A fresh look at fiqh – why I have chosen Mulla Ali al Qari’s book, Fath Bab al Inaya
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A fresh look at fiqh – why I have chosen Mulla Ali al Qari’s book, Fath Bab al Inaya

Fiqh is a heavy topic for many people but it can also be fascinating. I have chosen to take you through this journey to give you a fresh look at this topic by going through some carefully selected excerpts from Mulla Ali al Qari’s renowned work, “Fath Bab al Inaya Sharh Kitab al-Nuqaya,” a 10th…

Allah’s test does not end until we understand what we need to improve and fix it
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Allah’s test does not end until we understand what we need to improve and fix it

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏ “‏ ما يزال البلاء بالمؤمن والمؤمنة في نفسه وولده ة وماله حتى يلقى الله تعالى وما عليه خطيئة‏”‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه الترمذي وقال حديث حسن صحيح‏)‏‏)‏ ‏.‏ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)…

Keeping motivated beyond Ramadan
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Keeping motivated beyond Ramadan

You end Ramadan with a clean slate, a new page. Be careful what you write on that new page. What do you want to see on it? Make a list of what you want to achieve as you do at New Year’s. This is your post Ramadan resolution if you want. What do you want to achieve after Ramadan? Maintain and improve the good deeds which you have done. Control your anger beyond Ramadan. Control your faculties – eyes, ears, tongue and limbs, after Ramadan. This will affect heavily what will be written on this new page. At the very least, keep up the bare minimum of what you have started in Ramadan, such as your salah. I know many people do not pray regularly, only on and off. Ramadan is the time they charge their batteries and they pray during Ramadan. Once Ramadan is over, don’t stop. Keep this energy and keep your prayer on time, even though Ramadan is past, as Allah Almighty is worthy to be worshipped not just in Ramadan. The reward is still there from Allah Almighty, so don’t cut yourself off from this reward. Allah Almighty is still forgiving, not only in Ramadan as well after Ramadan.

Do not be divided

Do not be divided

Allah Almighty says in the Quran: وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ  ‘Mankind was a single community; then they differed. Were it not for a prior decree from your Lord, the matters over which they had disputed would have been settled.’ [10:19] In…

Don’t be a yo-yo. Build a rational attachment to your good deeds, not an emotional one.

Don’t be a yo-yo. Build a rational attachment to your good deeds, not an emotional one.

A’isha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had a mat and he used it for making an apartment during the night and observed prayer in it, and the people began to pray with him, and he spread it (the mat) during the daytime. The people crowded round him…

Rulings around divorce

Rulings around divorce

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) described divorce as ‘the most hated of permissible acts’ to Allah [Abu Dawood] It’s disliked, but it’s still permissible: if you hit a dead end, you have an exit, and this is out of Allah’s mercy. If two people came together with right intention, but then discover that they have personality clash, or cultural clash, or whatever it may be, talaq is the way to leave with ihsan. In Jahiliyya times, they used to divorce their wives and then take them back, and go through cycles over and over again. This just caused extra pain, so in Surat al-Baqarah Allah places a limit of three talaqs, and in this surah He explains the valid forms.

Laylatul Qadr and the reward of congregational worship
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Laylatul Qadr and the reward of congregational worship

Focus on Allah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that in the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would spend the night in prayer, and wake up his family so they could also pray and worship Allah. Our focus on the last ten nights should be worshipping Allah….

The closest people to Allah on the Day of Judgement
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The closest people to Allah on the Day of Judgement

In Surat ar-Rahman, Allah describes Jannah more than Hellfire. Although description of Hellfire do come up in some verses, the majority of surah is addressing the description of Jannah, and the favours which Allah will offer the people of Jannah. Categories on the Day of Judgement The following surah is Surat al-Waqiah, where Allah gives…

Certainty outweighs doubt – is my Wudu still valid? How many Rakahs did I recite?
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Certainty outweighs doubt – is my Wudu still valid? How many Rakahs did I recite?

Have clarity rather than doubt in your affairs اليقين لَا يَزُولُ بِالشَّكِّ There is a maxim in Fiqh that one must not let doubt creep into matters. It is a very wide ranging principle. This maxim has very wide application. This principle enables people to have certainty and block doubts in any affair. Particularly those…