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CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
Who was Rabi'a al-Adawiyya? Explore the life, teachings, and spiritual legacy of one of history's most influential mystics. From divine love to radical devotion, this video examines how Rabi'a transformed Islamic spirituality and continues to inspire people centuries later.Sources/Recommended Reading:Cornell, Rkia Elaroui (translated by) (1999). "Early Sufi Women: Dhikr an-niswa al-muta 'abbidat as sufiyyat". Fons Vitae.Cornell, Rkia Elaroui (2019). "Rabi'a From Narrative to Myth: The Many Faces of Islam's Most Famous Woman Saint, Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya". Oneworld Academic.Helminski, Camille Adams (2003). "Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure". Shambhala. Knysh, Alexander (2000). "Islamic Mysticism: A Short History". Brill.Safi, Omid (2019). "Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition". Yale University Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
He was born in Thessalonica and, though baptised a Christian, he accepted Islam as a young man, eventually becoming a Sufi (one of a mystical sect among the Muslims). But in time he began to repent, and concluded that martyrdom was the only way for him to cleanse himself from the stain of his denial of Christ. Having repented, he presented himself to the Turks dressed as a Christian. He was thrown into prison and tortured, but in response to every enticement, threat or torment, he would only say 'I was born a Christian, and as a Christian I shall die.' Finally he was sentenced to death, which Alexander joyfully accepted as a sign of God's forgiveness. He was slain by the sword in Smyrna in 1794.
CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
If you feel like there is something missing, like you are drifting rather than truly living, this episode is for you. I remember at a low point in my life, feeling lost, Googling "how to find your purpose." I did not find the answer there. A mentor of mine used to open talks on purpose by telling a room of two hundred people: you cannot find your purpose by coming to talks like this. Purpose is not something outside you that you need to find. It is something you realise from the inside. There is a story I love of Nasruddin, the wise fool of Sufi tales, racing frantically through the streets of Baghdad on his donkey, looking for his donkey. When we search outside ourselves for purpose, for a feeling of meaning, for the life we are meant to live, we are doing exactly that. Looking in the wrong place. The work is not to search harder. Your purpose is innate. The more you live from your true self, the more it gets revealed, one small breadcrumb at a time. I trained as a therapist purely for fun, with no intention of making it my career. Halfway through the course, I realised: I think this is what I am meant to be doing. You do not need to burn your life down to find your purpose. You just need to come back home to yourself.
Have you ever thought of someone and had them appear moments later? Or found something beautiful growing exactly where something painful once was? In today's episode I explore synchronicity through an Islamic and spiritual lens, the idea that nothing happens by accident, that our souls are part of an invisible network of connection, and that the moments we tend to brush off as coincidence might actually be something far more intentional. Drawing on a beautiful Sufi teaching about the soul as the real internet and the Qur'anic understanding that all of humanity is deeply, spiritually interconnected, I look at what these everyday signs are really pointing to. From a spontaneous visit that solved a car-washing problem, to a rose blooming from a place of grief, today's episode is an invitation to slow down, pay attention and trust in divine arrangement. Whether you're Muslim, spiritual, or simply someone who has experienced one too many coincidences to keep dismissing them, this one is for you. With peace and love always, Amber xoxo
CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
Sufi flute player, playing live in Istanbul Airport during Ramadan.Recorded by Helen Copnall.
"The recording of the Sufi flute at Istanbul Airport immediately brought back vivid memories of the city, which I deeply love. The Sufi melody carries that magical and mystical aura that seems to permeate Istanbul in every corner and atmosphere, an air filled with scents and spices, suspended in time between an indelible past and contemporary urban modernity. Yet over the fascination of this contrast hangs a shadow: a search for peace and for a future identity often threatened by political and religious tensions that risk driving regression rather than evolution."In my reinterpretation through modular synthesis, the flute becomes a fragile presence surrounded by unstable noise patterns generated through the rhythmic modulation of a filter, while the flute sound itself is fragmented and processed with bit crushing and delay."Sufi flute music in Istanbul reimagined by Demiurgo.
(0:00) Intro(0:02) Khutba, Qurani aayaat, hadith aur dua(1:44) Islam mein mukammal dakhil hone wali Qurani aayat yaad karne ki talqeen(2:02) Aaj ka insan surrender nahi karna chahta(3:41) Khwahishat ki takmeel shariat ki hudood mein rehte hue(4:09) Nazariya (mizaj) vs amal(4:26) 99 insanon ke qatil ko rahib ne apne mizaj se masla bataya aur 100 qatal karwa diye(5:52) Aaj ke sufiyon ka mizaj vs shariat(6:24) Khawateen ko Masjid Al-Falah mein Taraweeh ki ijazat kyun?(7:12) 99.9% be-parda khawateen ka masajid se taalluq tootne par iman ka masla ban sakta hai(8:07) Zarurat vs faida, nuqsan vs mizaj(9:07) Jamia Tur Rasheed Al-Ghazali University par aitraaz(9:36) Universities mein co-education(10:08) Bahir mulkon ki universities aur atheism(10:56) Islamic universities banane ki zarurat(11:44) Molviyon par aitraaz karne wale scholars ko jawab(14:02) New generation ka iman bachane ka tariqa(15:20) Masjid/Madrasa ki zarurat ya banane walon ki?(16:31) Bahir mulkon mein mortgage par bani masajid par Mufti sahab ka tajziya(17:57) Aamilon ko Mufti sahab ka challenge(19:39) 78 saal ki umr mein Mufti Rasheed Ahmed sahab (RA) ka gala band hona(20:54) Aamilon ko baddua dene ki wajah se khandani sehat(23:29) Door ki nazar(23:46) Qareeb ki nazar(23:55) Sehat banane ka nuskha(24:23) Bahir mulkon ki taraqqi ki wajah(25:19) Mufti sahab ke paas jab jinnat ka case aaya(26:09) Jadu, jinnat aur aamilon ka asar kin logon par hota hai?(27:13) Mazhab ke naam par aamilon ki manjan faroshi(28:35) Aamilon ka profession ikhtiyar karne wale tulaba(29:56) Uloom vs ilm(31:37) Humzad aur moakkil(32:35) Aamilon ke virus par Mufti sahab ka shadeed ghussa(33:16) Faleeton-paleeton ke virus ke bare mein Mufti sahab ki peshgoi(33:55) Islam ko badnaam karne wale(34:01) Nabi ﷺ par jadu ke asar mein hikmat(35:04) Hazrat Musa (AS) ka jadugaron ke saanpon ko dekh kar darna – hikmat(36:15) Gharailu jhagrhon ko asraat par dalne wali khawateen(36:52) Aamilon ke bare mein Mufti sahab ki naseehat(40:20) 30 saal pehle ek gaon mein Tauheed par bayan(41:10) Mushrik ki aqal(41:35) Aqeedat mein i'tidal(41:58) Waliullah kaun?