backfromfajr Alaa and Hala

As we enter Ramadan, our thoughts are occupied with how we can improve ourselves to get closer to God. How can we learn about "the self" to understand our relationship with God? We explore these concepts in this episode. First, we break down the term Jihad al-Nafs and explore an Islamic philosopher's (Mulla Sadra) perspective on this matter. Then, we delve into our struggles when engaging in Jihad al-Nafs, what we have learned over time and the importance of centering the Muslim community in our actions.

AI is almost all we talk about in our major, Cognitive Science, so we decided to explore it in this episode. First, we give a debriefing on the basics of AI and it’s history such as what it means for AI to be intelligent. Then we entertain potential sci-fi possibilities such as transhumanism and The Singularity. And as always, we integrate the Islamic perspective on AI, exploring its ethicality and the potential impacts it can have on our Muslim community.

In season 2 we’re focusing inwards, taking more nuanced perspectives on the self and focusing on topics related to our majors (Cognitive Science), like AI, the self and identity. In the first episode of the season we talk about the education system, its flaws and the culture of education advocated by Islam. It is our obligation as Muslims to seek knowledge but we must also be conscious of where we get our information and how we are being taught.

Why is self-care important? As university starts up again and we adjust to the new abnormal, we're continuously reminded to do acts of self-care. However, what does that look like? What does Islam have to say about it? We talk about our own approaches to self-care and how it differs depending on where we are in our lives. Also, we'll highlight how valuable taffakur [contemplation] and seeking knowledge is to your mental and spiritual health.

This episode is part 2 of our two part series where we explore free will and determination. In this episode we explore the different Islamic as well as Buddhist philosophies surrounding free will and our own beliefs.

This episode is part one of a two-part series where we explore free will and predetermination. In this episode, we prove our free will by analysing God's names, Al-Aleem (The All-Knowing) and Al-Jabbar (The Compeller), where we come to further understand the reason things are the way they are and how to work harder towards our hereafter.