Shahada
Salah (prayer)
Ramadan and fasting
Zakat
Hajj
There are different opinions and evidences in the four schools of thought. 1. Hanafi: Do not recite the Fatiha in any congregational prayer According to the Hanafi school of thought, you do not recite the Fatiha behind the imam, whether it is a silent prayer (Dhur and Asr) or a vocalised prayer (Fajr, Maghrib, Isha)….
Making knowledge accessible is an art Islam is more than five pillars, but they do give a good overview of the religion. These five pillars are a good example of how the Prophet (peace be on him) used simplify the deen, so everyone could understand it. He would break down knowledge into concepts that could…
The main pillars of Islam, imaan and ihsan are outlined in the famous Hadith of Jibril, which everyone should memorise. Some scholars say it is like the Fatiha to the Quran. It is the one of main hadith of the sunnah and very comprehensive. Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: While we were sitting with the Messenger of…
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the best ten days of the year and the month of Hajj. The Prophet (peace be on him) highly recommended that we should fast during the first 9 days. The 9th day is the Day of Arafah, and the Prophet (peace be on him) said: There is…
Month of mindfulness Ramadan is about becoming more mindful of your Lord, mindful of your duties towards Him and towards His creation as well. All the messages that were sent by God to humanity since Adam and Noah and Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammed (peace be upon them) were sent to make the human race…
We all know that zakat is the third pillar of Islam, after shahada and salah. Though we might think there are more verses on salah in the Quran, there are many more verses on zakat and spending than on salah. The word Zakat itself has been mentioned 32 times. And it is mentioned alongside salah…
There is a very sweet narration by Hudhaifah ibn al-Yaman which gives us beautiful insight into how the Prophet (peace be on him) prayed. We can glimpse the quality of his prayer. Hudhaifah tells us of the occasion he was praying with the Prophet (peace be on him), and we see this prayer unfold through…
Looking at life afresh Now that we have had our normal lifestyle taken away from us, and so many of our favours, they have become apparent to us. We realise what we should be grateful for. There is reason for any test and a wisdom behind it, not just GCSES and A levels which have…
Total connectivity to Allah During one moonlit night, there was an extraordinary episode, when Abbad bin Bishr, one of companions guarding an army of believers was praying as they slept. Through the darkness a stranger shot an arrow at him, which pierced him. What happened next? Abbad pulled out the arrow and continued to…
O you who have believed, when you stand up to pray, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one…
عَنْ عُمَرَ –رضي الله عنه– قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ –صلى الله عليه وسلم-: “مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَتَوَضَّأُ فَيُسْبِغُ الْوُضُوءَ, ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ, وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ, إِلَّا فُتِحَتْ لَهُ أَبْوَابُ الجَنَّةِ الثَّمَانِيَةُ، يَدْخُلُ مِنَ أَيِّهَا شَاءَ“. أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ، وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ, وَزَادَ: “اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ,…
The Prostration of Forgetfulness There are two methods of performing sajda al sahw (the prostration of forgetfulness): The Hanafi Method When you reach the last rakat, recite at-tahiyaat till the end innaka Hameedun Majeed. Make a single salam to the right. Perform 2 additional prostrations (with subhana rabiyal a’la three times). Complete your salah: Recite at-tahiyaat till…
How trust and love can lead to great things During the preparation for the Battle of the Ditch (when Madinah was surrounded) one big rock could not be moved when digging the ditch. The Prophet (peace be on him) just stroked it once and it sparked, he then said ‘Allahu Akbar, I can see…
How the event of Hudaibiyah changed history The Prophet (peace be on him) had names for things such as his swords, shields and camel. The Prophet (peace be on him) rode a camel called ‘Al-Qaswa’ during Umrah, which was a very fast and reliable camel. Not all camels can be used for travel – only…
The Day of Gathering Stopping (wuquf) at Arafah is a crucial part of Hajj. Hajj is not accepted if this part was missed. It is one of the 3 pillars or fards of Hajj. The pillars are: Ihram, Wuquf at Arafah and tawaf al-Ifada. If any of these are missed, or there is a mistake in them, it…