Sheikh Belal Assaad holds a Degree in Shari’ah and Da’wah from the ‘Ad-Da’Wah Wal-Irshad University Institute’, Tripoli, Lebanon 1995.

He continued his studies in Biomedical Science at Victoria University (VU), followed by a postgraduate degree in Teaching Science and Student Welfare & Well-being’ also from Victoria University (VU). He also competed a second postgraduate degree in Migration Law and Practice from the Australian National University (ANU).

Sheikh Belal is a registered Minister of Religion (title: Imam) and Marriage Celebrant with the Australian Federation of Islamic Council and the Australian Governor General’s Office.

He has been in the field of Da’wah delivering regular khutbas and a public speaker locally and abroad for the past 26 years. He is internationally known and is invited to guest speak and lecture regularly through various organisations internationally and nationally as much as his time permits. Sheikh Belal was born in Melbourne Australia, and currently resides there.

The Sufi Heart podcast with Omid Safi features teachings and stories about a sacred tradition of love, one that manifests outwardly as justice and inwardly as tenderness.  Drawing primarily on the wisdom of the Islamic tradition as well as the legacies of the Civil Rights movements and other wisdom teachings, Omid invites you to a meditation on the transformative power of love and recalling the necessity of linking healing our own hearts with healing the world. 

Omid Safi is director of Duke University’s Islamic Studies Center. He specializes in the study of Islamic mysticism and contemporary Islam and frequently writes on liberationist traditions of Dr. King, Malcolm X, and is committed to traditions that link together love and justice.

Omid is the past chair for the Study of Islam at the American Academy of Religion. He has written many books, including Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism; Cambridge Companion to American Islam; Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam; and Memories of Muhammad. His forthcoming books include Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Traditions and a book on the famed mystic Rumi.

Omid is among the most frequently sought out speakers on Islam in popular media, appearing in The New York Times, Newsweek, Washington Post, PBS, NPR, NBC, CNN, and other international media. He leads spiritual tours every year to Turkey, Morocco, or other countries, to study the rich multiple religious traditions there. The trips are open to everyone, from every country. More information is available at Illuminated Tours.

This podcast is dedicated to exploring issues in some more depth and untangling the complexities of the world around us. We engage thinkers, academics, and scholars in conversation on a number of themes to appreciate the ideas that make up Islam as a system of thought. Support us by becoming a monthly member: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membership

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