Talking With Teachers With Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali

Talking With Teachers Podcast — Season 7, Episode 2What happens when serious Islamic scholarship forces us to move beyond comfortable labels?In this episode of the Talking With Teachers Podcast, Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali sits down with Imam Farhan Siddiqi for a wide-ranging conversation about Islamic scholarship, Salafism, intellectual growth, theological disagreement, Muslim political thought, and the responsibilities of religious leadership.Imam Farhan reflects on his early religious development and the appeal that a more binary Salafi outlook held for him as a young Muslim. He discusses his years studying at Umm al-Qura University in Makkah, where immersion in Arabic, Saudi society, and a broader scholarly environment exposed him to teachers, books, and perspectives that challenged some of his earlier assumptions.Rather than simply exchanging one label for another, Imam Farhan describes an intellectual journey that taught him to question oversimplified representations of other Islamic schools and to appreciate the complexity of the Muslim scholarly tradition.The conversation explores the importance of engaging scholars with whom we may have profound theological disagreements—including Imam al-Zamakhshari, whose contributions to Arabic rhetoric and Qur'anic exegesis have been utilized by generations of Sunni scholars despite disagreements with his Muʿtazili theology. This leads to a broader discussion about intellectual humility, compassion, and how Muslims should navigate legitimate differences within the Ummah.Dr. Abdullah and Imam Farhan also turn to Muslim politics in America. Imam Farhan discusses his political conservatism, the scarcity of conservative voices among American Muslim religious leaders, his opposition to socialism and communism, and his preference for free-market and Austrian economic ideas. At the same time, he distinguishes capitalism from crony capitalism, economic abuse, and hyper-consumerism.The discussion challenges the assumption that Muslim unity requires Muslims to embrace a single political ideology. Imam Farhan instead argues for a healthier Muslim intellectual and political ecosystem in which disagreement does not automatically become division.The episode also examines the role of the American imam—not simply as someone who leads prayer, but as a religious teacher, community leader, counselor, mentor, and civic voice. Imam Farhan describes the imam's responsibilities through three interconnected dimensions: religious, civic, and social leadership.Topics include: Salafism and Islamic intellectual development; studying Islam in Saudi Arabia; Umm al-Qura University; navigating theological disagreement; al-Zamakhshari and Qur'anic tafsir; compassion toward Muslims struggling with faith; Sunni orthodoxy and intellectual diversity; the responsibilities of American imams; Muslim political conservatism; socialism, capitalism and Austrian economics; political diversity among American Muslims; and the importance of moving beyond ideological labels.Talking With Teachers PodcastSeason 7 | Episode 2Hosted by Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid AliGuest: Imam Farhan SiddiqiPresented by the Lamppost Education Initiative

Talking With Teachers Podcast – Season 7, Episode 1
Marriage, Divorce, and the Journey of Service | Featuring Shaykh Sohail Mulla & Ustadha Lobna Mulla
Season 7 of the Talking With Teachers Podcast begins with a special first: Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali welcomes Shaykh Sohail Mulla and Ustadha Lobna Mulla, marking the first time he has interviewed a married couple on the podcast. Together, they share the inspiring story of how they met, their educational journeys, and their shared commitment to serving the Muslim community through counseling, education, and social work.
The conversation explores their work at the Khalil Center, one of North America's leading Muslim mental health organizations, where they help individuals, couples, and families navigate emotional, psychological, and spiritual challenges. Drawing from both the Islamic tradition and their professional experience, they discuss the realities of marriage, divorce, family life, conflict resolution, and the importance of cultivating healthy, faith-centered relationships.
Throughout the episode, listeners will find thoughtful reflections on communication, compassion, personal growth, and the challenges facing Muslim families today. Whether you are married, preparing for marriage, navigating relationship difficulties, or simply interested in Islamic perspectives on family and community, this conversation offers practical wisdom rooted in both scholarship and lived experience.
Hosted by Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali, Founding Director of the Lamppost Education Initiative and Associate Professor at Zaytuna College, Talking With Teachers introduces English-speaking Muslims to authentic scholars, educators, researchers, and teachers who are preserving and transmitting the rich Islamic intellectual tradition.
Watch, listen, and subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms, and learn more at Lamppost Education Initiative.
Keywords: Talking With Teachers Podcast, Season 7, Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali, Shaykh Sohail Mulla, Ustadha Lobna Mulla, Khalil Center, Muslim marriage, Islamic marriage, divorce in Islam, Muslim family, Islamic counseling, Muslim mental health, relationships, Islamic education, Lamppost Education Initiative.

Shaykh Jamal ud-Deen Hysaw — From Chicago to Tarim: Finding the Sunnah Through Sacred Knowledge | Talking With Teachers
In this powerful episode of Talking With Teachers, we sit down with Shaykh Jamal ud-Deen Hysaw, a teacher of the Islamic sciences whose journey to sacred knowledge spans decades of study across Syria and Yemen.
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Shaykh Jamal embraced Islam in 1992 after an early attraction shaped in part by the themes and messages of conscious rap music. His search for truth led him to Damascus, Syria, where he studied Arabic and Islamic studies at Abu Nur Institute and the University of Damascus. He later continued his studies in Tarim, Yemen at Dar al-Mustafa under the tutelage of the famed scholars of the Habā’ib, including Habib Umar bin Hafidh, Habib Abdur-Rahman bin Hafidh, Shaykh Umar al-Khatib, and Habib Ali al-Jifri. During this period, he received authorization to teach classical works in Shafi‘i fiqh, ‘aqidah, hadith, tafsir, and the sciences of the heart.
In this conversation, Shaykh Jamal reflects on:
• His personal journey into Islam and the unexpected influences that shaped his early path
• The role of conscious rap music in sparking his initial interest in Islam
• His difficult experiences with harsh approaches to religious practice and narrow understandings of the Sunnah
• How studying under Habib Umar bin Hafidh transformed his understanding of the Prophetic tradition and deepened his spiritual connection to the Sunnah
• The importance of balance, character, and spiritual refinement in practicing Islam today
Shaykh Jamal currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, where he serves as an Arabic instructor at the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam. He continues his studies under Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya An-Ninowy and leads regular learning programs, seminars, retreats, and community initiatives.
This episode offers profound reflections on transformation, sacred learning, and the living tradition of the Sunnah in the modern world.

Shaykh Khalil Abdur-Rashid joins Talking With Teachers to discuss his new book Malcolm X and the Indigenizing of Islam in America. This conversation reflects on Malcolm X’s enduring influence, the formation of an authentic American Muslim identity, and the spiritual and social lessons his life continues to offer today.
📖 Book on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Malcolm-X-Indigenizing-Islam-America/dp/180011012X
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In this powerful episode of Talking With Teachers, Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali interviews Imam Mujahid Abdus-Salaam, a Muslim chaplain working in the criminal justice system and longtime youth mentor with Garden State Youth.
Imam Mujahid offers a deeply personal reflection on:
• Growing up Christian in Philadelphia
• His conversion to Islam
• Mentoring at-risk youth
• The passing of his mother
• His relationship with his devout Christian father
• Lessons from the late Philadelphia Muslim elder Ali Subhan (rahimahullah)
This conversation explores grief, faith, identity, fatherhood, mentorship, and the responsibility of serving young Muslims in America. It is a rare and intimate look at a life shaped by devotion, struggle, and compassion.
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