2025 in Review: The Funny, Memorable & Shocking

Ustadh Shabbir and Ustadh Hammad look back at 2025, and some of the highs and lows of the past year.  00:00 - Introduction 4:07 - Mamdani Wins New York Mayor 12:09 - Lesson: Focus Your Influence Where It Matters 14:44 - The Charlie Kirk Incident 18:43 - Gaza: Two Years of Genocide 28:45 - Podcast Reflections & Favourite Episodes 31:35 - Fatherhood: Welcoming Baby Jibreel 36:00 - Journey to Masjid Al-Aqsa 43:01 - Sudan Crisis: 18 Million Displaced 52:09 - UK Far-Right Rise & Anti-Muslim Hate 58:02 - Muslim Heroes & Contributions in UK 02:10 - Awards: Best & Worst of 2025 1:05:15 - Closing Thoughts & Dua

Ustadh Shabbir was joined by Ustadh Briggs where they discussed if Muslims have a place in Western countries and how Muslims shaped the West. 00:00 - Introduction 02:25 - Mustaf'as New Book: Islam and the Making of the Modern World 06:30 - Traditional Dress vs Western Clothing 12:17 - Was Western Fashion Influenced by Islam? 14:05 - Why Muslims Immigrated to the West 18:00 - Post-World War Immigration & Windrush 22:26 - Britain was Built on Colonization 26:15 - Eurocentric Narratives in History 28:06 - The Roman Empire Became a Caliphate 37:15 - Muslim Contributions to Science 38:21 - Bayt Al Hikma - The House of Wisdom 44:50 - Fibonacci & Arabic Numerals 45:03 - Zero: The Number That Changed Everything 46:47 - What's Missing in Islamic Education 48:15 - The Griots - Oral Historians of West Africa 52:00 - Muslims Influencing Modern Culture Today 56:27 - Muslim Rappers & Urban Culture 59:56 - The Qatar World Cup Impact 1:00:20 - Ramadan Lights in London 1:02:37 - Australia's Favorite Food is Halal 1:03:44 - Muhammad - Most Popular Name in the UK 1:04:48 - Muslims Are Still Contributing 1:07:10 - What Can You Contribute as an Individual? 1:12:00 - Knowledge is Power - Final Message 1:13:00 - The 85-10-5 Philosophy 1:15:04 - Don't Be Like Cattle

Shaykha Fatima Barkatulla was joined by Aysha Mercedes who speaks about how she went from a life of partying and not beleiving in God to embraching Islam and how her experiences with trauma encouraged her to help others. 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - How Mufti Menk Changed Inspired my non-Muslim Mother 12:36 - Healing Childhood Wounds and Finding Myself   19:58 - Living With Trauma   28:09 - From Atheism & Partying to Embracing Islam   44:01 - The Father Wound: How Absent Fathers Shape Daughters   51:49 - Breaking Generational Trauma in Muslim Families   1:06:06 - Growing Spiritually and Staying Connected to Faith   1:18:11 - Supporting Reverts, Single Moms, and the Isolated   1:27:06 - Final Reflections and Message to the Listeners

Shaykha Fatima Barkatulla was joined by her father Mufti Abdul Qadir Barkatulla where they discussed the place of Muslims in the West and how Muslims can be a force for good at a time when the West is collapsing spirtually and morally.   00:00 - Introduction 01:42 - Early Muslim Communities in the UK 04:32 - Journey from India to the UK 10:18 - Developing an Islamic Database 15:08 - Meeting with General Zia-ul-Haq 16:29 - Muslims in India: Past & Present Challenges 21:43 - Political and Social Strategies for Muslims 25:10 - Muslim Identity and Future Challenges 29:33 - Should Muslims Migrate from the West? 35:25 - Lessons from Muslim History in Europe 41:28 - Muslim Society and Future Unity 43:53 - Can Muslim Nations Unite Like the EU? 46:46 - Reflections on Personal Growth and Journey 48:42 - Spiritual Growth & The Importance of I'tikaf 54:05 - Challenges of I'tikaf in Modern Times 58:26 - Balancing Worship and Knowledge 59:37 - Parenting Philosophy & Raising Children 1:01:36 - Advice for the Next Generation of Muslims 1:03:11 - Conclusion & Final Reflections

Ustadh Shabbir was joined by Ustadh Mohamad Baajour who shared 3 practical tips in how to raise righteous children.   00:00 - Introduction 01:26 - What is your favourite Du'a from the Qur'an? 04:46 - What is your favourite Du'a from the Sunnah? 07:00 - The power of Istighfar 11:49 - Do this Sunnah to have an angel make Du'a for you 13:46 - Tarbiyyah Role as an imam at the EPIC mosque 24:45 - Encouraging the youth to attend Fajr 24:58 - New challenges and dangers faced by today's youth 27:04 - Facilitating halal activities for the youth 28:11 - Parents need to live Islam 30:37 - Be gentle and encouraging towards your children 31:52 - Teach your children about Allah's attributes 33:22 - The power of making du'a for your children 37:02 - Leading by example 38:44 - What is Tarbiyyah & the Prophetic example 35:51 - Building Trust and Leading by Example 48:29 - Intentions for making your children Hafidh 56:03 - Balancing Travel and Community Involvement 59:11 - From a businessman to an Imam   A thank you to Al Khaleel Institute for facilitating this podcast. You can learn more about them at: https://alkhaleeltours.com/alkhaleelinstitute

