Mohamed, from Al-Azhar to Indiana

In this episode, we speak with Mohamed Sayed, whose journey spans from a rural village in Egypt to the global world of Islamic scholarship. A graduate of Al-Azhar University, Mohamed shares how his early passion for rethinking religious education led him beyond traditional frameworks and into international academia.From studying at the British Council and traveling to the UK, to earning a Fulbright and pursuing graduate work in the United States, Mohamed reflects on the intellectual and cultural shifts he experienced along the way. He discusses the contrast between studying Islam as a lived faith versus as an academic discipline, and how exposure to diverse perspectives challenged and reshaped his thinking.Now a PhD student in Indiana and a leader at a local Islamic center, Mohamed bridges scholarship and community life—guiding others through complex religious questions while fostering dialogue across cultures, generations, and beliefs.This conversation explores identity, faith, and what it means to think critically while staying grounded in tradition.