(42:28) Canada mein Imran Khan ke liye dua ki darkhwast(43:16) Logon ke mukhtalif mizaj par Mufti sahab ka tajziya(43:44) 4 shadiyon ka mizaj(44:16) Walidain ki khidmat ka mizaj(45:05) Shohar ki khidmat ka mizaj(45:50) Shariat vs mizaj(46:03) Rehamdili aur narmi – Musalman ka mizaj(47:11) Janwar zibah karne mein mizaj ki mukhalfat(47:45) Mufti sahab ki apne pale hue dumbay se muhabbat(48:19) Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) ki training mizaj ke khilaf(49:04) Canada mein Mufti sahab ka tajziya: garmiyon mein sardiyan(49:43) Karobar ki ne'mat(50:38) Sakhawat kitni karni chahiye?(51:32) Sahaba (RA) aur Nabi ﷺ ki sakhawat(52:00) Hamare liye naseehat(53:53) Aik saal ki saving ko sone ki shakal mein rakhna?(55:14) Sufi mizaj ko shadi ka topic bura kyun lagta hai?(56:05) Hazrat Umar (RA) ne Nabi ﷺ ki ghurbat dekhi(56:29) Nikah aur aulad mein mizaj vs shariat(57:35) Hazrat Umar (RA) ka qoul(57:58) Bazurgon ke liye aise mizaj ki soch vs shariat(59:02) Turkey mein Mufti sahab ki mulaqat ek unaffordable bazurg se(1:01:06) Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (RA) ka qoul(1:01:36) Bazurgi ki aisi chadar(1:02:02) 17 saal ki umr mein khilafat paane wale naujawan ko naseehat(1:02:56) Mizaj vs shariat(1:03:13) Islam discipline ka mazhab hai, lekin Hajj mein mizaj ke khilaf ahkaam ki hikmat(1:05:35) Islam mein mukammal dakhil hona(1:05:46) Bewa aurat ka nikah, boorhe baap ka nikah, aur virasat ki taqseem mein mizaj(1:06:58) Mayyat ki tadfeen mein dair karne ka mizaj(1:08:04) Bahir mulkon mein mayyat ka ibratnaak haal(1:09:18) Islam mein tadfeen(1:09:40) Khulasa bayan + dua Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's normal to feel lost after leaving a cult, transitioning out of fundamentalist religion, or abandoning conspiracy theories. Whether you've left behind, you may be asking, "What now?" Britt Hartley joins Julian to talk about her new book, No Nonsense Spirituality: All The Tools No Belief Required, and her recent run-in with the hardcore atheist community, which calls her work “nonsense.” The ex-Mormon practices Sufi mysticism, holds an MA in theology, and is writing her doctoral dissertation. A spiritual atheist, she advocates passionately for reclaiming awe, rituals, pilgrimages, and spiritual experiences from the monopoly of organized religion. Show Notes No Nonsense Spirituality: All The Tools No Belief Required Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, I'm joined by Banafsheh Sayyad, visionary creator of Dance of Oneness®, a powerful path of spiritual embodiment that weaves together movement, healing, and the sacred intelligence of the elements.We explore her new book, Dance of Oneness: Embody Love and Luminosity to Transform Your Life – this is truly a remarkable book, going far beyond choreography.Banafsheh shares how the elements come alive through different dance traditions, from the fire of Flamenco to the expansiveness of water in Tai Chi. Together, we explore how dance becomes a doorway back to ourselves, and a way of listening, feeling, and ultimately remembering that we are all divinely connected.If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love for you to follow the podcast, leave a review or if you prefer to watch, you can find me on YouTube and Instagram at The Conscious Diva.Thank you so much for listening. About Banafsheh:Banafsheh is a master sacred dancer and living legend. She has dedicated her life to empowering people around the world to embody love.Her students regard her as a highly accessible and profound spiritual teacher. An inspiring example of radiant embodiment, her teaching is considered life-changing.Audiences experience her as a Sufi priestess, bringing the presence and power of ancient priestesses to life through her dynamic performances.Connect with Banafsheh:https://danceofoneness.orghttps://www.instagram.com/banafshehdance/The Conscious Diva Podcast wouldn't be possible without your support! A massive THANK YOU for listening. If you'd like to further support my podcast, you can: SUBSCRIBE in your favorite podcast player or YouTube. FOLLOW me @The_Conscious_Diva on Instagram. BOOK a session with Tatyanna. SIGN-UP to receive emails at www.tatyannawright.com
In this episode of In My Kitchen with Paula, I sit down with Palestinian chef, storyteller, and founder of Sacred Cuisine, Izzeldin Abdul Aziz Bukhari.Speaking from the Old City of Jerusalem, Izzeldin shares the story of his family's migration from Bukhara, Uzbekistan to Jerusalem in 1616, his Sufi roots, and how food became both a form of meditation and a powerful vehicle for preserving Palestinian culture and identity.You'll Hear AboutHow food carries history, grief, connection, and hope across generationsMemories of grandmother's kitchens in Gaza and the role food plays in family connectionThe history and symbolism behind the Palestinian dish RummaniyehWhat it means to build and operate a culinary business as a Palestinian living under occupationFood as an act of cultural preservation and resistanceThis is an unforgettable conversation about heritage, hospitality, identity, and the sacred role food plays in bringing people together.HELPFUL LINKSSacred Cuisine: www.sacred-cuisine.comIzzeldin's email: thesacredcuisine@gmail.comSacred Cuisine on Instagram: instagram.com/SacredCuisineIzzeldin's Rummaniyeh Recipe: Find it at exploreinmykitchen.comSUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEWIf you love this podcast and want to give me your support, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This goes a long way in helping me get in front of other culinary adventurers like you. Just open up the Apple Podcasts app and go to “In My Kitchen with Paula”. Or, in this episode, click on the 3 dots in the right corner and click on “Go To Show”. At the bottom of the show page, you can rate and review.SAY HELLOIn My Kitchen creates connections one dish, one story, one journey at a time, by exploring culture through food. We do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:Visit www.exploreinmykitchen.com to join our IMK Community of culinary adventurers. More recipes, stories and fabulous podcast episodes.DM me on Instagram at @inmykitchenpaula Email me at paula@inmykitchen.ca
A deep reflection on consciousness, healing, projection, and spiritual awakening through the lens of Sufi wisdom. In this episode of All About Soul, we explore why everything we perceive in the outer world mirrors something within us — from rejection and emotional wounds to divine guidance, intuition, and inner transformation. We also explore energy healing, soul contracts, channeling and self-awareness.
A deep reflection on consciousness, healing, projection, and spiritual awakening through the lens of Sufi wisdom. In this episode of All About Soul, we explore why everything we perceive in the outer world mirrors something within us — from rejection and emotional wounds to divine guidance, intuition, and inner transformation. We also explore energy healing, soul contracts, channeling and self-awareness.
