Stimulate Your Mind

A concise biography looking at the life of one of the greatest companions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Abu Dhar Al Ghifari. A man who struggled with banishment and a lack of acceptance in his community. Yet he stood by the side of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Imam Ali (as). Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions

A concise biography looking at the life of one of the greatest companions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Salman Al Muhammadi. A man who went on a journey in search of the truth and who found his peace in the religion of Islam by the side of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Imam Ali (as). Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions

Homam Al Karbalai is an Iraqi born Australian Reciter/Eulogist who recites poetry in honour of the blessed family of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In this podcast he talks us through his journey to becoming a reciter and some of the challenges he faces in a western country reciting in Arabic. He also talks about the importance of serving the Holy Progeny and why it is important to pass on these lessons to future generations. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions

Anxiety is something many of us suffer with on a day to day basis, it is important to know what are it's causes and what are some ways of managing it. In the third instalment of our Mental Health series with Berak Hussain, we take a look at the ever present Anxiety. I speak with Berak about the different forms of anxiety and how they manifest. We also take a look at some techniques to manage anxiety where we demonstrate a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy session. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions Support this podcast

The right of your father is that you know that he is your root. Without him, you would not be. Whenever you see anything in yourself which pleases you, know that your father is the root of its blessing upon you. So praise God and thank Him in that measure. And there is no strength save in God. Latif Akeel from Twelver discusses the influence that his father has had on his life and the way he mentored him with Latif knowing it. He explains how he drew strength from his father's struggles to begin building his own personality in honour of his father. Support this podcast

In Part 2 of our mental health series with Berak Hussain, we take a look at depression. Berak discusses what depression is, it's causes and how we can deal with it. Berak also takes a look at the genetic side of things and the hereditary aspect of depression that may be present in individuals. She walks us through some ways of managing depression and also some preventative measures that are available. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions Support this podcast

Reverting to a new religion can often be a scary and lonely experience. However, it does not always need to be that way. Batoul Jamali talks to me about her experience in reverting to Islam and the different challenges she faced when undertaking the decision to become a Muslim 30 years ago. She also sheds light on the amazing number of projects she is currently involved in within the Sydney Muslim Community and some of the work she does to assist new reverts to Islam Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions Support this podcast

Mia Shouha and Jay Tharappel join me as we take a look at the current conflict in The South Caucasus. Armenia and Azerbaijan have a history of ongoing conflict which this year reached the point of a war which has not been documented by mainstream media. We take a look at the reasons for this war, it's impact on the two nations and the powers at play in the region. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions Support this podcast

The first episode in our upcoming mental health series covers the foundations of mental health and mental illness. Registered Psychotherapist Berak Hussain aka 'The Muslim Counsellor' joins me in discussing; the perception of mental illness, identifying that you or a loved one is living with a mental illness and how it manifests in behaviour and also different coping mechanisms and therapy options. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProduction Support this podcast

Among the most important sermons delivered by the Household of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the Sermon of Fadak stands out as a template for the pursuit of social justice and as a standard to stand up for your right as an individual. Hussain Farhat and I take a look at the life of Fatima Al Zahra and discuss the Sermon delivered by Fatima Al Zahra through a theological lens to uncover the hidden meaning embedded in the outstanding piece of literature that is the Sermon of Fadak. Support this podcast

When you have all these different emotions and feelings built up and you don't know how to express yourself, write. Poetry comes in many forms including, prose, spoken word, song, amongst many more. Mahmoud Hijazi talks to me about how he began writing to help him deal with difficult situations and to express himself when he was unable to articulate himself to others. He also takes me through his journey on how he was able to build his own character through writing. Now, Mahmoud has found poetry to be his form of expression and a source of power for him. Support this podcast

Dr. Zainab Mourad joins me to discuss her research for her PhD on 'How neoliberalism and Islamophobia shape the schooling experiences of Arab Muslim primary students in South Western Sydney schools'. We take a look at the societal impacts of neoliberalism and the ways in which students, parents and teachers are impacted by Islamophobia. Support this podcast

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." We speak with tenured volunteer, Zoubaidah Moubarak, who has committed her time in service of her community for over 10 years, and we explore the forces that motivate her to keep doing what she does. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProduction Support this podcast

I'm joined by Moodi Dennaoui aka 'The Diet Doctor' as we discuss health and fitness and all that it entails. We look at the different ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle, different fads that have emerged over social media, the impacts of misinformation and also the importance of educating ourselves on different foods and health. We also delve into methods of keeping fit and how your comfort directly relates to the way you look. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProduction Support this podcast

Jay Tharappel (theorientaldespot.com) joins me once again to discuss the War on Syria. We dissect the conflict from a historical and political perspective and discuss how a protest on the back of the Arab Spring evolved into an all out armed warfare. Jay also delves into the outside influences which fueled the discord in the Middle Eastern Nation. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProduction Support this podcast

The struggle of practising one faith then choosing to flip your whole life around to begin practising a new one is a struggle that many face in silence. We take a look at the journey that Mark Scorzelli took, raised a Roman Catholic, her shares details of his spiritual journey with us, how he found Islam, and the challenges and sacrifices he had to make along the way. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProduction Support this podcast

Does your past really define who you are? We seek to answer that question by delving in to the past of Mohammed Taleb, a Public Figure in the Sydney Muslim Community. We explore how a lack of belonging, isolation and social disconnect paved the way for a life of constant struggle to fit in to different groups and how it led to Mohammed seeking redemption from his parents. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions Support this podcast

Have you ever found yourself interested in a topic but did not know where to look? Have you ever wanted to begin reading a book but could not find the motivation? The Pursuit of Knowledge begins as an individual journey whereby you find your comfort in learning specific things and from there your interest will begin to grow. Mohammed Moubarak assists me in the discussion with Hussein Farhat who has found himself in his own journey in the Pursuit of Knowledge. He talks to us about the things that interest him, his methods of learning and how he came to find himself craving information and knowledge. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions Support this podcast

Hussein Farhat and Mohammad Taleb join me in delving into the social aspects which led to the revolution of Hussain ibn Ali in the year 680. We look at what aspects of Social Justice Hussain sought to uphold and what injustices he sought to rid the world from. Why is it that a man who was looking to bring about social reform was betrayed and in the end martyred? Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions Support this podcast

Hussein Farhat and Mohammad Taleb join me in delving into the social aspects which led to the revolution of Hussain ibn Ali in the year 680. We look at what aspects of Social Justice Hussain sought to uphold and what injustices he sought to rid the world from. Why is it that a man who was looking to bring about social reform was betrayed and in the end martyred? Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions Support this podcast

We speak with PhD Student Jay Tharappel (you can find Jay's work at theorientaldespot.com) regarding the ongoing conflict in the poor nation of Yemen. A nation facing an humanitarian crisis that has left the population in famine and on the brink of complete destruction. We look at the factors that have led to one of humanity's greatest failures. Email: sym@lofprod.com https://www.patreon.com/LOFProductions Support this podcast

Here we look at what the Stimulate Your Mind podcast is all about and the various topics that will be featured on our show. We also look at the aftermath of the horrific events which transpired in Beirut, Lebanon during the week and the various factors which have been affecting the Middle Eastern Nation in the recent past. Stimulate Your Mind is proudly presented to you by LOF Productions. Email us at sym@lofprod.com Find us on social media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LOFProductions/ Twitter: @LOFProductions_ Instagram: @lofproductions_ Support this podcast