The Traveller's Lantern

Ep. 10 | On Sacred Knowledge: Its Pursuit, Its Teachers, and the Journey Within | Shaykh Ahmed Saad al-Azhari

In this illuminating episode, we sit with Shaykh Dr. Ahmed Saad al-Hasani al-Azhari, a distinguished scholar, poet, and teacher whose lineage traces back to Imam al-Hasan and whose scholarship bridges the traditional and modern worlds. Drawing on a life immersed in learning—from memorising the Qur’an at a young age to teaching across continents—Shaykh Dr. Ahmed shares profound insights into what it truly means to seek sacred knowledge. Through personal reflections, timeless adab (etiquette), and stories from his teachers, he explores the transformative relationship between student and teacher, the importance of sincerity (ikhlāṣ), and how knowledge can be both rooted in tradition and alive in contemporary life. This conversation is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone on the path of learning, faith, and self-betterment. 0:00 – Introduction 1:06 – The Shaykh’s Brief Biography 3:11 – Childhood and Early Influences 9:39 – The Most Impactful Teachers in the Shaykh’s Journey 23:34 – Is Learning Itself a Skill to Be Learned? 31:19 – Why Every Student Needs a Teacher 58:31 – Timeless Etiquettes of Seeking Sacred Knowledge 1:07:33 – Maintaining Ikhlāṣ (Sincerity) in the Pursuit of Knowledge 1:16:16 – Education in Secular and Traditional Islamic Contexts 1:30:30 – Reflections on the Mālikī Madhhab and the Schools of Thought 1:38:26 – The Vision Behind Ihsan Institute 1:52:42 – (Not-So) Quickfire Questions 2:01:09 – The Shaykh Recites His Own Poem Shaykh Ahmed’s Institution: www.ihsaninstitute.co.uk [http://www.ihsaninstitute.co.uk] www.ihsaninstitute.sg [https://www.ihsaninstitute.sg/] 👇 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring stories on The Travellers Lantern Podcast — where faith meets ambition. Discover more about Supporting Sunni Scholars: 🌐 www.supportingsunnischolars.org Stay connected through their socials: 📲 bit.ly/SSS-WhatsApp-Community 📢 bit.ly/SSS-Telegram-Group 🐦 bit.ly/SSS-X 📸 bit.ly/SSS-Instagram 📘 bit.ly/Facebook-SSS

Ep. 09 | Purpose, Patience & Profit: The Journey of Sweet Joe’s Founder

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Ammar Saleem, founder of Sweet Joe’s — a Birmingham-born cookie dough brand. From launching innovative products to building a business rooted in faith, Ammar shares his journey of purpose, patience, and balance.Growing up in Birmingham, Ammar shares how his journey of self-discovery led him to study Islam and eventually dedicate himself to Dawah and entrepreneurship. We discuss how he balances his deen and dunya, the lessons he’s learned as a public speaker, and his advice for Muslims striving to build a halal livelihood.🔥 Key Topics:Growing up in Birmingham & early influencesThe journey from gang life to DawahHow a Christian teacher inspired his study of IslamThe rise of Sweet Joe’s — bringing halal alternatives to the UKBalancing deep study, work, and family lifeWhy earning halal, even if less, is always worth itBuilding a business that serves both the community and your purpose📍 Timestamps: 00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q] – Introduction03:26 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=206s] – Growing Up in Birmingham05:51 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=351s] – “I Wanted to Be Part of That Gang Life”08:31 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=511s] – How a Christian Teacher Led Me to Study Islam15:13 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=913s] – Starting Dawah Work & The Need for English-Speaking Imams20:25 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=1225s] – Balancing Deep Study and the Dunya – Is It Possible?24:54 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=1494s] – What Drew You Into These Two Worlds?28:38 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=1718s] – The Multi-Millionaire Imam?!32:30 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=1950s] – Sit and Eat or Work and Serve?35:10 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=2110s] – Advice for Aspiring Public Speakers38:54 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=2334s] – Building Your Own Business from Scratch40:45 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=2445s] – “Start Where You Are!”45:15 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=2715s] – Dealing with Discouragement47:52 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=2872s] – Keeping It Halal – Even in Business56:15 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=3375s] – Programs That Help You Launch Your Business01:01:47 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=3707s] – Overnight Success vs. Sabr (Patience)01:06:26 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=3986s] – Why Earning Less Halal Is Better Than Earning More Haram01:08:38 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=4118s] – Think Long-Term – Don’t Chase Everything Now01:14:35 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCQx0gDg1Q&t=4475s] – (Not-So) Rapid Fire Round!👇 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring stories on The Travellers Lantern Podcast — where faith meets ambition.Discover more about Supporting Sunni Scholars:🌐 www.supportingsunnischolars.orgStay connected through their socials:📲 bit.ly/SSS-WhatsApp-Community📢 bit.ly/SSS-Telegram-Group🐦 bit.ly/SSS-X📸 bit.ly/SSS-Instagram📘 bit.ly/Facebook-SSS#ShaykhAnisAhmed [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/shaykhanisahmed] #SweetJoes [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/sweetjoes] #TravellersLanternPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/travellerslanternpodcast] #HalalBusiness [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/halalbusiness] #Dawah [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/dawah] #IslamicPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/islamicpodcast] #HalalHustle [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/halalhustle] #FaithAndBusiness [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/faithandbusiness]

