Fear the Denial of Allah’s Favour One of the legitimate fears Muslims should have is being included in those who deny the favours of Allah; the ones who are ungrateful of the favours that they have received. Kufr – linguistically means to cover something, farmers are called kuffars because they cover the seeds with earth….
Telling the Truth O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed). (9:119) Say, ‘Indeed, my Lord has guided me to a straight path – a religion of values – the way of Abraham, inclining toward truth. And he was not among those who associated others with…
Open the Curtains and Let Light of Allah in Your Heart The Light of Allah, when we receive it, has a profound effect on our hearts and on our life. What are the means with which we can seek it and what blocks it? Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The…
Not Relying on Your Deeds as Your Ticket to Paradise There are 9 legitimate types of fear which Imam Muhasibi, the influential scholar from Basra renowned for his introspection, explored in his work on fear and hope. The first fear is fearing how our good deeds will counted and how we viewed them. Fearing deeds…
LOVE – HOPE – FEAR The formula to build a connection and healthy and balanced relationship with Allah Almighty is Love, Hope and Fear. All three components are required to grow spiritually. Fear There are 124 verses that mention khawf or fear in the Qur’an. However, on their own they are not sufficient to reflect…
Good Fear and Bad Fear When we read this word khawf, we have a common conception or misconception about its meaning. Some of our construct of what khawf, especially with regards to the deen or Allah Almighty is perhaps not healthy and not correct. Yet, from childhood the concept of fearing Allah Almighty is through…
A Leaf’s Tale When a leaf falls As I was walking on one autumnal day, an old oak tree shed a leaf. The leaf caught my attention as it fell, just then, a gust of wind blew across the courtyard, catching the leaf in its path. It turned and twirled as it drifted in the wind before…
Apathy is Not a Choice for the Muslim Ummah So often we believe it is enough to take care of our individual responsibilities and that what is happening at a social or political level is not our concern. However the dangers of this attitude are revealed in the hadith of the boat: The example of…
Everyone is in search of happiness… Where to find happiness? To find peace turn to your Lord, for He is the Source of peace, To find happiness, orientate yourself to your purpose. Happiness is the solace that is derived from being in harmony with the truth. Search for it within, deep within, there you will…
The Benefits of Dhikr Simple dhikr is a powerful tool. Light on the tongue but heavy on the scales. My servant continues to draw near to Me with optional works so that I will love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his…
The Importance of Connecting with Allah The Benefits of Dhikr ‘We dye ourselves with the colouring of Allah! For who is better in colouring than Allah? We are to worship none but Him.’ (2:138) Allah Almighty has endowed us with fitrah so that we may recognise the Truth. The truth is like a dye, which…
Envy – the Destroyer of Contentment Ill effects of envy on society Envy is said to be the roots of many diseases of the heart, originally displayed by the accursed Shai’tan. It shows up time and again in many of the social ills we have prevalent in our society like tale bearing, backbiting, slander, hatred,…
Keeping Track of Yourself Are we accountable for others’ mistakes? What have we earned? And what have we got to pass on? That was a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what…
What Prevents Us from Submitting? And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself. And We had chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous. (2:130) The Core of Deen brought by all Prophets is the Same. Allah…
Lessons from Ibrahim (peace be on him) And [remember] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], ‘Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf…