Allah’s Names
Dua and dhikr
Quran and shariah
Five pillars
Obligations
Hereafter
Signs
Sins
Part 1: Understanding the Qur’an and Sunnah The Qur’an and Sunnah are the two revelations Living with the Qur’an and Sunnah is a topic very dear to my heart. We have delivered this topic many times, probably for the first time in Leeds in 2004. Some of you may still remember it, while others were…
Being more pious does not mean making life more difficult Taqwa is not choosing the hardest option Some people assume that the harder a religious practice is, the more pious it must be. They believe that choosing the strictest opinion, avoiding concessions or putting themselves through additional hardship will necessarily bring them closer to Allah…
Three things that lead to Jannah Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ، مَنْ رَضِيَ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيًّا، وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ». فَعَجِبَ لَهَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ، فَقَالَ: أَعِدْهَا عَلَيَّ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، فَفَعَلَ. “O Abu Sa‘id, whoever is pleased with…
When we read the Quran and Sunnah, we encounter different names and descriptions of Jannah: Jannaat ʿAdn, al-Firdaws, Jannaat al-Naʿīm, Daar al-Salaam and others. Each opens a window onto the home Allah has prepared for His believing servants. Some names draw our attention to its permanence, others to its peace, security or delight. Alongside them…
Alhamdulillah, it has been a while since we delivered courses or talks in the north. “Finding Your Way Back” was one of our earliest courses. We delivered a course with this same title in 2001. This time, we have some different content, suitable for a different time, a different place and different people, but the…
The question of whether a man should wear his trousers above or below his ankles often leads to strong opinions. There are authentic hadiths warning men about letting their clothes fall below the ankles. But there is also a deeper lesson behind these hadiths: arrogance. At the time of the Prophet ﷺ, wealthy and powerful…
Medicine as a trust and an act of worship Ibn Sina and the purpose of medicine Muslim scholars made major contributions to the development and transmission of medical knowledge. One of the best-known figures in this history is Ibn Sina, known in the Latin tradition as Avicenna. He was honoured with the title al-Shaykh al-Ra’is,…
In an age where success is often measured by status, wealth and influence, Islam offers a very different vision of greatness. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that true honour is not found in being served, but being a servant of Allah, the Most High, and then serving others. As for being a servant of Allah,…
Complete submission to Allah Allah Almighty says: فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَىٰ فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ “When he was old enough to work with him, he said, ‘My dear son, I have seen in…
Allah does not need His creation. His religion is established, His decree unfolds, and His command prevails whether people respond or turn away. Yet from His mercy, Allah chooses certain individuals and allows them to be part of His service. This is not a right that one earns, but an honour that one is granted….
مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُۥ فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُۥ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَىٰهَا مَذْمُومًۭا مَّدْحُورًۭا Whoever desires this fleeting world ˹alone˺, We hasten in it whatever We please to whoever We will; then We destine them for Hell, where they will burn, condemned and rejected. [17:18] In this ayah Allah uses word…
How to escape darkness and choose the light Surat Ibrahim opens with the verse: الٓر ۚ كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ ٱلنَّاسَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ Alif, Lam, Ra. This is a book We have sent down to you, so that you may deliver the people, with the will of…
Who are people understanding? Allah says in the Quran: أَفَمَن يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ٱلْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَىٰٓ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ Now, can the one who knows that whatever has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, be equal to one who is blind? Only the people of…
The greatest role model was undoubtedly the Prophet ﷺ. What was it about him that made his personality so warm and charismatic and at the same time, made him the greatest human being ever to have lived? What were the qualities he possessed that we can improve within ourselves? Check his qualities in yourself. Here…
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…