/?hl=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bilalhassam/(0:00) Teaser(1:17) Introduction(2:58) Building faith-based civilisation(12:19) Faith, culture… and dance!(16:45) History, ethics and aesthetics (20:12) Rules, limits and judgementalism(28:28) Objective truth and spiritual ascent(40:36) Psychedelics, physics and the unseen(44:50) The singularity, God’s oneness and scripture(59:07) Simplicity, sincerity and humility (1:05:25) Reenacting the prophetic migration (hijrah)(1:31:45) Art, sustainability and leadership (1:42:22) Conclusion and discount code!

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• #8 - Dr Sahira Dar: Making Mosques Inclusive and Saving the Health of the Nation

  Dr Sahira Dar is a portfolio GP in Glasgow working in both the NHS and private sector. She is also President of the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA). Dr Sahira and I sat down ahead of the BIMA Conference on Saturday 28th June to discuss the organisation's work as well as challenges and opportunities for the future. She also talked about her work as Founder of Vibrant Scottish Mosques and a recent conference she organised to celebrate and raise the profile of women leading the way in scholarship, community leadership, and faith-based activism.Get your tickets to the BIMA Conference: https://britishima.org/event/bima-national-conference-2025/Check out job opportunities at BIMA: https://britishima.org/who-we-are/careers/Connect with Dr Sahira: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahira-dar-59801453/Follow BIMA: https://www.linkedin.com/company/britishima/(0:00) Vibrant Scottish Mosques and female leadership(7:30) Mosque inclusion: has anything changed?(13:39) Dr Sahira's BIMA journey(15:05) What does BIMA do?(22:45) Do Muslim staff in the NHS feel welcome?(30:54) BIMA's unique training and advocacy work(42:36) Theory of change and impacting wider society(59:22) Hiring a CEO(1:01:05) The BIMA Conference 2025(1:02:56) How is AI being used in the NHS?(1:05:22) Top priorities for BIMA (1:08:15) Top leadership lessons(1:09:37) How Dr Sahira would like to be remembered(1:11:23) Concluding thoughts

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• #7 - How To Find And Follow Your God-Given Purpose

  If you're a working professional who knows deep down that there's more to life than whatever you're up to right now, this one's for you!New guest hosts Ali Siddiqui and Fiyal Malik - who work in corporate law and financial services respectively - put their questions to me on finding our God-given purpose. We covered a range of considerations and concerns, including how to set our intentions, transcend constraints, avoid compartmentalisation, escape the minority mindset, find balance, and much more...(0:00) Teaser (0:51) Introducing Ali and Fiyal(6:20) What is the God-centred life?(9:11) Freeing our minds to find purpose(13:41) Avoiding compartmentalisation(19:28) Iterating towards the ideal(22:31) Our lack of shared cause(26:30) Are there stages in life?(32:15) Establishing true intentions(41:01) Escaping the minority mindset(45:01) Doing God in the workplace(51:15) Capacity constraints (53:22) Fiyal and Ali ideate their objectives(1:10:19) Gender, marriage and mission(1:22:00) Finding balance as a woman (1:26:06) Quickfire questions

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• #6 - Dr Haroon Sidat: We Need to Recreate a Living Tradition URGENTLY...

  It was a pleasure catching up with scholar and social scientist Dr Haroon Sidat. Our conversation focused particularly on the past, present and future of religious scholarship and leadership. Haroon also shared many stories from his personal journey, including encounters with those who have inspired him and those who have threatened his life!(0:00) The importance of humour(2:02) Haroon’s early intellectual journey(6:57) Challenging the notion of “Islamic Studies”(27:04) The state of contemporary scholarship (44:30) Haroon invites your questions!(49:15) How to - and how not to - use hadith(55:51) Have Darul Ulum seminaries changed?(59:40) Scholarly spaces and a culture of respect(1:07:41) Advice to budding scholars (1:20:49) Is it time for a 5th school of law (madhab)?(1:38:17) Cambridge Muslim College(1:43:33) Haroon’s future plans and ambitionsABOUT HAROON:Haroon holds two undergraduate degrees, a Masters degree and a PGCE. In 2019, he completed the prestigious Jameel PhD scholarship in Philosophy, Religion, and Theology at Cardiff University, in which his topic of study was the education, formation and training of Muslim religious leadership in Britain. He is currently a research associate and scholar at the university's Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK. Haroon has long served as an imam and teacher at a number of mosques and local community organisations in the North of England. Learn from Haroon: https://hujjahacademy.comCardiff University profile: https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/sidatheLinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-haroon-sidat-00515943/

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• #5 - The Serious (and Some Funny) Aspects of Pilgrimage

  Taimur just left with his mum for his first ever Hajj, the major pilgrimage to Mecca. A few days ago we sat down to see how his preparations were coming along and what he was hoping to get out of it all. I shared some reflections based on my own trips as well as, of course, from revelation itself - especially Chapter 2 (The Cow) and Chapter 22 (Pilgrimage). (0:00) Will Taimur shave his head?(1:43) Anticipation and preparations (6:25) Connect, cultivate, control, conquer(13:02) Iqbal's experience and memories(20:06) Substance, patience and sacred dress code(28:25) Why can't "non-Muslims" visit the holy sites?(36:18) The blessing of livestock; food waste(38:54) More inner dimensions(43:02 ) Abrahamic leadership and devotion(53:19) Ordering our priorities around revelation(1:00:50) Why would God care about footwear?(1:06:55) Wishing Taimur well

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