The New Nomos

A New Hope - Polybius and the Crown Prince

This chapter marks a year since this podcast publicly released its first episode. It truly has been a journey of discovery and I, Abdallah Dutton, would like to personally thank everyone that has tuned in and supported me on this project. 
This episode is a statement to understand the time we live in. It draws on my understanding of the work of the ancient Greek historian Polybius and what he outlined as the cyclical nature of political systems throughout time. It concludes that as an Ummah we look towards the Crown Prince HRH Prince Muhammad bin Salman Al Saud as a new hope for guidance and protection in this time of rapid change. 
Be patient, it is not what you have been taught. 
 
Dedicated to my Teacher and Master Shaykh Dr Abdalqadir as-Sufi (rahimullah) and his inheritors the Fuqara.
 
Further Reading:
Shaykh Abdalqadir's Article 'Hail to the Crown Prince': https://shaykhabdalqadir.com/hail-to-the-crown-prince/
For a deeper analysis of Saudi - US economic relations and where Saudi sits today: https://www.leaders-mena.com/saudi-arabia-is-surviving-financial-liberation-thanks-to-the-realism-of-mohammed-bin-salman-morad-al-hattab/
For an outline on MBS' rise to power and the change in succession: https://observer.com/2019/01/how-saudi-arabia-crown-prince-mbs-rose-to-power/
The recent article on an interview with MBS published by The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/04/mohammed-bin-salman-saudi-arabia-palace-interview/622822/
 
Music by Ian Cattanach
 

A Touch of Rumi in the Night

A look into the life and works of Rumi with Feraidoon Mojadedi.
Feraidoon Mojadedi is a community leader, lecturer, and entrepreneur in the Bay Area – California. Born in Herat, Afghanistan, he grew up in a household with a deep love and reverence for poetry. At the age of five he began to memorize poems by Rumi and other great poets. This love of poetry continued to grow and developed into a passion that has led him to teach classes on Rumi throughout California, the U.S.A and across the world. 
 
Music by Ian Cattanach

Liberty is the Capacity to Resist - An Essay in Verse

Given the events happening around us I went back to this piece I wrote a few years ago. 
It highlights that the moment we find ourselves in, is not some seemingly spontaneous cataclysm of events, but is rather a product of centuries of injustice.
An injustice that on the face of it seems so engrained into modern society that there is no way out. But the reality of it, is not so. And the way forward is not that complex. 
We don’t need a change of scenery
We just need a new set of eyes
 

Redefining Conquest - Babur and the Complete Man

To conquer outwardly should you first conquer inwardly? Or is conquer simply the wrong word?
This episode starts with the above question. Drawing from examples from the life of the Great Mughal Emperor Zahir-ud-Din Muhammad Babur the term 'conquest' is re-examined with Life Coach Rishad Ahmed reframing the question and the labels attached to it. 

Reflection - Take a Look in the Mirror

Exploring the theme of courage with Lena Chauhan and how her understanding of the term changed through her experiences on various adventures through life.  
This is a fun conversation that speaks many truths. It all leads to the question of whether the greatest courage needed today is to truly look in the mirror.
 
Qawwali - Dekh Le Shakl Meri Kis Ka Ainaa Hu Men - https://aydutton.com/dekh/

A Near Life Experience - Stoic Resilience and the Art of Not Quitting

Hip Hop, Chess, Stoicism, Philosophy, Zen, Sufism and Jiu Jitsu are all discussed in this conversation with Adisa Banjoko.
Adisa is a podcaster hosting “Bishop Chronicles” (@bishopchronicles) which looks at the intersection of Hip-Hop, health, and fitness trends. As a pioneer Hip-Hop journalist, he was one of the first people to interview artists like Eazy E, Tupac Shakur, and Master P. He went on to write three books on the cultural value of rap and create a youth organisation called the Hip-Hop Chess Federation.
He has been a guest lecturer at Harvard, Oberlin, University of Connecticut, and Stanford among others discussing Hip-Hop education.  
As a museum curator he also put together the Living Like Kings exhibition at the World Chess Hall of Fame exploring The Unexpected Collision of Chess and Hip Hop.

Wanderlust - The Art of Journeying

Frustrated from 3 months of lockdown, Nabil De Castro set out on a spontaneous journey that would take him across four continents - all during a time when travelling the world seemed impossible to most people.
In this episode he recounts adventures from his travels, key experiences along the way and the kind of unique insights that can only be gained through traversing such a journey. 
To follow Nabil's journey on Instagram click here: @nabil.decastro
Below is the full Ithaka Poem by C.P. Cavafy (translated by Edmund Keeley) that is quoted in the episode:
 
ITHAKA
As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
 
Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
 
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
 
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
 
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
 
 
Music by Ian Cattanach
 

Dr Dallas’ Table - Time, Discipline and the Art of Hospitality

Dr Ian Dallas was a Scottish writer, philosopher, leader and one of the great polymaths of our era. Hosting guests was a major part of his daily life which centered around his table. Chef Yusuf Perez (Instagram handle: @chef_josep_perez) was Dr Dallas' personal chef for over 16 years. During his time in Dr Dallas' kitchen he went from being a cook's hand to becoming master of the kitchen.
In this episode Chef Yusuf discusses his journey with cooking, his role in Dr Dallas' household, what he learnt from his unique relationship with Dr Dallas and how we can all take teachings from Dr Dallas' example and put them into our own daily lives. 

