Carry the knowledge We need to deliver knowledge in a prophetic manner. Make it relevant. We often lack this element when delivering Islamic knowledge. There is a deep disconnect between the knowledge in our books and mosques and every day life. As a result we do not find many people attending circles or khutbas because…
Islam came to liberate women from the abusive and oppressive mentality which had existed towards in the Arab community for centuries. Islam gave woman the freedom to express herself and to be independent, financially and socially. She could get an education, she could do business, and she had a voice. It is culture which perpetuates…
Desire is normal The instinct which Allah Almighty created in us makes it very easy for us to be tempted by the opposite sex. This is our nature and how we function and what makes us balanced and human. If we did not feel desire, it is not normal and we would need help to…
A commonly misunderstood and misinterpreted concept is whether men are superior to women. For a long time, men have enjoyed feeling that they are better than women and feeling that they are in the position of masters. Superiority? In the Quran, Allah Almighty says men have a degree (daraja) over women – which gives men…
Argumentation (jaadila) We send the messengers only as deliverers of good news and warners. 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) When we read the Quran, we come across the words jaadila, ujaadila, jadal and mujadiloon, which…
Islam is not theoretical, it’s practical. Our obligations are towards Allah Almighty and towards the people with whom we inhabit the world. Our relationships with people begin with our immediate families. Our immediate families are composed of those with whom we are related by blood. There are many verses in the Quran and hadith about…
We send the messengers only as deliverers of good news and warners. 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) When we read the Quran, we come across the words jaadila, ujaadila, jadal and mujadiloon, which mean argumentation…
Argumentation (Jidaal) We send the messengers only as deliverers of good news and warners. 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) When we read the Quran, we come across the words jadala , ujaadilu, jadal and mujadiloon,…
Goodness extends to all mankind Allah Almighty commanded us to be good to each other throughout the Quran and specifically in Surah Nisa, when he said: Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbour, the neighbour farther away, the companion at your…
The majority of food is halal The list of what is haram is not long. In fact, Allah Almighty is saying that everything is halal except the few things which are prohibited. There are 10 prohibitions mentioned in the Quran and some more from the Sunnah – all in all not more than 20 things….
O you who have believed, when you stand up to pray, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one…
As Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) observed, ‘If religion was based on opinion the bottom of the khuff (leather socks) would take preference for being wiped to the top of the khuff, but I saw Allah’s messenger (peace be on him) wipe the top of his khuff.’ (Abu Dawud) This is a very important…
Al Mughirah bin Shu’bah reported: I was with the Prophet (peace be on him) during an expedition. He started to perform ablution and I was about to remove his leather socks (the khuff) when he said: Leave them, for I put them on while I was in a state of purity (tahara) and he wiped…
Being good to your parents Being kind to your parents wa bil walidayni ihsana has been repeated many times in the Quran. Allah Almighty mentioned five verses about parents, including these in which being good to parents is the very next command after worshiping Allah Himself- the two commands are said within the same breath:…
The halal and haram are clear (bayyin) The Prophet (peace be on him) made it very clear what is halal and haram. Clarity was his trademark. Hence Allah Almighty said: ‘We never sent a messenger but in the language of his own people to clarify the truth for them.’ (14:4) Clarity is key. As the…