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On this episode of the podcast, I bring back Shaykh Umair Haseeb to talk all things Ramadan.  What do we do if we don't prep at all? How do we navigate Ramadan when we're struggling with sins? How do sages of today approach Ramadan? Shaykh Umair is a graduate of Al-Qayrawayin University in Fes, Morocco and is currently serving as Director of Religious Affairs for Ta'leef Collective.   (Re-released with improved audio on 3/26/2023, Original Release: 3/20/2023) Resources for "Sultans and Sneakers" Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

Dr. Yakoob Ahmed is an Ottoman historian with a specialization in late Ottomon history. He received his Ph.D. from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London and he currently teaches at Istanbul University in Turkiye. I had a chance to sit down with Dr. Yakoob after I attended a weekend seminar he did in Chicago on Ottoman history. We discussed his origin story, his identity as a "Londoner", how he developed empathy for others, and biases that Western academics operate from..amongst other things. Resources for "Sultans and Sneakers" Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

In this episode, I bring back my good friend Nabeel Azeez who's a Dubai based copywriter to talk about his latest project, "40 Hadith on Masculinity: How to be a Good Man". We discuss how he went about commissioning the project and tackled a few examples of things related to masculinity that content creators struggle with. We also discussed his foray into boxing and the "MuslimMan" brand he is cultivating. To purchase the book you can go to https://muslimman.com/book Resources for "Sultans and Sneakers" Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

Jumha Aburezeq is an active entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of StoopidFit. To date, he's helped over 1000 people across the world gain freedom with their body, mind and food with his trademark 3 Phase Fat Loss System. To connect with Jumha and learn more about his programming, go to: https://stoopidfit.com/ Resources for "Sultans and Sneakers" Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

John Kiser is a former international technology broker and author. He wrote "Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd el-Kader, A Story of True Jihad". I had the chance to discuss the character of Emir Abd el-Kader with John and we talked about the lessons that people today can take away from his life. Currently, John enjoys raising pigs on his farm in Virginia (hence the title of the show). To learn more about John and his works, please go to www.johnwkiser.com His previous books include "Communist Entreprenuers: Unknown Innovators in the Global Economy", "Stefan Zweig: Death of a Modern Man" and "Monks of Tibhirine: Faith, Love and Terror in Algeria". Link to "Commander of the Faithful" on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Commander-Faithful-Life-Times-el-Kader/dp/0982324669/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3N9YPQLVEI4JR&keywords=john+w+kiser&qid=1675649707&sprefix=john+w+kiser%2Caps%2C286&sr=8-1 Resources for "Sultans and Sneakers" Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

Shaykh Umer Khan is a rare individual who has excelled in both corporate America as well as Islamic studies. Up until recently, he was the VP of Information Technology and Security at SpaceX, where he reported directly to Elon Musk. He recently left to become Chief Information and Security Officer at another firm. While progressing through his corporate career, Shaykh Umer decided to pursue his Islamic studies passion and has completed study of the Arabic language, memorization of the Qu'ran, two Alim programs and received his Ifta license from Darul Ilm Birmingham, granting him the traditional title of 'Mufti'. In this episode, I pick his brain about how he approached his career and how he was able to manage his time to effectively add the second full-time job of Islamic scholar to his already full plate. For more details on his Islamic studies bio, please check out https://www.shaykhx.com/  Resources for 'Sultans and Sneakers' Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

Andrew Tate's conversion to Islam has sparked a discourse in the Muslim community regarding the conversion of individuals who are coming to Islam from a past life that seems antithetical to Islamic teachings. In this panel, we discuss Tate's conversion from various angles with Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali, Shaykh Mustafa Umar and Nabeel Azeez. All three of my panelists have been guests on the podcast so they need no introduction. Nabeel Azeez provides the unique perspective of having known Andrew Tate and his brother for several years. In the episode we allude to an article written by Dr. Abdullah. You can read that article here:  https://www.almadina.org/studio/articles/prophetic-pugilism-the-freedom-principle Resources for 'Sultans and Sneakers' Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