Diana Badger is a counseling astrologer, writer/editor, gardener, Sufi practitioner, dream work facilitator, and photographer. In this conversation, she explores astrology as a living relationship between ecology, myth, and archetype—where heavenly wisdom is brought down to earth. She works within an ancient system that views astrology not as prediction but participation. Drawing on archetypal wisdom and depth psychology, Badger reveals how the patterns of the cosmos mirror the deep structures of our psyches, offering a map for transformation in times of upheaval. Interwoven with ecological consciousness, her work reminds us that inner renewal and the healing of the Earth are inseparable. She is the author of Dance of the Archetypes: How Astrology Informs Our Lives and Connects Us to the Earth (Elemental Books 2026)Interview Date: 3/27/2026 Tags: Diana Badger, No Kings March, Aquarius, Grail legend, Celtic calendar of Earth seasons, Sherri Mitchell, Pam Grout, Quantum field of infinite possibilities, law of attraction, Astrology, Dreams, Personal Transformation, Psychology
If you enjoy this episode, we're sure you will enjoy more content like this on The Occult Rejects. In fact, we have curated playlists on occult topics like grimoires, esoteric concepts and phenomena, occult history, analyzing true crime and cults with an occult lens, Para politics, and occultism in music. Whether you enjoy consuming your content visually or via audio, we've got you covered - and it will always be provided free of charge. So, if you enjoy what we do and want to support our work of providing accessible, free content on various platforms, please consider making a donation to the links provided below. Thank you and enjoy the episode!Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Cash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsPrimary / traditional texts and core religious sourcesĀnāpānasati Sutta (MN 118), translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Access to Insight. Best primary source for Buddhist mindfulness of breathing.“Ḏekr / Dhikr,” Encyclopaedia Iranica. Strong source for Sufi remembrance, rhythmic repetition, posture, and breathing-linked practice.“Hesychasm,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Good general source for the Christian contemplative tradition of stillness, uninterrupted prayer, and the Jesus Prayer.“Saint Gregory Palamas,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Useful for the role of bodily posture and controlled breathing in Hesychast prayer.Crowley, Aleister. Liber E vel Exercitiorum. Primary text for Crowley's explicit inclusion of “Pranayama – Regularisation of the Breathing” in occult training.Crowley, Aleister. Book Four, Part 1. Useful for Crowley's statement that pranayama is useful in “quieting the emotions and appetites.”Historical / religious context“Prana,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Best short source for the deep Indian background: prāṇa, the five prāṇas, and breath as vital force.“Pranayama,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Best short source for classical Yoga: pranayama as the fourth limb aimed toward samādhi.“Hatha Yoga,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Useful for the force-oriented turn: bodily mastery, purification, and regulation of breathing.“Qi,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Good for Daoist and Chinese background: qi as psychophysical energy and breath-linked vital force.“Qigong,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Useful for qigong as a discipline combining movement, breathing, and mental concentration.“Are Kabbalistic Meditations all about Ecstasy?” in Hermes Explains (Cambridge). Strong academic source for Abraham Abulafia and ecstatic Kabbalah.“Classical Kabbalah, Its History and Symbolic Universe.” Useful academic source noting ecstatic Kabbalah's breathing exercises, postures, and developed techniques.Neuroscience / physiology / altered statesAshhad, Kam, Del Negro, and Feldman. “Breathing Rhythm and Pattern and Their Influence on Emotion.” Annual Review of Neuroscience (2022). One of the best overview papers for the whole episode.Yackle et al. “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in mice.” Science (2017). Key source for the preBötzinger complex / calm-vs-arousal section.Schottelkotte and Dutschmann. “Forebrain control of breathing: Anatomy and potential functions.” Frontiers in Neurology (2022). Best source for cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and thalamus in breathing control.Krohn et al. “The integrated brain network that controls respiration.” eLife (2023). Strong review for respiration as part of a larger integrated brain network.Heck et al. “Breathing as a fundamental rhythm of brain function.” Human MEG work on respiration-modulated brain oscillations across frequency bands and brain regions.(Note: the specific MEG paper surfaced in earlier research as the respiration-modulated oscillations study; the review sources above are the strongest anchors for that section.)Zelano et al. “Nasal Respiration Entrains Human Limbic Oscillations and Modulates Cognitive Function.” Journal of Neuroscience (2016). One of the most important human papers in the whole script.Schreiner et al. “Respiration modulates sleep oscillations and memory reactivation in humans.” Nature Communications (2023). Best source for the sleep-spindle / memory-reactivation section.Zaccaro et al. “How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psychophysiological Correlates of Slow Breathing.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience / PMC version (2018). Best broad source for slow breathing under 10 breaths per minute.Shao, Man, and Lee. “The Effect of Slow-Paced Breathing on Cardiovascular and Emotion Functions: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.” Mindfulness (2024). Useful for the stabilizing-road section.Kozhevnikov et al. “Neurocognitive and Somatic Components of Temperature Increases during g-Tummo Meditation.” PLoS ONE (2013). Best source for vase breathing and inner-heat claims.Zhang et al. “Hyperventilation in neurological patients: from physiology to outcome evidence.” Useful source for hypocapnia, cerebral vasoconstriction, and reduced cerebral blood flow.Havenith et al. “Decreased CO2 saturation during circular breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousness.” Communications Psychology (2025). The key modern paper for circular breathwork and altered-state onset. Also want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. Now let me introduce the rest of the panel and guests.
Samiha Rahman's Black Muslim Freedom Dreams: Islamic Education, Pan-Africanism, and Collective Care (New York University Press, 2026) follows three generations of Black American Muslims as they pursue education through the Tijani Sufi order in Medina Baye, Senegal, outside the anti-Black and anti-Muslim racism of the United States. This deeply rich ethnographic book captures the transatlantic flows of Black American religious life through the prism of Black mothers and othermothers (as conceptualized by Patricia Hill Collins “motherwork”) and the young people whose lives are transformed through the process. By focusing on the Islamic education offered by the Tijani Order, such as Qur'an education, we learn about the intricate networks of kin that step in to support the young Black Muslims who have migrated for schooling, highlighting the tangible realities of collective care and service that circulates within the Tijani Order. These registers of care and service are informed by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese Islamic scholar, Sufi Shaykh, and pan-Africanist, whose teachings define these networks of education, organizing, and care work. The book then offers critical insights into the flow of one particular Sufi community between the United States and Senegal, and how dreams of better futures for Black Muslim youth and the liberatory goals of Pan-Africanism intersect to co-constitute a significant economy of collective care, Sufi service, and Islamic piety. This book will be of interest to anyone who works on education, Sufism, Black and African Islam and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies
