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Fasting is a practice that according to the Quran has been prescribed upon Muslims as it has been prescribed upon those who have come before. At the external superficial level, it's described as the abstaining from eating, drinking, and having intimate sexual relations from the break of dawn until sunset. However, there is much more to this practice that one must be mindful off lest they risk being included in the Hadith stating that many who fast get nothing from it other than hunger and thirst. This 5-part series explores the inner dimensions of fasting through covering two texts from Imam Abu Hāmid al-Ghazaālī's magnum opus "Ihya' Uloom ad'Deen" (Revivification of the Religious Sciences". The first text covered was "The Book of Breaking the Two Desires", and the second was "The Book of the Secrets of Fasting".

Fasting is a practice that according to the Quran has been prescribed upon Muslims as it has been prescribed upon those who have come before. At the external superficial level, it's described as the abstaining from eating, drinking, and having intimate sexual relations from the break of dawn until sunset. However, there is much more to this practice that one must be mindful off lest they risk being included in the Hadith stating that many who fast get nothing from it other than hunger and thirst. This 5-part series explores the inner dimensions of fasting through covering two texts from Imam Abu Hāmid al-Ghazaālī's magnum opus "Ihya' Uloom ad'Deen" (Revivification of the Religious Sciences". The first text covered was "The Book of Breaking the Two Desires", and the second was "The Book of the Secrets of Fasting".

Fasting is a practice that according to the Quran has been prescribed upon Muslims as it has been prescribed upon those who have come before. At the external superficial level, it's described as the abstaining from eating, drinking, and having intimate sexual relations from the break of dawn until sunset. However, there is much more to this practice that one must be mindful off lest they risk being included in the Hadith stating that many who fast get nothing from it other than hunger and thirst. This 5-part series explores the inner dimensions of fasting through covering two texts from Imam Abu Hāmid al-Ghazaālī's magnum opus "Ihya' Uloom ad'Deen" (Revivification of the Religious Sciences". The first text covered was "The Book of Breaking the Two Desires", and the second was "The Book of the Secrets of Fasting".

Fasting is a practice that according to the Quran has been prescribed upon Muslims as it has been prescribed upon those who have come before. At the external superficial level, it's described as the abstaining from eating, drinking, and having intimate sexual relations from the break of dawn until sunset. However, there is much more to this practice that one must be mindful off lest they risk being included in the Hadith stating that many who fast get nothing from it other than hunger and thirst. This 5-part series explores the inner dimensions of fasting through covering two texts from Imam Abu Hāmid al-Ghazaālī's magnum opus "Ihya' Uloom ad'Deen" (Revivification of the Religious Sciences". The first text covered was "The Book of Breaking the Two Desires", and the second was "The Book of the Secrets of Fasting".

Fasting is a practice that according to the Quran has been prescribed upon Muslims as it has been prescribed upon those who have come before. At the external superficial level, it's described as the abstaining from eating, drinking, and having intimate sexual relations from the break of dawn until sunset. However, there is much more to this practice that one must be mindful off lest they risk being included in the Hadith stating that many who fast get nothing from it other than hunger and thirst. This 5-part series explores the inner dimensions of fasting through covering two texts from Imam Abu Hāmid al-Ghazaālī's magnum opus "Ihya' Uloom ad'Deen" (Revivification of the Religious Sciences". The first text covered was "The Book of Breaking the Two Desires", and the second was "The Book of the Secrets of Fasting".

Patience and gratitude are the two wings of belief/faith. They also are derived from two of the 99 Names of Allah. Without them, one cannot attain the reality of belief, and gain access to understanding Divine Attributes. Imam Al-Ghazali dedicated a chapter in his magnum opus The Revival of the Religious Sciences to patience and gratitude. Dr Mohamed Ghilan goes through a selected readings from this chapter, with translation and commentary as part of his ongoing work to make the tradition accessible in a modern context.  Join Dr Mohamed Ghilan during his weekly live sessions, access full course materials, and be part of the community at Al-Andalus Academy at https://al-andalus-academy.thinkific.com  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mohamed_ghilan?igsh=ems5OXF2OWkyNXVn&utm_source=qr Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmohamedghilan

Patience and gratitude are the two wings of belief/faith. They also are derived from two of the 99 Names of Allah. Without them, one cannot attain the reality of belief, and gain access to understanding Divine Attributes. Imam Al-Ghazali dedicated a chapter in his magnum opus The Revival of the Religious Sciences to patience and gratitude. Dr Mohamed Ghilan goes through a selected readings from this chapter, with translation and commentary as part of his ongoing work to make the tradition accessible in a modern context.  Join Dr Mohamed Ghilan during his weekly live sessions, access full course materials, and be part of the community at Al-Andalus Academy at https://al-andalus-academy.thinkific.com  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mohamed_ghilan?igsh=ems5OXF2OWkyNXVn&utm_source=qr Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmohamedghilan

