Dedication and Commitment Knowledge is not something you will attain with ease or being passive by sitting and relaxing, rather it is attained by being active in seeking it from the sources, making sacrifice in your efforts and time. The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said: ’Surely knowledge is only attained by seeking…
We have not sent to you, but as a mercy to the worlds. (21:107) In this oft-repeated ayah, Allah Almighty informs us that He sent the Prophet (peace be on him) as a rahmatan lilalameen – a mercy to all humanity. In the hadith, the Prophet (peace be on him) himself said he was…
Prepare for Tomorrow Optimism is what we need for a New Year! Optimism The Prophet (peace be on him) was an optimist by nature. He inspired optimism in others, despite all the difficulties and challenges he faced. We should learn from the master, and emulate his character (peace be on him). Optimism is contagious just…
The Qualities Allah Almighty Loves In Bukhari’s book Adab al Mufrad (A Perfect Code of Manners and Morality), which is different from his Sahih, he narrates a particular hadith from an occasion when historians say a delegation from Bahrain, around the year 8 or 10 AH, came to visit the Prophet (peace be on…
To Reflect on the Past and Plan for the Future Check your Balance The wise person is the one who calls himself to account and prepares himself for the hereafter. The foolish person is the one who is following his whims and desires and only has hopes in Allah. (Tirmidhi) Closure and New Beginnings As…
Moving from Faith to Action What is faith? How do you define it? What does it comprise? And what are its fruits? Imaan has been painstakingly examined by scholars who identified its component parts. Yet imaan cannot simply reside in the heart, its reality is only evident when it is translated into action. As always,…
Know your Self Worth Where do you stand with Allah Almighty? What is your self-worth? Wrongly estimating our own value could have severe repercussions. How then do we ensure that we have a better on handle on where we stand with Allah Almighty? We may weigh little in Allah Almighty ’s eyes, but think we are…
Getting our Priorities Right In the pursuit of goodness it is easy to become side-tracked by worthwhile acts, which may deceptively be shifting your focus from more important acts. How valuable is growing a beard when you are not acquiring your earnings in a halal way? Or praying in the front row when you are treating your…
Not Trying to Attain the Impossible If you feel frustrated in pursuing knowledge, it is worth thinking again, as knowledge is not something we can acquire overnight. It is a consistent approach that brings the seeds of knowledge to bloom. Slow and Steady One must apply gentleness and proceed in a slow and calm manner…
Fear What Tomorrow Holds The Future is Unknown We do not know what will happen tomorrow let alone the rest of our lives. Do not procrastinate or defer things to the future. Today you are fine but tomorrow you may not. Many people have good health today, and then out of the blue, they have…
Opposing Oppression ‘Oh My servants I have prohibited oppression for myself and made it prohibited amongst you, so do not oppress one another’ (Bukhari) There are countless verses in the Qur’an on oppression and around 97 verses alone on oppressors. Human Weakness By contrast, there is a word which is mentioned three times in just…
Fear the Sins You have Committed We should fear the sins that we have committed between yourself and Allah Almighty. We should have this fear, and not be of those who are over reliant on His mercy and forgiveness. Yes, Allah Almighty is the All-Merciful and All-Forgiving, but He is also severe in His punishment….
The Pillars of the Islamic Civilisation What were the Achievements of the Islamic Civilisation built on? Whenever anyone asks what Islamic Civilisation is, the first thing which comes to our mind is usually our scientific achievements, of which we are rightfully proud Alhamdulilah. However, I would like to look deeper and focus on the…
Choosing Good Friends ‘Advice is like snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.’ (Samuel T Coleridge) Good friends are most capable of delivering good advice in the most effective way to have the right impact. The choice of a friend can make one’s life…
Being Properly Prepared As most of us do not feel prepared for the akhirah, what tips are there to help us focus? Though most people think that ‘This day I have perfected for you your religion’ (5:3) is the last ayah to be revealed, they do not realise that that was only a fragment, a…