Knowing Allah through His Beautiful Names: As Samad
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Knowing Allah through His Beautiful Names: As Samad

The name As-Samad has only been mentioned once in the Quran. Other names of Allah Almighty have been repeated as many as 20, 30 and even 50 times, but interestingly, As-Samad only appears once, in Surat al-Ikhlas, which is among the shortest surahs in the Quran. It begins: قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ١ Say He…

Is it impermissible to close your eyes during salah and sujud?
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Is it impermissible to close your eyes during salah and sujud?

During salah the norm is to direct your gaze towards the place of prostration while standing, your feet when bowing and your nose while prostrating and on the ground while sitting. There is a hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) advised keep your eyes open during salah and this is how the…

Do not be afraid to speak the truth or defend the truth
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Do not be afraid to speak the truth or defend the truth

  الَّذِينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَخْشَوْنَهُ وَلَا يَخْشَوْنَ أَحَدًا إِلَّا اللَّهَ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ حَسِيبًا ‪Those who deliver the messages of Allah, and fear Him, and fear no one except Allah. Allah suffices as a Reckoner. (33:39)‪ In this ayah Allah is explaining the importance of delivering the truth. Nothing should prevent you from delivering the…

Betrayed by your brothers
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Betrayed by your brothers

In Surat az-Zukhruf, Allah Almighty says: لَقَدۡ جِئۡنَـٰكُم بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَكُمۡ لِلۡحَقِّ كَـٰرِهُونَ أَمۡ أَبۡرَمُوۤا۟ أَمۡراً فَإِنَّا مُبۡرِمُونَ أَمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّا لَا نَسْمَعُ سِرَّهُمْ وَنَجْوَىٰهُم ۚ بَلَىٰ وَرُسُلُنَا لَدَيْهِمْ يَكْتُبُونَ ٨٠ Indeed We have brought the truth (the Qur’an) to you, but most of you hate the truth. Or have they plotted some plan (against…

The reality behind the curtain: How the story of Musa and Al Khidr helps us bear the pain of Palestine

The reality behind the curtain: How the story of Musa and Al Khidr helps us bear the pain of Palestine

As each day brings news of fresh horrors and our hearts reel at the atrocities taking place in Gaza, we look to the Quran to guide us in these troubled times. When we open up Surat al-Kahf every Friday, the story of Musa and al-Khidr gives us hope. Musa (peace be upon him), who quite…

What happens when humanity loses its humanity?
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What happens when humanity loses its humanity?

As we continue to seethe with anger at the hypocrisy and the silence over the appalling genocide in Gaza, we are seeing people who are blind, deaf, and dumb just as the Quran described. Their hearts are so shrouded with darkness that they watch the horrors devoid of empathy. صُمُّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡیࣱ فَهُمۡ لَا یَرۡجِعُونَ …

The symbolism of Isra wal Miraj
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The symbolism of Isra wal Miraj

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ “Glory be to Him, Who took His servant during the night from the Sacred House to the farthest mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some…

Silence is complicity
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Silence is complicity

Muslim brotherhood Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: عن أبي هريرة رضي الله تعالى عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم: “اَلْمُسْلِمُ أَخُو اَلْمُسْلِمِ, لَا يَظْلِمُهُ, وَلَا يَخْذُلُهُ, وَلَا يَحْقِرُهُ”. مسلم. “A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses…

Knowing Allah through His beautiful names Al Wakeel and the nature of tawakkul
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Knowing Allah through His beautiful names Al Wakeel and the nature of tawakkul

It’s good to reflect on the names of Allah Almighty and His attributes in order to improve our practice and increase our knowledge and our closeness to Him. Al-Wakeel, from a linguistic point of view, means the Trustee, the One to whom all matters are entrusted. The linguistic root also gives another meaning, which is…

Toothless justice is just an illusion of accountability
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Toothless justice is just an illusion of accountability

Allah Almighty said in Surat al Hadid: لَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلَنَا بِٱلۡبَیِّنَـٰتِ وَأَنزَلۡنَا مَعَهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡمِیزَانَ لِیَقُومَ ٱلنَّاسُ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۖ وَأَنزَلۡنَا ٱلۡحَدِیدَ فِیهِ بَأۡسࣱ شَدِيدٌ وَمَنَـٰفِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِیَعۡلَمَ ٱللَّهُ مَن یَنصُرُهُۥ وَرُسُلَهُۥ بِٱلۡغَیۡبِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَوِیٌّ عَزِيزٌ﴿ ٢٥ We have indeed sent Our messengers with clear proofs, and sent down with them the Book and the Balance,…

Learning from the unshakable imaan of the people of Gaza
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Learning from the unshakable imaan of the people of Gaza

Real imaan gives you superstrength Al-‘Abbas bin ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported God’s Messenger as saying, وَعَن الْعَبَّاس بن عبد الْمطلب قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «ذَاقَ طَعْمَ الْإِيمَانِ مَنْ رَضِيَ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولًا» . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ “He who is well-pleased with God as Lord,…

False arguments vs the truth
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False arguments vs the truth

In Surat al Kahf Allah says وَیُجَـٰدِلُ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ لِیُدۡحِضُوا۟ بِهِ ٱلۡحَقَّۖ وَٱتَّخَذُوۤا۟ ءَایَـٰتِی وَمَاۤ أُنذِرُوا۟ هُزُوࣰا ۝٥٦ Those who disbelieve argue with false argument, in order to defeat the truth thereby. They take My Verses, and the warnings, for a joke. (18:56) This ayah shows us that people of falsehood have the audacity…