Choose Freedom or Destruction Every morning, you decide the fate of your soul Imam Muslim narrated a long hadith on the authority of Abu Malik al-Ash‘ari رضي الله عنه, one of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ. Abu Malik and Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari are two different companions. It is Abu Malik who narrated this hadith,…
In Surat Al Imran, Allah gives us words with which to turn to Him when we see power change hands: قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ “Say, ‘O Allah, Master of all sovereignty, You give authority…
Part 1: Understanding the Qur’an and Sunnah The Qur’an and Sunnah are the two revelations Living with the Qur’an and Sunnah is a topic very dear to my heart. We have delivered this topic many times, probably for the first time in Leeds in 2004. Some of you may still remember it, while others were…
Financial hardship can affect every part of our lives. As businesses come under financial strain, inflation, unemployment and unexpected bills can leave us worried about how we will provide for our families. That pressure can affect our sleep, our relationships and our ability to think clearly. Financial hardship is one of the tests of life…
Human beings have an extraordinary capacity to think and to learn, far beyond the capacity of animals who also communicate, calculate (just think of bees and ants), and develop tools, like apes, who use stones to crack nuts, or chimpanzees who modify sticks to obtain termites. Yet, their ability to think does not compare to…
Yes, you can pray in your shoes as long as they are free from impurity (najasah). If you are praying outdoors, for example in a park, you do not have to take them off. The Prophet ﷺ prayed in his sandals and taught his companions to check that they were clean. Check your shoes before…
Delivering the Friday khutbah in the language of the congregation is not just permissible according to recognised scholarly opinions and established fatwas, but important. It is not imperative that the Jumu’ah khutbah be delivered in Arabic. The khutbah is intended to remind people of Allah and strengthen their imaan. It is also meant to guide…
Being more pious does not mean making life more difficult Taqwa is not choosing the hardest option Some people assume that the harder a religious practice is, the more pious it must be. They believe that choosing the strictest opinion, avoiding concessions or putting themselves through additional hardship will necessarily bring them closer to Allah…
The danger of cheating, withholding people’s rights and losing barakah Allah Almighty says in Surah al-Mutaffifin: وَيْلٌ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُولَٰئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ “Woe to those who give less than due! Those…
Examining hadiths on salah takes us through the fascinating history of how salah was prescribed. Many of us may not realise that the five daily prayers were not prescribed in their final form from the beginning. Rather, Allah Almighty introduced them gradually, through different stages of revelation. Yet, once their final form was established, the…
Three things that lead to Jannah Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ، مَنْ رَضِيَ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيًّا، وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ». فَعَجِبَ لَهَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ، فَقَالَ: أَعِدْهَا عَلَيَّ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، فَفَعَلَ. “O Abu Sa‘id, whoever is pleased with…
When we read the Quran and Sunnah, we encounter different names and descriptions of Jannah: Jannaat ʿAdn, al-Firdaws, Jannaat al-Naʿīm, Daar al-Salaam and others. Each opens a window onto the home Allah has prepared for His believing servants. Some names draw our attention to its permanence, others to its peace, security or delight. Alongside them…
The difference in the verification methodology of legal rulings and seerah It is good to talk about the seerah of the Prophet ﷺ, but we should not only talk about it, we should try to learn lessons from his seerah and live by them. Anyone can pick up a book of seerah and read it….
One of the beautiful qualities of Allah Almighty is that He conceals the faults and sins of His servants. Even when we disobey Him, He does not immediately expose us. Instead, He gives us the opportunity to recognise our mistakes, repent and return to Him. In Islam, concealment (satr) is an important principle. We are…
Gathering to remember Allah is a blessed act with a clear basis in the Sunnah. Remembering Him aloud is also supported by authentic hadith. Scholars have differed over some ways of organising dhikr, particularly when everyone recites the same words in one voice, but it is wrong to dismiss all collective dhikr as an innovation….