The AMI Podcast

The Problem of Ghayba in Twelver Shīʿism | Dr Hashem Morvarid | Research Seminar 15.07.2026 45dk

What is the Problem of Ghayba in Twelver Shi'ism? And why does the occultation of the Twelfth Imam remain one of the most debated questions in Twelver Shīʿism? Dr Hashem Morvarid explores.The occultation (ghayba) of the Twelfth Imam sits at the heart of one of Twelver Shīʿī theology's most persistent challenges: how can an Imamate defined by presence and public authority be occupied by an Imam who is hidden?In this research seminar, Dr Hashem Morvarid (Utrecht University) applies the tools of Islamic analytic theology to the Problem of Ghayba, offering a systematic critical review of four major responses in the classical and modern tradition — unseen presence, psychological benefit, the cosmic role, and the spiritual role — before advancing an original proposal grounded in the Qurʾān's treatment of moral evil in Q 2:30–33.Drawing on the Qurʾānic account of Adam's knowledge of "the names," Dr Morvarid argues that the Imam's theological significance lies in serving as God's moral reason for preserving humankind in existence — a role that, unlike leadership or religious instruction, does not require public presence. On this reading, the Imam's hiddenness is not a theological embarrassment, but consistent with what his existence is ultimately for.Dr Hashem Morvarid is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Trinity University, specialising in Islamic philosophy and Shīʿa theology. He holds two PhDs in philosophy — from IPM, Tehran, and the University of Illinois at Chicago — and was previously a Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University.00:00 – Introduction: The Problem of Ghayba05:24 – The Classical Definition of Imamat09:14 – Response 1: Unseen Presence12:49 – Response 2: Psychological Benefit (and Taftāzānī's Rebuttal)15:39 – Response 3: The Cosmic Role17:53 – Response 4: The Spiritual Role (Wilāya)21:39 – A New Proposal: The Imam as God's Moral Reason27:20 – Qur'ān's Response to Moral Evil (Q 2:30–33)33:49 – Evaluating Three Interpretations of "the Names"42:21 – Implications for Ghayba and Closing Objection

Key Lessons from Developing the 'Understanding Mental Health in Muslim Communities' Online Course by Dr Asma Shahin Khan 02.07.2026 17dk

In this presentation, Dr Asma Shahin Khan explores insights gathered while developing an online course on Muslim mental health at Cardiff University's Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK. Drawing on interviews with mental health experts, she identifies key themes around using Islamic knowledge in treatment, community-based support, and the barriers and stereotypes British Muslims face when accessing mental health services.

Care as Resistance: A Response Framework for Practitioners Advancing Muslim Youth Wellbeing by Dr Siham Elkassem 02.07.2026 19dk

In this presentation, Dr Siham Elkassem explores a justice-oriented approach to caring for Muslim youth facing racial, colonial, and spiritual harm in Canada. Drawing on two studies—including national research conducted amid the Gaza genocide—she introduces a Justice-Oriented Response Framework grounded in Islamic ethical commitments to mercy, justice, and trust.

Who Cares About the Crisis of Masculinity Among Young British Muslim Men? – An Exploration of Interventions Which Provide Hope and Healing by Dr Sadek Hamid 02.07.2026 25dk

In this presentation, Dr Sadek Hamid explores the emerging crisis of masculinity among young British Muslim men, shaped by structural racism, Islamophobia, and conflicting cultural expectations. Through case studies of grassroots initiatives and interviews with participants and practitioners, he examines care-centred approaches helping young men reconcile faith, identity, and wellbeing.

Shepherding the Police: The Journey of a Female Muslim Chaplain to Multifaith Police Chaplaincy Lead by Dr Mansur Ali & Khadija Sulaiman 02.07.2026 19dk

In this presentation, Dr Mansur Ali and Khadija Sulaiman explore the professional journey of a British Muslim woman who became a Multifaith Police Chaplaincy Lead, tracing her path from hospital chaplaincy through to policing. The presentation highlights the gendered, theological, and racialised barriers she navigated, and how these experiences shaped her commitment to inclusive, multifaith spiritual care.

