When Differences Shatter the Community With Muslims always at odds with each other… With clashing points of view and clashing egos… What does the Qur’an tell us about differences amongst us? There are many verses talking about differences, one of these is surah Yunus, Allah Almighty says: Mankind were but one community (i.e. on one…
Study Tips Organising Time Imam Al-Ghazali, in his great work, ‘Ihya Ulum ad-Din’ gives the following advice on structuring your daily life: You should structure your time, arrange your regular devotion and assign to each function a set period of time during which it is given first priority but which it does not overstep. For…
Why Speed is of the Essence The simple formula to jump the queue when you are wishing for goodness in your life, but keep finding obstacles. You will never attain birr (righteousness) until you spend from what you love. Whatever you spend, Allah is fully aware of it. (3:92) Bukhari and Muslim narrated the story…
Time isn’t money. Time is more than that… Time is money in the West. From an Islamic perspective, time is life. Time is the substance of life, the sphere in which man exists, the fortress of his spirit. Life is more valuable than money. With every passing second and every passing breath, we are losing…
Standing Together Against Oppression On the authority of Abu Najeeh al-Irbaad ibn Saariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger (peace be on him) delivered an admonition that made our hearts fearful and our eyes tearful. We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, it is as if it were a farewell admonition, so…
Essentials of Tawbah How can I know that my repentance has been accepted? What do I need to do to move on after I have made a mistake? What are the features of those closest to Allah Almighty? Al Muhasibi, the founder of the Baghdad School of Islamic philosophy, had a habit of venturing into…
Whether it is a child or a politician, the importance of honesty and integrity is the bedrock of a productive and successful society. When honesty is lacking from our leaders and absent in society, we risk failure in every sphere of life. A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hands the Muslims are…
Being an Ummah with a Backbone The propensity to sin can be controlled by some, but not others who feed this tendency, and unchecked are able to unleash its rampant and malignant spread. A common question we ask ourselves is why do people behave like this? The modern answer is ‘because I can.’ Why did…
Thirst and Ambition to Seek Knowledge Knowledge is a vast ocean, and the seeker will never attain all of it. You should not be frustrated by the little you know, however this should not make you become lazy by being content with the little you do know. Have the desire to learn, starting with the…
Sincerity and purity are interwoven. Purity of intention leads to sincerity in one’s action, and sincerity in action will in turn bring further purity of the heart. The student must be sincere to himself and to his Lord when seeking knowledge. Since seeking knowledge is an act of worship and as stated in earlier in…
‘Everything has a fruit, and the fruit of knowledge is being closer to Allah’. Rabi’ah al Adawiyya; great female scholar once said this, and a poet once commented that if you have impurities in your heart then the seed of imaan and Islam will never grow toward excellence (ihsan). Rather than utilising the shade of this tree of knowledge…
What Have You Packed? Being Prepared to Face Death Whenever you go on a journey you pack for it. Our most significant journey is to the Hereafter to meet Allah the Almighty, and so it is important to check what have we packed. It would be insane to go on a journey without provision. Therefore,…
How to Get the Best from Students Islam has placed a burden of responsibility on the shoulder of all people, from none may be excused. The Prophet (peace be on him) of Allah said: ‘Each one of you is a shepherd (trustee) and each of you is responsible for his flock (that which is entrusted…
Keeping the Audience Engaged Space out Lessons, Lectures and Circles The gathering of knowledge should not be every day because this will cause the student of knowledge to become weary. It was recorded in Bukhari Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud used to give a sermon to the people on every Thursday. A man said to Abdullah Ibn…
A scholar must be aware of the reality in order to give rulings specific to locations, times and the reality of people.