About this episode

A conversation with Ustadh Omar Popal about the power of love over fear and the importance of honoring God's creation.

In this special episode of SoulFood, we engage in a lively and informal conversation with Ustadh Omar Popal. We talk about experiencing the love of Allah ﷻ as a more powerful emotion than fear, how Ust. Omar fell in love with sacred knowledge, and in closing, he mentions a powerful story about the importance of honoring all of God's creation. Ustadh Omar Popal, raised in Northern Virginia, began Islamic studies at 16, starting with Quran memorization in Durban, South Africa. He went on to study at Madinatul Uloom (Virginia) and Dar al-Qasim (Chicago), graduating from the latter, with formative training at Dar al-Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen. He has taught Arabic and Islamic studies at several mosques and institutes including Al-Maqasid, and he founded Tanwir Institute in 2018 to serve the DC metro area's Muslim community.

People in this episode

Guest: Ustadh Omar Popal

Topics covered

• love
• fear
• sacred knowledge
• Islamic studies
• God's creation

Keywords

• love of Allah
• Islamic studies
• Quran memorization
• sacred knowledge
• Tanwir Institute

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tanwir Institute, Madinatul Uloom, Dar al-Qasim, Al-Maqasid

Places: Northern Virginia, Durban, South Africa, Tarim, Yemen

More episodes of SoulFood FM

• SoulFood Conversation: Gatekeepers & Inheritors w/Ust Omar Popal (Part 2) · July 31, 2026 · 33 min

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