Subhi Saadeh is a quality engineer, triathlete/marathoner, podcaster and coffee aficionado. He works in the pharmaceutical industry and is the host of the Combinate Podcast, a show that's focused on Quality in BioTech and MedTech. In this episode, we discuss Subhi's approach to work and learning. He shares how his discipline spreads out to other aspects of his life such as training for marathons and triathlons. Resources for 'Sultans and Sneakers' Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

Paul Williams is a blogger and bibliophile based out of London and the South of France. He hosts the popular YouTube channel Blogging Theology,  which has reached over 170,000 subscribers at the time of this recording. In this episode we talk about why Blogging Theology has been so popular in the day and age of clickbait videos. We also explore how to understand Christians and Christianity through a Muslim lens and Paul provides valuable insight as a former Christian. To support this channel, please consider becoming a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/sultansandsneakers  

After listening to Cal Newport's "Digital Minimalism" on Audible, I went on a 30 day plan to reduce my social media intake. In this short episode, I talk about what I did and what the results were. You can learn more about the book here: https://www.calnewport.com/books/digital-minimalism/

Shaykh Mustafa Umar is the founder and president of California Islamic University, the Director of Education and Outreach at the Islamic Institute of Orange County, an executive member of the Fiqh council of North America, and most recently a Research Fellow at Yaqeen Institute. He began his Islamic studies overseas in India and Egypt before obtaining a B.A. in Theology and Islamic Law from the European Institute of Islamic Sciences in France and an M.A. in Islamic Studies from the University of Gloucestershire in the UK. He also has a B.S. in Information and Computer Science from the University of California-Irvine. In this episode we cover a number of topics: -How he focused on completing his Computer Science degree when he wanted to study Islam -Benefitting from exposure to 20th century thinkers like Abul A'la Mawdudi and Sayyid Qutb - The trap of escapism that people fall into with regards to social media and entertainment -Breaking down both old and new topics in Islamic law such as: Zabiha Meat, Mortgages, Lab-made Meat and Service Animals in Mosques - -His life journey exploring various martial arts You can connect with him at https://askthescholars.com/about/ Resources related to Sultans and Sneakers: Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers    

This episode discusses the overall shift of the Sultans and Sneakers podcast platform as I attempt to have more conversations around what author and professor Cal Newport refers to as the "Deep Life". In summary, it's defined as "living a life that has radical alignment with your core values". Getting into that, it's also a life that is very intentional and avoids distractions. Naveed Husain is my guest for this podcast; he is a managing partner at Farooqi and Husain LLC, where he specializes in family law, estate planning and business litigation.  He has a YouTube channel that covers marriage and divorce issues for Muslims.  My conversation with Naveed enters around different angles where Muslim guys can think about implementing the "Deep Life" for themselves. We discuss Qu'ran memorization, becoming a better reader, social media use, study of the Islamic sciences, tasawwuf (Islamic spirituality) and several other topics. To support the channel please consider becoming a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/sultansandsneakers

In this shorter segment recorded after a main podcast, Hassan Shibly talks about his experience of praying at the janazah of Shaykh Muhammad AlShareef (rahimahullah) and how his last minute trip to Hajj materialized this year.

Ahmed Khan is the host of "The Creative Minority" podcast, which seeks to engage with contemporary intellectual issues ranging from but not included to politics, philosophy, theology, sociology, metaphysics, ethics, history, medicine and others. I recently learned about Ahmed's channel after speaking to Dr. Mohamed Ghilan and he recommended I check it out. What appealed to me is that Ahmed is getting beyond surface level conversations and getting deep with his guests, most of who not all have Ph.D's in their specialty. He does a great job of bringing in subject matter experts. This podcast was recorded primarily for his channel and we agreed to post to both of our platforms as a collaboration. Resources related to Sultans and Sneakers: Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

Today's atmosphere amongst Muslims who consider themselves practicing has become a divided landscape. One of the main factors in that is how American Muslim leaders have engaged with media, Muslim politicians and other entities in an increasingly left-leaning climate. I am joined on this episode with three noteworthy leaders in the American Muslim community: Dr. Yasir Qadhi, Dr. Shadee Elmasry, and Hassan Shibly to hash through these issues. Resources related to Sultans and Sneakers: Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

On this livestream episode (originally done on YouTube), I talk about my personal story with AlMaghrib Institute and my interactions with Shaykh Muhammad AlShareef (May God have mercy upon him) who recently passed away suddenly at the age of 47.   I am joined as well by Mort from "MuzzyBuzz" and "The Mad Mamluks".   To support this channel you can become a Patron at www.patreon.com/sultansandsneakers I would also appreciate a 5 star review on ITunes or Spotify.  

