Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: ‘Avoid sitting by the roadside.’ They (the Sahaba) asked, ‘O Allah’s Messenger, we cannot do without those meeting places in which we converse,’ so he said, ‘Well, if you insist (on that) give the road its dues?’…
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: ‘Avoid (you people) suspicion for indeed suspicion is the worst form of false speech.’ [Agreed upon – narrated by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim] Avoiding suspicion is part of having good character, while being suspicious of other’s motives…
Mosques are sacred places. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ أَحَبُّ الْبِلَادِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَسَاجِدُهَا وَأَبْغَضُ الْبِلَادِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَسْوَاقُهَا “The most beloved of places to Allah are the mosques, and…
Reciting the bismillah What does it mean to say ‘Bismillah’ – In the name of Allah? Bismillah is invoking Allah at the beginning of an action. We attach Allah’s name to that action. And we begin that action mindful of Allah. For instance, ‘iqra bismillah’ (I read in the name of Allah) means you are…
Continual struggle The Prophet (peace be on him) had given dawah (invited people to Islam) tirelessly for 13 years until 610 CE, and withstood escalating torture and persecution and threats during this time. Only a very tiny minority had accepted the divine message he had brought. We do not have accurate statistics, but we estimate…
The manual for building a harmonious society as per the Sunnah Summarising compassion and brotherhood in Islam is a mammoth task, but this booklet will give a brief overview of the topic. The Quran says: Believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah, that…
In this long narration there are many lessons. Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was told about a hadith from a man who heard it from the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), so I bought a camel, prepared my baggage, and travelled for a month to…
Ghazali lived in 5th century Hijri and his book, Kitaab Al-Arba’in Fi Usul ad-Din, ‘The Forty Principles of the Religion,’ which he wrote before his death, is a summary of Ihya Ulumuddin, and his life’s works and thoughts. In the last ten principles of the forty, he looks at good traits. The first is tawbah….
There is no doubt that Surat al-Kahf is a very important surah in the Quran, and accordingly we have many narrations about it telling us of some of its virtues. It is a Makki revelation. Although Makki revelations are usually short, this surah is 110 verses long. Protection from Dajjal وعن أبي الدرداء رضي الله…
Sabr: Difficult but not impossible Ghazali lived in 5th century Hijri and his book, Kitaab Al-Arba’in Fi Usul ad-Din, ‘The Forty Principles of the Religion,’ which he wrote before his death, is a summary of Ihya Ulumuddin, and his life’s works and thoughts. In the last ten principles of the forty, he looks at good…
Every Eid begins with the takbeer. Across all countries around the world, Allahu Akber, Allahu Akber, Allahu Akber, wa lilahi hamd. The rhythm of the takbeer is like the beat of the heart. All together north and south, east and west, the takbeer resounds throughout the Ummah. It shows how strong we are when we…
Why Etiquettes matter Since the first and second century Hijri, there have been a plethora of books and works on the topic of Adaab-ul-‘Alim-ul-Muta’aalim ‘The Etiquettes of the Scholars and the Knowledge Seekers’. Knowledge of Allah is sacred and was sent to us through His Prophet (peace be upon him), so we deal with it…
Imam Ghazali who was a great theologian and usuli has written brilliantly about usul al fiqh, says 99% of rulings come with ‘ila’ – the explanation of the wisdom behind them, but there is 1% where we do not have the explanation. One of these is why we perform 7 tawaf. Allah Almighty did not…
Recommended fasts In general, as per the sunnah of the Prophet (peace be on him) it is recommended to fast on Mondays and Thursdays and the three white days i.e. the days of the full moon (13,14,15th of the lunar month). Fasting on Mondays It is also recommended to fast on Mondays: He was then…
In the description of the Servants of Ar-Rahman in Surat al Furqan, Allah the Almighty says: وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا The servants of the Merciful are those who walk the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, “Peace.” (25:63) This means they live…