Summary: A video podcast giving you a virtual, animated tour of the Kabah and surrounding areas within Masjid al-Haram.

Creator/Host: 3DKabah.com

Supplied Info: This is a video podcast that will feature new and exclusive video animations from the 3D Kabah model. I will try to make the videos as interesting and educational as I can so that they may be useful for anyone out there that wants to use them for non-profit use.

Last Podcast (title, date, info): Saee Preview, 05/03/2008, The 3D Kabah model now includes the area between the hills Safa & Marwah. This will be used, Inshallah, to create a full Umrah tutorial over the next few months. This current podcast consist of a preview of the Saee area.

Podcast of Interest (title, date, info): The Kabah – A Tour, 09/02/2008, This is the third video in the 3D Kabah podcast series. In this video we take a tour around the Kabah. Stopping to see the Black Stone, The Kabah door, the Hijr Ismael, the water spout and the Yemeni corner. This video will allow you to get a sense of where these things are in relation to each other, and in relation to the Kabah.

Overall Review: This week’s podcast put me in a bit of a pickle. Being that it is an animated vcast, I wasn’t sure whether to file this post under “video”, “artwork”, or under the normal header of “podcast review”… in the end, what really matters is that this podcast rocks, masha’Allah! I won’t bother repeating the descriptions above – just check out the amazing 3D rendered models of the Kabah, and Masjid al-Haram. An excellent resource for those planning to go on Hajj or Umrah, insha’Allah.

Recommended audience: Everyone!
Music warning: the videos contain some background percussion.

Score: 8.5/10

Subscribe to Podcast: iTunes link ; non-iTunes link

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Podcast Review: 3D Kabah

Summary: A new podcast aimed at the modern day Muslim living in the West (can also be translated as “North America”).

Creator/Host: The Western Muslim

Supplied Info: The Western Muslim is a cutting edge online magazine, addressing contemporary issues facing North American Muslim communities and Muslims around the world. The magazine examines the weaving of the Muslim diaspora into the fabric of North American society through the lenses of politics, law, culture, religion, the arts and more.

Last Podcast (title, date, info): The Great Divide, 16/06/2008, Mosques have traditionally maintained segre[g]ated sections for men and women in a variety of forms; separate entrances, different floors, curtained prayer areas. But there’s more to a mosque than just prayer – and separating women from the action on the floor – from the discussion of religious philosophy or even the mosques politics takes away women’s ablity to meaningfully participate in the functioning of their communities. Asma Mukthar, Sachli Zare, Faraz Khan, Anam Majid and Imran Mohiuddin discuss this issue.

Overall Review: Being a new podcast, there were only two episodes to choose from for my review. The first held promise, as it was an interview with the talented nasheed artist, Dawud Wharnsby. However, the poor sound quality that dominated bro Wharnsby’s side of the conversation (I think it was a phone interview) forced me to hit the “pause” button on my mp3 player out of severe frustration. It was impossible for me to make out what he was saying while listening to the episode on headphones, though it was a lot more decipherable played back on computer speakers. Not a good start, I’m afraid.

However, the second episode mentioned above did a nice job at redeeming the reputation of this podcast, masha’Allah. The sound quality was good, but the debate was even better. I don’t actually recognise any of the names (or voices) of the guest speakers, though a quick look around the website suggests that at least two members were writers from the magazine.

The debate in question is an old one – especially when you consider that the second Caliph, Umar, (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first to prevent women from attending the masjid way back when. So with that in mind, don’t expect any new insights. However, what I enjoyed most was the variety of opinions that were represented as the podcast unfolded – some would be labelled as more “traditional” and others as more “progressive” – but all of them emanated from what seemed like an articulate bunch of young Muslims living in the West, masha’Allah. It just serves as yet another reminder that we’re not the monolith of thought that some would like to portray us as. I won’t spoil the ending, and will leave you guys to make up your own mind on the conclusions derived from the discussion.

