Explore " race" with insightful episodes like "The Wisdom of Men", "Episode 35: Pan Am's Diversity in the Cockpit", "Talking to your Kids about Race w/ Dorena Williamson", "Race, Faith, and Politics: A Conversation with Dr. Paul Putz" and "Hijra of the Heart: Our Journey to our Higher Selves" from podcasts like ""Living the Abundant Life Christian Center Dr. Samuel Meredith", "The Pan Am Podcast", "Colored Commentary", "The African Americans in Sport Podclass" and "Qur'an Connection by Good Tree Academy"" and more!
Our faith should not be in the wisdom of men but the power of God. Unknowingly we have accepted many philosophies that is contrary to God's Word. As the light of God's Word shine on these philosophies, we should make the necessary adjustments to reflect the light received.
In this episode we continue to celebrate Black History Month and are joined by veteran Pan Am pilots Captain Perry Jones and Ed Moon.
Perry was the first African American to be hired by Pan Am in late 1965 and Ed was the third to be hired in early 1967.
The second African American hired by Pan Am was Otis Benjamin Young in 1966. "O.B.," as he was affectionally referred to, was born in 1938 and graduated from Howard University and then served in the United States Air Force. After Pan Am, he flew for Delta Airlines until retirement. Unfortunately, Captain Young passed away on June 9, 2021.
These gentlemen were legendary trailblazers at the height of the civil right movement in the 1960s.
All three left a lasting legacy at Pan Am, paved the way for other people of color and beyond, and were part of the change that transformed the commercial aviation community.
In 1976, Benjamin Thomas, an Eastern Airlines pilot, organized a meeting that formed the Organization of Black Airline Pilots, now called the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, to address discrimination in the airline industry.
Ed Moon was a one of the 38 founders of the organization and both Perry and Ed served as president and board chair of the organization through the years.
Today, the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals or OBAP for short, is a world-leading non-profit organization that changes lives by creating a pathway to success through educating youth, communities, and professionals—shaping an aerospace industry as diverse as the people they serve.
For more information on OBAP, visit their website at obap.org.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
A very special thanks to Mr. Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO of AMC and president of the Pan Am Historical Foundation and Pan Am Brands for their continued and unwavering support!
There's lots of concern about how to handle conversations around race with kids. Our guest today has tackled that topic head-on and chose to sit with us to share her story about how she got into writing about race for kids, and what projects she has coming!
Check out Dorena's Writing at Dorena's Amazon Page
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This episode features a conversation with Dr. Paul Putz, Assistant Director of the Faith & Sports Institute at Baylor University, about the intersections of Race, Faith, and Sport.
If you like what you heard from this episode, please leave a comment, five stars, and support us via Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62012735
1,443 years ago Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, made the first Hijra or journey from Mecca to Madina. The prophet ﷺ and his companions made that hijra to practice Islam and for the sake of Allah SWT. In His Book, Allah explains His Command for this journey to escape difficulty, even though making it was risky, hazardous and uncomfortable (Surah Al Baqarah 2 : 218 and Surah Anfal 8:74).
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
أُولَٰئِكَ يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
As for those who believed and those who migrated and struggled in the path of Allah,
they do hope for Allah’s mercy and Allah is Forgiving, Very Compassionate
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 218)
People who make Hijra for the sake of Allah leave what’s comfortable, so they can be a better person and a better muslim in a new place. For this, Allah grants forgiveness to His true believers.
How do we understand the spirit of Hijra today and how it pertains to us? Our hijra is a spiritual journey and a hijra of the heart. Our spiritual journey is when we go from our lower self to our higher self. Our lower selves follow distractions and actions which take us away from Allah’s Pleasure. When we evolve to our higher selves, we have the Influence of Allah, the prophet ﷺ and the angels. Examples of when we have the Influence of Allah include reading the Qur’an, praying, making thikr, visiting mosques, and when we show kindness to others. We have the influence of the prophet ﷺ when we follow his character and study hadiths which are his teachings and lifestyle. We have the influence of the angels when we do good deeds and behave with good character, showing mercy.
Principal Wadud Hassan discusses three ways we can complete our hijra so to earn Allah’s Forgiveness and Mercy:
Principal Wadud shares how he used this process in a time of hardship and, inshAllah, through our hijra, we will reach Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness on our hearts as He describes in Surah Al-Anfal (8 The Spoils of War):
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَهَاجَرُواْ وَجَاهَدُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آوَواْ وَّنَصَرُواْ أُولَـئِكَ
هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقًّا لَّهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ
Those who believed and emigrated, and struggled for God’s Cause, and those who gave refuge and help - they are the true believers and they will have forgiveness and generous provision
(Surah Al-Anfal 8:74)
All of Allah's messengers had the same message of Islam - Adam, Noah, Ibrahim, Moses, David, Jesus, Muhammad, peace be upon them all, are among those mentioned in the Qur'an.
