NUS Muslim Society Official Podcast

Alhamdulillah on the 29th of March 2023, the muslim societies of various tertiary institutions had the privilege of being addressed by our Mufti Sahibus Samahah Dr Nazirudin during our combined Iftarawih (Iftar and Tarawih) event. Mufti spoke about the Qur'an and seeking Allah's acceptance and also weaved in gems of guidance in rising to the challenges presented to us as students and as muslims.

Timestamps;

0:00 The blessing of our student days 

3:10 The month of Qur’an 

4:10 The difference between those who seek Allah’s reward and those who seek Allah’s acceptance 

7:25 The most valuable thing in the sight of Allah swt 

9:10 Surah An-Najm - The vastness of Allah swt’s forgiveness 

11:02 Are we among those who glorify ourselves?

13:01 What does being compassionate mean? 

14:30 Nothing escapes Allah’s mercy 

18:00 Dealing with faith and modernity 

19:55 Can we offer solutions to the problems of today? 

20:30 Some of the challenges of today 

23:05 Rising to the challenge 

24:50 Confidence emerges from knowledge 

25:55 Navigating faith and critical thinking in university 

27:30 Islam is a religion of thought 

28:30 Spirituality as part of the model in complementing faith and science 

30:30 The process of offering a solution rooted in faith for masjid goers during the Covid-19 pandemic 

37:30 A challenge for all of us 

During this final session organised by NUSMS Rihlah in Semester 2 titled 'Welcoming Wellness', Ustaz Adi Ho joined us in NUS and provided us with a beautiful and balanced insight to understanding what wellness means to us as muslims and how we can go about attaining it.

Timestamps;

00:00 Opening and Introduction 

05:10 The beauty of Surah Al-Asr

10:10 How to achieve success against time 

15:23 Do we trust Allah swt will forgive us?

25:48 Who should we be serving to achieve success?

35:10 The greatest blessing we have as the ummah of Rasulullah ﷺ 

37:48 Tips for those going through difficulty 

40:18 The biggest test for you

52:50 Rabbi inni limaa anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqeer - Meaning and origin of do'a

1:01:20 The love between the Prophet ﷺ and Sayyidatina Khadijah RA 

1:06:50 How to istighfar (seek Allah’s forgiveness) before making do’a (supplications and prayers) to Allah swt 

1:08:15 Don’t be in a hurry 

1:08:32 How many times to do istighfar? 

1:11:45 Do’a for blessed sustenance

1:16:55 Laa tathriba ‘alaikumul yaum - The forgiveness of Nabi Yusuf AS 

1:19:35 Do we know what’s good for ourselves? 

1:20:40 The best way to end our do’as 

During this session in Semester 2, Ustaz Anwar Hussain joined us in NUS to share about the subject of Aqidah or Islamic Theology and its importance in guiding us through the challenges of our current time and environment.

Timestamps;

0:00 Opening 

4:55 The different terms referring to Islamic theology - Kalam, Aqidah etc. 

7:41 Understanding the significance of the knowledge of Aqidah

8:45 The parable of the tree 

17:47 The world is shrinking 

19:20 The fruit of the tree is spirituality 

22:32 The definitions of Aqidah 

26:49 Evidence in Islamic theology is based on conviction 

36:40 What is the syllabus to attain this knowledge? 

50:25 The definition of a Sufi and Tasawwuf 

57:50 The challenges of our time 

59:05 Prophecies of the end of times unfolding 

1:01:35 Seeking Islamic knowledge is important now more than ever 

1:02:25 Ideologies of today

1:03:10 Extremism is a consequence of weakness in the knowledge of Aqidah 

1:05:15 Islam is backward in modern times? 

1:07:30 The importance of this knowledge 

1:09:28 Q&A 

1:12:30 What Imam Shafi’ie said about seeking knowledge while we are young and not waiting for old age 

1:17:25 The difference between Iman and Aqidah 

1:18:20 The possibility of having knowledge with no Iman 

1:21:50 The 2 types of people who will not attain knowledge 

1:22:23 Can someone with misunderstandings in theology be a Sufi? 

1:24:20 Imam Shafi’ie’s definition of Bid’ah 

1:27:00 Closing

During another session in Semester 1, Ustaz Ruknuddin Zainor joined us on zoom to share about Ruqyah and Protection as part of our efforts to understand how we can take care ourselves and our family with the proper knowledge of the unseen.

Timestamps;

0:00 – Ruqyah (Healing) is mentioned in the Qur’an

8:50 – Forms of Jinn: JinnJa Chicken?

11:13 – Sihr: White vs. Black Magic

21:15 – Ways Sihr is casted

28:55 – ‘Ain and its effects

34:45 – Start of Q&A

35:30 – 6 things to do if inflicted with Sihr

39:50 – Are nightmares and sleep paralysis forms of disturbance?

