Sheikhing it Up with Sheikh Faiyaz

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 28: What Do We Deny? In Sura Rahman, God often poses the rhetorical question..."What do you deny?" But what precisely does it speak to?

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 27: Beyond the Physical Happiness is not only derived by the things that appear to be physical, but rather things run a bit deeper than appears on the surface.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 26: Good Decisions = Good Results, Part II It suffices that every decision we make, plays a big role in determining the potential results. And our decisions when it comes to our hearts and deeds is no different.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 25: Good Decisions = Good Results Attaining paradise isn't easy...its about making the right decisions and putting forth the right effort.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 24: Am I Deserving? Who am I to be deserving of the paradise and bounty of the Lord of the worlds?

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 23: The Spiritual Over the Physical Paradise is not only about physical gifts that we receive, but rather about the spiritual benefits it offers us.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 22: Divine Recompense How great are the benefits of paradise? Truly, the descriptions only offer a glimpse.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 21: Paradise as a Manifestation of Mercy We do very little, but God compensates a lot!

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 20: Wrath vs. Mercy There's a fine balance in terms of how we understand our Creator, and it's important to recognize that balance to increase knowledge of our Lord.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 19: Divine Discipline Being disciplined and held accountable for our wrongdoings is never easy, and it is not meant to be. In Sura Rahman, God mentions the methods in which He may discipline His creation who has veered off from the path He has created us for.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 18: True Poverty We are in a state of abject need in front of the Lord of the worlds...and showing that humility in front of God unlocks our secret potential.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 17: Preparing for Accountability There will come a time where God will preside over humanity and hold us to account...it would be prudent that we engage in some self-accountability before then!

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 16: Linking with the Eternal God is the Ultimate Authority and we are meant to navigate life to remind ourselves that there is no where else to turn but Him.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 15: Our Temporal Nature We're not been created to live in this temporal world, but rather for an eternal one. If we cling to God, we have the ability to live forever.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 14: The Primary Source God is the primary source, and its vital that we remind ourselves of this Divine secret.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 13: Shifting the Compass We're a negative bunch, particularly in terms of our perception of faith and everything linked to it. But sometimes, all we need, is a change in mindset.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 12: A Bird's Eye View The Quran compels us to have conversations with ourselves by calling us to that which is far larger than life...

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 11: It's About the Bigger Picture We often get mixed up and caught up with distractions in life and lose sight of the big picture.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 10: To & From the Earth We're a creation that was created from the earth, and we will return back to it...

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 9: The Smallest Blessings Its vital to show thanks for the smallest of blessings and recognize everything we take for granted.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 8: Finding the Balance In life, it's all about balance and contributing to the equity in our society...

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 7: Obligatory Submission All of the creations of our Lord are in a state of submission to the Creator.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 6: The Uniqueness of Creation God has created us with such detail and precision, and it's important for us to appreciate that uniqueness.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 5: The Book of Mercy The Quran is meant to be mercy for us, and that which allows for us to truly reach our potential.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 4: In His Name In God's name does everything come to be...and out of His mercy, we are...

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 3: How Do I Contemplate the Quran? The Quran is an intimidating book for many, but there are steps that we can take to unlock its beauty.

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul: Have I Neglected my Roadmap? The Quran is meant to be a roadmap for our lives...but have we taken it seriously?

Ramadan Reflections to Nourish the Soul 1: Why Me? Another opportunity to bear the fruit of this blessed month...why me? Why us? What did I do to deserve another chance?

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 30: Not the End, But a New Beginning The month of Ramadan is over, but we have the privilege a fresh start and a new beginning.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 29: The Will to Succeed The Holy Month of Ramadan is not over, though it is quickly coming to a close. Its important to continue to be in a state of dua that we are successful beyond this month as it comes to an end.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 28: Spiritual Poverty We are in a state of utter and absolute need of God at every moment, and its vital for the believer to show that humility every so often.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 27: Balancing this World & the Next Though a common theme of this month is to break attaching from this world, we still live in. How can we find that sense of balance we're looking for?

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 26: The Pursuit of Happiness In life, we're always looking for happiness, but for whatever reason, its very difficult to find. We quickly realize that happiness is only once we've linked with God and all that He desires from us.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 25: Making the Right Decision Every decision we make open the door for a hundred more decision. If we make the right one on day one, the process will be a bit easier later on.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 24: Dua, the Gift that Keeps Giving Dua Makarim al-Akhlaq of the Imam teaches us how to ask, what to ask and when to ask...and this month, especially in these days, is all about asking for more...

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 23: Approaching the Best of Nights The night of Qadr is upon us...what do I ask for and how do I seek?