In Surah Al-Ma’idah (5 The Table Spread), Allah declares, “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion.” (5:3)
To make this guidance applicable, Allah's final messenger Muhammad ﷺ advised to be careful who you follow, be careful who you spend time with, be careful who you listen to and be careful what you listen to. Because you will end up following the ways of the people you hang out with, including in speech, dress, actions and even thoughts.
Everyone is born Muslim and indeed it is those we surround ourselves with who influence our actions. As Muslims, it's important to share Islam with those you share time with. Be strong in your faith and be careful not to follow ways which go against Islam's guidance of peace.
In Surah Al-Furqan (25 The Criterion) ayat 27 - 29, Allah shares the plight of those who had the opportunity to embrace Islam and then, when it’s too late, they will ask themselves why they didn’t follow Allah’s final messenger ﷺ. They will regret instead having spent time in poor company which has bankrupted an eternity promising peace.
Ustadh Michael Wolfender shares the story behind these ayat, of a man who accepted Islam and then recanted this based on who he hung out with.
From this, we learn our purpose in this life is to earn the Pleasure of Allah, do good deeds, make good decisions. A way towards this is to seek to be among those who are connected to Allah.
Each of the prophets sent by Allah delivered the same message: believe in one God. Ustadh Michael Wolfender shares from Allah’s Book how He reveals Himself to us. In particular, Ustadh Michael references the short surahs from the end of the Qur’an, such as Surat Al-Ikhlas (112 The Sincerity), to help believers connect with Our Creator in worship. Ustadh Michael concludes with the message of love and hope in the first surah, Al-Fatihah (1 The Opener) where Allah answers the believer when each verse is recited.
Support the showAs a new school year begins, Ustadh Michael Wolfender remarks on the blessing of a full audience of students after a year of separation and distance learning. He reminds us how Allah dictates Islam is the only right way:
“Truly, the religion with Allâh is Islâm. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except, out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, then surely, Allâh is Swift in calling to account.” 3:19 Surah Ali ‘Imran (Family of Imran)
“And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him), and perform As-Salât and give Zakât, and that is the right religion.” 98:5 Surah Al-Bayyinah (The Clear Proof)
Brother Michael shares the story of a visit from Angel Gabriel in human form to prophet Muhammad, may Allah’s Peace and Blessing be upon him and how Allah’s archangel questioned Allah’s messenger on the message of Islam, including the six articles of faith.
Sincerity in seeking to be the best servant to Allah is to worship Him as if you can see Him and to be content with His Guidance, what He provides and the message of truth as delivered by His messenger Muhammad ﷺ.
[Quran translations from Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali & Muhammad Muhsin Khan]
What do IKEA furniture, LEGOs and nature have in common? Ustadh Michael Wolfender explains how they can help us appreciate and understand Allah’s Design, including how Allah references in Surah At-Tariq the falling of rain and evaporation (86:11).
As the school year concludes, Ustadh Michael encourages students and each of us to value our time together and not individually in front of screens. Connect with Allah’s Book and His Guidance. Interested in learning to understand and pronounce the final surahs of the Holy Qur’an correctly? Good Tree Academy students help with just that at quranconnection.org/learn
Ustadh Michael Wolfender has words of encouragement for Good Tree Academy students to spend their summer building on what they’ve learned this school year from Allah’s Book. The Qur’an is Allah’s Book with benefits from reciting its verses. It is the final revelation from Allah complete with His Words. The Qur’an brings humans from darkness to light. The Qur’an is a cure and protection and it makes you a better person.
Listen as Ustadh Michael shares the story of an early accepter of Islam, how the Qur’an brought him to light and why Islam’s own enemies could not help but to seek listening to the Qur’an.
Ustadh Michael Wolfender reminds us how angels will visit us when it is our time to return to Allah. It can be a time to be happy to see and meet them, especially if you’ve taken advantage of seven times when angels pray for you:
Ustadh Michael Wolfender recites from five surahs in the Holy Qur’an where Allah explains, among other aspects of angels, the protection He provided the delivery of His Book by Angel Gabriel. Al-Qadr (97 The Power) discusses the one night every year in the last third of Ramadan when Allah floods the earth with angels and why this night carries the power of 1000 months. Even Angel Gabriel descends on earth that night, though his mission of delivering the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is complete.
One of the attributes of Allah of which He is known by is Al Lateef, The Subtle. Brother Michael explains that developing a relationship with Allah helps you understand this attribute, for instance, in how Allah helps you see what is subtle. And Brother Michael provides some examples of how this applies to angels in our presence. He shares a story of a hospitalized man who spoke to angels and their conversation with him to understand that those afflicted with ailments who get angry about that are suffering punishment from Allah. Those who are patient with their ailments receive the reward of it being an expiation. When you are content with Allah, it raises your degrees of favor with Him.
Ustadh Michael shares the story of the Battle of Badr where Allah sent angels to aid His believers fighting in His Cause, though they were triply outnumbered.