Ustadh Shabbir was joined by Moahmmad Shoaib who shared their experiences as young dads and Shoaib discussed how not having a father figure as a child inspired him to strive harder to be a great dad to his own children. 00:00 - Introduction 02:30 - Hadith about fatherhood 04:54 - Feeling 'ready' to be a father 09:27 - Being an active dad 15:31 - Balancing fatherhood and other responsibilities 20:29 - Reconciliation with absent father through Islam 29:03 - Navigating fatherhood through faith 36:57 - Homeschooling 45:40 - Parenting discipline and boundaries 56:53 - The importance of fatherly affection 1:04:53 - Being present as a father

Shaykha Fatima Barkatullah is joined by Hafsah Adham, who speaks about how her faith in Allah helped her deal with her husband's death and why Muslims should engage in ethical business and marketing.   00:00 - Introduction 04:25 - Coping With Husband's Death and Finding Purpose 08:04 - Grieving and Finding Strength 17:16 - Navigating Grief and Support Systems 24:22 - Faith, Grief, and Acceptance 28:27 - Living with Intention and Purpose 35:14 - Forgiveness and Faith 41:30 - Navigating Online Business and Ethical Marketing 50:57 - Authenticity in Business and Marketing 58:49 - Ethical Business Practices 01:08:34 - Understanding Self, Relationships, and Purpose 01:14:55 - Realizing the Fragility of Life   Links: https://www.awakenedheartsacademy.com/about

Ustadh Shabbir is joined by Shaykh Mujahid Ali who speaks about seeking knowledge in Syria before the revolution, why the Ummah should celebrate the downfall of the Assad regime and why Muslims should be optimistic about the future. 00:00 - Introduction 02:06 - The fall of the Assad regime 04:27 - Choosing Syria to seek Islamic knowledge. 06:32 - Arrival and settling in Syria for studies. 07:53 - Initial observations about Bashar al-Assad's regime. 15:34 - Spiritual environment in Damascus and study routine. 17:22 - Historical significance of the Sham region. 21:05 - Contributions of the Umayyad Caliphate. 22:40 - Trials and tribulations in the region. 31:20 - Coexistence of different communities in Syria. 31:49 - Unique experiences and stories in Syria. 32:31 - Bilal's (RA) grave and historical sites. 37:15 - Renowned Islamic scholars and their final resting places. 38:15 - Historical significance of various sites in Syria. 38:30 - Good news about Syria and hopes for Palestine. 39:14 - Discussion about skepticism over celebrating Assad's downfall. 40:22 - Reflection on the oppression under Bashar al-Assad. 44:27 - Encouragement for Syrians to enjoy their regained freedom. 46:30 - Influence of Turkey and hopes for Syria's stability. 47:55 - Observations from visits to Syria before the Arab Spring. 52:18 - Discussion on the resilience and spirit of the Syrian people. 56:55 - Analyzing some causes behind the revolution. 1:00:50 - The importance of global Muslim solidarity with Syria. 1:04:05 - Concluding thoughts on Syria's path forward. 1:04:55 - Final messages of optimism and unity for Syria's future.

Ustadh Shabbir is joined by Sami Hamdi who speaks about the need for supportive families, his journey into Tunisian politics, lessons from Bosnia and why Muslims should not stop struggling for Gaza. 00:01 - Balancing Family and Activism  06:19 - Marriage and Building a Fortress   15:33 - Purpose and Expectations in Marriage   25:58 - Shaping Influences and Political Realities   37:24 - Power Dynamics in Tunisian Politics   41:45 - Lessons in Leadership and Influence   45:56 - Staying True to Islamic Principles in Politics   49:24 - Lessons in Practice and Faith   55:47 - Impact of Gaza on US Politics   59:13 - Impact of Gaza on Global Politics   1:08:01 - Power of Perseverance and Compassion   1:14:16 - Disconnect in the Ummah   1:19:21 - Stories of Resilience in Bosnia   1:28:16 - Stories of Perseverance and Faith   1:39:22 - Being Optimistic

Shaykha Fatima Barkatullah is joined by Dr Rania Awaad who discusses the Islamic perspective on mental health.   00:00 - Intro 02:38 - First impressions of Britain's Muslim commnunity 03:37 - Dr Rania's Role Models 04:55 - Combining Deen & Dunya 06:16 - Entering the mental health profession 07:18 - The difference between psychiatry and psychology 08:17 - Muslim attitude towards mental health 09:20 - The resilience of the Palestinians 10:05 - Has mental health issues increased? 11:15 - How to build resilience in our children 15:18 - What are the biggest mental health challenges faced by Muslims in the West? 16:38 - The Seerah and the year of sorrow 19:44 - Can sinning affect mental health? 21:33 - What is Islamic Psychology? 24:02 - OCD and waswasa 27:45 - What is depression? 32:56 - Everyday things which could affect our mental health 35:00 - Things you can do to help your mental health 37:42 - The Qur'an is a healer 41:32 - Practising seclusion & disconnecting 43:46 - Maristan & Dr Rania's vision for Mental Health 48:47 - Mental health resources 50:36 - Conclusion   Links: https://alkhaleeltours.com/alkhaleelinstitute https://maristan.org/