Dubai: When he appears on television, he attracts audiences of all ages. He knows how to win their minds and reach their hearts. Ahmad Al Shugairi uses everyday language. He appears in Saudi traditional dress, and also at times in Western clothing.
He lectures but he doesn't look like a religious figure, nor does he wish to be introduced as one.
The 37-year-old well-educated man prefers to be introduced simply as a "Muslim". And the messages he would like to convey through his TV show are also significant: continuous improvement.
"There is no separation between religion and life, where the religion is the fuel to having a good life and not the opposite," Al Shugairi said.
It "is not like what [the communist philosopher and economist Karl Heinrich] Marx said that religion is the opium of the people. Today, misunderstanding of religion can be the opium of the people."
Energy
Al Shugairi pointed out the fact during the first years of the spread of Islam there was a massive energy which allowed Muslims to do what has never been done before — a few thousand Muslims in Madinah Munawara in Saudi Arabia reached Spain and China in a span of nearly 40 years.
Muslims also made breakthroughs in earth sciences, such as chemistry, medicine, algebra, medicine, astronomy and astrology, among other fields.
"You have to excel and do the best, and be the best you can be on this earth and in this life. And this is your road to a good life after death," Al Shugairi said in an interview with Gulf News.
Excellence, he stressed, stems from "specialisation, and putting the right person in the right place".
Al Shugairi prepares a daily programme during Ramadan.
The programme, which is called Khawater (Thoughts), airs throughout the fasting month, it is repeated again during the year on one of the most viewed Arab satellite channels during prime time before Friday prayers on the same channel: MBC. His show airs at 7:30pm (Dubai time), MBC 1.
Though he targets youngsters and university students, he was surprised to realise that he was attracting even younger ages.
Al Shugairi realises that he is talking to the generation of technology and "video clips". So, "they want to watch five to ten minutes. They don't want it longer." Before Ramadan, Al Shugairi opened the eyes of his audience to the awesome world of order, manners, discipline and advancement in Japan.
This Ramadan, he takes his viewers to many Muslim and non-Muslim countries. He travels from the Far East to the West, from Singapore and Malaysia to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt on the way to Turkey, Spain and the UK.
He compares how Muslims were hundreds of years ago and what their situation is now.
The programme "has three elements that I summarise in justice, knowledge and freedom," he said.
In order to give "credibility to the topic", the well-known British scientist, author and historian Adam John Hart-Davis has been invited to participate in the new Ramadan series.
Among the several examples, Davis explained to viewers how Muslims developed the ancient Astrolabe and how it works. He explained how the famous Muslim doctor, Ibn Razi, was the first to conduct an experiment on the best place to build a hospital.
"We [the Muslim nation] were the world's first nation… We had the best universities, the best sewerage system, the cleanest streets, [we were] the most tolerant towards other religions, [including] Judaism and Christianity, [we all] lived in harmony," in different cities, he said. "We had the freedom of religion that the West [today] is proud of."
The programme offers answers to many questions, including what masjids (mosques) in non-Muslim countries look like and what they offer compared to mosques in Muslim countries. Where is the best hospital at present in the Arab region? What makes that hospital different? What was the role of Muslims some 1,000 years ago in the advancement of many Western cultures today? In which field? What have they actually invented?
It sounds like a simple comparison, but beneath the surface it aims to stimulate a sense of competition among different countries, he believes.
"This contrast", and "putting the two opposite things next to each other always has an impact on people," Al Shugairi said. "We also need to give a model when we talk about the best thing in a certain field."
Role model
When asked about his own role models, he said he has many, one for time management and dealing with people and another for religious issues and Sharia. For example, the famous Saudi football player Majid Abdullah was Al Shugairi's role model during in his youth.
Today, while Al Shugairi himself seeks to be a role model for younger people, he strongly believes in continuously developing himself. He also realises that nobody is perfect but Allah (God.)
Khawater is not Al Shugairi's bread and butter, the father of two boys aged ten and seven, pointed out.
"I have my own business and this is what puts bread on the table," said Al Shugairi, who studied Management Information Systems and later obtained his MBA in business administration from California State University Northridge.
"Everything related to Khawater, whether from the programme [revenue from selling it to the TV channel], SMS services or DVDs is being deposited in a trust account, which will be used for other projects in the future."
Al Shugairi, appreciates the recognition he is receiving but also is a bit wary.
"My problem with it is that I don't want to get used to it. I don't want to start noticing it," he said.
"I am very careful in my feelings towards fame in general. Yes, it makes me happy, but at the same time, [I am] very cautious not to get used to it. I don't want my things to move because I am famous, because fame can go away. It is a very thin line," Al Shugairi said.
However, Al Shugairi who started presenting TV shows before having his own, has his own dream.
He dreams of "attaining inner peace, which will then spread outside. My dream is to reach a stage of life where there is a balance between my body and soul instead of struggles and fighting."
