The New Nomos

A look into the life and works of Rumi with Feraidoon Mojadedi. Feraidoon Mojadedi is a community leader, lecturer, and entrepreneur in the Bay Area – California. Born in Herat, Afghanistan, he grew up in a household with a deep love and reverence for poetry. At the age of five he began to memorize poems by Rumi and other great poets. This love of poetry continued to grow and developed into a passion that has led him to teach classes on Rumi throughout California, the U.S.A and across the...

Given the events happening around us I went back to this piece I wrote a few years ago. It highlights that the moment we find ourselves in, is not some seemingly spontaneous cataclysm of events, but is rather a product of centuries of injustice. An injustice that on the face of it seems so engrained into modern society that there is no way out. But the reality of it, is not so. And the way forward is not that complex. We don’t need a change of scenery We just need a new set of eyes

To conquer outwardly should you first conquer inwardly? Or is conquer simply the wrong word? This episode starts with the above question. Drawing from examples from the life of the Great Mughal Emperor Zahir-ud-Din Muhammad Babur the term 'conquest' is re-examined with Life Coach Rishad Ahmed reframing the question and the labels attached to it.

Exploring the theme of courage with Lena Chauhan and how her understanding of the term changed through her experiences on various adventures through life. This is a fun conversation that speaks many truths. It all leads to the question of whether the greatest courage needed today is to truly look in the mirror. Qawwali - Dekh Le Shakl Meri Kis Ka Ainaa Hu Men - https://aydutton.com/dekh/

Hip Hop, Chess, Stoicism, Philosophy, Zen, Sufism and Jiu Jitsu are all discussed in this conversation with Adisa Banjoko. Adisa is a podcaster hosting “Bishop Chronicles” (@bishopchronicles) which looks at the intersection of Hip-Hop, health, and fitness trends. As a pioneer Hip-Hop journalist, he was one of the first people to interview artists like Eazy E, Tupac Shakur, and Master P. He went on to write three books on the cultural value of rap and create a youth organisation called the...

Frustrated from 3 months of lockdown, Nabil De Castro set out on a spontaneous journey that would take him across four continents - all during a time when travelling the world seemed impossible to most people. In this episode he recounts adventures from his travels, key experiences along the way and the kind of unique insights that can only be gained through traversing such a journey. To follow Nabil's journey on Instagram click here: @nabil.decastro Below is the full Ithaka Poem by C.P....

Dr Ian Dallas was a Scottish writer, philosopher, leader and one of the great polymaths of our era. Hosting guests was a major part of his daily life which centered around his table. Chef Yusuf Perez (Instagram handle: @chef_josep_perez) was Dr Dallas' personal chef for over 16 years. During his time in Dr Dallas' kitchen he went from being a cook's hand to becoming master of the kitchen. In this episode Chef Yusuf discusses his journey with cooking, his role in Dr Dallas' household, what...

How are the life and philosophy of the Roman statesman Cicero relevant to us in the 21st Century and what does it teach us about how we should understand our present situation? In this episode Ahmad Dutton condenses the key events of Cicero's life, how they refined his political philosophy, how the inward has to reflect the outward and why tyranny cannot exist in a community of truly free individuals.

Ahmed Abdullah, a music lover and aficionado, explains how Western Classical music can be used as a tool to nurture spontaneity and instil in the heart a yearning for the divine. The conversation reveals how the great composers communicate a timeless message through their compositions; calling us to fulfil our destinies, reach our highest possibilities and yearn to be free. Music sampled in the episode: Bach - B Minor Mass (Proms 2012)...