40:04 – How to avoid giving and receiving ‘Ain

42:13 – Is the ‘third eye’ real?

43:17 – Self Ruqyah vs. seeking help from an Ustaz

44:12 – ‘Was-was’: Mental health issue or Jinn disturbance?

46:47 – What is a Qareen and can it cause me disturbances?

47:40 – 4 doors through which Syaitan can enter you

During this session in Semester 1, Dr Nur Farhan joined us on zoom to share about elderly mental health as part of our efforts to understand how we can take care of these important members of our family and our muslim community.

Timestamps;

00:00 Opening by Dr Nur

04:03 What does it mean to be a Muslim Doctor?

06:21 Case 1: Patient presenting memory issues

14:27 Case 2: Patient who is depressed

18:27 Case 3: Low Cortisol and sudden forgetfulness

21:00 Case 4: Patient with Dementia

25:17 Case 5: Dementia Patient who kept climbing trees 

27:33 Case 6: Stressful situations may uncover early signs of dementia  

29:18 Case 7: Repetitive conversations may not be due of dementia 

32:00 Case 8: Caregiver feared that excessive milk consumption by elder was causing dementia

33:47 Is it normal for old people to be sad is it a good enough reason for medication?

35:28 Book Recommendations!

36:55 Situations where sending elders to a nursing home is better than neglect

39:00 Q&A

39:30 Q: How do we understanding patients who dislike medication?

41:16 Q: Perceived supernatural disturbances that are actually caused by medical problems?

43:20 Q: What can we do to help the elderly community in Singapore?

44:50 Q: How do we prevent mild cognitive impairment from progressing into dementia?

Syawal has come and gone, but Eid is a day we always keep close to our hearts 🤍 Learn more about what Eid is, and how Muslims from different cultures celebrate it in our Raya-themed episode. From greetings to food to traditions, we welcome you to appreciate the diversity in Islam while still finding the connections in celebrating Eid.

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, and corrections of errors. 

We welcome you to participate in this conversation and we would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg anytime.

Listen in as we explore how Ramadan is a month for Rahmah, and the importance of giving back to the community. We even have a handy list of activities for you to take up to contribute to the community, so stay tuned… 🌙

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, and corrections of errors. 

We welcome you to participate in this conversation and we would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg anytime.

Do you know of people that do not have a good relationship with their family? And how common is it in this generation? 🏠 In this episode, we examine degeneration in family ties in today’s society, the importance of ‘family’ in Islam, and what we can do to improve these bonds.

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, and corrections of errors. 

We welcome you to participate in this conversation and we would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg anytime.

Our Family episodes strive to help increase our excellence through providing actions and tips when it comes to leading and being with our families. Follow along for a meaningful series where we explore themes which will help us in our journey to grow and improve on ourselves 🤍

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, and corrections of errors. 

We welcome you to participate in this conversation and we would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg anytime.

As the last part of our Halal Dating mini-series, we bring you our last ‘Individual’ episode: If Not Now, Then When? Have you been feeling pressured to find a partner? Wondering about some principles to keep in mind when meeting new people? Uztaz Ma’az Sallim shares his answers to these & some additional advice in our latest episode.

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, and corrections of errors.

We welcome you to participate in this conversation and we would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg anytime.

In the second part of our Halal Dating mini-series, we have a conversation about… dating applications! The modern dating world has brought on many changes to the very concept of “dating” and are halal dating apps really halal? We continue our conversation with Uztazah Syariati in our latest episode.

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, and corrections of errors.

We welcome you to participate in this conversation and we would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg anytime.

In the first part of our Halal Dating mini-series, we look at important definitions of the Islamic view of “dating”. How is dating defined in our current world? Is dating allowed? What is ta’aruf? These are some of the questions we sat down with Uztazah Syariati to discuss in our latest episode.

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, and corrections of errors.

We welcome you to participate in this conversation and we would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg anytime.

We have all been there - consumed by doubts and feelings in times of hardship. What defines an ideal Muslim? And how do we emulate such a person? It is time to set aside a few moments to validate this inner conflict and have a discussion. This episode, the team discusses turning to Him for guidance, and what we have found along the way.

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, and corrections of errors.

We welcome you to participate in this conversation and we would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg anytime.

Context Lens is back this AY22/23 with a new team & direction for our content! If you’re a new listener wondering who we are, or if you’re a familiar face curious about what’s next, look no further. In this first episode of the year, the team shares our intentions and directions for the episodes up ahead. We also mention a little sneak peek at the kind of content we’ll be delving into - so stay tuned 🎧

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, and corrections of errors.

We welcome you to participate in this conversation and we would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg anytime.

As a continuation to our first episode on the issue of halal food in schools, we end off this two-part series exploring the broader issue of halal food. What is halal food? Is there a lack of halal food in schools, and if yes, are there any practical solutions that we can adopt? What is the role of MUIS in ensuring we have halal food options? We invite two brilliant individuals, Mr Zalman, the Director of Halal Development from MUIS and Haira, the president of NTU Muslim Society for a conversation with us. Curious to know their answers? Tune in to the podcast episode to find out more!