Ep. 08. | How to Truly Love the Messenger of Allah ﷺ

In this episode of *The Traveller’s Lantern Podcast*, we are honoured to host **Shaykh Muhammad Danyaal**, a British-born scholar renowned for his immense depth of knowledge and expertise in the **Sirah**, **Shamā’il**, and classical works of **Hadith**. With years of dedicated study and teaching, Shaykh Danyaal is a trusted scholar of this field, guiding audiences to a deeper understanding and love of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.Together, we explore one of the most vital questions of our time: *How do we truly love the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in today’s fast-paced and self-centred world?*We discuss:🌿 Building a personal connection with the Prophet ﷺ🌿 The role of the Sirah in deepening love for the Messenger ﷺ🌿 Bringing Sunnah practices into our homes and daily routines🌿 Advice for parents on cultivating prophetic love in their children🌿 Practical steps to grow in love for the Prophet ﷺ every dayThis heartfelt and practical conversation will inspire you to transform love into lived reality — shaping your heart, home, and life around the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.🔔 Subscribe for more episodes and join us on the journey.💬 Share your reflections in the comments — how do *you* build love for the Prophet ﷺ?\#ProphetMuhammad #Sirah #Sunnah #IslamicPodcast #ShaykhAnisAhmed #TravellersLantern

Ep. 07. | The Art of Recitation: Unlocking Qira’at, Maqamat & Memorisation

In this episode of The Traveller’s Lantern Podcast*, we sit down with **Shaykh Abu Adam Akhlaq al-Azhari* of Darul Qurra, one of Europe’s leading Qur’an reciters and teachers.Together, we explore: * The history of Qur’anic revelation * The seven ahruf (accents) and what they mean * What makes a qira’ah authentic * Why qira’at never change the Qur’an’s meaning * The impact of pausing in recitation * The beauty of maqamat and how they are applied * Practical tips for memorising the Qur’an * How Shaykh Abu Adam developed his own qaidah for learning * Facebook:   / darulqurra   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3VYaTlxRndUc2o5M0NXbXBXRE4tZWNrS3JJd3xBQ3Jtc0tsQ3hMUHRrc3V4OVRWdTdLMV9mMS05aC1FQ2d3eDRKb3MyYzVJTzRCeVdybkxwcHlFaEpNUTNQcGc5U3JudkJySU9ScWlKbWY3aS12emdvS2NZeWZUQXVqanJKc3dGVkFmTUYtcWNqbEpmNzhFM1pFNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdarulqurra&v=0UNGBgIVejw] * Instagram:   / darulqurrairc   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmlsMDJlNU1lM0dMTmhuaEltZEFYdlNERmFDZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsWEoyaXlZMW1vZ3FwR2QtMXF5b3N4d3FhNGt1aTlJU2xmdFVfLUptVGY4ZVBpLV9MaVdDQTFaczN6T3Q2NDFqMElkeHhEUDNCZTZTY0dBcXlETGo0NzVKMFFnTEQ3UWJOalNnb1Zuam1ISlJqbG9Nbw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fdarulqurrairc%2F&v=0UNGBgIVejw] What makes this episode special is Shaykh Abu Adam’s **unique skill in simplifying complex concepts**. His ability to make the sciences of Qur’an accessible, clear, and inspiring shines throughout our conversation — a gift that students and listeners alike can benefit from.📍 Darul Qurra & Islamic Research Centre and Mosque26 Oakwood Rd, Birmingham B11 4HA🔗 Connect with Darul Qurra:If you’ve ever wanted to understand the art of Qur’an recitation in a way that

Ep. 06. | Striking Balance: Muay Thai, Masculinity, and the Power of Purpose | Kash the Flash Khan

Welcome back to **The Traveller’s Lantern**.In this episode, we're joined by none other than **Naqqash Khan**, better known in the fight world as **Kash the Flash Khan** — a decorated Muay Thai champion, elite-level coach, and founder of **Kash Box Martial Arts**.Kash brings over 15 years of fighting experience and nearly two decades of coaching wisdom to the table. A former **Midlands Area, English, British, and European Champion**, he’s ranked among the UK’s top fighters and has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best in the world.But this conversation goes far beyond titles.We dive deep into his **journey from fighter to mentor**, the **challenges he faced staying true to his faith (din)** in a demanding combat sport, and how **Muay Thai shaped his understanding of masculinity, discipline, and self-respect**. Kash opens up about the importance of **positive role models**, how martial arts empowers youth, and the legacy he's building through community and coaching.Whether you’re a fighter, coach, or someone searching for purpose, this episode is for you.📍 **Kash Box Martial Arts**🏠 173–179 Tyburn Rd, Birmingham, B24 8NQ🌐 [https://kash-box.co.uk/home/](https://kash-box.co.uk/home/)🎙️ **Listen to this episode on**:Spotify | Amazon Music | Apple Podcasts📌 **Chapters include**:– Kash’s early days and rise through the Muay Thai ranks– Being tested: faith vs. fighting culture– Redefining masculinity through martial discipline– How Muay Thai is transforming young lives today– The heart behind Kash Box and building a legacy🛎️ **Subscribe** for more meaningful conversations at the intersection of journey, identity, and purpose.\#MuayThai #KashTheFlash #MensMentalHealth #Discipline #MartialArts #Masculinity #Coaching #TheTravellersLantern #FaithAndFighting