In this compelling episode of The Rising Podcast, Ismail Youssef—also known as Ish of Arabia—is a former Muslim who left Islam to embrace Catholicism, rejecting what he sees as the contradictions, injustices, and oppressive teachings of Muhammad. On the show, Ismail shares his journey of spiritual awakening, revealing how a dream ignited a transformation from Islam to Christianity. Ismail details his personal encounter with Christ and articulates insights on faith, the resurrection, and the power of divine connection.
Thought-Provoking Quotes:
“There’s a more direct connection in Christianity to God. It’s more of a friendship connection. So this idea that God was a friend who was going to help me out on my day-to-day life was very foreign to me and didn’t make much sense to me until I saw how it influenced the Christians around me.” - Ismail Youssef
“I realized that there's a God and He loves me and He hasn’t abandoned me. And He’s not far away, He’s right here. All He wants me to do is put my faith in Him.” - Ismail Youssef
“God’s always on the mind, because He lives inside you now.” - Ismail Youssef
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned In This Episode:
Ismail’s interview on Pints With Aquinas Podcast
Flavius Josephus
*Watch this interview on the YouTube channel!
*All episode music is by Melanie Penn.
Guest’s Links:
Ismail’s Instagram
Ismail’s YouTube
*Correction/clarification: It is stated at 00:40 that Ismail was born in Egypt. He was actually born in Nova Scotia.
Connect with Melanie:
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*The Rising Podcast is a production of Four Eyes Media.
