Cruelty is the Point

BRIDGING THE IVORY TOWER & THE STREETS 🕌

BRIDGING THE IVORY TOWER & THE STREETS 🕌 | Muslim Chaplain at Columbia University, Ebad What does it actually look like to lead a spiritual community inside the Ivy League? In this powerful episode of Rising in the West, we sit down with Ebad Rahman, Muslim Chaplain at Columbia University to talk about faith, service, and showing up for students in the heart of NYC. From organizing massive Eid prayers to advocating for students behind the scenes, we get real about the highs, the lows, and the spiritual weight of this work.I n this episode, we dive into: ✨ The journey from memorizing the Quran at 15 to earning a PhD ✨ What it really feels like to fight imposter syndrome ✨ Why every student needs to know the history right outside their door (including Malcolm X’s final speech at Barnard in 1965) ✨ The danger of staying inside the "Ivory Tower" and why we must stay connected to the streets ✨ Spiritual survival tips for the "always-on" student life Ebad's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i_baad Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 02:15 - Memorizing the Quran to an Ivy League PhD 08:40 - Behind the Scenes: Muslim Life at Columbia 14:10 - Battling Imposter Syndrome & Finding Mentors 21:05 - Local History: Malcolm X’s Final Speech at Barnard (1965) 27:35 - The Ivory Tower vs. The Streets: Using Knowledge Against Oppression3 5:50 - Spiritual Self-Care: Finding Peace Through Dhikr "You are more than your grades, you are more than your degrees... You are a human being. You are a soul." 🔗 Connect With Us: Subscribe to the Channel Follow "Rising in the West" on Instagram: @risinginthewest Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts: Rising in the West Support our work: https://www.patreon.com/cw/RisingintheWest If this conversation brought you value, please leave a Like, Comment with your biggest takeaway, and Share it with someone who needs to hear this reminder today.

A vision for Muslims

The group comes together to debate Omar's article, The Muhammadan Presence: an American Vision. It is a vision for Muslims in the United States and what to do. It starts off slow, but then suddenly spikes in a passionate talk about how to go about integrating with the world. What are Islamic values? How do we cultivate them? What is the plan to see it through? Let us know what you think!Article: https://www.omarb.com/p/the-muhammadan-presence-an-american [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/2Ty8pa0oGvwtvK0pq63bqh/episode/5rdQ7i4bKqVBcuMggBcDbH/The%20group%20comes%20together%20to%20debate%20Omar's%20article,%20The%20Muhammadan%20Presence:%20an%20American%20Vision.%20It%20is%20a%20vision%20for%20Muslims%20in%20the%20United%20States%20and%20what%20to%20do.%20It%20starts%20off%20slow,%20but%20then%20suddenly%20spikes%20in%20a%20passionate%20talk%20about%20how%20to%20go%20about%20integrating%20with%20the%20world.%20%20%20What%20are%20Islamic%20values?%20How%20do%20we%20cultivate%20them?%20What%20is%20the%20plan%20to%20see%20it%20through?%20Let%20us%20know%20what%20you%20think!%20%20Article:%20https://www.omarb.com/p/the-muhammadan-presence-an-american]

Iran. Now what?

Haroon and Omar go at it on Iran. What's happening? Why? Religious? What? Iran strikes coincided with Purim. Intentional? Who knows? The point is innocent people die regardless of what "old flesh bags" decide. This is a passionate one for Omar, who wants to do right and struggles in the rubble to do so. Check this stop in his journey for a Free Palestine. The interview with Dr. Ali Ataie: https://youtu.be/rsUeh0bKAes [https://youtu.be/rsUeh0bKAes]

Ramadan Pod

The "Plateau" Experience Haroon and Nadir get vulnerable about their personal struggles this Ramadan. Haroon discusses the "flatline" he experienced after a strong start and the difficulty of maintaining a "spiritual mode" while managing the daily grind of work and a lack of weekday community. How was your Ramadan?

The Death of the Essay

Sam Altman wants to create a ‘Digital God,’ but we’re just trying to get students to think for themselves. Is generative AI the end of critical thinking? This week on Rising in the West, Haroon reports from the “English trenches,” where the “Death of the Essay” looms as students trade deep analysis for polished AI outputs. Omar explains the technical reality—why AI doesn’t “think,” but instead makes connections of human knowledge with an authoritative and lots of times “hallucinatory,” tone. Nadir raises a vital concern for the Ummah: the danger of youth seeking fatwas and spiritual guidance from biased algorithms. We explore a provocative “power play”—applying the rigorous standards of Hadith science to verify the reliability of AI information. From strategic chip wars in Taiwan to “Dead Internet Theory,” we discuss how these machines are re-wiring our world. In an era where liars are viewed as truth-tellers, how do we protect our spiritual foundations? Readings and more... Yaqeen Institute on AI [https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/post/how-yaqeen-institute-approaches-ai-integrating-technology-with-islamic-ethics] Muslims and AI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7opfbjHoB1E] CFR - Ai and 2026 [https://www.cfr.org/articles/how-2026-could-decide-future-artificial-intelligence] CNBC - MIT Job Study [https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/26/mit-study-finds-ai-can-already-replace-11point7percent-of-us-workforce.html] TIME - Jobs and AI [https://time.com/7357476/economics-of-ai-and-jobs/] The Guardian - Novelists’ Concern with AI [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/20/more-than-half-of-uk-novelists-believe-ai-will-replace-their-work] NPR - AI in Schools [https://www.npr.org/2026/01/14/nx-s1-5674741/ai-schools-education] Business Insider - Professors Assigns ChatGPT [https://www.businessinsider.com/wharton-mba-professor-requires-students-to-use-chatgpt-ai-cheating-2023-1] Decoder - AI and the Education Crisis [https://www.theverge.com/podcast/815434/ai-education-schools-research-cheating-chatgpt-jobs-grades]