15
Jun 2019
Moon-fighting and Flying Goats The annual moon-fighting fiasco is a pain we endure every year first with uncertainty when it will be, guessing which day to take off from school and work and inevitably ending with families divided on the day of Eid, when half celebrate on one day and the other half, even within in the very same town, celebrate on a different day. There are variety of issues which are a point of debate but these are further compounded by stubbornness and rebelliousness within our leaders, mosques and communities. How......
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14
Jun 2019
What’s the solution to atheism in the media? In surah Ghafir, Allah Almighty mentions the story of Pharaoh, Pharaoh said,: ‘Leave me to kill Moses, and let him appeal to his Lord. I fear he may change your religion, or spread disorder in the land.’ (40:26) If you read this with the name Pharaoh deleted, you would assume he is a great reformer, a guardian of public interest concerned about the well-being of his people. Yet when you insert his name you realise the statement is being made by the one......
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14
Jun 2019
…even when it does not appeal to us When what is good for us is bitter Allah the Almighty created us, and He wrote our destiny before He created us in a book which will never change. Yet He gave us choices. Without doubt, after He sent the messengers and the prophets to clarify the guidance He sent from the falsehood, we were left with the choice of what to follow. Often we have to make the choice between what is right and what we ourselves prefer. And we choose what we......
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04
Jun 2019
Celebrate Eid with a Smile Alhamadulillah we have been able to fast in Ramadan and pray, and stand in night prayers. The good news that that Prophet (peace be on him) said: Whoever fasts in Ramadan out of imaan and expecting the reward from Allah, his former sins will be forgiven, and whoever stands up in night prayer out of imaan and expecting reward from Allah his former sins will be forgiven. (Bukhari and Muslim) The day of reward The day of Eid is called the Day of Prize or yaum al......
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04
Jun 2019
Reform your Character in Ramadan Reflections by Shaykh Haytham Tamim Day 1 – Mercy and Deceit Positive Action Reflect on the mercy in our lives. In the hadith the Prophet ﷺ said if we want more mercy, we have to practice more mercy. Allah bestows His mercy only on those of His servants who are merciful (to others). Negative Beware of being deceitful and cunning. You shouldn’t be the kind of person that can’t be trusted. Don’t be in this category. Be a person of principles. And be consistent in all facets......
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29
May 2019
A special annual guest There is a guest we wait for every year. Some people long to receive him, some don’t care and some dislike him. He stays with us for a month. The bearer of gifts When he arrives he brings many gifts with him, large and small. Throughout the month he distributes an endless supply of gifts to everyone, and in the last ten days, he takes out his best gifts for those who desire them the most. Control During his stay, he helps us to become better people by......
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29
May 2019
Ramadan: Reclaiming your inner and outer peace Talk by Shaykh Haytham Tamim on 28th May 2019 at Open Iftar, Westminster Abbey and Khutbah 31st May 2019 Life is busy – full of stress, fatigue, conflicts, tests and temptation… We are missing tranquility and peace. Ramadan comes and brings peace back to our lives. It puts us back in control. It gives us the ability to control our desires, anger, and emotions. It begins in the mind, through building up cast iron will over our whims and desires, which gives us total control......
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25
May 2019
Ramadan is the time to smell the perfume of jannah When it’s the first night of Ramadan, the devils will be chained and the giant jinns will be chained and the gates of hell will be closed and none of it will be open and the gates of paradise will be open and none of it will be closed and then a caller calling ‘O you who is seeking goodness, come forward and O you who is seeking evil stay away’ and Allah Almighty will free from hell many people and this......
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24
May 2019
Freeing the space in your heart The gates of heaven are open every Monday and Thursday, and Allah forgives everyone who is not associating anyone with Him, except two people who have a conflict between them. It will be said, ‘Postpone the forgiveness for them until they reconcile, postpone forgiveness for them until they reconcile, postpone forgiveness for them until they reconcile’. (Muslim, Malik, Tirmidhi) When the gates of forgiveness are open In the hadith, we are told that the gates of Jannah are open on Mondays and Thursdays. Is this physical......
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23
May 2019
Understanding the release from hell Spotting weak and fake Ramadan hadith When a hadith offers you reward that sounds too good to be true this is usually a sign it is not authentic. It goes against common sense. If someone has accumulated a huge pile of sins, and has not repented, all their sins will not be miraculously forgiven by reciting a few words or one single act, as is dubiously promised by certain unauthentic hadith which circulate perpetually in social media orbit. Some Shuyukh will even quote them without verifying that......
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19
May 2019
Catching the gold dust The last ten nights of Ramadan are just round the corner. Alhamdulilah we wait for Ramadan for 11 months and Ramadan comes full of blessings, khairat and goodness. The Prophet (peace be on him) as Aisha, Ibn Abbas and others (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated, said that he was the most generous person. And his generosity would peak in Ramadan. Being generous beyond generous in the last ten nights Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was the most generous of people and he was the most......
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16
May 2019
The Prophet (peace be on him) said: ‘He will not be admitted to Jannah, the one who has in his heart an atom’s weight of pride.’ A man asked the Prophet (peace be on him): ‘We like to have beautiful dresses and shoes. Is it out of pride? Will this be classified under kibr?’ The Prophet (peace be on him) replied: ‘Allah is Beautiful and likes beauty.’ (Muslim) What is kibr arrogance? The Prophet (peace be on him) defined kibr as: ‘Pride is rejecting the truth and despising people.’ (Muslim) There......
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13
May 2019
Ramadan is the Month of Ihsan Fasting is a shield. When anyone of you is observing fast, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor should he raise his voice; and if anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him, he should say: ‘I am fasting.’ By Him in Whose Hand the soul of Muhammad is, the breath of one observing Sawm is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk. (Bukhari and Muslim) The person observing sawm (fasting) He has abstained from food and drink, and sexual pleasures for My......
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12
May 2019
When changing direction helps you find your true direction And thus we have made you a just community (ummah wasata) that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you. And We did not make the qibla which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels. And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided. And never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed......
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03
May 2019
Reflections on Ramadan By Shaykh Haytham Tamim Every year I reflect on Ramadan and try to capture its meaning. Over the years I have accumulated many reflections, here is a selection on what I think Ramadan is about. Glorify what Allah has glorified One of the great tabiyeen, Qatada bin Di’ama as- Sadusi, (61-118 AH) said that Allah Almighty glorified certain things from His creation. He selected messengers from the angels, (for example those who were allocated tasks such as Jibreel who was sent with the revelation to the prophets, or Mikail......
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