One side note I’d like to make as a general remark on these kinds of debates: it’s all very well the youth sitting around and arguing about such issues, but I can’t help thinking that no real progress will be achieved within our communities until we enter a real, and above all, respectful dialogue with our elders, who are often the ones pulling the strings of masjid politics (however much we hate that term). How wonderful, and potentially enlightening, would it have been to have had a similar discussion as above, but with one or two ‘uncles’ and/or ‘aunties’ thrown into the mix? I understand the need for the youth (of which I am hopefully still a part) to have their own space, where we are free to discuss matters openly without judgement. But IMO, restricting such conversation to one segment of society, thereby excluding the other, only fuels existing tensions – and at the least, don’t the ‘other side’ deserve a chance to explain why it is they do what they do? Otherwise we are in danger of perpetuating the negative stereotype that all masjid committees run by elders are ‘backward’, culture-dominated entities, bent on repressing change, and oppressing women. Perhaps that is something for the organisers of such debates to take into account for future activities, insha’Allah. [/rant]

Recommended audience: I think the title says it all really: The Western Muslim. Though one must recognise that as none of the opinions offered are necessarily backed up by the ulema, this is more a podcast for those interested in social commentary, rather than those seeking knowledge of Islam itself.

Score: 7/10 (could have been an 8, but the poor sound quality of the first podcast brought the score down)

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Podcast Review: The Western Muslim

Summary: A podcast dealing with the modern challenges facing British Muslims, and Muslims in the West.

Creator/Host: Radical Middle Way

Supplied Info: The Radical Middle Way project is a Muslim grassroots initiative aimed at articulating a mainstream understanding of Islam that is dynamic, pro-active and relevant, particularly to young British Muslims. The project is managed by young British Muslims themselves and will make every attempt to answer questions pertinent to what it means to be young British and Muslim, by connecting the youth with the greatest scholars of our time, including Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, Habib Ali Al-Jifri, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Abdal-Hakim Murad and others. The project has its roots in Islamic history, being an organic response by traditional Islam to challenges poised by extremist ideas. The project seeks to combat ignorance by spreading and empowering arguments for the middle way and by the consolidation of the mainstream Muslim community.

Last Podcast (title, date, info): Food for Thought on Female Imams, 27/05/2008, Shaykha Halima Krausen

Overall Review: Looking through the list of podcasts available for download in this stream, one cannot help but be impressed by the range of speakers, masha’Allah, some of whom have been mentioned in the above description. However I was unfamiliar with the host of the latest podcast, shaykha Halima Krausen, and so was not sure what to expect from her talk, especially as the issue of female imams – although a little dated now – has certainly been the cause for heated debate amongst Western Muslims.

Alhamdulillah, I was impressed by her calm, and methodical approach to the subject matter. She didn’t immediately launch into a pro- or anti-female imam fatwa, but rather began her treatise with an analysis of what is actually meant by the term ‘imam’, followed by examples of where (and when) women have fulfilled the various definitions of this term. Being the impatient person that I am (may Allah grant me sabr), I continuously tried to gauge her own opinion on the specific issue of women leading mixed congregation, but much to my annoyance was denied at every turn. Masha’Allah, it seems that her intention was simply to investigate all sides of the argument, and not just to pass judgement. How utterly refreshing!

From the style of her speech, and quality of the audio, I suspect that this lecture was specially recorded for podcast/internet publication, and was not a recording of a live lecture. This method has its benefits in terms of reducing background noise, and other distractions, but also results in a lack of “vitality”; the kind that you would normally witness when listening to someone speaking in front of an audience. However, a good proportion of the other podcasts in the stream seem to be from talks and gatherings, thus I suspect that these episodes will not suffer from the same problem, insha’Allah.

Recommended audience: Many of the topics discussed are of particular interest to the Western Muslim youth, but there are also some that are universal, such Love of Allah, and the Seerah of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

Score: 8/10

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Podcast Review: The Radical Middle Way

Creator/Host: SacredLearning.org
Supplied Info: Shaykh Husain’s Weekly Dhikr Gathering, delivered at the Islamic Center of Chicago.
Last Podcast (title, date, info): Preserving Our Children; 30/05/2008; Short talk from the May 16, 2008 Weekly Dhikr Gathering of Shaykh Husain Abdul Sattar.

