the beautiful attributes of the Servants of the All Merciful
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The 14 beautiful attributes of the ‘Servants of the All Merciful’

In the very well known verses about the characteristics of the Ibad ur Rahman ‘Servants of Ar-Rahman’ in Surat al Furqan, the Most Merciful, Allah Almighty describes the qualities that will make us the VIPs of Jannah if we adopt them. Allah Almighty enumerates the attributes of these people and mentions the special treatment they…

What do you use as a point of reference when you have a dispute?
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What do you use as a point of reference when you have a dispute?

Allah Almighty addresses the issue of how to resolve a dispute and tells us that the point of reference in a dispute should be the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be on him), and the shariah. Yet if a group of people cannot agree on something, and are told this,…

Trial by rumour vs innocent until proven guilty

Trial by rumour vs innocent until proven guilty

In Surat Nur there are many rulings, as it was revealed in Madinah, and in general surahs revealed in Madinah contained guidance on what was permissible and impermissible in Islam. [This is] a surah which We have revealed and made ˹its rulings˺ obligatory, and revealed in it clear commandments so that you may be mindful. (24:1)…

Ramadan – a month of internal and external victories
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Ramadan – a month of internal and external victories

Ramadan: victory against your nafs and your enemy Praise be to God, we have received an honourable guest, Ramadan, which will stay with us for around a month. Guests usually brings gifts, and Ramadan generously brings with it forgiveness and mercy in abundance. In Ramadan, God has made it compulsory for us to fast, as…

The arrogant worshipper vs the humble sinner

The arrogant worshipper vs the humble sinner

Arrogance and rebellion In Surat al-Muminoun, Allah Almighty tells us He punished the disbelievers, but despite this they did not turn back to Him, nor did they supplicate to Him. وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَـٰهُم بِٱلْعَذَابِ فَمَا ٱسْتَكَانُوا۟ لِرَبِّهِمْ وَمَا يَتَضَرَّعُونَ And We have already seized them with torment, but they never humbled themselves to their Lord, nor…

The right to defend yourself and being smart in the fight for your rights

The right to defend yourself and being smart in the fight for your rights

Might is not everything needed in a fight In Surat al-Hajj there are many verses to reflect on, including the verse in which the oppressed are given permission by Allah to fight back: أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا۟ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ Permission ˹to fight back˺ is ˹hereby˺ granted to those being fought,…

The Day you were promised – the fearful and the fearless

The Day you were promised – the fearful and the fearless

Towards the end of Surat al-Anbiya, Allah Almighty mentions a group of people who believe in Allah, and what is waiting for them in akhirah – they are far from hellfire, so far from it, that they will not hear the sound of its blazing fire. إِنَّ الَّذِينَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُمْ مِنَّا الْحُسْنَىٰ أُولَٰئِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ…

How heavy are your deeds?

How heavy are your deeds?

The scales On the Day of Judgement, when the scales are erected then our Books of Deeds will be weighed, even the smallest deeds will be weighed. If they are good, then our end will be good, but if they are bad, our destination will be bad. وَنَضَعُ ٱلْمَوَٰزِينَ ٱلْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ…

How to deal with troublemakers and complainers
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How to deal with troublemakers and complainers

In the first couple of pages of Surat Al Anbiya, we see the complaint in the community against the prophets and messengers Allah sent them. They keep demanding that their prophets produce miracles on demand and at their command. This pattern of behaviour was not exceptional; we see it repeated with Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Eesa…

Alone with Allah and your Book of Deeds
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Alone with Allah and your Book of Deeds

Two ayahs capture my imagination: وَنَرِثُهُۥ مَا يَقُولُ وَيَأْتِينَا فَرْدًۭا  ‎And We will inherit what he boasts of, and he will come before Us all by himself. (19:80) ‏وَكُلُّهُمْ ءَاتِيهِ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَمَةِ فَرْدًا ‎ And every one of them will come to Him on the day of resurrection alone. (19:95) Allah is saying in the…

Balancing responsibilities and being excellent – A tall order

Balancing responsibilities and being excellent – A tall order

It has been noted that for the last 50 years, campaigns and debates have been centred on rights – but not on responsibilities. Yet one of the reasons we have rights, perhaps the very reason our rights exist, is for us to fulfil our responsibilities. When we look at the Quran, it sets out everyone’s…