Tom Facchine accepted Islam in his early twenties. He holds a BA in Political Science from Vassar College (2011) and a BA in Islamic Law from the Islamic University of Madinah (2020). He also holds a chaplaincy certificate from The Chaplaincy Program conducted by the Prophet's Mosque (2019). Tom is currently the Imam and Program Director of Utica Masjid in NY, and the Imam of Hamilton College. He also teaches Tafseer to middle-schoolers online through Legacy International Online High School. In this episode, I talk to Imam Tom about the details of his knowledge journey after he accepted Islam. Check out the YouTube channel of his masjid at: www.youtube.com/uticamasjid Resources related to Sultans and Sneakers: Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers  

Imam Dawood Yasin is the Director of Student Life and Center for Ethical Living and Learning at Zaytuna College.  He studied the Islamic sciences at the Abu Nour Institute in Damascus, Syria while also holding a BA in Community Studies from UMass-Boston and an MA in Liberal Studies and Globalization Studies from Dartmouth College.  He's well known for leading a sustainable lifestyle and his never ending pursuit of various hobbies which includes hunting and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.    In this episode, we discuss the crisis that many married men fall into after starting a family.  We talk about why men stop working on themselves and the importance of finding productive hobbies and continuing personal development well after marriage.   You can follow Dawood on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dawood_yasin/ Resources related to Sultans and Sneakers: Patreon:  https://patreon.com/sultansandsneakers YouTube:  www.youtube.com/sultansandsneakers Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sultansandsneakers Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SultansNSnkrs Facebook:  https://facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

In light of the recent overturning of Roe vs. Wade, many Muslims have found themselves thrown into the middle of the abortion debate. For this episode, I brought in two individuals who are respected in the North American community for their knowledge and leadership to help navigate the issue. Shaykh Joe Bradford is an entrepreneur and American scholar of Islam. He has a Master of Islamic Law from the Islamic University of Madinah. Shaykh Joe's specialty is in Islamic finance and he focuses his efforts on creating companies that allow people of faith to align their values with their finances. He is also the co-founder of MyWassiyah.com, which helps Muslims with estate planning and wills. He is based out of Houston, Texas. You can learn more about him at https://www.joebradford.net/ Shaykh Hamzah Maqbul is a native of the West Coast where he obtained his bachelor's degree in biochemistry and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from the University of Washington in Seattle. After graduation, Shaykh Hamzah traveled throughout the Muslim world studying Arabic, Islamic law, grammar, sciences of hadith, and recitations of the Qu'ran. His studies took him to Mauritania, Syria, Egypt, U.A.E., Morocco and Pakistan. His studies culminated in him receiving an ijazat al-tadris, meaning "license to teach" which is the equivalent in Pakistani Islamic seminaries to a MA in Arabic and Islamic studies. He is based out of Chicago and teaches out of the non-profit organization, Ribat. You can learn more about Ribat at https://ribat.org/ If you'd like to support the podcast you can become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/sultansandsneakers For any questions or comments you can e-mail me at info@sultansandsneakers.com Follow on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sultansandsneakers/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sultansnsnkrs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sultansandsneakers

Hassan Shibly is a Civil Rights Attorney based out of Tampa, Florida.  He is best known in his role as the former Executive Director for CAIR-Florida.  As a victim of defamation himself, he provides a unique perspective on the recent Johnny Depp - Amber Heard trial.  He specifically highlights what Muslims in this day and age need to learn from such events.   If you'd like to support the podcast you can become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/sultansandsneakers For any questions or comments you can e-mail me at info@sultansandsneakers.com Follow on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sultansandsneakers/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sultansnsnkrs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sultansandsneakers