And finally, Ustadh Michael shares how you can talk with angels in each daily prayer. These lessons help us understand the value of seeing the Night of Power in the last ten nights of Ramadan.
Ustadh Michael Wolfender uses surahs Ar-Ra’d (13 The Thunder) and Ibrahim (14 Abraham) and their explanations to help teach the unending value of learning to seek and understand Allah, as this brings true relaxation and peace.
All of the messengers Allah sent delivered the same message that Allah is our Provider, place your trust in Him and that He controls all. Our job is to worship and please Allah.
Verses 32 - 34 of Surah Ibrahim describe Allah and His Might with some examples including rain, fruits, ships, rivers, the sun and moon, day and night; including there are countless blessings we cannot complete enumerating.
Ustadh Michael emphasizes the power of dua, asking of and remembering Allah as when you please Allah, He gives you more. Surah Ibrahim memorializes how prophet Ibrahim (as) made a dua asking Allah to ensure his descendants were consistent in worship: “My Lord! Make me and those ˹believers˺ of my descendants keep up prayer. Our Lord! Accept my prayers.” (14:40)
Ayah 7 of Surah Ibrahim includes the guarantee of how remembering Allah ensures He provides more: “And ˹remember˺ when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more. But if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is severe.’”
Allah guarantees the best for His believers, including paradise where angels will visit you.
And finally, Surah Ibrahim contains the verse for which Good Tree Academy is named: “Do you not see how Allah co
The Muslim lunar calendar means Ramadan moves back about 10 days every year. Ramadan is a month where Muslims fast, staying away from food and drink during the daytime as primary items per Allah’s Command. When you are strong enough to stay away from food and drink during the daytime, you realize you have the power to stay away from what you're not supposed to do and to withhold yourself from something you really want.
The most successful Ramadans begin with a plan, which correlates to taking action in life. Science has underscored the benefits of fasting though there is no determination on the best way to achieve this - other than the Guidance Allah provides in Surah Al-Baqarah (2 The Cow) where Allah details that fasting is for a prescribed period of the month of Ramadan.
More importantly than physical benefits of fasting is the spiritual connection and mental resilience fasting develops. Allah says fasting is between Him and His worshipper. No one needs to know you are fasting. Allah is pleased with efforts His believers take in His Way, including rewarding happiness for the advent of the month of fasting.
Guest khateeb Hammad Qasim Siddiqui describes why Allah created each of us imperfect, prone to error. This creates our opportunity to ask for His Forgiveness and understand how close He is to each of us.
In Surah Al-Furqan (25 The Criterion): Allah says: “Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds, for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (25:70)
A key to closeness to Allah is through dua or asking of Him. Start dua by praising Allah and thanking Him for the blessings He provides. Brother Hammad concludes with an example of how sincerity in dua can result in Allah changing sins to good deeds, resulting in the reward of entry into paradise.
Allah explains the significance of the month of Ramadan starting in the second surah of the Holy Qur’an: "Ramaḍân is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the standard ˹to distinguish between right and wrong˺. So whoever is present this month, let them fast. But whoever is ill or on a journey, then ˹let them fast˺ an equal number of days ˹after Ramaḍân˺. Allah intends ease for you, not hardship, so that you may complete the prescribed period and proclaim the greatness of Allah for guiding you, and perhaps you will be grateful. When My servants ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they call upon Me. So let them respond ˹with obedience˺ to Me and believe in Me, perhaps they will be guided ˹to the Right Way˺."" (Al Baqarah 2:185 - 186)
We learn the Qur’an was sent down in the month of Ramadan and when His servants ask, Allah is near and answers those who ask of Him. Ustadh Michael Wolfender hares four surahs showing the power of Ramadan we can't see with our own eyes.
The first is Al-Qadr (97 The Power) where Allah explains sending down the entire Qur'an to the lowest heaven on Laylatul Qadr, known as the Night of Power and thus this night is better than a thousand months. It is also annually when all angels visit earth including angel Gibreel. Laylatul Qadr began the year Gibreel came to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with the first five verses of the Qur’an from Surah Al-’Alaq (96 The Clot). This occurred in a cave on Mount Hira and angel Gibreel continued to deliver revelation over the course of 23 years.
The second is Ad-Dukhan (44 The Smoke) which Allah begins: "By the clear Book! Indeed, We sent it down on a blessed night, for We always warn ˹against evil˺. On that night every matter of wisdom is ordained by a command from Us, for We have always sent ˹messengers˺ as a mercy from your Lord. He ˹alone˺ is truly the All-Hearing, All-Knowing — the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, if only you had sure faith.” (44:2-7) The blessed night referred to here is Laylatul Qadr, thought to be one of the odd nights in the last ten during Ramadan. This night is when Allah sends HIs Decrees for the coming year. It is on this particular night Muslims search for to seek Mercy from our Master as he hears those who ask and understands how we feel inside.
The recent trial for the Amber Guyger case has sparked conversation around what it really looks like to see grace and justice working together in the fight for reconciliation.
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