"God Made You This Way": Ambivalent Acceptance, Relational Labor, and the Politics of Care in Queer and Trans Muslim Families by Dr Nuha Dwaikat-Shaer 02.07.2026 26dk

In this presentation, Dr Nuha Dwaikat-Shaer explores how Canadian Muslim families navigate support and acceptance of queer and trans relatives, drawing on interviews with 30 individuals and their family members. She identifies key facilitators—such as education and religious reframing—and barriers to acceptance, introducing the concept of "ambivalent acceptance" sustained through ongoing relational labour.

The Practitioners' Predicament – Challenges in Counselling Clients on the Shia-LGB Nexus by Dr Muhammed R. Tajri 02.07.2026 24dk

In this presentation, Dr Muhammed R. Tajri explores how Shīʿa Muslim imams, chaplains, and therapists navigate counselling clients who experience same-sex attraction. Based on interviews with fifteen practitioners, he reveals a pronounced sense of moral and professional uncertainty and highlights the need for formalised training and stronger collaboration between religious scholars and mental health professionals.

Empathy as Ethical Discipline: Chaplaincy and Caring Co-Existence in Plural Contexts by Dr Naveed Baig 02.07.2026 18dk

In this presentation, Dr Naveed Baig explores empathy not as sentimentality but as a disciplined ethical practice essential to chaplaincy and care. Drawing on qualitative research with hospitalised Muslim patients during COVID-19 and his own chaplaincy experience, he argues that empathy—rooted in Islamic concepts such as rahma and rifq—is the ethical foundation of responsible, humane care.

Who Cares for the Carers? Understanding the Pastoral Burden on British Imams by Dr Riyaz Timol 02.07.2026 21dk

In this presentation, Dr Riyaz Timol explores findings from Understanding British Imams, the largest academic study of mosque-based religious leadership in Britain, drawing on survey data from over 2,000 imams and 40 in-depth interviews. He focuses on how imams respond to mental health issues raised by congregants despite limited training, poor institutional support, and entrenched stigma, and calls for greater investment in their professional development.

Traditional Forms of Care and the Challenges of Modern Society: Islamic Spiritual Care as an Emerging Field from Germany by Dr Mahmoud Abdallah 02.07.2026 28dk

In this presentation, Dr Mahmoud Abdallah explores the emergence of Islamic spiritual care in Germany as a response to gaps in traditional family- and community-based support. He examines its academic and social value for Muslim communities and considers its relationship to established theological disciplines such as fiqh, Qur'anic studies, and Hadith studies.

Reading the Signs: A Model for Muslim Chaplaincy by Dr Mahshid Turner 02.07.2026 17dk

In this presentation, Dr Mahshid Turner explores a theologically grounded model for Muslim chaplaincy rooted in the Qur'anic concepts of fitrah, the primordial covenant (alast), and the Divine Names and Attributes. She proposes that chaplains can help individuals "read" life events, relationships, and suffering as signs of Divine communication, offering a pastoral approach that works across diverse and pluralistic contexts.

Care, Emotions, and Spiritual Meaning: A Psycho-educational Framework Inspired by Ibn al-ʿArabī for Muslim Mental Health Practice by Zeynep İrem Çeven 02.07.2026 17dk

In this presentation, Zeynep İrem Çeven explores how Ibn al-ʿArabī's understanding of emotions as spiritual states (aḥwāl) can inform a psychoeducational model for Muslim mental health care. She reframes emotions such as fear, sorrow, and joy as meaningful signals inviting reflection rather than problems to be corrected, offering practitioners a way to address distress without pathologisation or moral judgment.

Between Khidmah and Exhaustion: An Islamic Ethical Model of Care for Muslim Care Practitioners by Dr Sulaimon Owoseni 02.07.2026 17dk

In this presentation, Dr Sulaimon Owoseni explores the tension between religiously-motivated service (khidmah) and work-related exhaustion among Muslim care practitioners. Drawing on mixed-method research with around 200 Muslim professionals, he proposes an Islamic ethical model of care—grounded in ṣabr (patience), amānah (trust), and mīzān (balance)—that honours service without sanctifying self-neglect.

