Common misconceptions – due to the misapplication of hadith There is common opinion that you should not greet non-Muslims with the salam. Or that you should only reply to them with ‘walaikum‘ not ‘walaikum asalam‘. This opinion is based on the hadith: Suhayl and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be please with them) narrated that the…
‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amr reported: I met the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said to me: “O ‘Uqbah, reconcile with whoever cuts you off, give to whoever deprives you, and forgive whoever wrongs you.” (Musnad Ahmad) This hadith does not mean you put up with abuse but that you return…
You get what you give عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رضي الله تعالى عنها قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاشْقُقْ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَرَفَقَ بهم فارفُقْ بِهِ» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of…
In all the Abrahamic faiths it is documented that pork is forbidden. Certain groups within the Jewish and Christian faiths have chosen to drop this food rule, saying that it is no longer necessary. The question arises, do we follow a divine rule because of the wisdom behind the command or because it is a…
Sometimes we engage in dhikr but the heart is not connected to the tongue. Should we stop? The first point is to continue doing dhikr, as otherwise the shaytan will come and hunt you and put you off doing dhikr because you are not focused. He will put you off doing dhikr altogether. Second, try…
Religion is a journey to Allah Ghazali defines religion (deen) as travelling to Allah. Hence Arabs have a saying as safaru yusfiru an akhlaq ar rijaal – travel (safar) reveals and exposes people’s character. If you give testimony, in order to establish how well you actually know someone, you are asked if have you travelled…
Cold booty- Al-ghanimatul baridah وَعَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: « الْغَنِيمَةُ الْبَارِدَةُ: الصَّوْمُ فِي الشِّتَاءِ » . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ. حديث مرسل. ‘Amir b. Mas’ud reported God’s messenger as saying: “Fasting in winter is booty gained without trouble (easy reward).” [Ahmad and Tirmidhi][i] What attracted me to this…
What to avoid as a guest In Imam Ghazali’s Kitaab Al-Arba’in Fi Usul ad-Din, The 40 Principles of the Religion, he has a chapter on kesab, (earning) and on doubtful earnings. In this he explores the mentality of those who refuse to eat anything as they are suspicious of its origins and whether it is…
Allah Almighty entrusted us with His amanah (trusts). In Surat al Ahzab, He described the amanah, which He offered to the heavens, earth and mountains to carry, but the only being which agreed to carry it was mankind. ﴿٧٢﴾ إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنْسَانُ ۖ…
In Surat al Baqarah, Allah Almighty said: And when they meet those who believe, they say: “We believe,” but when they are alone with their Shayatin (devils – polytheists, hypocrites, etc.), they say: “Truly, we are with you; verily, we were but mocking.” (2:14) Enemies are a part of life Allah Almighty told the Prophet…
What are the virtues for us of Bait al Maqdis (Jerusalem) Surat al Isra in the Quran is named after the journey which the Prophet (peace be on him) took from Makkah to Jerusalem before he ascended the skies to heaven on a special creature, called Buraq, where he received the command to perform salah…
Salah has pillars (arkan) which are essential components. If any of these are missing, then the salah must be repeated. Salah also has obligatory components (wajib parts), however if these are missed, they can be rectified by making the prostration of forgetfulness, sajda al sahw. The Pillars of Salah (arkan) 1. The forbidding takbeer You…
The dua and formula for when you are troubled The Dua for 7 The Prophet (peace be on him) used to make this dua: اللّهُـمَّ اغْفِـرْ لي ، وَارْحَمْـني ، وَاهْدِنـي ، وَاجْبُرْنـي ، وَعافِنـي، وَارْزُقْنـي، وَارْفَعْـني. رواه أبو داود والترمذي. صحيح Allahumma’ghfir li, war’ḥamni, wahdini, wajburni, wa `afini, warzuqni, warfa`ni. O Allah forgive me,…
The words Qurbani and Udhiya Qubani means sacrifice, something which is offered to Allah, in order to come close to Him, from the word qurb (closeness). In the Middle East it is known as Udhiya which refers to the timing of the sacrifice, as it is conventionally performed after Fajr but before the Dhur, which…
If you genuinely eat, drink or have intercourse while you are fasting, out of forgetfulness, your fast is not broken. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be on him) said: “Whoever forgets he is fasting and eats or drinks, let him complete his fast for it is Allah…