Sacred Text Messages

The company you keep leads to your success or failure depending upon what type of companionship you choose. Abū Musā al-Ashʿarī narrated a beautiful hadith of the Prophet Muhammad where he likened one's company to either a seller of musk or a blacksmith. The seller of musk will leave you with perfume or a pleasant fragrance, whereas the blacksmith may cause burns and leave you with malodor. Expounding on this important prophetic parable, our scholars identified eight types of people that you can spend time with. Two bestow gifts, and the other six can result in a loss of one's precious time in vain pursuits and vacuous recreation. Tune in and listen to Shaykh Hamza as he discusses the sacred texts that counsel us on the importance of judiciously choosing our company.The Book of Proverbs (13:20-25)Keep company with the wise and you will become wise. If you make friends with stupid people, you will be ruined.Trouble follows sinners everywhere, but righteous people will be rewarded with good things. Good people will have wealth to leave to their grandchildren, but the wealth of sinners will go to the righteous. Unused fields could yield plenty of food for the poor, but unjust people keep them from being farmed.If you don't punish your children, you don't love them. If you do love them, you will correct them. The righteous have enough to eat, but the wicked are always hungry.About the Sacred Text Messages podcast:In this age of material excess and spiritual privation, grounding ourselves in divine guidance has never been more critical. The Sacred Text Messages podcast with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf provides an antidote to the modern madness by reconnecting us with God and His Messenger ﷺ. Listen to timeless wisdoms from sacred sources and rediscover Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.Read more about Hamza Yusuf. Visit us online at Sandala.org.

One of the most common debate points against Muslims centers around the Qur'an's ten recitations (qirā’āt) that have been codified and preserved by qualified scholars since the time of the Prophet’s companions. Detractors often use the linguistic variations as means to confound Muslims into doubting the immaculate authenticity of God's Book. In this powerful episode, Shaykh Hamza clears the confusion by unequivocally proving that the secret of the Qur'an's pristine preservation lies in God's assertion that it is an oral Book. Slight variations in pronunciation and even some of the words exist, but all the variations have been validated by our scholars and wondrously enhance the meanings—and hence the miracle—of the Qur’an. These sacred words have been preserved in the hearts of men and women since the time of their revelation. The guardian (ḥāfiẓ) of the Qur'an is the one who can not only recite from memory but also write the entire Book from memory. Today, you will find many of these guardians, throughout the world, who can flawlessly write out the muṣḥaf in its exact order. No matter what the devil's minions may try to use to stun the hearts of believers, it is the prophetic defibrillator that stabilizes us in these times of confusion. Tune in, and get a dose of spiritual cardioversion!

Dr. Thomas Cleary performed the task of hundreds of men. He mastered Greek and Latin in his teens and went on to master Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Pali, Sanskrit, French, Bengali, Gaelic, Urdu, and several other languages. He then went on to translate some of the most important works in many of these languages, including a remarkable translation of the Qur’an. More than a gifted linguist, however, he was also a spiritual master of immense depth and insight. His comments on some verses from The Essential Koran should convince anyone of his remarkable gift. His passing is a great loss to the world in general and the Muslims in particular. The clarity he provided the fortunate few who attended his extraordinary classes at Zaytuna Institute in 2001 and 2002 have lingered long after the classes ended. Shaykh Hamza celebrates this remarkable luminary along with some reminiscing with Sayyid Feraidoon Mojadedi, the original founder of Zaytuna, about the early days of the school.About the Sacred Text Messages podcast:In this age of material excess and spiritual privation, grounding ourselves in divine guidance has never been more critical. The Sacred Text Messages podcast with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf provides an antidote to the modern madness by reconnecting us with God and His Messenger ﷺ. Listen to timeless wisdoms from sacred sources and rediscover Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.Read more about Hamza Yusuf. Visit us online at Sandala.org.

In life’s mysterious journey, most of us will experience a transformative event that forces us to reevaluate and reorient ourselves. God asks in the Quran, “So where then are you going?,” a reminder for us to avoid the distractions of this world and to remain steadfast on His path. In this special episode, Haroon Sugich joins Shaykh Hamza in conversation about their own journey to Islam and the incredible lessons they’ve learned on the way.About the Sacred Text Messages podcast:In this age of material excess and spiritual privation, grounding ourselves in divine guidance has never been more critical. The Sacred Text Messages podcast with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf provides an antidote to the modern madness by reconnecting us with God and His Messenger ﷺ. Listen to timeless wisdoms from sacred sources and rediscover Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.Read more about Hamza Yusuf. Visit us online at Sandala.org.

The global online pornography industry is currently estimated to be nearly $40 billion and growing. Its pervasive nature remains a key destructive force in both the spirit of the individual and society. In the third part of our series on the nafs, Shaykh Hamza explains the profound impact our habits, good or bad, have on our hearts. In a time where demonic forces continuously assault us, the need for sacred veils and filters is more important than ever. Tune in for another powerful episode in which Shaykh Hamza gives the secret to breaking bad habits and addictions. And, there’s a sneak peak at next week's episode with two very special guests!

We're excited to start Season 3 of Sacred Text Messages, with an analysis of the nature of the nafs (lower self or ego) and its devilish inclinations. Shaykh Hamza navigates us through the core tenets of Imam al-Ghazali's brilliant text Mizan-al Amal (The measure of actions), from which we learn about the states of the nafs, its critical role in steering our actions, and how to tame its whimsical pursuits. Tune in to a new season, with timeless lessons from sacred sources that illuminate the mind and nourish the heart.

As we enjoy the blessings of these first few days of Ramadan, Shaykh Hamza reminds us that this is indeed the month of the Qur’an, the revelation replete with the best of all sacred text messages. One of these extraordinary messages is from the sura entitled “The Moon” in which God says, "We have made this Qur’an easy to recite and remember, so will anyone take heed?" (54:17). Tune in as Shaykh Hamza discusses this miraculous facilitation and the timeless wisdoms that guide us through the trials of life toward contentment with the divine decree.About the Sacred Text Messages podcast:In this age of material excess and spiritual privation, grounding ourselves in divine guidance has never been more critical. The Sacred Text Messages podcast with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf provides an antidote to the modern madness by reconnecting us with God and His Messenger ﷺ. Listen to timeless wisdoms from sacred sources and rediscover Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.Read more about Hamza Yusuf. Visit us online at Sandala.org.

Throughout history, there have been many religious charlatans. For those who have been deceived by them, the personal and community impact is devastating. Some even lose their faith in God and leave their religion. In this episode, Shaykh Hamza untangles this sensitive subject by reminding us that true faith is not rooted in the fallible nature of man but the timeless truths found in God's Book, the message of His prophets, and the rightly-guided teachers who mirror them.

"Haven't they seen how we have diminished the earth from its edges?" This week's sacred text message focuses on this extraordinary verse from the 13th chapter of the Quran entitled Ra'd or Thunder. Though the geological realities of the verse are obvious for us today, the early masters of Quranic exegesis interpreted the diminishment of the earth as the passing of the great men and women of knowledge and piety. Listen to Shaykh Hamza as he delves deeper into this exposition with a eulogy on one of the greatest scholars and hidden gems of our time.

The journey through the sacred messages of the Noble Quran continues as Shaykh Hamza explains the universal lessons on brotherhood, forgiveness, and Divine love.

The vast diversity we see all around us constantly reminds us of God’s greatness. This week’s Sacred Text Messages podcast discusses the Qur’anic imperative to respect the diversity of human beings in our races, religions, and tribes. In a time where hate and division have risen to new heights, this lesson serves as a much needed reminder to practice prophetic benevolence and reason over rage and violence. أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ ثَمَرَاتٍ مُخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهَا ۚ وَمِنَ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ See you not that Allâh sends down water (rain) from the sky, and We produce therewith fruits of varying colours, and among the mountains are streaks white and red, of varying colours and (others) very black তুমি কি দেখনি আল্লাহ আকাশ থেকে বৃষ্টিবর্ষণ করেন, অতঃপর তদ্দ্বারা আমি বিভিন্ন বর্ণের ফল-মূল উদগত করি। পর্বতসমূহের মধ্যে রয়েছে বিভিন্ন বর্ণের গিরিপথ-সাদা, লাল ও নিকষ কালো কৃষ্ণ। وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱلدَّوَآبِّ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ كَذَٰلِكَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱلْعُلَمَـٰٓؤُا۟ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ And likewise of men and Ad-Dawâbb [moving (living) creatures, beasts], and cattle, are of various colours. It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is All-Mighty, Oft-Forgiving. और इसी तरह आदमियों और जानवरों और चारपायों की भी रंगते तरह-तरह की हैं उसके बन्दों में ख़ुदा का ख़ौफ करने वाले तो बस उलेमा हैं बेशक खुदा (सबसे) ग़ालिब और बख्शने वाला है (Qur’an 35:27-28)

Throughout human history, great philosophers, leaders, and thinkers devoted their lives toward the pursuit of wisdom. Countless pages and lines of poetry extol the qualities of the wise person. In this podcast, Hamza Yusuf explains the Quranic definition of wisdom and the prerequisite knowledge to achieve it.