Ramadan
Shaban
Shawwal
Muharram
Dhul Hijjah
Hajj
Eid
Special nights and days
Moonsighting
The Islamic calendar begins and ends with a sacred month. It ends with Dhul Hijjah and begins with Muharram. The best days to fast after Ramadan are in Muharram Muharram is a special month. The Prophet was asked which siyam (fasting) and which salah was best after the obligations and this is what he said…
The Day of Arafah is the most important day of the year. 1. The completion of the revelation It has many virtues and one of these is that it was the day on which the revelation was completed. the first thing is that this is the day on which the revelation was completed. Laylatul Qadr…
We praise Allah that we have witnessed the day of Eid. There are those among us who could not witness it, because of the pandemic – some are in hospital and some are in their grave. Some of them are at home and cannot go to the mosque, as many of us. Two Eids! Alhamdulilah,…
Is it permissible to trim your nails and cut your hair if you intend to do a sacrifice (qurbani) on Eid? When a person enters a state of ihram for Hajj, they are not allowed to trim their hair or clip their nails since these are among the things prohibited while in ihram. This includes…
The gifts of Allah Nafahatullahi are the gifts of Allah Almighty. There are plenty of narrations of the Prophet (peace be on him) which mention such gifts. One of these narrations is by Anas ibn Malik, who reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said: Do good deeds in the time that…
The Prophet (peace be on him) used to fast the 6 days of Shawwal. They do not have to be fasted consecutively but at any time during the month. When can you fast after Eid? You can fast from 2nd Shawwal, but it is better to delay the fasting the six days of Shawwal until…
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…
Glorify, be guided and be grateful Allah …[wants] you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful. (2:185) Takbeer (say Allahu Akbar) is the essence of Eid Every Eid it is the sunnah to do takbeer, say ‘Allahu akbar’ (God is…
It’s the end of Ramadan. What have we achieved? And how can we retain what we have learned? We ask this question every year at the end of this blessed month. In fact when you ponder on the verses of Siyam fasting in Surah Baqarah (183-187), there are three things that we can focus on….
‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) used to tighten his belt and used to stay up all night, and he would also wake his family. (Bukhari) When the 10 nights start the Prophet (peace be…
Time for repair Every year Ramadan comes with a different flavour. Although you are fasting in Ramadan but you can still taste its sweetness. It is a favour from Allah which He never gave to any nation before us. Fasting itself was also prescribed to previous nations, as we know from Surah Al-Baqarah: O you…
Once Sha’ban is here, the countdown to Ramadan has truly started. The Prophet (peace be on him) used to fast regularly throughout the year, but it was in the month preceding it, Sha’ban, when he cranked up his efforts and would fast almost the entire month. In a famous hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon…
Allah Almighty said: We will certainly test you with some fear and hunger, and some loss of possessions and lives and crops. But give good news to the steadfast. (2:155) وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ The Coronavirus is a test for us all Without doubt…
Rajab and the sacred months The number of months, according to Allah, is twelve months—in the decree of Allah—since the Day He created the heavens and the earth, of which four are sacred. This is the correct religion. So do not wrong yourselves during them. (9:36) Rajab is a sacred month. One of the 4…
The common factor when we gather to celebrate the life of the Prophet (peace be on him) is our love for him. Whatever we do, intention is crucial, inamal amalu bin niyyat: Actions are by intention. (Bukhari) Our intention is to be closer to Allah Almighty by knowing the Prophet and sending our salam and…