Belal Assaad

A casual chat with my brother in Islam, Imam Omar Suleiman. This was recorded while we were on a tour together in the UK, the annual Light Upon Light Conference Tour 2024. We discuss his childhood, friendships, his late mother’s influence on him and Palestine, Imam Omar’s ethnic origin.

This is a story of struggle, hardship, pain, grief, heartbreak, agony and survival, to a guidance from Allah from darkness to light, narrowness to vastness, loneliness to being part of an ummah, and from heartbreaking loss to gain and healing.

Established psychological studies and psychoanalysis suggests that the human nature yearns for an attachment to a trusted caregiver. The first we attach with is our mothers. This has lead to conclusions that people with an attachment to God are more likely to have a better mental health and longer survival expectancy. In this lecture we evaluate this connection through the Quranic approach and find out how our attachment to Allah and Quran plays a role in our inner peace and mental health.

In this video, we explore the idea that the existence of Paradise transcends scientific validation, resonating instead within the depths of the human cognitive system. Do you yearn for Paradise? Is it a reality? Who is destined to experience its divine embrace? Discover the pathways to this ethereal destination and delve into the three distinct levels of believers, exploring the possibility of each attaining entry.

Discover the principles that guide the lives of the virtuous and learn how to incorporate these qualities into your daily existence. From compassion and humility to patience and gratitude, each quality is a stepping stone towards a more fulfilling and purposeful life.

Studies reveal that 70% of wealth is depleted by the first generation and 90% by the third. Many neglect the importance of a lasting legacy that pleases Allah, offering ongoing benefits and rewards after death—whether through ceaseless charity, imparting beneficial knowledge, or nurturing righteous descendants who pray for them. Unlike worldly legacies, the hereafter holds eternal significance. Islam emphasizes initiating good deeds, ensuring that even after being forgotten by the third generation, one's contributions remain valuable in the eyes of Allah. Join us to explore the significance of deeds that never go in vain, no matter how big or small.

Qadr, the divine decree, highlights Allah's control over everything, while Sabr, or patience, is a virtue urging steadfastness in the face of challenges. These concepts are intertwined, with Sabr being a means to accept and navigate Allah's Qadr. Muslims are encouraged to cultivate patience, trusting in Allah's wisdom and viewing challenges as tests of faith.

It was my absolute pleasure in hosting my first live interview with our beloved Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan, where we talked about his journey from early age atheism to becoming one of the most prominent students of the Quran in today's era. It was an interesting and beneficial discussion in which we bounced off each other’s life stories where there were relatabilities between us.

The heartbreaking events in Gaza have exploded into a tsunami of waves across the world prompting an unprecedented awareness and shift in the way the world now perceives the Palestinian people, Palestine, and Israel. A mix of hundreds of millions of all ethnicities, religions and age-groups have voiced their objection to the onslaught of oppression and killings of Palestinian children and adults, protests, boycotts, media campaigns, prayers, tears, unity and objection.

These angelic Palestinians have unconsciously given rise to large numbers of non-Muslims globally to look favorably at Islam and even converting/reverting to Islam, after they witnessed the unmatched spirituality, strength and faith of the Palestinians, men, women and children alike.

At the same time, many have developed an interest in knowing the facts about Islam’s view of those it terms ‘People of the Book’, why Muslims call them that, how Islam stands out compared to them, the position of the Quran to the Bible of the Jews and Christians, what Islam actually stands for, the Quran’s position to the Old and New Testaments and its adherents among the Christians and Jews.

Immerse yourself in the stories of prophets who faced adversity, yet found courage and hope in the divine promise of a brighter tomorrow. Their journeys serve as beacons, guiding us through the darkest hours toward the dawn of a new era, inshaAllah.