Being faithful to your pledges – Anas bin An-Nadhr
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Being faithful to your pledges – Anas bin An-Nadhr

There are many verses in the Quran that encourage us to be truthful and to stick to our principles and to cling to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and not to compromise, no matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in. Allah is saying you can…

Defining Nasr: 12 ingredients for victory from the Quran
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Defining Nasr: 12 ingredients for victory from the Quran

In Arabic, the word nasr (نصر) appears 33 times in the Quran. What does it mean? Nasr is commonly understood as “victory”. However, when you turn to the linguist, Ibn Faris (395 H), in “Mu’jam maqayees Al-Lughah” whose dictionary is a key reference in Arabic, the root word nasara (نصر) means ‘bringing or facilitating goodness….

Recharging the Ummah – from weakness and despair to resilience and hope
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Recharging the Ummah – from weakness and despair to resilience and hope

In Surat al-Imran, Allah Almighty says: ‫وَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُوا۟ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَوۡنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِینَ Don’t be weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will prevail if you are true believers. (3:129) ‫إِن یَمۡسَسۡكُمۡ قَرۡحࣱ فَقَدۡ مَسَّ ٱلۡقَوۡمَ قَرۡحࣱ مِّثۡلُهُۥۚ وَتِلۡكَ ٱلۡأَیَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَیۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلِیَعۡلَمَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَیَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمۡ شُهَدَاۤءَۗ وَٱللَّهُ…

Those who are expelled from their homes unjustly
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Those who are expelled from their homes unjustly

Allah Almighty mentions about those who are being driven and expelled from their homelands in three surahs – Surat Ale Imran, Surat Hajj and Surat al Hashr. In Surat Ale Imran, He says: ‫ فَٱلَّذِینَ هَاجَرُوا۟ وَأُخۡرِجُوا۟ مِن دِیَـٰرِهِمۡ وَأُوذُوا۟ فِی سَبِیلِی وَقَـٰتَلُوا۟ وَقُتِلُوا۟ لَأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنۡهُمۡ سَیِّـَٔاتِهِمۡ وَلَأُدۡخِلَنَّهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتࣲ تَجۡرِی مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ ثَوَابࣰا مِّنۡ…

When will the help of Allah come? Endurance, tests and the path to victory.
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When will the help of Allah come? Endurance, tests and the path to victory.

In Surat al Baqarah, Allah Almighty says: أَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ أَن تَدۡخُلُوا۟ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا یَأۡتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِینَ خَلَوۡا۟ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۖ مَّسَّتۡهُمُ ٱلۡبَأۡسَاۤءُ وَٱلضَّرَّاۤءُ وَزُلۡزِلُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ یَقُولَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ مَتَىٰ نَصۡرُ ٱللَّهِۗ أَلَاۤ إِنَّ نَصۡرَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِیبࣱ Do you think that you will enter Paradise while you have not yet been visited by (difficult) circumstances…

Justice is blind. But we should not be blind to justice.
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Justice is blind. But we should not be blind to justice.

كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةࣰ وَ ٰ⁠حِدَةࣰ فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِیِّـۧنَ مُبَشِّرِینَ وَمُنذِرِینَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لِیَحۡكُمَ بَیۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فِیمَا ٱخۡتَلَفُوا۟ فِیهِۚ وَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفَ فِیهِ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِینَ أُوتُوهُ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَاۤءَتۡهُمُ ٱلۡبَیِّنَـٰتُ بَغۡیَۢا بَیۡنَهُمۡۖ فَهَدَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لِمَا ٱخۡتَلَفُوا۟ فِیهِ مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ بِإِذۡنِهِۦۗ وَٱللَّهُ یَهۡدِی مَن یَشَاۤءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَ ٰ⁠طࣲ مُّسۡتَقِیمٍ All mankind used to be a…

Evil in every society is a fact of life. We have to resist it.
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Evil in every society is a fact of life. We have to resist it.

وَكَذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ جَعَلۡنَا فِی كُلِّ قَرۡیَةٍ أَكَـٰبِرَ مُجۡرِمِیهَا لِیَمۡكُرُوا۟ فِیهَاۖ وَمَا یَمۡكُرُونَ إِلَّا بِأَنفُسِهِمۡ وَمَا یَشۡعُرُونَ And so We have placed in every society the most wicked to plot in it. Yet they plot only against themselves, but they fail to perceive it. [Al-Anʿām, 6:123] ٱسۡتِكۡبَارࣰا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَكۡرَ ٱلسَّیِّىِٕۚ وَلَا یَحِیقُ ٱلۡمَكۡرُ ٱلسَّیِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهۡلِهِۦۚ…

Rioters beware
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Rioters beware

As Allah stated in the Quran in Surat Anfal: وَإِذۡ يَمۡكُرُ بِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيُثۡبِتُوكَ أَوۡ يَقۡتُلُوكَ أَوۡ يُخۡرِجُوكَۚ وَيَمۡكُرُونَ وَيَمۡكُرُ ٱللَّهُۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡمَٰكِرِينَ  And ˹remember, O  Prophet,˺ when the disbelievers conspired to capture, kill, or exile you. They planned, but Allah also planned. And Allah is the best of planners. (8:30) This ayah…

How to respond to a hate march
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How to respond to a hate march

Racism rears its ugly head It is sadly ironic that the marches protesting the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza, which have been ongoing for the last 10 months were dubbed “hate marches” by a certain British politician. Ironic firstly because they were marches of compassion, highlighting the tragic loss of lives, dreams and futures,…

Global IT outage. When systems go down…
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Global IT outage. When systems go down…

In Surat al-Isra, Allah Almighty says: كُلّٗا نُّمِدُّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَهَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ مِنۡ عَطَآءِ رَبِّكَۚ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ مَحۡظُورًا To each [category] We extend – to these and to those – from the gift of your Lord. And never has the gift of your Lord been restricted. (17:20) This verse expresses the continuous help and support…

The law of trials
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The law of trials

Allah mentioned trials and tribulations (ikhtilaf) in the Quran many times. In Surat al Baqarah, He said: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ      O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient. [Al-Baqarah, 2:153] وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ لِمَن یُقۡتَلُ فِی…

The law of alternation. What goes up must come down
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The law of alternation. What goes up must come down

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had a she-camel, whose name was al ‘Adba, who never lost a race. He said: عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَاقَةٌ تُسَمَّى الْعَضْبَاءَ لاَ تُسْبَقُ ـ  أَوْ لاَ تَكَادُ تُسْبَقُ ـ…

The Ummah Upgrade
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The Ummah Upgrade

Smashing the idols Allah Almighty said towards the end of Surat Zumar, أَلَيۡسَ ٱللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبۡدَهُۥۖ وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِٱلَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِۦۚ وَمَن يُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنۡ هَادٖ Is not Allah sufficient for His Servant [Prophet Muhammad]? And [yet], they threaten you with those [they worship] other than Him. And whoever Allah leaves astray – for…

The consequences of harming Awliyaullah
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The consequences of harming Awliyaullah

Allah’s love for those who are committed to Him إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ سَیَجۡعَلُ لَهُمُ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ وُدࣰّا Surely, those who believe and do righteous deeds, for them the All-Merciful (Allah) will give love. [Maryam, 19:96] This ayah is a very unique ayah in the Quran in which Allah talks about His love (mawaddah) for…