The Qarawiyyin Podcast

❝Do people think they will be left alone after saying ‘We believe’ without being put to the test?❞ [Qur'an 29:2]

The Qarawiyyin Podcast returns with an episode on Israel's war on Gaza. These events have sent shockwaves throughout the Muslim Ummah and beyond, raising questions about how we got here and what comes next.

In Episode 26, the team share their feelings regarding the past five months, examine current discourse on the Palestinian struggle, and discuss the political fallout of the assault.

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Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co
Email us: [email protected]

Abu Hurayra (RA) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Remember often the severer of pleasures [i.e. death]." There are myriad ways to reflect on death, both on our own death and that of others. How do we engage in periodic remembrance of our final abode? Why does death feel far away, and why do we shy away from discussing it? On Episode 25, the team explores the physical and spiritual realities of dying, and how we can benefit from its remembrance.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co
Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome
Email us: [email protected]

The strength of one's connection to Islam can waver. Attacks on our spiritual strength can come from within or without, but there are common strategies for withstanding challenges to our iman from all sides. 

In Episode 24, the team sits down to discuss how we can attain spiritual resilience, especially in light of how countless women see their status in the Muslim community as undervalued and dispensable. How can we correct our mindset regarding our relationship with Allah, our own self-worth, and the authority of community leaders? Where can we turn to bolster our spiritual resilience? How do we remain connected to the Muslim community without becoming cynical? We discuss these questions and more as we consider the best ways to become resilient believers.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co
Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome
Email us: [email protected]

Which comes first: nation or ummah?

On Ep. 23, Butheina Hamdah joins us to discuss her research on American Muslim exceptionalism. We examine the impact of American exceptionalism on the Muslim psyche, as well as how American Muslims perceive the broader ummah. As calls for an indigenous Islam in America gain traction, questions of nationalism’s compatibility with an ummatic worldview come to the fore.

Butheina Hamdah is a project assistant with the Ummatics Colloquium (soon to be the Ummatics Institute). She received her M.A. in Sociology and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Toledo in Ohio.

Ummatics Colloquium: ummaticscolloquium.org

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co
Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome
Email us: [email protected]

The ummah of Islam is growing, as are efforts to spread its message. Though da'wah is often seen as an outward-facing effort, the way it is conducted has serious implications for the faith of Muslims themselves. In this episode, new TQP staff members join the podcast to share their experiences with local da'wah culture, the online scene, da'wah training, and interfaith in non-Muslim majority societies. We discuss common pitfalls and inspiring successes in the world of calling people to Islam.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome

Email us: [email protected]

This Ramadan, the team shares reflections on the passing and usage of time, the rows of tarawīḥ, and the nature of communal worship. What does it mean to exit our private sphere of spirituality and see Ramadan as a time for ummah-wide transformation? How can we take heed of Allah's ﷻ reminders about the passing of time?

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome

Email us: [email protected]

Published at the beginning of this year, Usaama Al-Azami's Islam and the Arab Revolutions: The Ulama Between Democracy and Autocracy analyzes the rhetoric of religious scholars throughout the Arab Spring. Focusing on the Egyptian revolution, Al-Azami explains what defines the factions standing for or against the revolution and assesses their key figures, including Ali Gomaa, Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, and Abdullah Bin Bayyah.

On Episode 20, we discuss the content of the book, the role of ulama in politics, and how to navigate their problematic stances.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome

Email us: [email protected]

Facing conflicting standards and blurred lines, Muslim women often struggle to understand femininity and what Islam has to say about it. Is there an ideal we should strive or fulfill, or an archetype by which to measure ourselves? What role does culture play in defining gender? Can we be ourselves while pleasing Allah, or are our personalities up for consideration?

On Episode 19, the team sits down to discuss gender norms, what fiqh rulings (don’t) say about the nature of women, feminine role models, and how to move towards a better understanding of the feminine.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome

Email us: [email protected]

Following the 20-year memorial of September 11, 2001, we sit down to reflect on how this day has shaped the last two decades. Our Ummah has faced the physical, spiritual, and intellectual consequences of American imperial violence, which inspires and goads police states around the globe in their persecution of Muslims. How do we reckon with these effects, and where do we go from here?

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective. We strive to empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome

Email us: [email protected]

It was a dark and stormy night, and the TQP team had gathered to discuss all things storytelling: books, film, drama, romance, wizardry, tropes, representation (and whether we need it). It began on a good-humored note, with the sisters cordially chatting about their favorite genres — but it soon took a turn. The commentary got dicier and the opinions less popular. Casualties included Ertugrul and The Kite Runner. Several staunch defenses were launched in favor of anime. Contemporary Muslim fiction could scarcely get back up before getting beaten down again. Perhaps most alarmingly, an eerie koreaboo undercurrent was ever-present throughout. It remains unclear whether the hosts were participating in a challenge to see who could say “degeneracy” the most times. 

How will it end? Listen to Episode 17: now on podcast platforms.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome

Email us: [email protected]

Iman Masmoudi joins the Qarawiyyin Podcast for a conversation on ethical fashion, production, and consumption. We discuss our role in the global capitalist economy, addressing the gruesome realities of exploitative labor and environmental degradation. As the havoc wreaked by capitalism becomes more plain to see, we grapple with where to place Islam on the spectrum of economic ideologies, as well as practical steps to disengage from unethical chains of production.

Iman Masmoudi is the President of TŪNIQ, an ethical clothing brand applying holistic Islamic ethics to its “sheep to shop” manufacturing cooperative. She graduated from Harvard with an honors BA in Social & Political theory and Islamic History, and received her MPhil in Classical Islamic History & Culture from the University of Cambridge. She writes and works on Ottoman North Africa, Islamic Law, & Sacred Anti-Capitalism. 