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 22: Seeking Divine Support (II) There is no success without God's support...sometimes we need to just ask for it. (Part II)

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 21: Seeking Divine Support (I) There is no success without God's support...sometimes we need to just ask for it.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 20: Satan's Grasp Over the Tongue The easiest way that the Satanic influence controls us is via the tongue, so its vital to remain vigilant and mindful at every moment.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 19: Desperately Seeking There is nothing more beloved to God than His servant who demonstrates utter and absolute poverty in front of Him.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 18: Mindful Presence Our lives are consumed with physical distractions that make us lose sight of everything...but what happens if we lose God?

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 17: Make the Most of the Opportunity! We don't always have the time, energy or opportunity to do good or make a meaningful change in the world...so when we do, best not waste it!

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 16: Prophetic Character Seeking perfect mannerisms in the supplication of Dua Makarim al-Akhlaq essentially is asking God that we're able to resemble our actions after the greatest of His creations...the Prophet Muhammad (s).

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 15: Reforming the Internal State Our external character is a reflection of the internal state, and in these next lines of Dua Makarim al-Akhlaq we ask God to support us in this reformation process of heart.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 14: The Internal Battle We are consistently in a battle with the world and its distractions, and our only shield is Taqwa; through character traits which create a barrier between us and all vice.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 13: A Mercy to Those Around Us Humility in front of God channels a sense of external humility to others...a station that is beloved to God.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 12: Satanic Tendencies The battle of the soul is a never ending struggle, and sometimes the negative tendencies overwhelm us...thats why we need dua.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 11: The Faculties of the Soul The soul is a battlefield for the human being which needs to cultivate a sense of virtue to remain victorious over vice.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 10: Familial Ties It's no secret that Islamic tradition emphasizes maintaining kinship ties and positive relationships between ones family, but that isn't always a simple process. In the next set of lines from Dua Makarim al-Akhlaq of Imam Zayn al-Abideen (a), we seek support from God to do the right thing when it comes to family.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 9: Navigating Relationships Relationships can very well be challenging, and they're a lot harder when we don't put God in the equation and lean on His support!

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 8: Remaining Diligent One slip can lead to long term detriment of our hearts and souls, thus it requires us to be incredibly attentive to our everyone of our actions and the environment that we are situated within.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 7: Inner Humility We love validation and being appreciated, but sometimes the praise that we get can be a dangerous trigger that compels our soul into pridefulness.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 6: The Primordial Sin Arrogance and pride are the qualities which have casted away Satan from the divine realm, and also have the potential to be detrimental to our success in this world and the next.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 5: Struggling for Contentment We find it hard to be content with what we have, and always have a desire for more. Once we diagnose that as a problem, we can seek God's assistance in eradicating a dangerous quality.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 4: Make Me Useful! In the next set of lines from Dua Makarim al-Akhlaq of Imam Zayn al-Abideen (a), he eloquently seeks from God a lifestyle that is indicative of a believer and someone who sees this world with the clarity that is needed for ultimate success.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 3: Perfecting Our Intentions Everything in our tradition begins with our intention, and purifying our intention such that we are committed to God and His sake is what we should be consistently working toward...but we can't achieve that unless God supports us in reaching that stage.

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 2: Devotion in Dua This month is the month of dua and supplication. In this episode, we begin by looking into the opening lines Dua Makarim al-Akhlaq of Imam Zayn al-Abideen (a).

Your Daily Dose of Spirituality 1: Approaching the Month with Care As we have arrived at the door of the sacred month, its important for us to collectively be aware of just how blessed of days and night we are entering into so we can maximize them to the best of our potential!

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 29: The Last is Not the End As the crescent for the day of Eid appears on the horizon, it's important to remind ourselves that the last night of Ramadan is the not the end of our journey.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 28: Gratitude vs. Shaytan In the Quran, God teaches us that the best way to propel the Satan is via our gratitude and show of thanks to our Creator.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 27: Illuminating Beauty In the Quran, God tells us to be beautiful to others in the same way He acts with beauty to us. How can I illuminate that type of beauty?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 26: Do 5 Things as Sin as You Please! In a powerful hadith from Imam Hussain (a), he advises a man of what to remember when we have the urge to transgress God's boundaries.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 25: What Does it Mean to Love? Love is a dynamic term that can be applied to many things. But what does it truly mean to love God?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 24: Balance in Understanding It's important to not get overly reliant on God's mercy to a detriment, but rather have a balanced approach as taught to us by the Messenger (s) and his family (a).

