30
Sep 2022

In two verses of Surat al Ahzab, Allah Almighty mentioned that he sent the Prophet (peace be upon) with five roles: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness, and a bearer of good news, and a warner. (33:46) وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُّنِيرًا And a caller towards God by His leave, and an illuminating beacon. (33:46) وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ فَضْلًا كَبِيرًا And give the believers the good news that for them is a great reward. (33:47) These five......
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23
Sep 2022

Sahl ibn Sa’d reported: عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ قَالَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ إِذَا أَنَا عَمِلْتُهُ أَحَبَّنِي اللَّهُ وَأَحَبَّنِي النَّاسُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ازْهَدْ فِي الدُّنْيَا يُحِبَّكَ اللَّهُ وَازْهَدْ فِيمَا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ يُحِبُّوكَ A man came to the Prophet and said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me about a deed which will make Allah and people love me.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Renounce the worldly life and Allah will love you. Renounce what people......
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23
Sep 2022

The connect / disconnect between the heart and tongue Ghazali says intention is not determined by what you say, but by a deeper motivation. Simply verbalising something is not a true indication that you mean it. For instance saying ‘I intend to love someone or pay zakah’ does not move you to action. These are just words. An expression. Unless it is accompanied by the motivation to achieve that end. Though we are all familiar with the intention most people pronounce before praying, the motivation to pray precedes that uttering of words.......
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21
Sep 2022

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: الحياء من الإيمان ‘Modesty is part of Faith.’ In Arabic this is just three words, but this is a very comprehensive hadith. Haya is modesty. Modesty/Haya’ Haya as the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned in the other hadith, iman is about 60 odd branches or 70 odd branches and one of these branches is haya, asthe Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger......
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20
Sep 2022

Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the Prophet (peace be on him said: عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَا شَيْءٌ أَثْقَلُ فِي مِيزَانِ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ خُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ ‘There isn’t anything, which will be put on the scale (on the Day of Resurrection), heavier than good character.”’ This is a one-line hadith which is a very important hadith and there are many, many narrations in the sunnah which mention the importance......
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16
Sep 2022

It is a sin to neglect those in your care وَعَن عبد الله بن عَمْرو جَاءَهُ قَهْرَمَانٌ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ: أَعْطَيْتَ الرَّقِيقَ قُوتَهُمْ؟ قَالَ: لَا قَالَ: فَانْطَلِقْ فَأَعْطِهِمْ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: كَفَى بِالرَّجُلِ إِثْمًا أَنْ يَحْبِسَ عَمَّنْ يَمْلِكُ قُوتَهُ. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: «كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ إِثْمًا أَنْ يُضَيِّعَ مَنْ يَقُوتُ . رَوَاهُ مُسلم Abdallah bin ‘Amr told that a steward of his came to him and he asked him whether he had given the slaves their food. When he replied that he had not, he told him to go......
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16
Sep 2022

Allah has said: ‘If My servant considers doing a sin, do not record it against him. If he acts upon it, record it as one sin. If he considers doing a good deed and does not do it, record it as one good deed, and if he actually does it, record it as 10 good deeds.’ The reward of positive thinking This is a beautiful hadith. Allah Almighty is saying that if His servant is thinking, (the Arabic word tuhaditha has been translated as ‘thinking’ but literally means ‘speaking’, so......
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16
Sep 2022

Ghazali lived in 5th century Hijri and his book, Kitaab Al-Arba’in Fi Usul ad-Din, ‘The Forty Principles of the Religion,’ which he wrote before his death, is a summary of Ihya Ulumuddin (Revival of the Sciences of the Religion), and his life’s works and thoughts. In the last ten principles of the forty, he looks at good traits that we should adopt and nurture within ourselves. The first is tawbah (repentance); the second is khawf (fear) and the third is zuhd (asceticism), the fourth quality is sabr (patience). The fifth quality is......
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11
Sep 2022

Ask people of knowledge – ignorance can kill The Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged questions in the right context and would sometimes start his circle by posing a question. Do you know who this is? Do you know the meaning of this? it’s not true that in the religious context you are not allowed to ask questions. No it’s not true, the Quran teaches us how to ask because Allah says: ‘Ask the people of knowledge.’ In an incident which happened during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon......
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10
Sep 2022

Ghazali lived in 5th century Hijri and his book, Kitaab Al-Arba’in Fi Usul ad-Din, ‘The Forty Principles of the Religion,’ which he wrote before his death, is a summary of Ihya Ulumuddin (Revival of the Sciences of the Religion), and his life’s works and thoughts. In the last ten principles of the forty, he looks at good traits that we should adopt and nurture within ourselves. The first is tawbah (repentance); the second is khawf (fear) and the third is zuhd (asceticism), the fourth quality is sabr (patience). The fifth quality is......
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09
Sep 2022

Death is a reality that we find hard to comprehend The passing of the Queen, even at the age of 96, who it almost seemed would live forever, but came suddenly and unexpectedly just two days after she met the new Prime Minister, shows that none of us will live forever and reminds us that we need to be prepared for our own death. Allah Almighty said every single one of has to die and that we will all receive our just desserts on the Day of Judgement, meanwhile this life is......
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02
Sep 2022

The offer Rabi’ah bin Ka‘b said: عن رَبِيعَةَ بْن كَعْبٍ الْأَسْلَمِيّ قَالَ : كُنْتُ أَبِيتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِوَضُوئِهِ وَحَاجَتِهِ، فَقَالَ لِي : ” سَلْ “. فَقُلْتُ : أَسْأَلُكَ مُرَافَقَتَكَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ. قَالَ : ” أَوَغَيْرَ ذَلِكَ ؟ ” قُلْتُ : هُوَ ذَاكَ. قَالَ : ” فَأَعِنِّي عَلَى نَفْسِكَ بِكَثْرَةِ السُّجُودِ “. صحيح مسلم. I was with God’s Messenger at night, and when I brought him his water for ablution and what he required, he told me to make a request. I said, “I ask to accompany......
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30
Aug 2022

The art of questioning To ask a question is actually an art. To answer the question requires experience, understanding and knowledge. Not everybody can answer the right question, not everybody can ask the right question. This is why we have the etiquette (adab) of questioning (suwal) known as adab suwal in Arabic, which are the etiquettes of what to ask, what not ask, how to ask, when to ask and so on. Alhamdullilah this is a very unique topic, and one of my favourites. Do we have any recommendations, guidance in the......
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30
Aug 2022

Life is a journey to Allah which we do not pursue alone. We are not an island – we are surrounded by people, friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, those whom we employ and those we work for, and, fleetingly, those people we pass along the way. These interactions are fraught with a variety of emotions – currents of emotion bubble up inside us and at the same time, we are beset by various inner drives that Allah Almighty created within us, which we struggle to restrain. Ghazali gives twenty rules of how to......
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26
Aug 2022

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بن مَسْعُودٍ رضي الله تعالى عنه قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ” إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَسَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ أَخْلَاقَكُمْ، كَمَا قَسَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ أَرْزَاقَكُمْ، وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُعْطِي الدُّنْيَا مَنْ يُحِبُّ، وَمَنْ لَا يُحِبُّ، وَلَا يُعْطِي الدِّينَ إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَحَبَّ، فَمَنْ أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ الدِّينَ فَقَدْ أَحَبَّهُ “. رواه أحمد والحاكم في المستدرك. Verily, Allah has distributed your characters among you just as He has distributed your provision. Allah gives the world to......
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