Patience and gratitude are the two wings of belief/faith. They also are derived from two of the 99 Names of Allah. Without them, one cannot attain the reality of belief, and gain access to understanding Divine Attributes. Imam Al-Ghazali dedicated a chapter in his magnum opus The Revival of the Religious Sciences to patience and gratitude. Dr Mohamed Ghilan goes through a selected readings from this chapter, with translation and commentary as part of his ongoing work to make the tradition accessible in a modern context.  Join Dr Mohamed Ghilan during his weekly live sessions, access full course materials, and be part of the community at Al-Andalus Academy at https://al-andalus-academy.thinkific.com  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mohamed_ghilan?igsh=ems5OXF2OWkyNXVn&utm_source=qr Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmohamedghilan

The Prayer of Illumination, the final chapter of The Book of Illumination by Ibn ʿAta'illah al-Iskandari, is a whispered invocation from the heart of surrender. In this episode, Dr. Mohamed Ghilan reads this timeless supplication aloud, inviting listeners into a moment of stillness, reflection, and intimacy with the Divine. This prayer gathers the essence of the path: relinquishing self-management, entrusting all affairs to Allah, and finding peace in His decree. It is a call to love, humility, and nearness to see the beauty in what He chooses for us, until His will becomes what we desire for ourselves. This series is part of the Al-Andalus Academy program on spiritual formation and classical Islamic wisdom. Join the weekly live sessions, access full course materials, and be part of the community. Join Al-Andalus Academy at https://al-andalus-academy.thinkific.com  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alandalus_online?igsh=ems5OXF2OWkyNXVn&utm_source=qr Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmohamedghilan

In this episode, Dr. Mohamed Ghilan presents the first of two concluding sessions from The Book of Illumination (Kitāb al-Tanwīr) by Ibn ʿAṭā' Allāh al-Iskandarī. This final section of the text is framed as a divine dialogue — an intimate conversation between Allah and His servant — in which the illusions of control, planning, and self-reliance are dissolved in the light of tawḥīd. The discussion explores what it means to surrender the will, to find sufficiency in God's care, and to live with the serenity that comes from desiring none but Him. This series is part of the Al-Andalus Academy program on spiritual formation and classical Islamic wisdom. Join the weekly live sessions, access full course materials, and be part of the community. Join Al-Andalus Academy at https://al-andalus-academy.thinkific.com  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alandalus_online?igsh=ems5OXF2OWkyNXVn&utm_source=qr Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmohamedghilan Twitter https://twitter.com/mohamedghilan

Join Al-Andalus Academy at https://al-andalus-academy.thinkific.com  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alandalus_online?igsh=ems5OXF2OWkyNXVn&utm_source=qr Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmohamedghilan Twitter https://twitter.com/mohamedghilan

Ramadan is a time in which we exercise our agency in a way unlike the rest of the year. We approach it with deliberate intent, set goals, reorient ourselves and rearrange our priorities to make our relationship with Allah our primary concern. In a way, we're establishing a proof against ourselves, demonstrating our capacity to choose Allah over dunya. The question we should ponder on is how can we exercise this agency in an effective way against the pulls of our lower self. Join Al-Andalus Academy at https://al-andalus-academy.thinkific.com  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alandalus_online?igsh=ems5OXF2OWkyNXVn&utm_source=qr Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmohamedghilan Twitter https://twitter.com/mohamedghilan

Ramadan is a special time of the year in which we as Muslims engage in an act of worship that's like no other. In contrast to all other acts of worship, fasting is an intimate act that cannot be witnessed or confirmed by anyone other than Allah. It's a secret between the servant and their Lord. Being granted permission by Allah to engage in this intimate act of drawing nearer to Him should bring us all to a pause to reflect on what that means in terms of our status with Allah. Join Al-Andalus Academy at https://al-andalus-academy.thinkific.com  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mohamed_ghilan/  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmohamedghilan Twitter https://twitter.com/mohamedghilan

As Muslims have become increasingly integrated into social justice movements and the entertainment industry, many prominent figures are taking actions that align with the dominant ideology in these spheres. Despite their apparent unrelatedness, a common theme runs through Muslim hijabi Instagram influencers taking off their hijabs, comedians mocking Islamic practices like the dua, and political allegiances made in the name of combating Islamophobia. In this episode, the distinction made by the late Algerian sociologist and philosopher Malek Bennabi between aesthetic and moral sensibilities as they manifest in the lived experience of the Western European and the Muslim is used as a framework to understand the current trends observed among Muslims in the West. Join Al-Andalus Academy at https://al-andalus-academy.thinkific.com  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mohamed_ghilan/  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmohamedghilan Twitter https://twitter.com/mohamedghilan

What is Jerusalem worth? What kind of attachment does being a Muslim entail to the Holy Land? The recent announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump that recognizes Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel has created massive outcries and lamentations over the grim prospects for peace. However, from a spiritual and Quranic standpoint, much good has come out from this announcement. We just need to have the right perspective to see it. Topics discussed in this episode include the status of Jerusalem in Islam and the attitude a Muslim should adopt with regards to their relationship to the Holy Land. Hamas: Resistance, Terrorism, & Anti-Semitic Charters https://alandalusacademy.com/hamas-resistance-terrorism-anti-semitic-charters/ Join Al-Andalus Academy at https://al-andalus-academy.thinkific.com  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mohamed_ghilan/  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmohamedghilan Twitter https://twitter.com/mohamedghilan