Cicero - Fear and Loathing in the Late Republic

How are the life and philosophy of the Roman statesman Cicero relevant to us in the 21st Century and what does it teach us about how we should understand our present situation?
In this episode Ahmad Dutton condenses the key events of Cicero's life, how they refined his political philosophy, how the inward has to reflect the outward and why tyranny cannot exist in a community of truly free individuals.
To find out more about Ahmad and his work visit his website: https://viaciceronis.com/
 
Music by Ian Cattanach

Listening - Music and Yearning for the Divine

Ahmed Abdullah, a music lover and aficionado, explains how Western Classical music can be used as a tool to nurture spontaneity and instil in the heart a yearning for the divine. 
The conversation reveals how the great composers communicate a timeless message through their compositions; calling us to fulfil our destinies, reach our highest possibilities and yearn to be free.
 
Music sampled in the episode:
Bach - B Minor Mass (Proms 2012)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F7TVM8m95Y
Beethoven - 5th Symphony (Von Karajan) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-_wqx76mpc&t=130s
Beethoven - “Pathetique” (Barenboim) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGq3-Fi_zQY
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 11 “Serioso” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUlzN3Q9BUw
Wagner -Tristan und Isolde “Liebestod” (Jessye Norman) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg_EHUGRgos
Mozart - Violin concerto No 3 (Hilary Hahn) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhQAtkXOK6o
Beethoven - ‘Waldstein’ Sonata (Barenboim) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3l18HTo5rY&t=39s
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Allah Hu (1993) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj7roem9NRc&t=649s
Ustad Ameer Ali Kahn - Chaap Tilak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVsjuEoPxMs&t=736s
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Bina Ishq Na Manzil Hath Aawe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqhdFiTq-a0&t=150s
 
Music in Introduction by Ian Cattanach
 

Mastering Sound - From Rap to Foley

Musa Gerner started his career in audio as a teenager doing freestyle rap with his friends after school. Through many twists and turns he arrived at becoming one of the world's leading Foley artists.
This narrative is a journey of perseverance that teaches the importance of always being in a state of learning and striving to be the best in order to reach the top.
The Art of Learning - Josh Waitzkin
Music by Ian Cattanach

What the Nose Knows - The Art of Perfumery, Scent and Inspiration

Perfume has been linked to civilisation as far back as we can go. It is known that before the Battle of Thermopylae the Spartan warriors, knowing they were going to die fighting off the Persians, bathed and perfumed themselves to meet their death smelling good. 
In this episode, Ikramuddin Zwane, a self-taught perfumer from Johannesburg, South Africa, opens a door onto the world of scent, olfaction and the art of perfumery alongside reflections from his journal of perfumery.
Parfums Ikram Website
Follow Parfums Ikram on Facebook
Follow Parfums Ikram on Instagram
 
Timecode Guide:
02:43 The beginning of Ikramuddin’s journey mixing perfumes just for fun and his Moroccan Taxi driver
04:45 From mixing existing perfumes to learning how to make perfumes via Peter from the UK
06:43 Started mixing by experimentation drawing from instinct
07:58 The 5% of perfumers that are artisans
09:46 Three levels of Perfumery - 1st Designer Perfumes
10:57 Three levels of Perfumery - 2nd Niche Perfumes
11:46 Three levels of Perfumery - 3rd Artisanal Perfumes
12:02 The traditional way of becoming a perfumer
12:52 The non-traditional way of becoming a perfumer
13:45 How the non-traditionalists break the rules and the example of the Chypre
16:25 The subjectivity of perfume
17:43 The price tag of perfume and how perfumes smell different on different people .
19:44 The driving force behind artisanal perfumery
20:04 The smell of the Springbok 
20:58 Deer musk - where it comes from and what it is
23:11 Ambergris - where it comes from and what it is
26:15 Oud - where it comes from and what it is
Out of all the perfumery in the world the 'oud' is the most diverse, basically its like all the other raw materials you can find - in a tree
28:40 With Hardship Comes Ease
29:50 The Ayat: “Which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?” and inspiration from Allah
30:28 The hadith of the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wassalam) on his love of perfume
32:10 Spirituality linked to certain scents and the link to the heart
33:11 Dr Muhammad Cassim on the link between scent and inspiration
34:20 Scent and memory
There is a strong connection between scent an memory. And it immediately takes you back, you are transported. Its basically timeless!
38:00 Do the ancient perfume recipes still exist and if so are they accessible?
40:38 The Battle of Thermopylae and the warrior’s perfuming themselves in preparation for their death
42:02 Khoi San perfume of Southern Africa
42:20 Perfumes comes from one of the Prophets just like martial arts - where does the inspiration come from?
43:00 How do you choose the smells in a perfume?
45:10 A perfume as the imagined smell of places in the past
48:22 The scent of a horse
49:08 The difficulty of making a clear distinction between masculine and feminine in perfumery
51:11 Life is fluid. It’s very hard to remain structural. Things change. They move
51:35 Anosmia and losing the sense of smell - sensory overload
53:07 Scent and Sex
 