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 23: The Night is Too Great! The Night of Decree is upon us, and its a night that is too great to waste...so let's make the most of it!

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 22: Preparing for the Night of Qadr The entire year leads up to tomorrow night. Am I ready to be in the company of angels?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 21: Who is Paradise For? In the episode, we take a look at a brief, concise hadith from Imam Ali, where he offers some insight with regards to who attains paradise.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 20: Beauty in Leadership What does it mean to be a leader? How did the best leader lead?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 19: By the Lord of the Kaaba The 19th of the month of Ramadan marks the day when the Commander of the Faithful uttered his epic phrase as we has assassinated during the course of prayers.

Nightly Ramadan Reflection 18: Heart, Intellect & Body God-consciousness can only be attained if we allow for a reformation of the heart and intellect. That will then transition and allow for our bodies to be dedicated to Him.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 17: Deconstruction Our Perceptions Our biggest hinderance to finding love in our relationship with God and His Prophet is the negative perception that we have of religion. These nights give us the opportunity to change that.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 16: Do You Not See? Reflection is a key to unlocking the secrets of the world and gaining in true knowledge of our Creator.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 15: Feeding the Heart A beautiful tradition from Imam Hassan (a) talks to us about the importance of feeding our hearts, souls and intellects prior to feeding our stomachs.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 14: Relationships are Hard! During the month of Ramadan, we have an opportunity to navigate our relationship with God, but also with others. And dealing with people isn't always easy, but its necessary!

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 13: More Focus It's important to not get complacent, recognizes areas of improvement, and be a bit more diligent in seeking God.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 12: Am I Close to God? There's so much talk during this month about seeking proximity and closeness to God...but what exactly does that mean?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 11: Appreciating the Little We often take the smallest manifestations of mercy for granted, but during this month, its important we show a bit more appreciation for the little things.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 10: The Grieving Messenger On the 10th of the month of Ramadan, the Messenger (s) lost his wife Khadija. What do we learn from the grief of the Prophet?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 9: Prophetic Service The believer should always be looking for the opportunity to serve, in a manner that is humble and sincere.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 8: Interrogating Ourselves When we know there's a problem, that's the best time to fix it. This month, we have that opportunity.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 7: It's All About Balance Sometimes, all the talk about putting in more during this month is challenging, unsustainable and puts undue pressure on us. It's all about finding a balance and not comparing ourselves to others.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 6: A Little More Worship It's easy to put off worship of God during the month of Ramadan because we have so many other things going on. But let's change that and do a little bit more this time around.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 5: Listen for Your Soul When we tire ourselves via fasting and worship, our faculties all start to weaken. But the soul begins to be a bit more attentive, so pay heed to it!

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 4: Moses Introduces God (III) In the Quran, God commands Moses and Aaron to speak to the Pharoh in a gentle manner. What does that teach us with regards to how we should speak to God to ourselves?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 3: Moses Introduces God (II) How does Moses' understanding of self totally differ from the approach of the Pharoh? How does God present this in the Quran?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 2: Moses Introduces God In a beautiful description in the Quran, Moses introduces God to the Pharoh.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 1: Asking the Big Questions A new day. A new month. A new year. The best time to ask the biggest questions.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 29: The Final Eve The final night of Ramadan is upon us...but its not the last night of our relationship with the Creator.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 28: Don't Forget These Days! Our efforts these last few nights can speak for us throughout the spiritual grind of the year...

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 27: Evaluating the Bigger Picture The Holy month isn't over yet, so its important to take a pause and remember what it's all about before it ends!

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 26: The Best Amongst You... In a Hadith of the Prophet (s), he says the best of people are those who do three things...what are they?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 25: A Living Book The Quran is meant to be a text that we engage with, not solely read. In this episode, we discuss some practical ways to actively reflect upon it.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 24: Making a Lasting Difference We don't live in this world forever, so might as well do the best we can in our limited time to leave a lasting legacy.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 23: It's All About Tonight The most important night of the year has arrived, and until the breaking of dawn, nothing else should matter.

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 22: What Amazes Ali? (3) What amazes the commander of the faithful and the inheritor of the Prophetic qualities and merits?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 21: What Amazes Ali? (2) What amazes the commander of the faithful and the inheritor of the Prophetic qualities and merits?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 20: What Amazes Ali? (1) What amazes the commander of the faithful and the inheritor of the Prophetic qualities and merits?

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 19: Lions by Day! From a role model like Imam Ali (a), we are inspired to be worshippers by night and lions by day!

Nightly Ramadan Reflections 18: From Soul to Body Our internal spiritual state manifests outwardly and influences what we see, what we listen to and even how we walk!