Samiha Rahman's Black Muslim Freedom Dreams: Islamic Education, Pan-Africanism, and Collective Care (New York University Press, 2026) follows three generations of Black American Muslims as they pursue education through the Tijani Sufi order in Medina Baye, Senegal, outside the anti-Black and anti-Muslim racism of the United States. This deeply rich ethnographic book captures the transatlantic flows of Black American religious life through the prism of Black mothers and othermothers (as conceptualized by Patricia Hill Collins “motherwork”) and the young people whose lives are transformed through the process. By focusing on the Islamic education offered by the Tijani Order, such as Qur'an education, we learn about the intricate networks of kin that step in to support the young Black Muslims who have migrated for schooling, highlighting the tangible realities of collective care and service that circulates within the Tijani Order. These registers of care and service are informed by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese Islamic scholar, Sufi Shaykh, and pan-Africanist, whose teachings define these networks of education, organizing, and care work. The book then offers critical insights into the flow of one particular Sufi community between the United States and Senegal, and how dreams of better futures for Black Muslim youth and the liberatory goals of Pan-Africanism intersect to co-constitute a significant economy of collective care, Sufi service, and Islamic piety. This book will be of interest to anyone who works on education, Sufism, Black and African Islam and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Samiha Rahman's Black Muslim Freedom Dreams: Islamic Education, Pan-Africanism, and Collective Care (New York University Press, 2026) follows three generations of Black American Muslims as they pursue education through the Tijani Sufi order in Medina Baye, Senegal, outside the anti-Black and anti-Muslim racism of the United States. This deeply rich ethnographic book captures the transatlantic flows of Black American religious life through the prism of Black mothers and othermothers (as conceptualized by Patricia Hill Collins “motherwork”) and the young people whose lives are transformed through the process. By focusing on the Islamic education offered by the Tijani Order, such as Qur'an education, we learn about the intricate networks of kin that step in to support the young Black Muslims who have migrated for schooling, highlighting the tangible realities of collective care and service that circulates within the Tijani Order. These registers of care and service are informed by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese Islamic scholar, Sufi Shaykh, and pan-Africanist, whose teachings define these networks of education, organizing, and care work. The book then offers critical insights into the flow of one particular Sufi community between the United States and Senegal, and how dreams of better futures for Black Muslim youth and the liberatory goals of Pan-Africanism intersect to co-constitute a significant economy of collective care, Sufi service, and Islamic piety. This book will be of interest to anyone who works on education, Sufism, Black and African Islam and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies
Samiha Rahman's Black Muslim Freedom Dreams: Islamic Education, Pan-Africanism, and Collective Care (New York University Press, 2026) follows three generations of Black American Muslims as they pursue education through the Tijani Sufi order in Medina Baye, Senegal, outside the anti-Black and anti-Muslim racism of the United States. This deeply rich ethnographic book captures the transatlantic flows of Black American religious life through the prism of Black mothers and othermothers (as conceptualized by Patricia Hill Collins “motherwork”) and the young people whose lives are transformed through the process. By focusing on the Islamic education offered by the Tijani Order, such as Qur'an education, we learn about the intricate networks of kin that step in to support the young Black Muslims who have migrated for schooling, highlighting the tangible realities of collective care and service that circulates within the Tijani Order. These registers of care and service are informed by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese Islamic scholar, Sufi Shaykh, and pan-Africanist, whose teachings define these networks of education, organizing, and care work. The book then offers critical insights into the flow of one particular Sufi community between the United States and Senegal, and how dreams of better futures for Black Muslim youth and the liberatory goals of Pan-Africanism intersect to co-constitute a significant economy of collective care, Sufi service, and Islamic piety. This book will be of interest to anyone who works on education, Sufism, Black and African Islam and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies
Samiha Rahman's Black Muslim Freedom Dreams: Islamic Education, Pan-Africanism, and Collective Care (New York University Press, 2026) follows three generations of Black American Muslims as they pursue education through the Tijani Sufi order in Medina Baye, Senegal, outside the anti-Black and anti-Muslim racism of the United States. This deeply rich ethnographic book captures the transatlantic flows of Black American religious life through the prism of Black mothers and othermothers (as conceptualized by Patricia Hill Collins “motherwork”) and the young people whose lives are transformed through the process. By focusing on the Islamic education offered by the Tijani Order, such as Qur'an education, we learn about the intricate networks of kin that step in to support the young Black Muslims who have migrated for schooling, highlighting the tangible realities of collective care and service that circulates within the Tijani Order. These registers of care and service are informed by Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, the Senegalese Islamic scholar, Sufi Shaykh, and pan-Africanist, whose teachings define these networks of education, organizing, and care work. The book then offers critical insights into the flow of one particular Sufi community between the United States and Senegal, and how dreams of better futures for Black Muslim youth and the liberatory goals of Pan-Africanism intersect to co-constitute a significant economy of collective care, Sufi service, and Islamic piety. This book will be of interest to anyone who works on education, Sufism, Black and African Islam and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion
Ibn Arabi's Hizb Al-Wiqayah (The Prayer of Protection), also known as al-Dawr al-A‘la, is a powerful 33-verse Sufi invocation for spiritual safeguarding, divine protection, and elevation.The text can be found in 'A Prayer for Spiritual Elevation and Protection: Al-Dawr al-a'la (Hizb al-Wiqaya)' by Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi (Author), Suha Taji-Farouki (Translator).Ibn Arabi's Prayer of Protection isn't really about “protection” in the ordinary sense of warding off external harm. Its essence is much deeper and more radical. For Ibn Arabi, "protection" is primarily about maintaining one's spiritual station and protecting the soul from the greatest harm of all: heedlessness (ghafala), or forgetting the Divine.
You've already met the version of yourself you're trying to become. The conversation where you stopped managing yourself and just told the truth. The decision that cost you something but felt clean all the way down. The morning where nobody needed anything from you and for an hour you were completely, unmistakably yourself. That wasn't a fluke. That was the signal. In this episode, Jason digs into one of the most misunderstood concepts in personal development — the higher self — and strips away the woo-woo to get to what it actually means and how to practically use it. What you'll hear: What ten thousand years of spiritual tradition — from Sufi mystics to Egyptian priests to medieval Christian mystics — actually agree on about the higher self (and why it changes everything about how you approach growth) The real reason the best version of you feels buried — and why it has nothing to do with effort or information A four-domain self-assessment that forces honesty without the spiral (and why there are no 7s allowed) Four questions that cut through the performance and point you back toward yourself The one ten-minute practice that every tradition and every piece of behavioral research points toward — and why most people never actually do it The line from this episode: "The higher self is not a destination. It's a direction. You orient toward it one honest moment at a time." Timestamps: 0:00 — The signal you've already had 1:30 — What ten thousand years of tradition agree on 3:45 — Meister Eckhart, the Gospel of Thomas, and the Sufi mirror 6:00 — Meet Sarah — and the armor we all built 8:00 — The four-domain assessment (no 7s) 12:30 — Four questions that cut through 15:30 — The ten-minute practice 17:30 — The close Resources mentioned: The quiz: selfawarepodcast.com/quiz — "What's Running You?" Full essay version of this episode: jasonrigby.substack.com Paid subscription (go deeper every week): jasonrigby.substack.com The Self Aware Leader with Jason Rigby — the inner game of leadership for people tired of surface-level advice.
