Be Your Own Toughest Critic | Midnight Majlis | Night 5 | Dr. Omar Suleiman and Sh. Yaser Birjas

Who profits from making people fear Muslims? In this Focal Point episode, Imam Tom exposes the multi-million dollar network fueling Islamophobia—fake experts, front organizations, and political actors who weaponize misinformation for profit and power.This isn’t ignorance, it’s strategy. Who funds the fear? Who benefits? And how do we counter it?

A century after his birth — and 60 years after his assassination — El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, or Malcolm X, continues to exert a powerful influence on efforts against racism and oppression from the United States to Africa.After enduring the cruelty of overt and systemic racism at a young age, Malcolm made a lifelong commitment to uplifting himself and all African-Americans. Bold and uncompromising, but also a sincere seeker of truth, he embraced Islam, performed Hajj, and traveled widely. Malcolm found inspiration and solidarity in Africa’s decolonization movements, from Ghana to Algeria. And his little-known visit to Gaza and his sharp critique of Zionism were among these efforts, even while he continued to forcefully challenge anti-Black racism in America.We highlight various points in Malcolm’s winding journey, relying primarily on his own ever-insightful words, and reflect on why he remains an inspiration today.

South Africa’s former Minister of International Relations, Dr. Naledi Pandor, became the face of the ICJ case accusing Israel of genocide. In this conversation with Dr. Omar Suleiman, she explains why South Africa took that stand, how faith shaped her response, and what international solidarity truly means.From confronting false media narratives to receiving death threats, Dr. Pandor reflects on the personal and political cost of speaking out—while urging Muslims to reclaim their moral leadership and global influence. What does it mean to act with Iman when the world chooses silence?

He was told the Palestinian flag would ruin his career.He carried it anyway — into the cage, into press conferences, and into history. UFC Champion Belal Muhammad sits with Dr. Omar Suleiman to talk about pain, prayer, and the real fight beyond the cage. This is a story of rejection, resistance, victory, and divine timing.

Dr. Farhan Abdul Azeez just returned from Gaza—again. He went during Ramadan, prayed Eid with children in new clothes, and hours later saw their bodies in the morgue. He stood beside men who were martyred moments after smiling with him.In this conversation with Dr. Omar Suleiman, he shares what he witnessed, what the world must know, and what it truly means to love the ummah—to walk through rubble, taste the sweetness of faith, and keep returning to serve, even if it might be the last time. Why do doctors beg to go back to this nightmare? Why do the people of Gaza still smile, pray, and celebrate Eid in tents beside destroyed masjids? And what does it say about us—that they feel abandoned not by their enemies, but by their brothers?

After nearly two years since the escalation of the genocide, half the Christian population of Gaza has been killed or forced to flee by the Israeli regime. But despite Palestine being home to Christianity’s holiest sites, the Palestinian Christians being the oldest Christian community anywhere in the world, and very prominent Christian voices like the late Pope Francis calling for an end to the genocide, many Christians in the West continue to support Israel.Why? Why do Christian Zionists fail to practice the teaching of “love your neighbor” in this case? What is the shared history of Muslims and Christians in the Holy Land? And how must our communities work together for justice today?In the latest episode of Gaza Diaries, Dr. Omar Suleiman discusses these questions with Palestinian pastor Rev. Munther Isaac of the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, Palestine.

What is it like to face death on a daily basis? What is the connection between this life and the realm of the Barzakh? How do we grieve the loss of loved ones and our Muslim brothers and sisters?Join Sh. Omar Suleiman and Sh. Ahmad Hraichie, "The Muslim Undertaker," for a powerful and emotional reflection on the Barzakh, the Islamic burial process, and the experiences of undertaking and washing.Sh. Ahmad Hraichie, a Funeral Service Director, shares his personal reflections and insights as they discuss grief, the inevitability of death, and the afterlife. This deep discussion offers valuable perspectives on coping with loss and understanding the journey to the afterlife.

“I’d spend my entire sujud du’a time praying for Gaza, only to wake up and go to work in a company that was contributing to that suffering.” In this one-on-one interview, Dr. Omar Suleiman sits down with Ibtihal Aboussad to talk about her decision to call out Microsoft during its 50th anniversary celebration for its complicity in the genocide in Gaza through its AI program. She breaks down what led up to that moment, how she prepared spiritually, and what it meant to take that public stand.

Why would the Prophet ﷺ marry a child? That is the question many want answered, but before we begin to address it, we have to admit it is more than a mere question; rather, it is an accusation and judgment of character. Underneath the question lies the notion that we should be troubled by the age of ‘Aisha at marriage, that whatever her age was, it is concerning, and—worse than that—however great the Prophet ﷺ was, the age at which ‘Aisha was married to him is problematic.The controversy over the age of ‘Aisha is, in fact, a quite recent phenomenon. It is quite simply an attempt to defame the Prophet ﷺ—as those of old attempted to do—by questioning his judgment and ethics in marrying ‘Aisha at as young as 9. But this attempt at defamation, like all others, falls flat.Listen to the paper audio podcast, "Why Did Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Marry Aisha? Dismantling the Controversy of Aisha's Age," to explore more. 

You can’t fix what you refuse to face.Dr. Omar Suleiman and Sh. Yaser Birjas reflect on how Ibn Hazm (rh)’s brutal honesty with himself made him a better man—and why confronting your own flaws is the key to real transformation.