Integrating Islamic Spirituality into Psychotherapy: Clinical Opportunities, Ethical Dilemmas, and Practitioner Challenges by Professor G. Hussein Rassool 02.07.2026 20dk

In this presentation, Professor G. Hussein Rassool explores how Islamic spiritual practices—such as dhikr, murāqabah, duʿāʾ, and tawakkul—can be integrated into established therapeutic modalities including CBT, EMDR, and trauma-informed approaches. He also examines the ethical dilemmas this integration raises, from role confusion between therapist and religious authority to the risks of misinterpreting sacred texts or reinforcing guilt and shame.

Islamic Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy at the Intersection of Theology and Social Sciences by Dr Nazila Isgandarova 02.07.2026 22dk

In this presentation, Dr Nazila Isgandarova explores the bio-psycho-social-spiritual (BPSS) model of Islamic spiritual care, tracing its roots to Ibn Sina's (Avicenna's) biopsychosocial framework and older traditions of "medicine of the heart." She examines how integrating Islamic theology with contemporary psychology and social science can strengthen the effectiveness of this model in addressing mental health and spiritual distress among Muslim clients in hospitals, schools, and correctional institutions.

Faith and Professional Ethics in Therapy: A Qualitative Study of Muslim Psychologists in Lebanon by Dr Faten El Skafi 02.07.2026 16dk

In this presentation, Dr Faten El Skafi explores how licensed Muslim psychologists in Lebanon integrate religiosity and spirituality into their clinical practice. Combining a systematic literature review with semi-structured interviews, she investigates the ethical dilemmas practitioners encounter and the strategies they use to preserve professional integrity, with a view to informing culturally sensitive training and guidelines.

Ashura in a Wartime World: Karbala, Resistance & Geopolitics with Zahra Ladha | Thinking Islam Ep.16 24.06.2026 44dk

How can a 7th-century tragedy like Karbala still shape the way millions understand war, injustice and resistance today?In this episode of Thinking Islam, we explore the enduring power of Ashura and the story of Karbala across Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon. The conversation begins with the idea of Karbala as ever-present, a story lived rather than merely remembered, woven into names, daily speech, and a shared moral language of standing with the oppressed. We consider how rituals are politicised from the bottom up rather than simply imposed from above, the meeting of nationalism, martyrdom, and religion, and how the latmiya has shifted from a language of mourning into one of mobilisation and resistance in a time of war.We also look at the impact of social media on how a new generation engages with pilgrimage and ritual, and ask whether Karbala is becoming the lens through which all political struggle is understood. Throughout, the discussion returns to a central insight: no one owns the narrative of Karbala, and its meaning is constantly negotiated between states, communities, and individuals.Zahra Ladha is a Middle East analyst and writer. Fluent in Arabic and Persian and holding an MSc in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Oxford, her research focuses on Iran, Iraq, transnational Shiism, and Muslim diasporas. Her reporting examines the intersection of ritual, politics, and collective memory across the region.Audio Chapters: 0:00 – Highlights 3:07 – Ever-Present Karbala 7:35 – The Politicisation of Rituals 13:50 – Muharram in Iran vs Iraq 16:14 – Latmiya, Resistance & the Ashura Narrative 25:29 – Karbala & Social Media 29:35 – Karbala & Geopolitics 37:56 – Memory, Politics & Ritual 42:34 – Thinking Islam Question

What Was Modern Islamic Art? Empire, Resistance, and the Hidden | Prof. William Gallois | Seminar 23.06.2026 52dk

Was there such a thing as modern Islamic art? In this seminar, delivered at Al-Mahdi Institute on 29th April 2026, Professor Gallois challenges the dominant view that colonialism brought Islamic visual culture to an end. Instead, he argues that the colonial period produced some of the most sophisticated and spiritually rich art in Islamic history — much of it deliberately hidden from imperial eyes.In this seminar, you'll discover:- Why aniconism (the avoidance of the human figure) is largely a 19th-century Western invention, not a timeless feature of Islam- How the Murīdiyya Sufi order in Senegal turned image-making into direct anti-colonial resistance — and why French authorities ordered Islamic engravings destroyed- The hidden fifth dome in a Tunisian watercolour later appropriated by Paul Klee, and what it reveals about the Islamic concept of the bāṭin (the hidden)- Why Muḥammad ʻAbduh's famous 1904 fatwā on images may have narrowed rather than enriched Islamic visual culture- How Muslim artists encoded religious identity in plain sight — in marketplace domes, reverse glass paintings, and devotional imagery — under conditions of empire🎓 Professor William Gallois is a historian at the University of Exeter's Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, specialising in colonial history, violence, and Islamic visual culture.