Some lives follow a straight line. Others move through worlds—searching, questioning, breaking, and rebuilding. Dyan Liora's journey is one of those rare paths. Born in the Philippines and raised Catholic, she began asking difficult questions early—questions that led her away from organized religion and into a deep, often turbulent search for truth. From yoga practiced with urgency, to Kundalini spirituality, to a period of immersion in Islam, her path took her across spiritual traditions and into radically different ways of living—from the Amazon jungle to a hippie commune. But this wasn't just a search for meaning. It was a journey inward. As Dyan herself reflects through a Native teaching often attributed to the Sioux tradition: “The longest journey you will ever take is from your head to your heart.” Along the way, surrounded by voices that were deeply critical of Israel, she absorbed those views almost by default—never imagining they would one day be challenged. Until a moment she couldn't ignore. A man she deeply respected broke down in tears while speaking about Israel. That moment cracked something open. It triggered a wave of cognitive dissonance—and a relentless pursuit of truth. Dyan began researching. Studying history. Listening—deeply—to voices on all sides. And slowly, the narrative she once accepted began to unravel. What emerged was a radically different understanding: a small nation of Jews, living under constant threat in a complex and often hostile region. A reality far more layered—and far more human—than she had been led to believe. Then came October 7th. From Mexico, she watched in shock as people in her own circles didn't just criticize—but, at times, justified or even celebrated violence. In that moment, everything converged: her spiritual search, her commitment to truth, and her willingness to stand apart from the crowd. She began to speak. Today, Dyan Liora is a quantum healer, a former Sufi, and a guide for those seeking what she calls soul sovereignty—helping people break free from limiting beliefs and inherited narratives. Her work challenges not only spiritual assumptions, but also political ones—especially where history is blurred, simplified, or reshaped through ideology. Her voice has brought backlash. Suspensions. And controversy. But it has also drawn something else: People searching for clarity. For nuance. For truth. Having traveled to Israel herself, she describes a society far more complex and open than many imagine—a place where diversity, tension, freedom, and contradiction all exist side by side. Through it all, Dyan continues to ask the question that defines her journey: What happens when you are willing to question everything you thought you knew? Ladies and gentlemen— Dyan Liora. ——
Some lives follow a straight line. Others move through worlds—searching, questioning, breaking, and rebuilding. Dyan Liora's journey is one of those rare paths. Born in the Philippines and raised Catholic, she began asking difficult questions early—questions that led her away from organized religion and into a deep, often turbulent search for truth. From yoga practiced with urgency, to Kundalini spirituality, to a period of immersion in Islam, her path took her across spiritual traditions and into radically different ways of living—from the Amazon jungle to a hippie commune. But this wasn't just a search for meaning. It was a journey inward. As Dyan herself reflects through a Native teaching often attributed to the Sioux tradition: “The longest journey you will ever take is from your head to your heart.” Along the way, surrounded by voices that were deeply critical of Israel, she absorbed those views almost by default—never imagining they would one day be challenged. Until a moment she couldn't ignore. A man she deeply respected broke down in tears while speaking about Israel. That moment cracked something open. It triggered a wave of cognitive dissonance—and a relentless pursuit of truth. Dyan began researching. Studying history. Listening—deeply—to voices on all sides. And slowly, the narrative she once accepted began to unravel. What emerged was a radically different understanding: a small nation of Jews, living under constant threat in a complex and often hostile region. A reality far more layered—and far more human—than she had been led to believe. Then came October 7th. From Mexico, she watched in shock as people in her own circles didn't just criticize—but, at times, justified or even celebrated violence. In that moment, everything converged: her spiritual search, her commitment to truth, and her willingness to stand apart from the crowd. She began to speak. Today, Dyan Liora is a quantum healer, a former Sufi, and a guide for those seeking what she calls soul sovereignty—helping people break free from limiting beliefs and inherited narratives. Her work challenges not only spiritual assumptions, but also political ones—especially where history is blurred, simplified, or reshaped through ideology. Her voice has brought backlash. Suspensions. And controversy. But it has also drawn something else: People searching for clarity. For nuance. For truth. Having traveled to Israel herself, she describes a society far more complex and open than many imagine—a place where diversity, tension, freedom, and contradiction all exist side by side. Through it all, Dyan continues to ask the question that defines her journey: What happens when you are willing to question everything you thought you knew? Ladies and gentlemen— Dyan Liora. ——
The Religion Department is an online learning platform dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion, created by the team behind Religion for Breakfast — the YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Mark Henry and Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour, The Religion Department offers guest lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading courses taught by scholars of religion, all designed to make university-level religious studies accessible to anyone, anywhere. Inspired by creator-driven platforms like Dropout TV and Nebula, The Religion Department is built on a user-funded model that compensates scholars fairly for their teaching and expertise. Current offerings include a guided reading of Attar's twelfth-century Sufi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds with Dr. Patrick D'Silva, a 52-week course on key concepts in religious studies led by Dr. Henry, and many more upcoming programs. In this episode, we talk with the co-founders about how Religion for Breakfast grew into something bigger, what The Religion Department offers, and why they believe the academic study of religion deserves a home beyond the traditional university. Learn more and become a member at religiondepartment.com Dr. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion who holds a PhD from Boston University. He is the creator and host of Religion for Breakfast, and the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Religion's Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion and science who holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an award-winning comedian and storyteller, and has served as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
CURRENT SERIES - The Torch and the Pail What if we removed every transaction from our faith, every promise of reward, every threat of consequence? An ancient Sufi story tells of an angel carrying a torch to burn down the mansions of heaven and a pail to put out the fires of hell so that we might finally see who truly loves God. Not out of fear. Not to earn mercy. Just love, for love's sake. This series is an invitation to come home to a faith with no strings attached, where perfect love casts out fear, and God desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does it look like to simply love God for the sake of love itself? Come and let's explore this journey of faith together.
