We hear the word kafir in the media all the time. What does the word kafir mean? Who can it be applied to? Kafara and satara are synonyms which mean to conceal or cover. In Arabic one might say, the night covers the fields meaning that in the darkness of the night one cannot see…
As it is Great Big Green week, I thought it is important to talk about the environment from an Islamic point of view. Allah Almighty said in the Quran that He placed man on earth, beginning with Adam as trustees on earth. He appointed us, Adam’s offspring, to this role and gave us this responsibility….
Following the Sunnah In Imam Ghazali’s Kitaab Al-Arba’in Fi Usul ad-Din, The Forty Principles of the Religion, which is a summary of his great work, Ihya Ulum ad-Din, he has a chapter on Following the Sunnah. He discusses the importance of following the Prophet (peace be on him) and establishing a bondship with him. Not…
I am frequently asked whether it is permissible to donate organs in Islam. The answer is that apart from certain restrictions, it is a matter of personal choice. What is organ donation? Organ donation is the removal of any ‘organ’ (tissues, cells, blood and so on, such as the cornea) from the donor and its…
We are still reading from the book of Imam Ghazali Kitaab Al-Arba’in Fi Usul ad-Din, The Forty Principles of the Religion, which is a summary of his great work, Ihya Ulum ad-Din. In his chapter on Following the Sunnah, he talks about the importance of following the Prophet (peace be on him) and establishing…
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘There are three signs of a hypocrite; when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted, he betrays his trust.’ [Bukhari and Muslim] In another narration as well, in…
Kindness and patience is paramount. Children respond to the tone of your voice. Your tone makes or breaks your communication. A harsh tone pushes the red button. It triggers a barrage of resentment. When a child hears a nagging tone, it makes them rebel and resist what you are asking them to do. If your…
Today’s reminder is that having a good opinion about people brings tranquility. In Arabic we say: حسن الظن بالناس يجلب الطمأنينة Every now and then we have rumours and accusations in the community and the common practice among the vast majority of Muslims, let alone non-Muslims is to believe the rumours are a fact and…
In Imam Ghazali’s Kitaab Al-Arba’in Fi Usul ad-Din, The Forty Principles of the Religion, the summary of his great work, Ihya Ulum ad-Din, he examines the concept of Following the Sunnah, in chapter 10. The key to happiness is following the Sunnah Itiba as-sunnah as-mifahu as-sa’ada We can write reams and reams on this topic…
Excessive laughter The Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Do not laugh too much, for verily excessive laughter kills the heart.” (Bukhari, Adab al-Mufrad; Sunan Tirmidhi; Sunan Ibn Maja; Musnad Ahmad) And in some narrations, there is an addition, “For verily excessive laughter kills the heart and removes the light of one’s face,” or in…
In Imam Ghazali’s Kitaab Al-Arba’in Fi Usul ad-Din, The Forty Principles of the Religion, he examines the concept of commanding what is good and reprimanding others from doing what is wrong, amr bil marouf wa al nahil anil munkar. Condition 1: Gentleness vs the whip The one who commands good and forbids evil, is called…
In the Quran, we read many verses on the topic of actions and deeds. In many verses Allah is commanding humanity to do good. Are your actions acceptable? In Surat Tawbah, Allah Almighty tells us that He is aware of what you are doing: ﴿١٠٥﴾ وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ…