The determination of the scholars and how they tread the path of knowledge was accompanied by continual sacrifice on their part. Sacrifice of their sleep, the luxuries and the pleasures of life. They were not choosing between halal or haram when they gave them up, but were made knowledge their priority over enjoyment, relaxation and…
Your sins are screened Among the favours of Allah is being saved the humiliation and embarrassment of having your sins exposed. Allah Almighty told us: And if you tried to enumerate the favours of God, you will not be able to count them. God is Forgiving and Merciful. (16:18) Allah has showered us with blessings…
In the opening verses of Surat al Qasas, Allah Almighty says: We recite to you from the story of Moses and Pharaoh—in truth—for people who believe. Pharaoh exalted himself in the land,and divided its people into factions. He persecuted a group of them, slaughtering their sons, while sparing their daughters. He was one of the…
The importance of purity of reflection is a powerful combination with high himma, which is the quality of tenacious determination. Khatib al Baghdadi was one of the great scholars of hadith and such a prolific writer that he contributed a book to every branch of Islamic knowledge, so that everyone who came after him, could…
As the Black England footballers are subjected to disgusting racial abuse in the wake of England’s Euros 2020 defeat, we are reminded again of the continuing systemic racism in our countries, which led to the protests in the US and around the world, following the tragic death of George Floyd just a year ago. Fundamentally,…
What is tayammum Tayammum is making wudu with dust instead of water. The word tayammum comes from from yummama which linguistically means ‘to intend’ (qasada) e.g. I intend to go to Makkah. We do not cover all parts of the body with dust as we do with water. Certainly not our noses or mouths or our feet. O you…
Travelling is part of seeking knowledge The importance of travelling to seek knowledge is highlighted in the book of Patience by Shaykh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah who has described some of the arduous journeys undertaken by great scholars of the past. The virtues of seeking knowledge There are many verses which talk about the importance…
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…
How to deal with sinners Whether it is your family or friends or a public figure, every now and then, they make mistakes. Unfortunately as a community, we have many shortcomings, and one of these is that we don’t know how to handle people’s misdemeanours and mistakes, or ill judged statements, from an Islamic point…
There is a split of opinion among scholars on the topic of poverty and wealth – whether it is better to be poor or well off. The high status of the poor Imam Bukahri wrote a chapter on the virtues of poverty in his Sahih, called Fadlu al faqr. So scholars commented that this showed…
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…
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله تعالى عنه قَالَ رَسُولُ الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: ‘ثَلاَثَةٌ لا تُرَدُّ دَعْوَتُهُمْ: الصائِمُ حِينَ يُفْطِرُ، وَالإمَامُ العَادِلُ، وَدَعْوَةُ المَظْلُومِ يَرْفَعُهَا الله فَوْقَ الغَمَام وَيَفْتَحُ لَهَا أَبْوَابَ السمَاءِ، ويَقُولُ الرَبُ: وَعِزَّتِي لأنصُرَنَّكَ وَلَوْ بَعْدَ حِينٍ’. رواه الترمذي و ابن ماجه وابن خزيمة وقَالَ الشيخ أحمد شاكر: صحيح. Abu Hurairah narrated…
The Patience of Pious Predecessors in Seeking Knowledge Among my books, one which is very dear to me, is Safahat min sabr al-’Ulamaa by one of my late shuyukh Shaykh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah[i] which took him more than 20 years to write. He did not set out to write it, but during the course…