What dua can I make for righteous children?
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What dua can I make for righteous children?

Duas to have righteous children وَزَكَرِيَّا إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ  Wazakariyyā idh nādā rabbahu rabbi lā tadharnī fardan wa-anta khayru-l-wārithīn And (remember) Zakariyya when he called his Lord, ‘My Lord, do not leave me alone and You are the best of inheritors.’  (21:89) فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا…

The Islamic Social Code – building a harmonious community
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The Islamic Social Code – building a harmonious community

Surat al-Hujarat is a Madani Surah full of rulings about the social code for a community, setting out boundaries and etiquettes for how to deal with other people in a way that pleases Allah. It has more rulings than it has ayahs – it has only 18 ayahs. Avoid much suspicion One of the most…

Women and the mosque: returning to the prophetic balance
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Women and the mosque: returning to the prophetic balance

The widespread exclusion of women from mosques There is a very strong and prevalent view that a woman’s place is in the home, and also by extension that her place to pray is in the home. Consequently, women are barred from entering many mosques in UK and in other parts of the world. Quite often…

Can playing with children be an act of worship?
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Can playing with children be an act of worship?

Let them play and join in Whenever we play with children, we have an opportunity to enter into their world and see the world through their eyes, (where everything is new, exciting and fascinating). Although this looks like play to us adults, it is actually work for them. It has been said by many psychologists…

earthquake
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Time for compassion, not conspiracy theories

Nu’man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: عن النُّعْمَان بْن بَشِيرٍ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ كَمَثَلِ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى عُضْوًا تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ جَسَدِهِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى ‏”‏‏.‏ متفق عليه. “The believers in their…

Responding to attacks on Islam with wisdom
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Responding to attacks on Islam with wisdom

The Quran is protected Allah Almighty promised to protect the Quran. He stated this in the Quran: إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ Surely We revealed the Message, and We will surely preserve it. [15:9] In another verse, Allah Almighty described that though disbelievers wish to eradicate Islam and knowledge of Allah, they will…

what dua can you recite on the birth of a new baby
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What dua can you make for a newborn baby?

  رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا “Our Lord, grant us delight in our spouses and our children, and make us a good example for the righteous.” [25:74] Sayyiduna Hasan al-Basri (Allah be pleased with him) advised a man to supplicate with the following words when congratulating new parents: بَارَكَ…

What to do when you see a defect in someone
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What to do when you see a defect in someone

Anas bin Malik narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said:  Tuba (which is a tree in paradise) will be for he who is too occupied with his own defects to mention the defects of other people’[Al-Bazzar[i]] The Prophet (peace be upon him) here again is addressing the social context and etiquettes, which we…

Eavesdropping, phone-hacking and spying. How Islam safeguards privacy.
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Eavesdropping, phone-hacking and spying. How Islam safeguards privacy.

Privacy has to be respected Anas Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘He who seeks to listen to the talk of a people (secretly) will have molten lead poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection’. [Bukhari] Social etiquettes The Prophet (peace be…

To respect and look after parents and elders is a command, an act of worship and a debt
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To respect and look after parents and elders is a command, an act of worship and a debt

Allah Almighty said: ۞ وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and that you be excellent to your parents. If either of them or both of…

Keeping pure – Ensure purity in every sphere of your life and for the future of your children
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Keeping pure – Ensure purity in every sphere of your life and for the future of your children

Purity was commanded from the beginning of revelation Surat al Muddaththir and Muzzammil were from the first revelations. In them, Allah addressed the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his followers, commanding sincerity and purity, saying wa thiyabaka fatahhir, ‘purify your clothes’: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ O you Enrobed one. قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ Arise and warn. وَرَبَّكَ…

What is the best of three options when there is backbiting?
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What is the best of three options when there is backbiting?

Abu Ad-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘Whoever defends his brother’s honour in his absence, Allah will protect his face from the hellfire on the day of Resurrection.’ [Tirmidhi]* This hadith is one of the ahadith that established a new social code – the Islamic…

The etiquettes of visiting – how to be a good guest
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The etiquettes of visiting – how to be a good guest

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to teach his companions the etiquettes of everything: eating, drinking, sleeping, walking, talking, transactions, the list is endless, even the salah has etiquettes. One of the eitquettes he taught, are the etiquettes of visiting, or adab az-ziyarah in Arabic.  Intention What is your intention when you visit…

Enriching the rich and penalising the poor is a dereliction of responsibility
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Enriching the rich and penalising the poor is a dereliction of responsibility

It is a sin to neglect those in your care وَعَن عبد الله بن عَمْرو جَاءَهُ قَهْرَمَانٌ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ: أَعْطَيْتَ الرَّقِيقَ قُوتَهُمْ؟ قَالَ: لَا قَالَ: فَانْطَلِقْ فَأَعْطِهِمْ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: كَفَى بِالرَّجُلِ إِثْمًا أَنْ يَحْبِسَ عَمَّنْ يَمْلِكُ قُوتَهُ. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: «كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ إِثْمًا أَنْ يُضَيِّعَ مَنْ يَقُوتُ . رَوَاهُ…

Navigating the menopause. Taboo or not taboo? What every man and woman should know.
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Navigating the menopause. Taboo or not taboo? What every man and woman should know.

Should the menopause be taboo or not? The topic of menopause has been taboo for centuries and particularly within culture, it is not a topic that one likes to discuss publicly. Yet the Quran never shies away from uncomfortable or embarrassing topics, rather it broaches them in a positive way. We certainly need more awareness…