Shi'a Islam in Colonial India with Prof. Justin Jones | Thinking Islam Ep.15 29.05.2026 1sa 35dk

Were the Shi'as of colonial India at the periphery of the Shi'i religious universe, or did they develop an autonomous identity of their own? What were their hopes and fears about the creation of Pakistan?In this episode of Thinking Islam, we explore the themes of Professor Justin Jones's landmark book Shi'a Islam in Colonial India. The conversation begins by challenging the assumption that Iran and the shrine cities of Iraq form the sole heartland of Shi'ism, and traces the indigenous character of Indian Shi'ism after the fall of Awadh in 1856. We discuss the rise of madrasas, the different categories of ulama and Indian mujtahids who provided autonomous leadership without always looking westward, the consolidation of the Shi'a as a distinct qaum rather than a firqa, and the question of political quietism in their relationship with the British Raj. The discussion then turns to the Pakistan Movement, where Shi'a presence in the Muslim League sat uneasily alongside the deep apprehension that Pakistan would become a "Sunnistan," and the striking alliance between Indian Shi'as and Ambedkar's untouchable movement, where Imam Husain emerged as a universal model for social justice and the struggle against oppression.Professor Justin Jones is a historian of Islam in modern South Asia at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on religious revitalisation, the remaking of religious authority, and the social history of Muslim communities in the subcontinent. His work on Shi'i Islam has opened scholarly conversations on Shi'i religious thought, community formation, and politics from the fall of Awadh to independence in north India.Audio Chapters:0:00 – Highlights01:52 – Why Shi'a Islam in South Asia06:31 – Indian Shi'as in the Shi'i Religious Universe14:00 – Relation with Najaf and Qom25:00 – Role of Ulama and Mujtahids41:27 – Shi'as as a Separate Qaum55:10 – Shi'as and the Pakistan Movement1:03:30 – Imam Husain, Untouchables, & Freedom1:13:43 – Ghulats, Usulis, & Akhbaris in India1:22:00 – Decline of Shi'ism in India?1:32:11 – Thinking Islam Question

Who Controls the Story of Power? Islamism & Narrative with Dr Fatemeh Sadeghi | Thinking Islam Ep.14 16.04.2026 1sa 2dk

Is political power built on institutions or on the stories we choose to believe?What is Islamism, and how do political narratives shape power in the Muslim world?In this episode of Thinking Islam, Dr Fatemeh Sadeghi explores Islamism, political narratives, and how storytelling shapes political power and legitimacy. Drawing on both Islamic intellectual traditions and modern social theory, Dr Sadeghi examines how narratives do more than describe reality - they actively shape it. From early Islamic history, where hadith and sīra were used to legitimise authority, to contemporary movements such as Islamism and the far right, we uncover how political stories mobilise people through promises of justice, salvation, and belonging. We also examine the decline of Islamism as a compelling narrative, and the “melancholic condition” it has left behind in many Muslim societies—a space marked by disillusionment, yet still open to new possibilities. The conversation raises a profound question: if all political and even religious commitments are mediated through stories, what kinds of narratives are needed today to sustain hope, dignity, and meaningful collective life?Dr Fatemeh Sadeghi is a sociologist and political theorist at the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity. Her research explores political imagination, gender, and the role of narrative in shaping social order and legitimacy, offering a powerful lens for understanding the moral and political crises of our time.Audio Chapters:00:00 - Highlights01:20 - What is a Narrative?03:05 - Political Narrative: Stories That Shape Power06:39 - Two Kinds of Narratives13:19 - Good vs Evil: ‘Us and Them’17:17 - Isn’t the Quran doing the same thing?23:00 - Nostalgia as a Response to Colonialism30:00 - Can some Narratives Cause more ‘Legitimacy’?36:10 - Living Through a ‘Melancholic’ Moment40:25 - Islamism Moved from Theology to Power43:24 - What Comes After Islamism as a New Narrative?48:30 - Who Creates Narratives when Knowledge is Democratised?56:30 - New ‘Islam’ narratives are still grounded in Morality01:00:50 - Thinking Islam Question