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…
Islamic law distinguishes between two broad areas: huquq Allah (the rights of Allah) and huquq al-‘ibad (the rights of people). Huquq Allah are the rights of Allah. They include acts of worship, such as prayer, fasting, zakah and Hajj. They also include rulings that uphold Allah’s commands, such as the prescribed punishments in the Shariah….
Muharram is a special month. It is the beginning of the Hijri year, and within it is the tenth of Muharram, the Day of Ashura. Although the Hijrah itself took place in Rabi’ al-Awwal, the Islamic calendar begins with Muharram and counts its years from the Hijrah. So when the new Hijri year begins, it…
The Hijrah of the Prophet ﷺ evokes mixed feelings – joy and pain. But before we go into that, we need to ask: why did the Prophet ﷺ migrate? It may appear to be a simple question, but there are many lessons we can learn from this momentous historic event. One answer might be that…
Secret righteous deeds: what only Allah knows Allah Almighty says about Prophet Yunus: فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ “If he had not been one of those who glorified Allah,” لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطْنِهِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ “he would have remained in its belly until the Day they are resurrected.” (Surat As-Saffat, 37:143-144) These verses contain a…
The Hijrah did not begin on the road to Madinah. In one sense, it was on the cards from the very first days of revelation. When the Prophet ﷺ received the first revelation in the cave of Hira, he was shaken by what had happened. Jibril had come to him in the form of a…
Most people know they should have a will, yet many delay writing one. We assume there will be time later. We assume our family will know what to do. We assume everything will work itself out. However, the Quran and Sunnah have instructed us not to leave important matters to chance. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ…
What is the best dua for opening and closing a meeting? We should always begin and end our gatherings with the remembrance of Allah. This brings blessings to the meeting and reminds us of our higher purpose. When we end the meeting it should also be with Allah’s name, praise, and repentance for anything that…
The Quranic principle of spending Allah says in the Quran: ويسألونك ماذا ينفقون قل العفو “They ask you what they should spend. Say: what is beyond your needs.” (Surah Baqarah, 2:219) This ayah gives us a clear principle about spending, charity and responsibility. The Companions asked Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) what they should…
The pledge of al-‘Aqabah in the days of Tashriq We are still in the blessed days of Eid al-Adha. These days are known as the Days of Tashriq. When we think about Eid al-Adha, we naturally think about the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the rites of Hajj, and the remembrance of…