coping with calamities
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Coping with calamities

Calamities afflict everyone When we read the Quran we see the word calamity musibah   المصيبة has been repeated ten times and test, bala‘ البلاء has been mentioned 25 times.  Allah Almighty tells us in this hadith that He will afflict His believing servants, and He afflicts His non-believing servants. The tests come in different ways,…

‘Ashura – Focus on unity not division
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‘Ashura – Focus on unity not division

Allah Almighty says in Surat āl-Imran in the Quran that we should be united: وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ And hold fast to the…

On losing a child: an Islamic perspective
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On losing a child: an Islamic perspective

The loss of a child is a deeply sorrowful and painful experience for parents and the community. Islam recognises that this is a time of immense grief and therefore, provides clear guidance on how to cope with this tragic event. Find patience and acceptance The death of a child is seen as a test and…

Surat al Kahf: Achieving serenity in faith
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Surat al Kahf: Achieving serenity in faith

Every Friday we are recommended to recite Surat al Kahf which is part of the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) because through it we are granted a special light during the week until the following Friday. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ…

The dua to be saved from debt
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The dua to be saved from debt

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَدْعُو بِهَؤُلاَءِ الْكَلِمَاتِ ‏ “‏ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الْعَدُوِّ وَشَمَاتَةِ الأَعْدَاءِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ رواه النَّسائي. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) used to say*:…

The link between ingratitude and the decline of favours
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The link between ingratitude and the decline of favours

Dua to be saved from the loss of favours Abdullah bin ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَاءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ  اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ زَوَالِ نِعْمَتِكَ وَتَحَوُّلِ عَافِيَتِكَ وَفُجَاءَةِ نِقْمَتِكَ وَجَمِيعِ سَخَطِكَ The Messenger of Allah (peace…

Allah’s test does not end until we understand what we need to improve and fix it
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Allah’s test does not end until we understand what we need to improve and fix it

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏ “‏ ما يزال البلاء بالمؤمن والمؤمنة في نفسه وولده ة وماله حتى يلقى الله تعالى وما عليه خطيئة‏”‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه الترمذي وقال حديث حسن صحيح‏)‏‏)‏ ‏.‏ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)…

What can we do to benefit the deceased?
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What can we do to benefit the deceased?

What will reach the deceased in their graves? As per the well-known hadith, when someone dies three things continue to benefit them in their grave. These are charity given on their behalf, beneficial knowledge and the duas of their righteous children. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:   “When the son of Adam dies,…

Hypocrisy – the enemy from within
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Hypocrisy – the enemy from within

Surah Muhammad is a Madani surah, so it has different characteristics compared to the previous Makki surahs. Madani surahs are full of rulings – prohibition of this, permissibility of that – and they also address the new phenomenon which cropped up in Madinah, that didn’t exist in Makkah, which was hypocrisy (nifaq). Makki surahs only…

O Palestine, you will prevail
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O Palestine, you will prevail

إِن يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِّثْلُهُ ۚ وَتِلْكَ الْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمْ شُهَدَاءَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ If a wound should touch you – there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the…

When you are sincere, Allah will find you an exit from difficulty
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When you are sincere, Allah will find you an exit from difficulty

As long as you are sincere with Allah, He will give you a way out of any difficult situation. The people of Makkah were not interested, so Allah sent the jinn to Rasul Allah (peace be on him) and they believed. Similarly, you might be doing something, and trying everything, but it’s not working; people are not responding. As long as you are sincere, be sure that Allah will open the way for you.

Take a stand against evil. Don’t be a potato
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Take a stand against evil. Don’t be a potato

Allah mentions the story of Musa and Firaun again and again in different surahs throughout the Quran. In Surat az-Zukhruf, we have the part of the story where Allah Almgihty talks about the relationship between Firaun and his people. ‘So he [Firaun] fooled his people, and they followed him. They were truly a sinful people.’…

No worldly power is invincible
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No worldly power is invincible

In Surah Fussilat we have the stories of Ad and Thamud, two Arab tribes who were demolished. This is a Makki surah, and it shows the struggle to penetrate a community as it always entrenched in its existing customs, cultures, and idol worshipping. Allah is telling us this story of previous nation as a reminder….