Restrict and expand Al Qabid is one of Allah Almighty’s names, meaning He who constricts. In Arabic, qabada is frequently used in transactions when one takes possession of a product, literally you got it in your hands. It is also used in the context of grasping, gripping or holding something. Thus the fist is also…
In a very important ayah of the Quran Allah Almighty gives us ten commands of which the first is to believe in One God, which is a message that recurs throughout the revelation and is the very basis of Islam. He has mentioned ten commands, of which I will focus on 6 and 7 only….
The good news is that as per the hadith, ‘you are with those whom you love’[1]. So if you love the Prophet (peace be upon him), you will be with him. The more you love him you closer you will be to him. In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that those…
It’s a pleasure to reflect upon the names and attributes of Allah Almighty, to delve into the meanings and to try our best to live by His names and attributes and to fulfil our roles and responsibilities as His servants. There is a very famous narration that circulates in some Sufi books which says ‘Emulate…
Allah’s names bring us close to Him Just as you need do an MOT for your car every year, you need an MOT for your understanding of Allah so you can be safe and roadworthy in your journey through life. You need to know the basics of Islam in your relationship with Allah Almighty or…
In an age of rapid information dissemination through various channels, rumours spread like wildfire, causing anxiety, confusion, and division within Muslim communities. It is crucial for Muslims to understand the significance of dealing with rumours responsibly, both as individuals and as a community. In particular it is sadly common for those in positions of leadership….
Once, Umar bin Khatab (may Allah be pleased with him) presided over a court case where he was dubious about the credibility of a witness so asked to speak to someone who knew him, to obtain a reference. One of the men present volunteered that he knew the witness. A man once gave his testimony…
Bringing Allah’s names into our lives Anything related to Allah Almighty is beautiful. When talking about His attributes and His names, we should reflect on how we can live by His names, and activate His names in our lives. Bringing Allah’s names into our lives is transformative. It gives us a new dimension to our…
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) was once asked what type of earning is the best. عَنْ رِفَاعَةَ بْنِ رَافِعٍ - رضى الله عنه - أَنَّ اَلنَّبِيَّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -سُئِلَ: أَيُّ اَلْكَسْبِ أَطْيَبُ؟ قَالَ: { عَمَلُ اَلرَّجُلِ بِيَدِهِ, وَكُلُّ بَيْعٍ مَبْرُورٍ } رَوَاهُ اَلْبَزَّارُ، وَصَحَّحَهُ اَلْحَاكِمُ. Rifa’a bin Rafi’ (may Allah…
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “There was a man among the people of the desert — his name was Zahir — and he used to bring the Prophet (peace be upon him) a present from the desert, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) would equip him with what he…
In Surat al Imran, Allah Almighty says مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ اللَّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا عِبَادًا لِّي مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن كُونُوا رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ No person to whom Allah has given the Scripture, and wisdom, and prophethood would ever say to the people, “Be…
Abu ‘Inabah Al-Khawlani (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: عن أبي عِنَبَةَ الْخَوْلاَنِيّ، رضي الله تعالى عنه وَكَانَ، قَدْ صَلَّى الْقِبْلَتَيْنِ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ :” لاَ يَزَالُ اللَّهُ يَغْرِسُ…
The story of Al-Khidr and Musa (peace be upon them) in Surat al-Kahf contains three important events, each with valuable life lessons that we can learn from. Following a long and arduous journey, Musa (peace be upon him) finally tracked down Al Khidr who was a prophet, who had been granted special insights from Allah….
The vital role of understanding Allah in our lives Our foremost obligation is to know Allah Almighty, and reflecting on His beautiful names helps us to do this. Before any other duty, gaining knowledge of Allah Almighty is incumbent upon us. The Quran emphasises this by stating, فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ “Know that…
The interconnected meanings of Al-Fattah Al-Fattah is one of Allah Almighty’s names. It has different meanings, but its primary meaning is the Opener, or the One who opens things for you. It also has other meanings which we will look at. For instance, in the only ayah that Al-Fattah has been mentioned in the Quran,…