OnGuard - For the Ummah, For the Truth

What happens when you know Islam is true… but still feel empty inside?

In this powerful episode of OnGuard, Hamza Tzortzis speaks to Imran Hussein about anxiety, intrusive thoughts, depression, nihilism, and the search for meaning in a world full of distractions.

Imran shares his deeply personal journey through an existential crisis, describing the moment life seemed to lose its meaning — and how turning back to Allah transformed darkness into clarity. But this is not just a story about “mental health”. It is a conversation about iman, purpose, knowledge, the heart, and why intellectual certainty alone is not always enough to keep a person grounded.

Why do so many Muslims feel spiritually disconnected despite believing in Islam?
How should we understand anxiety, OCD, intrusive thoughts and depression through an Islamic lens?
What does it mean to seek help without shame?
And how can we hold on to hope when everything feels dark?

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt lost, numb, anxious, overwhelmed, or distant from Allah — and for anyone trying to support someone who is.

This podcast is part of our broader anti-suicide campaign, Hold On.
Hold on to life. Hold on to hope. Hold on to the mercy of Allāh.

Subscribe to Islam21c for more conversations on Islam, society, belief, family, mental health, and the challenges facing Muslims today.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:08 Introducing Imran Hussein and the Hold On campaign
02:36 Losing meaning: the questions that would not go away
06:37 Anxiety, derealisation, and the search for answers
11:53 The desperate du’a and the Qur’an moment
16:07 From relief to da’wah
18:15 When anxiety returned: why knowledge alone is not enough
25:47 Understanding anxiety, doubts, and obsessive cycles
30:23 Practical and spiritual tools for anxiety
37:42 Getting help, letting thoughts pass, and prophetic guidance
48:17 Reframing anxiety as a test from Allāh
52:12 Grief, hope, and never despairing of Allah’s mercy
55:49 How family, friends, and brotherhood can help
01:03:27 Hold on to hope and Allah’s mercy
01:05:16 Final reflections

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The world is changing — fast.

From escalating global conflicts to shifting political powers, it feels like history is unfolding in front of us. But here’s the real question:

Are we actually understanding what’s happening?

In this episode of OnGuard, Hamza Tzortzis sits down with Shaykh Dr Haitham al-Haddad to unpack a perspective many Muslims are missing. Because if we misunderstand the nature of this world — its purpose, its struggles, its conflicts — then everything else starts to feel confusing.

This isn’t just about geopolitics.
It’s about how a Muslim should see the world.

And if we get that wrong… the consequences are bigger than we think.

🧠 What you’ll learn in this episode:
Why confusion about world events is increasing
The Islamic framework for understanding conflict and change
What most people misunderstand about the nature of this life
Why clarity starts with the right foundations
How Muslims should respond in times of global uncertainty

📌 Watch till the end:

Because the final insight reframes everything — and gives you a completely different way of looking at what’s happening right now.

Chapters:
0:00 The World Is Changing
0:25 Why Most People Misunderstand What’s Happening
2:10 A Rapidly Changing World & Competing Powers
5:05 Why Muslims Feel Confused Today
8:30 Different Reactions: Agreement, Doubt & Conflict
12:15 The Missing Foundation in Understanding Reality
16:40 This Life Is a Test — Not What You Think
21:10 Why Conflict Is Part of the Design of Life
26:05 The Danger of Expecting Comfort & Stability
31:20 Islamic Framework vs Modern Worldview
36:45 How Muslims Should Interpret Global Events
42:10 Where the Ummah Is Getting It Wrong
47:30 Reframing Success, Struggle & Change
53:15 Intellectual & Spiritual Confusion Explained
58:40 The Consequences of Getting This Wrong
1:04:10 What Needs to Change in the Muslim Mindset
1:09:30 Real Change Starts With This
1:14:50 Practical Takeaways for Muslims Today
1:19:30 Final Reflections — Understanding the World Properly

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What does it really mean to speak about the power of a Muslim woman in a world already saturated with assumptions about gender, autonomy, success, and value?

In this thought-provoking OnGuard conversation, Hamza Tzortzis is joined by Imam Tom Facchine (Yaqeen Institute) for a wide-ranging discussion sparked by Islam21c’s Power of a Muslim Woman campaign. But this is not the conversation many might expect.

Together, they explore:

• Why modern society subtly reshaped how we think about women and “empowerment”
• The quiet pressure many women feel to justify or even apologise for following their fitrah and divine guidance
• How homemaking, motherhood, and femininity became culturally devalued
• The liberal assumptions that influence how all of us — men and women — see the world
• Why debates around feminism often miss the deeper questions entirely
• The "crisis of Islamic scholarship" that leads to many sisters not getting the support they deserve
• And more

This episode isn’t about slogans or culture-war soundbites. It’s about stepping back and asking:

❓ Who defines value?
❓ What counts as power?
❓ And why do so many feel conflicted about answers Islam has long provided?

