Women
Youth
Marriage and relationships
Culture/customs misconceptions
Navigating challenges
Coping with calamities
Suicide
Death
Social code and etiquette
Tarbiya (التربية) means nurturing and developing a person step by step. It is training the heart, mind, and behaviour. It is not only passing on information. It is building a human being: their iman, character, habits, and connection to Allah. One of the most powerful methods of tarbiya in Islam is encouragement. It is a…
Surat al-Kahf is a key surah with many lessons. It is the sunnah to recite it every Friday. We have reflected on different aspects of this surah on many occasions, but our focus here is on young people. The very first story in Surah al-Kahf is the story of young people, who retreated into the…
Islam, certainty, and finding peace in faith Some Muslims today describe a feeling of anxiety around religious practice. This can show itself as constant self-doubt, repeated checking of rulings, fear that worship is invalid, or a feeling of being mentally trapped by religion. Religious practice seems heavy and exhausting. Yet this experience is not…
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…
The fiqh of dual residents Imagine you live part of the year in London and part of the year in Karachi, or you split your life between your parents’ house in one city and your own flat in another. When you go from one to the other, are you a traveller (musafir) in the shariʿah…
Surrogacy in Islam The issue of surrogacy has been considered by Islamic scholars. Within Shiʿa thought, some jurists view surrogacy as a form of assisted reproduction that can help couples struggling to conceive naturally. In contrast, the vast majority of Sunni scholars have ruled that surrogacy is entirely prohibited (haram) in Islam, and thus not…
Human equality in the Qur’an Allah says: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ “O mankind, indeed We created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble…
The difference between conventional and Islamic mortgages For Muslims, one of the greatest financial challenges of our time, is purchasing a home without falling into riba (interest), which is strictly prohibited in Islam. Conventional mortgages are based on interest-bearing loans, while Islamic banks and financial institutions offer alternatives that aim to comply with Shariah. Among…
What is the sandwich generation? Modern society has given rise to the term sandwich generation, describing men and women burdened with a dual duty: supporting their ageing parents while simultaneously raising their children. With people living longer, financial demands rising, and family structures becoming more nuclear, many Muslims today feel the squeeze of being “sandwiched”…
Islam makes a clear distinction between ḥayḍ (menstrual bleeding) and istiḥāḍah (irregular or non-menstrual bleeding). If the bleeding is istiḥāḍah, even if it is very heavy, the rulings of menstruation do not apply. This means that prayer, fasting, and other acts of worship remain obligatory. Fāṭimah bint Abī Ḥubaysh (may Allah be pleased with her)…
Though it is a common feature of masajid that they separate men and women, it is not a necessity to have a physical barrier between men and women during congregational (jamāʿah) prayer or in the mosque generally. It is important to clarify this point, as not all mosques have the space to create separate men…
Each and every one of us will one day meet with our death. Islam places great emphasis on the preparation for death and our journey to the next life. It is essential as Muslims that we study the spiritual and practical preparations for death to make our attitudes and actions in line with the Quran…
As a teacher, I often reflect on what the Prophet ﷺ would prioritise if he were in our position today. What would his main concern be? It’s a big question and I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I began searching through the Qur’an, hoping to find a clearer picture of the Prophet’s…
A daughter-in-law is not a doormat Islam is not just a set of beliefs but a way of life. It is religion in which we are encouraged to help and serve others. However, it is not a religion in which we accept being exploited. Unfortunately, there are cultural practices which oppress daughters-in-law that have no…
One of the most painful realities within many Muslim families today, particularly in South Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, is the interference of parents and in-laws in their children’s marriages. Whether it’s choosing a spouse, managing the relationship, or raising grandchildren, this interference often goes beyond well-meaning advice and becomes a cause of long-term damage…