Basira Education

On Wednesday and Thursday evening, I enjoyed spending time with the Muslim parents and children of Bunbury. We talked about arguments for the existence of God and arguments for the genuine measengerhood of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The best part was the children's questions. They were inquisitive and alhamdulillah they didn't hold back! Thanks to Al Noor Bunbury Center @alnoorbunburycenter for organizing and for their warm hospitality.

I arrived in a Tuesday night, got some sleep, and on Wednesday morning, I was off to a small town two hours South of Perth called Bunbury.

I arrived in Australia for the first time one week ago. Australia is different. The animals are different. The trees are different. The people are different. The Muslims are different! I just finished my visits to Perth and I'm off to Adelaide. Here's what's happened so far.

SULTAN ABDULHAMID & THE REAL CALIPHATE In our first Basira Lens on Sunday July 26 at 10 p.m. Istanbul time, we will be looking at the life of Sultan Abdulhamid, how he embodied the secret of our success as the umma of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and how we can incorporate it into our personal lives, our politics, and our organizations to overcome the challenges that we face today. You can join me in our monthly Basira Lens live sessions (and listen to the recording afterwards) by joining the Basira Academy here: https://www.whyislamistrue.com/academy

Sami began by remembering the Genocide at Srebrenica, which happened exactly 21 years ago yesterday, may Allah Most High have mercy on all of the Muslims who were murdered on that day. He then explained how the fact that Sultan Abdulhamid II had preserved the plans of the mosques of Bosnia enabled the reconstruction of mosques that the genociders had destroyed and whose sites they had sworn that Muslims would never return again. Sami conducts inspiring tours to Bosnia and tells the stories of the Bosnian Muslims to keep the memories of the umma alive in our hearts and minds, and everyone who can should join him on his trips @halaltravelguide on Instagram. I described the special connection of the Ottoman caliphate to the veneration of the Prophet ﷺ, how the Hijaz railway that Sultan Abdulhamid II built ended at the City of the Prophet ﷺ, how it was the last of the Arab cities to fall from the hands of the Ottomans in 1919, and how that veneration of the Prophet ﷺ should move us to serve the umma of the Prophet ﷺ. Everyone who attended the event received a poster of the Qasida of the Prophetic Chamber, which represented the Ottoman legacy of Sultan Abdulhamid II, and which was erased from the Prophetic Chamber six years after the city of the Prophet ﷺ fell out of Ottoman hands. Many people have inquired about the recording of the event -- insha'allah it will be posted online in two weeks. Watch out for the announcement!

May Allah Most High reward the Istanbul Youth Network,  Uluslararası Genç Derneği, the volunteers at Basira Education, and everyone who attended yesterday's event on the Legacy of Sultan Abdulhamid II.

THE LEGACY OF SULTAN II. ABDULHAMID With Sami Hamdi and Hamza Karamali Date: Saturday, 11th July, 2026 Time: 17:30 Location: Uluslararası Genç Derneği, Aziz Mahmut Hüdayi, Üsküdar/İstanbul https://maps.app.goo.gl/Kt8dAXw2Qs9Dx8tV6 Registration Link: https://forms.gle/RVTewC1HB9XnJ8JJ6 The Ottomans had a special love and reverence for the Prophet ﷺ. Sultan I. Abdülhamid authored a poem about the Prophet ﷺ and had it inscribed on his chamber in 1777. This poem represents the spiritual legacy of Sultan II. Abdülhamid. The City of the Prophet ﷺ remained in Ottoman hands even after the First World War. It was bravely defended by the Ottoman General Fahrettin Pasa, who famously saw the Prophet ﷺ in a dream. In 1925, the City of the Prophet ﷺ fell to King Abdulaziz b. Saud, who removed this poem. Join us on Saturday to hear the full story and how it represents the spiritual legacy of Sultan II. Abdülhamid.