Guide on performing Umrah Umrah is a highly rewarded act of worship performed by entering the state of ihram, completing tawaf around the Kaʿbah, praying two rakʿahs, performing saʿi between Safa and Marwah, and finally trimming or shaving the hair. This guide is written to be practical, simple to follow, and based on mainstream Sunni…
It is a great honour to talk about the Prophet ﷺ and to learn from his seerah – his life and biography. Previously, we looked at why we study the seerah – what is the benefit and what is the connection between the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Qur’an and our own reality. Though…
Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ gave him seven pieces of advice: 1. He commanded me to love the poor and to keep close to them. 2. He commanded me to look at those who are below me (in worldly matters) and not to look at those…
Being told that a loved one’s ventilator may be switched off is tough and daunting. No one envies the person who has to make such a decision, yet with the medical technology now available, it is a situation that many families find themselves facing. The Islamic ruling depends on why the ventilator is being withdrawn…
Seven prophetic instructions for a believer عن أبي ذَرٍّ الغِفاريِّ رضي الله عنه، قال: أمرَني خليلي ﷺ بسبع: ١-(أمرَني بحبِّ المساكينِ والدُّنوِّ منهُم. ٢-وأمرَني أن أنظرَ إلى مَن هو دُوني ولا أنظرَ إلى مَن هو فوقي. ٣-وأمرَني أن أصِلَ الرَّحِمَ وإن أدبَرَتْ. ٤-وأمرَني ألا أسألَ أحدًا شيئًا. ٥-وأمرَني أن أقولَ الحقَّ وإن كان مُرًّا. ٦-وأمرَني…
In general, zakat should not be used to pay a deceased person’s burial expenses directly, even if the deceased was zakat-eligible during their lifetime. The main reason is that most scholars stipulate that zakat must involve transferring ownership (tamlik) to a living recipient who is one of the eight categories mentioned in Surah al-Tawbah (9:60)….
The difference between conventional and Islamic mortgages For Muslims, one of the greatest financial challenges of our time, is purchasing a home without falling into riba (interest), which is strictly prohibited in Islam. Conventional mortgages are based on interest-bearing loans, while Islamic banks and financial institutions offer alternatives that aim to comply with Shariah. Among…
The Islamic Funeral prayer Salatul Janaza is performed in congregation to seek pardon for the deceased and all dead Muslims. It is Fard al Kifaya, a collective obligation upon Muslims, which means that at least one person from the community has to fulfil this obligation. As long as someone attends, it is accepted on behalf…
The ears are adorned by hearing the words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. وَلاَ حَسَنٌ إِلاَّ سَمَاعُ حَدِيثِكُمْ …. مُشَافَهَةً يُمْلَى عَلَىَّ فَأَنْقُلُ “Nothing is truly beautiful except hearing your narrations firsthand — received directly from your lips, dictated to me, and then faithfully transmitted by me.” This is a verse from the poem…
Our Lord Almighty says in His Noble Book: وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ ۖ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ “And We created from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” Surah al-Anbiya, 21:30 This is a fact that we see and recognise every day. Allah is the One who created water and sends water down…
Explaining Islam to non-Muslims – beyond the myths and misconceptions Two billion people, (about a quarter of the globe) are Muslim. Muslims believe in one God, who is called Allah, the Arabic word for God, which is also used by Arabic-speaking Christians. Muslims believe that God is the Creator of everything, including the universe, and…
Medicine as a trust and an act of worship Ibn Sina and the purpose of medicine Muslim scholars made major contributions to the development and transmission of medical knowledge. One of the best-known figures in this history is Ibn Sina, known in the Latin tradition as Avicenna. He was honoured with the title al-Shaykh al-Ra’is,…
Allah Almighty says: الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا “Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your way.”(Surat al-Ma’idah, 5:3) We are all familiar with this verse. It was revealed on the Day of ‘Arafah during the Farewell Hajj of…
What does seerah mean? Linguistically, seerah means the way or path. In Arabic, you may say that a person followed the seerah of someone, meaning he followed his path, his way, or his manner. So when we speak about the Seerah of the Prophet ﷺ, we are speaking about the way he lived. Sometimes people…
One day, Mu‘adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) was riding behind the Prophet ﷺ on a donkey. Imagine how blessed he was to share that precious time in the proximity of the Prophet ﷺ! The Prophet ﷺ at the reins and Mu‘adh probably holding on to him, behind him, close enough to…