"Hangry in school". We're sure that you've heard about the halal food issue that has gained traction on social media recently, in response to that article by Mothership.sg, which outlined the limited halal food options faced by NTU Muslim undergraduates. Based on this backdrop, our team did a groundsensing recently through social media and we've gathered a variety of sentiments from students in general about getting halal food in schools! Curious to know what students felt? Tune in to this podcast episode to find out more!

Assalamualaikum everyone! Join us in this episode where Afiqah, Nabila and Huda unpack the question 'Is there more to self-love?'. Raising their own personal takes and building on the pointers shared during our very first Focus Group Discussion, take a deep dive into this concept with us and rediscover its meaning and greater purpose.

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, and corrections of errors.

We welcome you to participate in this conversation and we would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg anytime.

Assalamualaikum everyone! Context Lens is back for the new semester, with a brand new team! In this episode, tag along with Afiqah, Hani, and Nabila as they introduce you to the team’s new goals this year. Here’s what you can expect from them moving forward!

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, and corrections of errors.

We welcome you to participate in this conversation and we would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg anytime.

Please do not add this audio content to the Youtube Content ID System. We have used background music which is owned by FesliyanStudios.

Welcome back to Context Lens! In this episode, follow Nasrul, Afiqah, and our special guest, Syazana, as they navigate environmental sustainability and the role that Muslims play in being vicegerents or "khalifah" on this earth.

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or corrections of errors. We welcome you in this conversation and would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed too! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg ✨

This podcast will share with its listeners more about the plight of elderly living and coping alone and to raise awareness on what they could do to help out.

In the second and final episode of Let Love Blossom, we go into the issues raised by the public which includes: love of the dunya, social media, the state of our heart and being, our environment and social circles, and needing to reignite the love for the Prophet ﷺ.

In the first episode of Let Love Blossom, we go into the various ways of loving a man ﷺ we have never met through several real-life analogies that we may already engage in, and learning how to apply them to loving the Prophet ﷺ. The guest speaker for our podcast series is Ustaz Fizar Zainal, the current founder and owner of The Mutual Good Pte Ltd. He is accompanied by our Senior Advisor, Shauqat, and our Programmes Head, Danish.

Ms Yong Limin, Head of Allied Health at Methodist Welfare Services, shares with us her experiences being a physiotherapist for the elderly for 20 years and how we as youths could help out the disabled elderly.

Welcome back to Context Lens! In this episode, follow A & Z as they navigate through the "hustle culture", priorities as a Muslim student, and what it means to be a productive Muslim! 

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or corrections of errors. We welcome you in this conversation and would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed too! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg ✨

Welcome back to Context Lens! In this episode, we’d like to invite you to 'Unlearn and Relearn' our subconscious biases. Casual sexism remains rampant in Singapore, even within the Muslim community. We address its harmful effects and why it’s still prevalent today. Most importantly, we talk about how we can break away from this trend.

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or corrections of errors. We welcome you in this conversation and would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed too! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg ✨

It’s the new Islamic and academic year! With new beginnings comes new goals and intentions. In our first episode, Context Lens talks about the renewal of faith. For many, rebuilding one’s faith may seem daunting. You may feel hopeless and that you are far from where you hope to be. Though this journey may be deeply personal, we hope to make you feel less alone as we reflect on our own experiences of grappling with faith. TLDR: We’re all in this together and everything’s going to be okay insyaAllah ☺

The Context Lens podcast represents the personal opinions and experiences of the Context Lens team and guests to the podcast. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers’ and are not representative of NUS Muslim Society. While we strive to ensure that the information shared is accurate to the best of our ability, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or corrections of errors. We welcome you in this conversation and would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed too! Feel free to leave us a DM on Instagram @contextlens.mp3 or drop us an email at media@nusms.org.sg ✨

In this episode, we hope to gain a deeper insight into how the elderly are viewed in Islam. This episode will entail the religious perspective towards the elderly and how we, as individuals acquire a religious responsibility in relation to the well-being of the elderly in our households and beyond. Our guest speaker, Ustaz Muhammad Fadhullah Daud is the Senior Executive Officer at the education division at Darul Arqam Singapore. He spent 12 years of his studies at Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah. He later furthered his studies on Islamic Jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University for 4 years and graduated in 2010.

In this episode, we discuss about health issues facing the elderly, and how we as caregivers can provide them with better care. This includes maintaining both physical and mental health, by keeping the mind active as well as changing diet and physical habits. Our special guest is Adj Assoc Prof Lim Si Ching, senior consultant of Changi General Hospital. She specializes in Geriatric Medicine and Dementia, and teaches at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Duke NUS.