Abu Shama has a background in engineering, IT and management consultancy, and reinvented himself as a life coach, writer and secondary school teacher. In addition to his special interest in spirituality, he shares his son’s love of dinosaurs and Lamborghinis. He has published two uniquely beautiful books, The Blue Moon and Yunus and the Whale and has many others in the pipline mashallah.
Let them play and join in Whenever we play with children, we have an opportunity to enter into their world and see the world through their eyes, (where everything is new, exciting and fascinating). Although...
Mu’awiyah reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم مَنْ يُرِدْ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ “To whomever Allah wills goodness, He grants him understanding of the religion. (Bukhari and Muslim) This hadith begins with ‘whomsoever’. Whomsoever: No...
Possessing books As a student of knowledge, we should try own as many books as we need for they are our tools of learning. However, we should not get into the trap of collecting books...
Keep the remembrance of Allah at all times Make Allah your only concern Imam Al-Muhasibi continues. Do not dismiss the remembrance of Allah, keep His Dhikr at all times, be engaged with the remembrance of...
Look after your heart Look after your Dameer (heart) and your intention. Purify your heart, clean it and declutter it. Untie the knots in your heart. Make your heart sound until it becomes pure, soft...
Take stock of your time and activities Imam Al-Muhasibi wrote a letter to his friend offering some advice....
Imam Al-Muhasibi wrote a letter to his friend offering some advice. We have mentioned before that Imam Al-Muhasibbi’s...
Having the right attitude towards your teacher Trusting the teacher to guide you Once you have selected a teacher, it is incumbent on you to respect, honour and adhere to your teacher. He must...
Emulating the teacher Being in the presence of the scholar, you can learn directly under him. Do not limit yourself to only studying from his knowledge but get to know him on a personal level;...
Finding the right teacher All human behaviour begins with role models, we learn to walk, talk and feed ourselves by watching our families doing those things every day. But we learn more than simple everyday...
Reading and Writing – how to elevate yourself Love Reading The first command given to the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) was the command of reading Iqra. Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an:...
Acting upon what you know Islam is a practical religion, in which the highest virtue is to combine knowledge with action. When this is achieved a person is worshipping Allah Almighty as He commanded him....
Identifying the Right Teacher Different Types of Teacher There are many different types of scholars in our midst today. Some scholars are strict and literal in their understanding, some liberal and reforming, some practical and...
Dedication and Commitment Knowledge is not something you will attain with ease or being passive by sitting and relaxing, rather it is attained by being active in seeking it from the sources, making sacrifice in...
Not Trying to Attain the Impossible If you feel frustrated in pursuing knowledge, it is worth thinking again, as knowledge is not something we can acquire overnight. It is a consistent approach that brings the...