Overall Review: I was requested to review this particular series last week, in the comments section of my last review:

Make some podcast reviews for the Sacred Learning podcasts at http://www.sacredlearning.org/ – They are amazing, extremely deep and meaningful – truly moving. Shaykh Abdul Sattar is a real Islamic scholar who teaches a 7 year program in Chicago for free … He’s a truly amazing teacher – and he’s only 36!!!! (and there’s no engrish either, and yes that’s engrish not a typo).

I have to say, masha’Allah, I agree with the above statement. With all the podcasts I have covered so far, I have only made the effort to listen to one or two episodes from the series, simply for the purpose of these reviews. But with the Sacred Learning podcasts, I have already listened to the last five instalments, and have downloaded ten more, waiting to be played when I next hit public transport, insha’Allah! Each episode is typically 15-30 mins in length, making it easy to listen to, and Sh. Abdul Sattar is an engaging teacher, who really helps you to understand the subject matter at hand, masha’Allah.

Recommended audience: I highly recommend the series to everyone!

Score: 9/10, masha’Allah… maybe even 9.5!

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Podcast Review: SacredLearning.org

Creator/Host: Caltech MSA

Supplied Info:

An archive of Friday khutbahs (speeches) delivered at Caltech. We meet for Friday khutbah and prayer every Friday at Avery conference room at 1.10 pm. CalMSA is the Muslim Students Association in the California Institute of Technology. It is a religious and cultural student organization that is dedicated to:

1. Helping Muslim students practice the different aspects of Islam.
2. Promoting awareness of Muslim students to relevant domestic and global issues.
3. Increasing understanding of the Caltech community to the Islamic religion and culture.

Last Podcast (title, date, info): The power of La ilaha illa Allah wa Muhammad Rasul Allah; 16/02/2008; The power of La ilaha illa Allah wa Muhammad Rasul Allah by brother Aamer Ali.

Overall Review:

There is not much to say about this podcast channel. Alhamdulillah, it does exactly what it says on the tin. I listened to the first and last podcasts in the series; they both contained the kind of good reminders and anecdotes from early Islamic history that you would expect to hear from the khateeb on a Friday. I felt the overall flow of the khutbah was a little confused at times, but then again, maybe I shouldn’t obsess so much about oratory style, when the message itself is more important.

Recommended audience: Seekers of knowledge, i.e., the kind that don’t have time to visit Al-Azhar university, and so download all the lectures and khutbahs that they can get their hands on instead.

Score: 7/10

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Podcast Review: Caltech MSA Friday Khutbahs

Summary: Views on The Arts, Culture and Society from a Muslim perspective.

Creator/Host: Brother Dash – An American Muslim poet who is a personal favourite. Check out this video to see him in action.

Supplied Info:The ChaiPod™ is a free audio podcast… Presented in a conversational tone much like one would have with a friend over tea. The ChaiPod™ covers topics on The Arts, Culture and Society. New 30 minute episodes are released on the 1st of every month and each episode is available on demand by subscribing via rss and on iTunes [Note from iMuslim: I couldn't find the podcast on iTunes - being a new channel, it may take a few days to appear on the directory]. The ChaiPod is hosted by Brother Dash and often includes dialogues with experts, scholars, entertainers and personalities.

Last Podcast (title, date, info):Culture, Identity, Islam (3rd May 2008) Did you know that Islam has no set culture? Is it possible that your very own Western culture that you grew up with is perfectly valid and not something to put aside in the corner somewhere but perhaps championed? Join us as we discuss culture and identity over hot tea with world renown scholar and hadith expert Sheikh Abdullah Adhami, director of Sakeenah, Inc.

Podcast of interest (title, date, info): The podcast was only launched last week, so ditto the above!

Overall Review: As I mentioned above, I am already a fan of Brother Dash – in fact, I came across this podcast via an update on his Facebook fanpage! It seems that his oratory skills came in handy for interviewing Sheikh Adhami, masha’Allah, contributing to an interesting and fluid discussion on the relationship between Shariah and culture – one that would be of special interest to Muslim artists in North America.

I am no expert on Shariah, nor am I familiar with the Sheikh in question, but I found the level of discussion to be general enough to be safe for the masses, insha’Allah. There were no direct lessons on offer in terms of fiqh, because as promised in the description, the interview was indeed a conversational airing of ideas, almost stream of consciousness in style. The sound quality, and overall flow, was good, masha’Allah, especially for a first attempt.