The Religion Department is an online learning platform dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion, created by the team behind Religion for Breakfast — the YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Mark Henry and Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour, The Religion Department offers guest lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading courses taught by scholars of religion, all designed to make university-level religious studies accessible to anyone, anywhere. Inspired by creator-driven platforms like Dropout TV and Nebula, The Religion Department is built on a user-funded model that compensates scholars fairly for their teaching and expertise. Current offerings include a guided reading of Attar's twelfth-century Sufi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds with Dr. Patrick D'Silva, a 52-week course on key concepts in religious studies led by Dr. Henry, and many more upcoming programs. In this episode, we talk with the co-founders about how Religion for Breakfast grew into something bigger, what The Religion Department offers, and why they believe the academic study of religion deserves a home beyond the traditional university. Learn more and become a member at religiondepartment.com Dr. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion who holds a PhD from Boston University. He is the creator and host of Religion for Breakfast, and the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Religion's Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion and science who holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an award-winning comedian and storyteller, and has served as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/education
The Religion Department is an online learning platform dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion, created by the team behind Religion for Breakfast — the YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Mark Henry and Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour, The Religion Department offers guest lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading courses taught by scholars of religion, all designed to make university-level religious studies accessible to anyone, anywhere. Inspired by creator-driven platforms like Dropout TV and Nebula, The Religion Department is built on a user-funded model that compensates scholars fairly for their teaching and expertise. Current offerings include a guided reading of Attar's twelfth-century Sufi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds with Dr. Patrick D'Silva, a 52-week course on key concepts in religious studies led by Dr. Henry, and many more upcoming programs. In this episode, we talk with the co-founders about how Religion for Breakfast grew into something bigger, what The Religion Department offers, and why they believe the academic study of religion deserves a home beyond the traditional university. Learn more and become a member at religiondepartment.com Dr. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion who holds a PhD from Boston University. He is the creator and host of Religion for Breakfast, and the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Religion's Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion and science who holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an award-winning comedian and storyteller, and has served as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion
The Religion Department is an online learning platform dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion, created by the team behind Religion for Breakfast — the YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Mark Henry and Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour, The Religion Department offers guest lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading courses taught by scholars of religion, all designed to make university-level religious studies accessible to anyone, anywhere. Inspired by creator-driven platforms like Dropout TV and Nebula, The Religion Department is built on a user-funded model that compensates scholars fairly for their teaching and expertise. Current offerings include a guided reading of Attar's twelfth-century Sufi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds with Dr. Patrick D'Silva, a 52-week course on key concepts in religious studies led by Dr. Henry, and many more upcoming programs. In this episode, we talk with the co-founders about how Religion for Breakfast grew into something bigger, what The Religion Department offers, and why they believe the academic study of religion deserves a home beyond the traditional university. Learn more and become a member at religiondepartment.com Dr. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion who holds a PhD from Boston University. He is the creator and host of Religion for Breakfast, and the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Religion's Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion and science who holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an award-winning comedian and storyteller, and has served as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications
The Religion Department is an online learning platform dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion, created by the team behind Religion for Breakfast — the YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Mark Henry and Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour, The Religion Department offers guest lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading courses taught by scholars of religion, all designed to make university-level religious studies accessible to anyone, anywhere. Inspired by creator-driven platforms like Dropout TV and Nebula, The Religion Department is built on a user-funded model that compensates scholars fairly for their teaching and expertise. Current offerings include a guided reading of Attar's twelfth-century Sufi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds with Dr. Patrick D'Silva, a 52-week course on key concepts in religious studies led by Dr. Henry, and many more upcoming programs. In this episode, we talk with the co-founders about how Religion for Breakfast grew into something bigger, what The Religion Department offers, and why they believe the academic study of religion deserves a home beyond the traditional university. Learn more and become a member at religiondepartment.com Dr. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion who holds a PhD from Boston University. He is the creator and host of Religion for Breakfast, and the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Religion's Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion and science who holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an award-winning comedian and storyteller, and has served as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What if the most transformative journey you could take wasn't to a faraway place, but back to yourself?In this episode, I sit down with Damianne President, a coach who helps midlife women use intentional solo travel as a catalyst for self-discovery. Damianne has lived and worked across four continents — from St. Lucia and Canada to India, Sudan, Japan, and now Prague — and her extraordinary cross-cultural life is the foundation of her work.What you'll hear in this conversation:How a Sufi teacher in India told a 20-something Damianne she was "watching her life from the window of a train" and how that moment set her on a completely different path,Why travel, especially to unfamiliar countries, is one of the most powerful developmental tools available to us, and how it works on the nervous system in ways our everyday routines simply don't,The crucial difference between escaping yourself through travel and genuinely meeting yourself and what it looks like when people confuse the two,How Damianne supports clients to stay regulated when travel gets uncomfortable, including Tara Brach's RAIN practice and her own beautifully simple "5 more minutes" approach,Why midlife is such a potent moment for this kind of work, identity is formed but something feels quietly off, and the anonymity of a new place offers the freedom to experiment with who you want to be,The integration piece: why the real transformation happens not on the trip, but in the intentional reflection that follows.There's also a rich conversation about belonging and nervous system regulation, the grief that lives inside unmet aspirations, the way our neurobiology pulls us back toward the familiar, and why shared humanity is the thing that consistently surprises people most when they travel deeply.Damianne makes a distinction that stayed with me long after the conversation ended; the difference between searching for yourself and meeting yourself. They're not the same thing.Connect with Damianne:Website & free guide for beginners: freedomlookslikethis.com/goaloneSocial media: @Damiannecoaching
The Religion Department is an online learning platform dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion, created by the team behind Religion for Breakfast — the YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Mark Henry and Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour, The Religion Department offers guest lectures, multi-week seminars, and guided reading courses taught by scholars of religion, all designed to make university-level religious studies accessible to anyone, anywhere. Inspired by creator-driven platforms like Dropout TV and Nebula, The Religion Department is built on a user-funded model that compensates scholars fairly for their teaching and expertise. Current offerings include a guided reading of Attar's twelfth-century Sufi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds with Dr. Patrick D'Silva, a 52-week course on key concepts in religious studies led by Dr. Henry, and many more upcoming programs. In this episode, we talk with the co-founders about how Religion for Breakfast grew into something bigger, what The Religion Department offers, and why they believe the academic study of religion deserves a home beyond the traditional university. Learn more and become a member at religiondepartment.com Dr. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion who holds a PhD from Boston University. He is the creator and host of Religion for Breakfast, and the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Religion's Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion and science who holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an award-winning comedian and storyteller, and has served as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This episode's host, Jacob Barrett, is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Religion and Culture track. For more information, visit his website thereluctantamericanist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
According to a widespread Islamic tradition, when Adam was expelled from the garden of Eden he fell to earth on Sarandib (now Sri Lanka). In this episode, we hear how this tradition was interpreted in India through the monumental Arabic work, Subhat al-Marjan (The Coral Rosary). Since Arabic isn't often associated with India, we begin by sketching the history of the language in the region. Next, we turn to the biography of Ghulam Ali Azad Bilgrami (1704-86), the author of Subhat al-Marjan who lived during an age of massive political disruption as the Mughal Empire fell apart. Withdrawing to the library of a Sufi monastery in Aurangabad, Azad Bilgrami spent years studying the evidence that linked India to Adam, the Prophet Muhammad, and other key figures of Islamic sacred history. We learn how in his masterpiece Bilgrami brought all this evidence together with the artistry that earned him the moniker Hassan al-Hind (the Hassan of India) for his skills in Arabic. Nile Green talks to Andrea Maria Negri, author of A Mirror of Arabic Language and Literature in India: Gulām ʿAlī Āzād Bilgrāmī's Subhat al-margān fī ātār Hindūstān (De Gruyter, 2026).
In 1970, Ian was staying on Lismore Island near Oban in the Western Highlands of Scotland with two friends, when orbs passed through a window and entered the room. Humanoid beings inside the orbs seemed to begin engaging with them and his life was changed ever after. Ian describes his life as a Sufi and his recent find of a fairy ring near his home in County Cork, Ireland. The full length exclusive bonus episode includes further experiences and is available on Patreon
replay of our 3.26.26 show ~ “No to monarchy, no to having a supreme leader, Yes to Democracy-Equality!” Chant from students/citizens in Iran… Caroline plays a short clip of Maryam Ishani, And long proffering from Omid Safi's recent teaching: “What we all need to know about Iran” We be Global Coalition: Re-imagining the world beyond false polarity… Like Scheherazade, who liberates the land, women, even the tyrant, from the sociopathic murderous king, Let's all Cultivate our Craft for Complex story-telling…. Omid Safi @brotheromid Most recent book: Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition (published by Yale). Teacher in the Sufi tradition of Radical Love & Founder of Illuminated Courses & Tours “Omid's passion for teaching has been recognized through the ten times that he has been nominated for professor of the year awards. He is currently a professor at Duke University specializing in Islamic spirituality and contemporary thought. A leading Muslim public intellectual, Omid is committed to the intersection of spirituality and social justice.” https://www.illuminatedcourses.com/ The post Replay: Cultivate our Craft for Complex Storytelling appeared first on KPFA.