Music by Ian Cattanach

Submission - BJJ and Being Present in the Moment

Abdel-Majid Faouri is Jordan's Number 1 BJJ competitor. In this episode he shares his journey with BJJ, life lessons learnt and his philosophy in BJJ.
Islam literally means 'submission'.
And one of the aims of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is to force your opponent into submission. So when you are being choked out and have to admit defeat, it is a little reminder of who is really in control. 
Books Mentioned:
Tao of Jeet Kune Do - Bruce Lee
Khalid Bin al-Waleed: Sword of Allah - Gen A.I. Akram
Timestamps:
2:25 Abdel-Majid’s journey from chubby teenager to BJJ
11:30 The beauty about BJJ is that even if you have the world’s problem, when you go to class you have to be present.
14:30 Joining Alliance Gym in Nottingham
18:30 6 months Atos BJJ camp in California
23:47 “BJJ gave me the confidence to be me”
23:57 BJJ is uncomfortable, it teaches you to become calm in the worst of conditions
25:01 Kron Gracie - “stay cool under pressure”
26:41 “Follow what you want and if you become a master in it somebody will come and appreciate your art”
28:11 “I’ve never met a millionaire who didn’t make his money doing something he loved” George Harrison
28:25 Because it is a truthful journey to yourself it show whats true in other things as well
31:42 Jiu Jitsu shows you people
33:44 “This sport is humbling, no everyone likes to be humbled by force”
34:51 The dream of becoming world champion as small
36:07 It never becomes easy, you just get stronger
38:34 Uncertainty and fear - “Fear everything and run or face everything and rise”
Fear everything and run or face everything and rise
40:48 BJJ Teaches not to judge others
43:20 Islam means submission
Submission is knowing who is in control
48:00 The Sunnah of grappling and fitra
51:00 Bruce Lee’s 3 stages of learning
52:50 Mental training
54:29 The story of the black belt
56:26 Ayrton Senna - “I compete against myself”
59:10 You learn from loosing. If you can learn from winning then you have made it.
59:55 “Train like you are number 2 and compete like you are number 1. Always be hungry”
1:00:00 Khabib
1:05:30 Always battle yourself before battling others
 
Music by Ian Cattanach

Establish Yourself in the Land - Black America and Muamalat

Idris Assad is a property developer born and based in Atlanta, USA. In this episode he shares his knowledge on the history of African Americans to show not only the break in history experienced by the majority of black Americans today, but also highlighting the thriving communities and economic hubs of African Americans such as Greenwood, Oklahoma dubbed as 'Black Wall Street' that emerged after emacipation.
Drawing on this past, Idris unpacks his current endeavour to revive the essence of Black Wall Street and take it further by incorporating into it the concepts of Muamalat to bring a future of hope and real freedom. 
Find out more about Idris' work and get in contact here:
Ruhaani Development
The underlying message: You must establish yourself in the land!
 
Music by Ian Cattanach

Paying the Price - The Gold Dinar and Silver Dirham

In February this year, Pak Zaim Saidi was arrested and held in custody by the Indonesian authorities under the pretence of using illegal currency. The truth is he has been on the forefront of re-establishing the Gold Dinar and Silver Dirham, the coinage of the Muslim world since the time of the Prophet Muhammad (sallahu alayhi wassalam) and the only accepted means that Zakat can be taken on monetary wealth. 
Pak Zaim was only exonerated from these charges last week on 12 October after a year of interrogations, months in jail and a lengthy trial in the national courts of Indonesia.
This is Pak Zaim's story. It is an education on the Dinar and Dirham and the reality of the fallen pillar of Zakat, but it is also heroism in action and the story of a man who has maintained his conviction, persevered and stood firm for a part of the Deen that has been lost for over a century. 
The verdict of not-guilty is a victory not only for Pak Zaim and his work in Indonesia, but for Islam and Muslims across the world.