Recommended audience: Not for your hardcore student-of-knowledge types – but worth downloading if you’re into Arts & Culture, and want something to chill to, especially whilst travelling on a beautiful Spring day (well, those were my circumstances at the time of listening to the podcast).

Score: 8/10 (masha’Allah!)

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Podcast Review: The Chaipod

Before I begin, let me explain a little something that relates to the importance of these reviews. Users of the iTunes directory can search for podcasts of interest using the iTS search engine. The results appear in order of relevance, but also in order of their popularity, as determined by how many people are subscribed to the podcast using iTunes. That is, the more people that subscribe to a podcast via iTS, the higher up the search rankings that podcast will appear. So if you use the search term “Islam”, the most highly subscribed podcast channels that relate to Islam, will appear first in the search listings. This in turn gives these channels an edge when it comes to hooking new subscribers, compared to those channels that appear way down at the bottom of the list.

I am hoping that these reviews will help you make smart choices when it comes to deciding which podcasts to download, which will hopefully have a positive impact on the search engine rankings of worthy Islamic podcasts within the iTS directory, insha’Allah. Or at the least, it will stop you wasting your time and bandwidth on crummy mp3s that do not deserve a space in the Islam section!

Right now, I plan to tackle the list of podcast channels alphabetically – but I reserve the right to alter my strategy later on.

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Channel Title: The Adventures of Chester Radio

Summary: One to avoid, unless you have the patience for the usual non-Muslim analysis of ‘radical’ Islam.

Creator/ Host: Josh Manchester (a blogger based at theadventuresofchester.com)

Supplied Info: Warfare, statecraft, Islam, and the great issues of the day.

Genre/ Style: Politics, Interviews

Last Podcast (title; date; info):

Interview with Fred Ikle; 10/11/2006; Fred Ikle, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy in the Reagan Administration, discusses his new book, “Annihilation From Within.”

Podcast of interest (title; date; info):

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross on Islam and Terrorism; 24/10/2006; Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, former radical Muslim and now a terrorism consultant, discusses his background as described in his forthcoming book, “My Year Inside Radical Islam,” along with prison jihad; the media war; riots in Europe; Somalia; and Indonesia.

Overall Review:

Though the channel title doesn’t give much away, it didn’t take me long to realize that the host of this podcast is an American, non-Muslim who is mainly concerned with discussions on “radical” Islam, the War on Terror, and other matters which tend to annoy regular Muslims. It is not worth going into a deep review, as it seems that the podcast channel (including the host blog) is no longer being regularly updated. But for what it’s worth, Josh has an eloquent style, and is not overtly hostile to Muslims or Islam – in fact, there was much mention of the benefits of ‘moderate’ Islam in the Gartenstein-Ross interview – though neither host nor guest ever bothered to explain what moderate Islam actually is (sigh).

The latter interview also drove me a little nuts with the blatant hypocrisy typically displayed by consultants who are hired to suggest methods for thwarting radicalism in the Muslim world. The absolute two-faced rhetoric of jihad = bad, evil, wrong wrong wrong, but American military intervention in Muslim lands = completely different & oh-so-gooood. PUR-LEASE! At one point, they were even claiming that the Middle East needed more media channels that were ‘friendly’ to American interests, as part of the ‘war of ideas’. Erm, last time I checked, that was called PROPOGANDA. Not so great when the Commies are using it, but just dandy for making Arabs more hospitable to American ideals (and interference). It is really enough to make me pull my own hair out!

Recommended audience: Obviously this podcast has nothing to do with Islam as a religion, but rather, is concerned with ‘political’ Islam, Islamism, or whatever you want to call it. Not recommended for the average Muslim, but maybe of interest to those who are wise in the ways of current affairs, just so you know the kinds of arguments and accusations we need to work against (though some arguments won’t be so relevant in 2008). However, to prevent increasing the channel’s popularity, I suggest that you download the audio files direct from the source: http://www.theadventuresofchester.com/archives/podcasts/

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So that’s all from me this week. Please let me know if this review was useful, and feel free to provide some suggestions on how I can improve. See you next Saturday, insha’Allah!

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Podcast Review: The Adventures of Chester Radio