An ancient teaching story from the Sufi tradition is a good illustration of the fact that sometimes, it's a good idea to examine a situation closely—and sometimes it's a good idea to look away. Resources & links related to this episode: Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
In his debut work, Companionship and Virtue in Classical Sufism: The Contribution of al-Sulami (I.B. Tauris, 2024), Jason Welle sheds a new light on al-Sulami, an influential Sufi master during Sufism's formative era, by examine his work on suhba (companionship). Welle provides a historical reconstruction of Sufi companionship in Khurasan in the period, arguing that al-Sulami's concept of suhba, specifically among and between young disciples, envisioned the transformation of society as whole, not just the master-disciple relationship. Bringing debates in contemporary virtue ethics to bear on al-Sulami's spiritual method, the book offers an original analysis of the latter's thought that will be of interest to scholars of early Islam and classical Sufism as well as moral theologians interested in virtue ethics, character and friendship. Jason Welle is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Boston College, where he teach courses on Christian-Muslim Relations and Islamic Mysticism. Saman Nasser holds an MA in history from James Madison University, where he works as an educational staff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
In his debut work, Companionship and Virtue in Classical Sufism: The Contribution of al-Sulami (I.B. Tauris, 2024), Jason Welle sheds a new light on al-Sulami, an influential Sufi master during Sufism's formative era, by examine his work on suhba (companionship). Welle provides a historical reconstruction of Sufi companionship in Khurasan in the period, arguing that al-Sulami's concept of suhba, specifically among and between young disciples, envisioned the transformation of society as whole, not just the master-disciple relationship. Bringing debates in contemporary virtue ethics to bear on al-Sulami's spiritual method, the book offers an original analysis of the latter's thought that will be of interest to scholars of early Islam and classical Sufism as well as moral theologians interested in virtue ethics, character and friendship. Jason Welle is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Boston College, where he teach courses on Christian-Muslim Relations and Islamic Mysticism. Saman Nasser holds an MA in history from James Madison University, where he works as an educational staff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies
In his debut work, Companionship and Virtue in Classical Sufism: The Contribution of al-Sulami (I.B. Tauris, 2024), Jason Welle sheds a new light on al-Sulami, an influential Sufi master during Sufism's formative era, by examine his work on suhba (companionship). Welle provides a historical reconstruction of Sufi companionship in Khurasan in the period, arguing that al-Sulami's concept of suhba, specifically among and between young disciples, envisioned the transformation of society as whole, not just the master-disciple relationship. Bringing debates in contemporary virtue ethics to bear on al-Sulami's spiritual method, the book offers an original analysis of the latter's thought that will be of interest to scholars of early Islam and classical Sufism as well as moral theologians interested in virtue ethics, character and friendship. Jason Welle is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Boston College, where he teach courses on Christian-Muslim Relations and Islamic Mysticism. Saman Nasser holds an MA in history from James Madison University, where he works as an educational staff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history
Love can never be fully defined, but it opens the heart and evokes wholeness, as does the natural world, which is radically diverse. Today, we are blessed to have with us two people who not only possess strong intellects, but also have real world experience in nature. Their track record of doing good works in the world reveals their good heart. I invited these gentlemen in part because I have just released a book on Original Love: The Timeless Source of Wholeness, and I am excited to engage in dialogue with them on the subject of Love and the Wholeness of Nature. Thomas Rain Crowe is the author of many books, most recently New Natives: Becoming Indigenous in a Time of Crisis and Transition, and most famously, his award-winning Zoro's Field, a partial tribute to Henry David Thoreau, documenting Rain Crowe's own retreat into the Appalachian woods. An internationally recognized author, editor, and translator of more than thirty books, he became known first for being a member of the San Francisco Beat Generation of poets and creative folks living out there in the 1970s before returning to his native western North Carolina community and founding New Native Press. He has belonged to and worked with many environmental organizations. He is also a translator of some of the more renowned Sufi mystical poets, such as Hafiz and Kabir. Although not usually in his bios, I know he also resonates with the work of Meher Baba, another mystic explorer of love. Don Trent Jacobs (also known as Wahinkpe Topa, or Four Arrows, is a professor of educational leadership at Fielding Graduate, is a made relative of the Oglala Lakota and member of the Medicine Horse Tiospaye. He is a pipe carrier, having fulfilled his Sun Dance vows while living on the Pine Ridge reservation and serving as director of education at Oglala Lakota College. Author of many books, including Restoring the Kinship Worldview and Teaching Virtues, both of which I have read, and numerous scholarly articles covering diverse topics in decolonization, counterhegemonic democracy, and Indigeneity. He has been endorsed by people like Gregory Cajete, Daniel Wildcat, Vandana Shiva, Bill McKibben. Thom Hartmann, and others, and is the recipient of a Martin Springer Institute Moral Courage Award for his activism on behalf of American Indians. Glenn Aparicio Parry's latest book Original Love was published on February 13, 2026 and is available wherever books or ebooks are sold.
