Episode 132 - Dr. Yasir Qadhi on Rethinking Western Islam: Institutions, Salafism & The Tradition

Dr Yasir Qadhi joins us to unpack Salafism, sectarianism, and how Muslims in the West can move from labels to leadership.

We talk about what healthy disagreement looks like, why unity does not mean uniformity, and how communities can build real capacity, from mosques and schools to media, philanthropy, and liberal arts education.

We get specific about funding ethics, local service to the poor, and civilizational projects that shape hearts and minds. The goal is practical, principled institution building that serves faith and society together.

What you will hear:

• Salafism in context, strengths, blind spots, and the illusion of correctness

• Agreeing to disagree, red lines, and ending the habit of turning rivals into enemies

• From masjid to media, why we need journalists, artists, scholars, and leaders

• Philanthropy with purpose, feeding the hungry locally, museums and public education, funding without strings

• Liberal arts and classical sciences, why breadth of knowledge matters for the next generation

• Living in the West with confidence, learning from Abyssinia

If this conversation benefits you, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave a comment with your biggest takeaway.

Thanks to our sponsor Human Appeal Australia for supporting community focused conversations.

https://www.humanappeal.org.au/appeal/gaza-emergency-appeal-2023-2/ 🕳️

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Timestamps

00:00 Intro and book context

06:58 Criticism and following trusted scholars

17:47 Unity, red lines, civility

21:05 Mawlid and taraweeh, nuance

33:12 Diverse strengths in the seerah

40:33 Seminary reform and the modern imam

49:40 Training leaders, contextualizing in the West

56:38 Knowledge exchange, Israiliyyat and kalam

01:12:07 Read real history, what to build next

01:26:44 Philanthropy, public projects, local politics, funding ethics

01:39:21 Identity pressure, Abyssinia question

01:42:35 Politics is a dirty game, ethics of engagement