Wardah Sessions

Muhammad Suhail Mohamed Yazid is a PhD candidate in History and the Prince of Wales Student at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. A Singaporean historian, Suhail researches the broader history of decolonisation in the Malay World, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the Global South. His book He Who is Made Lord recovers the multiple meanings of the Yang di-Pertuan Negara during a highly contested period of Singapore’s history. In this episode, Muhammad Suhail shares his key findings on the Yang di-Pertuan Negara and the historical significance of the office for Singapore.

Baraka Blue with Ameera Aslam: Truth and Beauty by Wardah Books

Hanna Alkaf is the author of Hamra and the Jungle of Memories (HarperCollins). In this recording of a session conducted at Wardah Books titled The Art of Weaving Mythology with Fiction on 28 May 2023, Hanna Alkaf speaks about storytelling and representation, reverse colonisation, and helping children (and adults) see the light out of their darkest fears... and about windows and mirrors. Hanna brings a wonderful perspective on the value of fiction, not just for children, but for all. Guest hosted by Izza Haziqah Abdul Rahman.

Farhat Amin speaks about her two books Smart Single Muslimah and Smart Teenage Muslimah. Our guest host for this episode is Ameera Aslam. Farhat Amin is an author and has been involved in UK dawah for over 25 years. Through her books and courses, she promotes Islamic family values to Muslim women amplifying the Islamic alternative to feminism and promiscuity. You can connect with Farhat by visiting her website www.smartmuslima.com or following her on Instagram @farhatamin_uk. Her books are available at Wardah Books.

This is an archival atmospheric recording of an impromptu performance by an Indonesian qasida group that sang in the bookshop. It was recorded in the shop in February 2010; you can hear the door chime and customers speaking in low voices in the background. Qad Kafani is a qasida written by Imam 'Abdullah ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad.

Madiha M Saeed, MD is the author of The Quranic Prescription: Unlocking the Secrets to Optimal Health. In this episode, we are privileged to speak to someone who believes so passionately in the importance of a lifestyle grounded in tayyib, as 'prescribed' by the Quran.

We speak with Aliyah Umm Raiyaan, author of Ramadan Reflections: A Guided Journal, on her book and on journaling as a practice to become more akhirah-focussed. Aliyah Umm Raiyaan converted to Islam more than two decades ago and has been involved in UK dawah for over 20 years. In 2010, she founded Solace UK, a charity that helps women who have converted to Islam and find themselves in difficulty. In 2019 she launched a YouTube show called Honest Tea Talk which brought unscripted conversations to the table about raw unspoken topics related to the Muslim community. She continues to devote her time to helping women achieve their full potential whilst emphasising the importance of developing a personal and close relationship with Allah. She lives in East London where she home educates her children.

Dr. Hisham A. Hellyer is an academic and public intellectual who researches the politics and geopolitics of the contemporary Middle East, security studies globally, and the interplay between faith and modernity. A scholar in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (USA), and Senior Associate Fellow in International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute (UK), he also serves as Fellow of Cambridge University’s Centre for Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. He was also appointed as the first senior scholar of the Azzawia Institute by the late Shaykh Seraj Hendricks, and professorial fellow of Cambridge Muslim College. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Hisham A. Hellyer about two of his books, A Sublime Path: the Sufi Way of the Sages of Makka and A Luminous Lamp, on the life and work of Shaykh Seraj Hendricks. These books are available at Wardah Books.

Sukina Noor is an internationally renowned poet, spoken-word artist, playwright, workshop facilitator, educator and public speaker who has toured extensively across UK, Europe, America and Africa performing, delivering poetry workshops, partaking in panel discussions and delivering lectures. She holds a BA (Hons) Degree in English Literature and Caribbean Studies and is currently pursuing an MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes with a focus on the healing potential in the poetry of the Sufi mystics of West Africa. In this episode, Sukina speaks to Wardah Books about her book of poems, Love and Longing: Yearning for the Face of God. This book is available at Wardah Books.

‘From Walden to Woodlands: An Anthology of Nature Poems’ published by Ethos Books, is a Singapore interfaith initiative. In this Wardah Session, we hear from the editors Ow Yeong Wai Kit and Muzakkir Samat.

On 17 August 2015, Maryam Amelie came to Wardah Books to talk about, and read from, her a new book, ‘The Truthseekers @ Haji Lane’, a romance novella set in contemporary Haji Lane. This is a podcast produced by Wardah Books, Singapore.