Are We Becoming Too Self-Centered? | Real Talk ft. Tesneem Alkiek

"Live your truth.” “You do you.”Culture relentlessly pushes us to put ourselves and our happiness above all else. But if that’s the key to fulfillment, why are we more miserable than ever? In this episode, Dr. Tesneem Alkiek unpacks the rise of individualism and moral relativism, the impact of anger on mental health, and how forgiveness and re-centering God can help us move from bitter to better.

Between school, family, friends, health, and a hundred other obligations, how could you not feel burnt out? Is there any realistic way to juggle everything and stop feeling like you have to constantly push for more? In this episode, Dr. Tesneem Alkiek and host Qaanitah Hunter reflect on how to build a healthier rhythm rooted in consistency and balance. Because Allah loves small and steady deeds.

Between school, family, friends, health, and a hundred other obligations, how could you not feel burnt out? Is there any realistic way to juggle everything and stop feeling like you have to constantly push for more? In this episode, Dr. Tesneem Alkiek and host Qaanitah Hunter reflect on how to build a healthier rhythm rooted in consistency and balance. Because Allah loves small and steady deeds.

What you do in private is not hidden forever. On the Day of Judgment, your worship willIs the world really against you—or is it your ego? Too often, we reject truth and reassign divine power to “the universe,” losing sight of where real control and guidance come from. This lecture delivered by Dr. Omar Suleiman challenges the delusion of self-centeredness and false self-love, calling us back to accountability, humility, and purpose.Listen to the full lecture from the Light Upon Light Conference to learn how true growth begins with holding yourself accountable before Allah.

Salahuddin has finally come to power.But ruling Egypt is harder than taking it. As reform begins, the weight of old systems, old loyalties, and unseen enemies presses in. Change is necessary—but it’s dangerous...

What you do in private is not hidden forever. On the Day of Judgment, your worship will be made public and it will either illuminate your path or speak against you.Every action you take is shaping your reputation, not just in this world, but in the next. Your character, consistency, and sincerity are building a brand that follows you beyond this life. Listen to the full khutbah by Dr. Omar Suleiman.

The truth is that women face difficulties—sometimes even discrimination—in many areas of life. We cannot deny that, but at the same time, we cannot wallow in it. So how do we acknowledge these realities without letting them define or derail us? In this episode of Real Talk, Dr. Tesneem Alkiek answers this question, shares how she navigates gendered challenges, and reveals whether or not she identifies as a feminist.

Three thousand riders. One race to Egypt.As the Ismaili dynasty collapsed, Nur ad-Din Zengi had the opportunity to take control of the regional powerhouse: Egypt. Risks, betrayals, and the Crusaders got in the way. Who was standing tall when the dust settled?

Imad ad-Din Zengi revives hope by capturing Edessa, but is quickly assassinated, causing new despair. His son, Nur ad-Din, emerges: a king raised by scholars.He shifts the state from power (dawla) to faith (din) and abolishes all unjust taxes. But can he truly unite Damascus and Aleppo before the Second Crusade returns for revenge?

Leaders were rising—and being buried.But behind the chaos, scholars were laying foundations history rarely credits.This episode reveals the scholarly blueprint that produced Salahuddin—from Ibn Khashab’s urgent resistance to Imam al-Ghazali’s generational reform.