Human beings have an extraordinary capacity to think and to learn, far beyond the capacity of animals who also communicate, calculate (just think of bees and ants), and develop tools, like apes, who use stones to crack nuts, or chimpanzees who modify sticks to obtain termites. Yet, their ability to think does not compare to…
Debt is sometimes unavoidable. Situations arise that mean finances are no longer balancing – people borrow because of illness, loss of income, family responsibilities etc. However, the Prophet ﷺ repeatedly warned us not to take debt lightly. Debt can turn financial security into anxiety, place pressure on a person’s character, and remains an obligation even…
There are so many things to reflect on in the story of Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him). The first is that his ordeal took place at night, and there is something about the loneliness of the night. People sometimes call it “the dark night of the soul”: that quiet, difficult journey which happens when…
Muharram is a special month. It is the beginning of the Hijri year, and within it is the tenth of Muharram, the Day of Ashura. Although the Hijrah itself took place in Rabi’ al-Awwal, the Islamic calendar begins with Muharram and counts its years from the Hijrah. So when the new Hijri year begins, it…
The Quranic principle of spending Allah says in the Quran: ويسألونك ماذا ينفقون قل العفو “They ask you what they should spend. Say: what is beyond your needs.” (Surah Baqarah, 2:219) This ayah gives us a clear principle about spending, charity and responsibility. The Companions asked Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) what they should…
Many people experience passing doubts in worship. A person may wonder whether their wudu is still valid, whether they pronounced a letter correctly in al-Fatihah, whether they made a mistake in salah, or whether they chose the correct scholarly opinion. For most people, the doubt comes and goes. They continue and move on. For some…
Who is the lucky one? عَنِ الْمِقْدَادِ بْنِ الْأَسْوَدِ قَالَ : ايْمُ اللَّهِ، لَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ : ” إِنَّ السَّعِيدَ لَمَنْ جُنِّبَ الْفِتَنَ، إِنَّ السَّعِيدَ لَمَنْ جُنِّبَ الْفِتَنَ، إِنَّ السَّعِيدَ لَمَنْ جُنِّبَ الْفِتَنَ، وَلَمَنِ ابْتُلِيَ فَصَبَرَ فَوَاهًا “. أبو داود. Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad (may Allah be pleased with him)…
When a person has been missing for a long time, it is natural for people to begin wondering whether they have passed away. Yet, in Islamic law, Salatul Janazah can only be performed if there is certainty. Therefore, as long as the death of the missing person has not been established, Janazah prayer cannot be…
The limits set by Allah Allah Almighty has not left us without guidance. He did not leave us to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong according to changing moods, pressure, or convenience. He laid down obligations, set boundaries, prohibited what is harmful, and out of His mercy remained silent on certain matters. The…
The duty of the Ummah is to prevent harm Allah stated in Surat Ale Imran, كُنتُمۡ خَیۡرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخۡرِجَتۡ لِلنَّاسِ تَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَتَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَتُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِۗ You have been the best community that was ever brought forth for mankind: you command to what is fair and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah….
At our Utrujj Iftar, we had a full house, not just full of guests but also full of the mercy of Allah, full of happiness, full of love. Alhamdulillah, as Pakistani, Bengali, Lebanese, Iraqi, Palestinian, French, German guests sat side by side, with all their different languages, different cultures, different histories, they were united by…
De-constructing the types of people who spread negativity from the Qur’an In every community there are people who hold you back. You want to move forward, but they pull you backwards. All of us have experienced such people at different points in our lives. Some are within our own families, some in our mosques, some…
In Surat al-Ahzab, Allah says: يَا أَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ ٱتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْكَافِرِينَ وَٱلْمُنَافِقِينَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا O Prophet, be mindful of Allah and do not obey the deniers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah has always been All-Knowing, All-Wise (Surat al-Ahzab, 33:1) Surat al-Ahzab was revealed at the end of the fifth year…
The Prophet ﷺ said: يَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ الصَّابِرُ فِيهِمْ عَلَى دِينِهِ كَالْقَابِضِ عَلَى الْجَمْرِ “A time will come when the one who patiently bears the pain and trials of staying true to his religion will be like someone grasping a piece of burning coal.” (Tirmidhi) We are familiar with this hadith, which the Prophet…
We recite this surah every Friday, because it brings the light of guidance. One of the ways it guides us is by showing us the different types of people we come across in daily life. Surat al-Kahf as a Mirror of Society This surah speaks not only of four trials but shows us an array…