Whether you’re navigating these questions personally, as a parent, or simply trying to understand the world we inhabit, this discussion offers clarity, nuance, and reflection.

For more information about the Power of a Muslim Woman campaign and to sign up for updates, visit https://pomw.org

Chapters:
00:00 — Intro
03:57 — Why this conversation can’t be avoided
07:04 — How “empowerment” gets defined
10:45 — You’re swimming in liberal waters
14:21 — Why feminism feels persuasive
18:08 — Feminism vs Islam: different starting points
22:17 — Who actually defines value?
26:31 — Homemaking and cultural status
30:43 — “Pretend I’m a sister…”
34:55 — The pressure to justify choices
39:14 — When Islam is reframed in liberal terms
43:36 — Masculinity, femininity, and discomfort
48:00 — Strength vs stereotype
51:51 — The quiet belittling of homemaking
56:09 — The apology trap
1:00:13 — The crisis of Islamic scholarship
1:04:38 — Authority, trust, and confusion
1:09:01 — Internal tensions within Muslim spaces
1:13:43 — Disagreement without defensiveness
1:18:35 — Confidence without apology
1:23:47 — Noticing the water we’re swimming in
1:29:13 — Imagine I’m a sister…
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In this powerful episode of OnGuard by Islam21c, Hamza Andreas Tzortzis sits down with Dr Zeyn Green-Thompson, a medical doctor and psychiatrist, for an honest and profoundly moving conversation on mental health, hope, and the Muslim experience.

Together, they explore some of the most difficult and often unspoken topics in our communities, including depression, hopelessness, and s**cidal ideation. Dr Zeyn brings rare clarity by combining clinical psychiatry with an Islamic worldview, showing how īmān, meaning, and responsibility can reshape the way we understand suffering and recovery.

This discussion goes beyond labels and quick fixes. We talk about:
What hopelessness really means from a clinical perspective
Why despair is central to s**cidal intent
The biological, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of mental health
How Islamic concepts such as duty, patience, humility, and hope offer practical protection
How Muslims should approach others who are struggling, with empathy rather than harshness
Why listening matters more than giving blanket advice
Dr Zeyn also shares real clinical insights from his work in psychiatry, reflecting on how timeless Islamic principles can be communicated in ways that help both Muslims and non-Muslims.

This is not just an intellectual discussion. It is personal, reflective, and deeply human. Whether you are struggling yourself, supporting someone else, or simply want a more grounded way to think about mental wellbeing, this conversation is essential viewing.

Chapters:
00:00 – Why This Episode Is Different
02:59 – S**cide & Mental Health in the Muslim Community
06:29 – What Is Hopelessness, Clinically Speaking?
10:04 – The Critical Shift: From Ideation to Intent
13:09 – “Hopelessness Is Always a Lie”
16:34 – When Depression Overwhelms Rational Thought
19:39 – Biology, Psychology & Social Triggers Explained
22:54 – Why Muslims Must Add the Spiritual Dimension
25:54 – Duty, Not Outcomes: A Powerful Mental Framework
29:04 – Why This Approach Works for Non-Muslims Too
31:54 – A Personal Childhood Story of Shame & Isolation
35:14 – How to Speak to Someone Who Is Struggling
38:24 – The Prophetic Method of Compassionate Guidance (ﷺ)
41:54 – When Religion Becomes Harsh or Hollow
45:24 – What the Muslim Community Needs to Relearn
48:34 – Final Reflections: Hope as an Act of Truth
50:54 – Faith, Capacity & Moral Responsibility
54:14 – When Someone Is Not Sinning, But Suffering
57:34 – Why Shaming Worsens Mental Health
Support the show
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“They stole land from the Palestinians and they stole identity from Jews.”

In this remarkable conversation, Rabbi Elhanan Beck — a Palestinian-born rabbi from Stamford Hill — shares his powerful story and deep insights into the clear distinction between Judaism and Zionism.

He explains why true Judaism is rooted in faith, humility, and obedience to God, while Zionism, as he argues, transformed a spiritual religion into a political and national project divorced from its sacred origins.

Together, we explore:
🔹 What it truly means to be Jewish according to the Torah
🔹 The 13 principles of faith outlined by Maimonides
🔹 How Zionism emerged as a secular movement
🔹 The Jewish understanding of exile and the promised land
🔹 The peaceful vision of the Messiah in Jewish scripture
🔹 Centuries of coexistence between Muslims and Jews

This is a heartfelt and eye-opening discussion that challenges common narratives and offers a glimpse into an authentic Jewish perspective on faith, identity, and justice.

Also watch:

Jewish Rabbi gives an Islamic History lesson
https://youtu.be/xbI2S9wG--o
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