In his debut work, Companionship and Virtue in Classical Sufism: The Contribution of al-Sulami (I.B. Tauris, 2024), Jason Welle sheds a new light on al-Sulami, an influential Sufi master during Sufism's formative era, by examine his work on suhba (companionship). Welle provides a historical reconstruction of Sufi companionship in Khurasan in the period, arguing that al-Sulami's concept of suhba, specifically among and between young disciples, envisioned the transformation of society as whole, not just the master-disciple relationship. Bringing debates in contemporary virtue ethics to bear on al-Sulami's spiritual method, the book offers an original analysis of the latter's thought that will be of interest to scholars of early Islam and classical Sufism as well as moral theologians interested in virtue ethics, character and friendship. Jason Welle is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Boston College, where he teach courses on Christian-Muslim Relations and Islamic Mysticism. Saman Nasser holds an MA in history from James Madison University, where he works as an educational staff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion
Welcome to today's episode of Wisdom Talk Radio! This is where we explore the depths of conscious living and how to live an expanded life. Join us to be inspired, encouraged, transformed and to tap into a deeper sense of joy and possibility. If you know about my work, you know that I am a Turaya Meditation Teacher. I hold the heart as the receiver of truth. So when the pioneer teachers of something called Heart Rhythm Meditation were introduced to me, I knew I wanted to invite them for a conversation. Stay tuned.I'm Laurie Seymour, host of Wisdom Talk Radio and CEO and founder of The Baca Institute, home of the Quantum Connection Process. You can go there to discover your unique connection with the essence of who you are by taking the Quantum Connection quiz. Why quantum connection? We are each designed to directly connect with Source in our own way. Knowing your own archetype style opens a deeper connection for you with the Universe. It's the secret to creating what you truly want in your life. Because who you are is exactly who is needed.Susanna and Puran Bair are co-founders of iamHeart, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people access emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing through the transformative practice of Heart Rhythm Meditation—or HRM. Together, they've spent decades developing and teaching this heart-centered approach, which synchronizes breath and heartbeat to create coherence in body, mind and spirit. They both studied intensively for over four decades with, and now represent, Sufi master Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan. Susanna Bair is a pioneering teacher of heart-based meditation whose work draws from over 40 years of study in psychology, the arts, and the Sufi mystical tradition. Puran Bair brings a unique blend of science and spirituality to this work. With a background in mathematics and physics, he has developed practical techniques that make ancient wisdom both measurable and applicable to modern life.Find Susanna and Puran at www.Iamheart.orgTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamheartmeditation● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iheartmeditation● YouTube: https:www.youtube.com/@iamheartrhythm● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iam-heart● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamheart.orgA GIFT FOR YOU: www.iamheart.org/giftFind Laurie Seymour at https://thebacainstitute.com/ .Follow Wisdom Talk Radio on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wisdomtalkradioSubscribe on Apple.Want to reach out to me? You can email me directly at laurie@thebacainstitute.comIf you are enjoying our show and you'd like to spread the love, please subscribe, download, comment, and tell your friends and family about us. We want to thank you for your continued support. We really appreciate it! Find more episodes of Wisdom Talk Radio HERE Discover your Quantum Connection Style! (QUIZ)The first step to mastering your Quantum Connection is to know your natural style of being in the world.We are each designed to connect with Source differently. Knowing your style, with both your superpowers and your learning edge, is the first step of aligning with your inner guidance at a deeper level than you ever thought you could. It's the doorway to creating what you truly want in your life.Click here to take the quiz now: Quantum Connection QuizFind Laurie's new book, Unconditional Remembrance: Your Connection to Source HEREAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
On this episode: RW Cliff Jacobs shares insights from nearly four decades of Masonic service. Our conversation uses the Sufi parable of the blind men and the elephant to explain different Masonic perspectives. We explore Bro. Cliff's journey through the York Rite, Scottish Rite, his service to the Grand Lodge of New York, and esoteric studies.Show notes and links: Join us on Patreon. Start your FREE seven day trial to the Craftsmen Online Podcast and get instant access to our bonus content! Whether it's a one time donation or you become a Patreon Subscriber, we appreciate your support.Visit the Craftsmen Online website to learn more about our next Reading Room event, New York Masonic History, and our Masonic Education blog!Follow the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Spotify.Subscribe to the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow Craftsmen Online on YouTube, hit subscribe and get notified the next time we go LIVE with a podcast recording!Yes, we're on Instagram.Get our latest announcements and important updates in your inbox with the Craftsmen Online Newsletter.Email the host, RW Michael Arce! Yes, we will read your email and may even reach out to be a guest on a future episode.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/craftsmen-online-podcast--4822031/support.
In 1244, a theologian met a wandering dervish in Konya and vanished from public life. What emerged was poetry so universal it outlasted empires. Jalal ad-Din Rumi fled Mongols as a child, became a scholar, then transformed after meeting Shams al-Din of Tabriz. His Masnavi and Divan-e Shams became foundational Sufi texts, and some of the greatest poetry ever written. Eight centuries later, this Sunni Muslim poet outsells every other poet in America. Multiple countries claim him as their own, but his work belongs to everyone.https://www.patreon.com/HistorysGreatestIdiotshttps://www.instagram.com/historysgreatestidiotshttps://buymeacoffee.com/historysgreatestidiotsArtist: Sarah Cheyhttps://www.fiverr.com/sarahchey
Visionary Activist Show 3.26.26 2 pm pt #KPFA (3.27.26 wee hours & 1pm pt #KPFK) “No to monarchy, no to having a supreme leader, Yes to Democracy-Equality!” Chant from students/citizens in Iran… Caroline plays a short clip of Maryam Ishani, And long proffering from Omid Safi's recent teaching: “What we all need to know about Iran” We be Global Coalition: Re-imagining the world beyond false polarity… Like Scheherazade, who liberates the land, women, even the tyrant, from the sociopathic murderous king, Let's all Cultivate our Craft for Complex story-telling…. Omid Safi @brotheromid Most recent book: Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition (published by Yale). Teacher in the Sufi tradition of Radical Love & Founder of Illuminated Courses & Tours “Omid's passion for teaching has been recognized through the ten times that he has been nominated for professor of the year awards. He is currently a professor at Duke University specializing in Islamic spirituality and contemporary thought. A leading Muslim public intellectual, Omid is committed to the intersection of spirituality and social justice.” https://www.illuminatedcourses.com/ CoyoteNetworkNews.com · Events, Councils, & More Visionary Activist on Patreon The post The Visionary Activist Show – Cultivate our Craft for Complex Storytelling appeared first on KPFA.
Are you experiencing spiritual awakening symptoms and not sure whether to call a doctor or a mystic? You're waking up at 3am. Crying at commercials. Suddenly intolerant of small talk, the career you've had for a decade, and basically every version of yourself you built before now.These are some of the most common spiritual awakening signs, and here's what's striking: they've been documented across thousands of years, across cultures and traditions that have no historical reason to agree with each other. Sufi mysticism, Kundalini yoga, Christian mystical texts, shamanic practice, Jungian psychology, and modern somatic therapy are all pointing at the same map. That kind of cross-cultural consistency isn't a coincidence. It's a signal.In this episode, Will breaks down what's actually happening during spiritual growth, why it can feel indistinguishable from a breakdown, and what to do when the floor drops out.In this episode:Why waking up between 2 and 4am is one of the most widely reported spiritual awakening symptoms across traditionsThe real reason you're crying for no reason. it's not a breakdown, it's a releaseWhat heightened sensitivity actually is, and why the world gets louder before it gets clearerWhy loss of interest in your old life is one of the most misunderstood spiritual awakening signsJung's concept of individuation, and why it explains the "hollow career" feeling better than burnout doesThe hunger for truth that activates during spiritual growth, and why it doesn't turn off once it startsFour practical, tradition-backed things you can do right now when it all feels like too muchThis one is equal parts irreverent and deeply serious. Because that's the only honest way to talk about the most disorienting, potentially transformative experience a human being can go through. You are not broken.You are not crazy. And you are in excellent, ancient company.The Skeptic Metaphysicians explores consciousness, metaphysics, and the unexplainable, without asking you to check your skepticism at the door. New episodes weekly.The Skeptic Metaphysicians is a spiritual awakening podcast for open-minded thinkers who refuse to check their critical thinking at the door. Each episode explores consciousness expansion, enlightenment, soul purpose, and soul growth through honest, grounded conversation with leading voices in metaphysics, psychic phenomenon, quantum healing, and beyond. We dive deep into spiritual awakening, ascension, alignment, and the awakening process without the dogma. From mediumship and spirit guides to Arcturian contact, astrology, and the subconscious mind, we explore it all with curiosity, humor, and zero guru worship. Whether you're in the middle of your own awakening, questioning reality, or just spiritually curious, this is the podcast for seekers and skeptics alike.Subscribe, Rate & Review!If you found this episode enlightening, mind-expanding, or even just thought-provoking (see what we did there?), please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us bring more transformative guests and topics your way!Connect with Us:
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