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…

Heatwaves, wildfires and how to protect yourself from The Fire
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Heatwaves, wildfires and how to protect yourself from The Fire

As temperatures soar, breaking records, the parched earth thirsts for water, and wildfires burn, smoke and smoulder in multiple countries around the world, we are reminded of the unrelenting blazing fire of hell. May Allah protect us all from hellfire. The Prophet (peace be on him) taught the Ummah the recipe for how to protect…

What's wrong with lingering by the side of the road...? The multi-dimensional lessons of a simple hadith
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What’s wrong with lingering by the side of the road…? The multi-dimensional lessons of a simple hadith

Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said:  ‘Avoid sitting by the roadside.’ They (the Sahaba) asked, ‘O Allah’s Messenger, we cannot do without those meeting places in which we converse,’ so he said, ‘Well, if you insist (on that) give the road its dues?’…

The coolness of your eyes
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The coolness of your eyes

In the description of the Servants of Ar-Rahman in Surat al Furqan, Allah the Almighty says: وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا The servants of the Merciful are those who walk the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, “Peace.” (25:63) This means they live…

Fulfil your commitments
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Fulfil your commitments

In the opening of Surah Ma’idah, which was from the from the last surahs revealed to the Prophet (peace be on him), Allah Almighty says: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ ۚ “O you who believe! Fulfil your commitments” (5:1) In another translation, it says fulfil your contractual obligations. Therefore, Allah Almighty is teaching us…

Understanding Women’s awrah: Do the feet need to be covered?
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Understanding Women’s awrah: Do the feet need to be covered?

Are feet part of a woman’s awrah? There are two opinions on this. The Maliki and Shafi schools of thought consider it is necessary for a woman to cover her feet. Some say the top part, but not the bottom part, are part of a woman’s awrah. However among some scholars in the Hanafi school…

What do you use as a point of reference when you have a dispute?
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What do you use as a point of reference when you have a dispute?

Allah Almighty addresses the issue of how to resolve a dispute and tells us that the point of reference in a dispute should be the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be on him), and the shariah. Yet if a group of people cannot agree on something, and are told this,…

How to deal with troublemakers and complainers
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How to deal with troublemakers and complainers

In the first couple of pages of Surat Al Anbiya, we see the complaint in the community against the prophets and messengers Allah sent them. They keep demanding that their prophets produce miracles on demand and at their command. This pattern of behaviour was not exceptional; we see it repeated with Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Eesa…

Why should our shuyukh be more in touch with our community and culture?
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Why should our shuyukh be more in touch with our community and culture?

It is important for those teaching the deen to their community to be in touch with it. In fact, Allah Almighty talked about this openly in Surat Ibrahim when He said:  ‘Wa ma ‘arsalna mir-rasoulin ‘illa bi-lisani qaw-mihee  ‘We have never sent a messenger but in the language of his people’. [14:4] The delivery of…

Racism and Islamphobia – the tip of an ugly iceberg
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Racism and Islamphobia – the tip of an ugly iceberg

Racism and Islamphobia are not acceptable today. There were not acceptable yesterday and will not be acceptable tomorrow. Nike has joined Tetley, Yorkshire Tea and other sponsors in dropping Yorkshire Cricket Club which plays at one of England’s most historic and prestigious grounds (Headingley), following the allegations by Azeem Rafiq of being institutionally racist and…

Prophetic wisdom on the etiquettes of a group of three
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Prophetic wisdom on the etiquettes of a group of three

Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said: إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلاَثَةً فَلاَ يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ الثَّالِثِ، فَإِنَّهُ يُحْزِنُهُ ذَلِكَ‏.‏ ‘When three of you get together in company, two of you must not talk privately while isolating the third so as not to make…