Musa Gerner started his career in audio as a teenager doing freestyle rap with his friends after school. Through many twists and turns he arrived at becoming one of the world's leading Foley artists. This narrative is a journey of perseverance that teaches the importance of always being in a state of learning and striving to be the best in order to reach the top. Music by Ian Cattanach

Perfume has been linked to civilisation as far back as we can go. It is known that before the Battle of Thermopylae the Spartan warriors, knowing they were going to die fighting off the Persians, bathed and perfumed themselves to meet their death smelling good. In this episode, Ikramuddin Zwane, a self-taught perfumer from Johannesburg, South Africa, opens a door onto the world of scent, olfaction and the art of perfumery alongside reflections from his journal of perfumery. Parfums Ikram...

Islam literally means 'submission'. One of the aims of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is to force your opponent into submission, so when you are being choked out and have to admit defeat, it is a little reminder of who is really in control. Abdel-Majid Faouri is Jordan's Number 1 BJJ competitor. In this episode he shares his journey with BJJ, life lessons learnt and his philosophy in BJJ. Music by Ian Cattanach

Idris Assad is a property developer born and based in Atlanta, USA. In this episode he shares his knowledge on the history of African Americans to show not only the break in history experienced by the majority of black Americans today, but also highlighting the thriving communities and economic hubs of African Americans such as Greenwood, Oklahoma dubbed as 'Black Wall Street' that emerged after emacipation. Drawing on this past, Idris unpacks his current endeavour to revive the essence of...

In February this year, Pak Zaim Saidi was arrested and held in custody by the Indonesian authorities under the pretence of using illegal currency. The truth is he has been on the forefront of re-establishing the Gold Dinar and Silver Dirham, the coinage of the Muslim world since the time of the Prophet Muhammad (sallahu alayhi wassalam) and the only accepted means that Zakat can be taken on monetary wealth. Pak Zaim was only exonerated from these charges last week on 12 October after a year...

Dr Humaira Shahid is a journalist, human rights activist and former Member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, Pakistan. She is passionate about the economic empowerment of women and hosts an online course called 'Woman and Power' that strives to reclaim natural born freedom and autonomy for modern women. Part of that course is the link between sexuality and spirituality. In this conversation the above themes are discussed alongside the idea of feminism and being a Muslim woman in...

A fun, spontaneous and insightful conversation with Mohammad Chowdhury around his book Border Crossings and beyond. From growing up as a Western born Bangladeshi Muslim in 1970s London to over 100 flights a year working for some of the worlds largest firms, Mohammad has a vast archive of anecdotes around his adventures and experiences alongside fascinating insights as one of the world's leading emerging markets technology experts. Buy Border Crossings by Mohammad Chowdhury here

Two thirds of Imam Malik's Muwatta covers matters of muamalat, it is therefore critical to the Deen of Islam. Why then has it lost its importance in our time? This question is put to Shaykh Umar Vadillo, the expert on applying the commercial parameters defined in the Muwatta to modern financial practice. The conversation leads from the reality of the term 'Islamisation' to where we should be setting our sights as Muslims in the 21st Century to revive muamalat and by doing so revive...

To understand our present, we have to know our past. As Muslims living in the 21st Century it is imperative that we know about the life of Sultan Abdulhamid II. So this episode is for you; So you know that Sultan Abdulhamid II lived. And knowing that he lived, you know what he did. And you know what we got from him as an Ummah. And you know what we lost as an Ummah by the actions of those that plotted and acted against him. This case study is with Dr Ali Azzali, the Vice-Chancellor of the...

What can we learn from the events that have transpired over the last month in Afghanistan? In this episode, Abdallah discusses this theme with Jawwad Mughal who cuts through his geopolitical and historical insights with experiences and conversations from an adventurous life. Links to the 2007 articles by Shaykh Abdalqadir as-Sufi: Afghanistan - The Next Phase The Pakistani High Command - The Last Chance

The reality of Islam is in its being put into action and no example is closer to the source than the practise of the first generations in Madinah as highlighted by Prof Yasin Dutton in his book The Origins of Islamic Law. This conversation covers the importance of Madinan Amal in the context of Imam Malik and his Muwatta and how we can draw learnings from this example for our present time. The Origins of Islamic Law by Yasin Dutton