I came across a couple of Saad Yacoob's Substack articles in 2025, and knew straight away that I had to get him onto the show. When I then learned that his PhD was centred on the famous Muhammad Iqbal - after whom I was named - I was even more keen to do so.
Our paths crossed unexpectedly in Doha and we sat down for an impromptu chat. Saad didn't disappoint. This was easily one of my favourite conversations of In Good Faith so far. In it, Saad puts forward a powerful and beautifully articulated rallying call for us all.
Saad's academic bio.
Saad's Instagram.
Saad's Substack.
(00:00) Confrontation & confidence
(06:29) Critique of legal tradition
(15:18) Internal vs universal relevance
(21:52) Critique of mysticism & modernity
(36:15) Reviving the spirit of faith
(39:17) Salvific anxiety & material flourishing
(46:20) How to overcome collective depression
(56:10) Colonial mentality of the colonised
(1:06:11) Identity, individualism & community
(1:14:08) Becoming standard bearers
(1:24:42) Closing couplet & reflections