Follow Iman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/imanmasmoudi
Learn more about TŪNIQ: https://tuniqoasis.com/

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome

Email us: [email protected]

Shaykha Maryam Amir joins the Qarawiyyin Podcast for a conversation on women seeking religious knowledge: access, barriers, missteps, and successes. We discuss the challenges women commonly face when attempting to access even basic information about their deen. Shaykha Maryam dispels misconceptions regarding women reciting the Qur'an, and illustrates the power of reciting and memorizing the Word of Allah ﷻ.

Shaykha Maryam Amir received her master’s in Education from UCLA and a second bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies through Al-Azhar University. She has also studied in Egypt, memorized the Qur’an and has researched a variety of religious sciences, ranging from Quranic exegesis, Islamic jurisprudence, Prophetic narrations and commentary, women’s rights within Islamic law and more for the past 15 years. She actively hosts women who have memorized Quran from around the world to recite and share their journeys through her Into the Revelation Series and the #FOREMOTHERS campaign. Maryam’s focus in the fields of spiritual connections, identity actualization, social justice and women’s studies have humbled her the opportunity to lecture throughout the United States and the world, including in Jerusalem, Mecca, Medina, Stockholm, London, Toronto and more. She holds a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and speaks multiple languages.

You can follow Shaykha Maryam on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome

Email us: [email protected]

100 hijri years have passed since the abolishment of the Ottoman Caliphate, marking a milestone in the history of Islamic governance. In Episode 14, the TQP team sits down for a conversation on the concept of Khilafa, the Islamic political model, and challenges for envisioning Islamic governance in the modern period.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Subscribe to our newsletter: qarawiyyinproject.substack.com/welcome

Email us: [email protected]

The Qarawiyyin Podcast welcomes Ustadha Jinan Yousef for a discusssion on her recently published book, "Reflecting on the Names of Allah". We delve into what it means to truly know God, common misconceptions about God's nature, and practical ways to improve our relationship with our Creator. 

Jinan Yousef has been an author for over a decade writing about topics related to the Islamic faith. She has been a student of Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi alongside others. Jinan is a course instructor at Al-Buruj press and regularly lectures on the names of God, connecting to Allah, and growing in faith.

Ustadha Jinan's course based on the book: https://www.suhaibwebb.com/courses/reflecting-on-the-names-of-allah

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Email us: [email protected]

In Episode 12, the Qarawiyyin Podcast welcomes two guests: Sara K. Shehlawi and Noha El Haddad, the founders of ACHIME, or the Association of Muslim Girls in Spain. As European populism and anti-Islamic sentiment manifest in new and uglier ways, we ask: what sparked this, and what does it mean for the global Ummah? Sara and Noha examine the challenges Muslims face in Spain, Prophetic wisdoms for dealing with them, and projections for the future of Islam in Europe.

Sara K. Shehlawi is a student in East Asian studies majoring in Chinese and interested in Chinese history and politics, and is also a student of the Islamic Sciences. She is one of the founders of ACHIME, a Muslim girls association that seeks to create a comfortable environment where young Muslim girls can grow and acquire knowledge about their deen and society.

Noha El Haddad Boufares is an Emergency Physician specialized in Family and Community Medicine, with a Master's degree in Emergencies, Disasters and Catastrophes. She is of Morrocan origin, and also a co-founder and former president of ACHIME. She is currently finishing a Master's Degree in Advanced Studies on Islam in the Contemporary European Society at the Complutense University of Madrid.

ACHIME - Chicas Musulmanas de España: www.asociacionachime.com
Follow ACHIME on Instagram: instagram.com/achimeofficial

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Email us: [email protected]

The Qarawiyyin Podcast welcomes Dr. Aysha Wazwaz for a discussion on Palestine. As we witness shifting rhetoric about the liberation of Palestine, normalization efforts with the occupying force, and complicity from religious scholars in these efforts, we ask: what is the religious significance of Palestine? Why are Muslims dropping the banner of Palestine advocacy? What is the role of scholars in politics (and must we defer to them)?

Shaykha Aysha Wazwaz is a researcher, author, an Islamic studies lecturer and a chaplain at St. Catherine university. Formerly a lecturer at the Islamic University of Minnesota, she holds a B.A degree in Islamic jurisprudence ( fiqh) and an M.A degree in Contemporary Islamic Studies from Al-Quds University. She has a PhD in Islamic Studies from Jinan University in Lebanon. She is the founder and CEO of Gems of Light, an institute dedicated to educating Muslim women in the Islamic tradition. Visit her website: gemsoflight.com

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Email us: [email protected]

Does beauty matter, physical or otherwise? 

The TQP team sits down to discuss beauty standards, the concept of jamal from an Islamic standpoint, and challenges Muslim women face navigating our hypervisual world. 

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Email us: [email protected]

On Ep. 9, The Qarawiyyin Podcast welcomes a new member and dives into the archives. We discuss the importance of knowing our history, how narratives are shaped, and understanding women's role in the history of Islam.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Email us: [email protected]

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven." [Sahih Bukhari]

Ramadan Mubarak! In this episode, the TQP team gets into the Ramadan spirit and discusses how to make the most of this blessed month — under quarantine, on your period, and through the pangs of hunger.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Email us: [email protected]

The TQP team finally sits down to address the elephant in the room when it comes to discussing Muslim women's issues: feminism. Sharing our thoughts on its popularity and varied manifestations, we trace the phenomenon of adopting the feminist label among Muslims and discuss its inconsistency with the Islamic worldview.

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The Qarawiyyin Project aims to revive the tradition of Muslim women being at the forefront of discussing the most critical issues of our time from an Islamic perspective, and empower women to be active in their communities around the world in carrying Islam as a way of life.

Read our publications: qarawiyyinproject.co

Email us: [email protected]