When a loved one passes away, what practices are cultural and what are Islamic? Islamic funeral arrangements can often evoke quite heated feelings. There are those who are adamant that certain practices should take place and others who are quite vocal against them. Allah Almighty wants ease, simplicity and compassion for the grieving family, yet…
Dimensions of Ramadan ‘O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you, as it has been prescribed for those before you, that you may be people of taqwa, people of piety’. (2:183) The obligation of siyyam was prescribed to the ummah in the second year of hijrah, in the month of Sha’ban in five…
Maintaining Identity in an Ever Shifting Moral Environment Natural parental concern The common concern all parents have is the future of their children. I myself share this concern and indeed Ibrahim (peace be on him) was no different. This comes across loud and clear when we read the ayah in surah Baqarah: …when Abraham was tried…
The Etiquette of Giving Once we overcome our hesitation in giving and open our wallets, we find ourselves at the next hurdle. In ten ayahs of Surah Baqarah below, Allah Almighty details the pitfalls of giving. We may think we are earning multiple rewards that Allah Almighty has promised for giving, but the biggest threat…
Being Alone with Allah During my recent umrah, a couple of verses kept playing in my mind, and one of these verses was: And each one will come to Allah on the Day of Resurrection alone. (Maryam 19:95) Ironically, when you do tawaf and saee, you have plenty of people around you, but on the Day…
Tackling Islamophobia with zeal and compassion The Prophet’s (peace be on him) Response Islamophobia is not a new phenomenon but existed at the time of the Prophet (peace be on him). 1400 years ago, Muslims endured smear campaigns and fake news as well as assaults and persecution which was both verbal and physical. At that…
Reflections on the Benefits of Obedience During my recent Umrah a couple of verses kept playing in my mind all the time, in particular part of an ayah from Surah Nisa: ‘…if they had done what they were advised to do, it would have been better for them and would have strengthened their imaan.’ (4:66) Though…
Women’s Right to Fair Treatment Women’s Day is a reminder that we still have not secured freedom from oppression for women. Isn’t it time that we deliver women the rights that Islam gave them 1400 years ago? O mankind we have created you from a male and female and we have made you into tribes…
How can I get hikmah? He grants hikmah to whom He pleases, and he, to whom hikmah is granted, is indeed granted abundant good. But none remember (will receive admonition) except men of understanding. (2:269) Are we born with wisdom or can we gain it? Are wisdom and knowledge the same thing? What is the best way…
The Six Doors of the Heart Imam Al Muhasibi wrote in his Risala al Mustarshidin (Treatise for the Seekers of Guidance) that the wise men (i.e. himself) said: The heart is like a house with six doors. If you let anyone enter through these doors without your knowledge then your valuables are at risk. Hence…
Not Shooting the Messenger The Prophet (peace be on him) said: ‘I do not break my covenant and I do not imprison the ambassadors or the messengers.’ (Sunan abi Dawood) Abdullah bin Masud said: The Sunnah is not to kill the ambassadors. (Ahmad) No one would quibble with this. It is common sense. Yet it…
‘They want to extinguish the light of Allah Almighty but Allah Almighty will complete His light, even though the disbelievers dislike it’. (9:32 and 61:8) Allah Almighty is highlighting the fact that whenever we have the truth, there are always enemies against it. The truth always faces challenges. How can we identify those who…
Cornering the Cat – Why Allah Forbid Oppression Oh my servants, I have made oppression forbidden on myself and made it forbidden amongst you so do not oppress one another. (Bukhari) This is one of the fundamental rules and pillars in Islam – the prohibition of oppression (dhulm). There are different types of dhulm. The…
Choosing Your Words Wisely Tell my servants to say what is best. (17:53) And say to the people what is good.(2:83) The Prophet (peace be on him) said: Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day let him say something good or let him be silent. (Bukhari) There are so many narrations which are about…
Ijtihad (reasoning) and Taqleed (imitation) Do I need to follow a madhab? Who is qualified to make Ijihad? What essential knowledge does a mujtahid need? Definition While Ijtihad is the process of systematic legal reasoning carried out only by mujtahids (those trained in ijtihad), taqleed is to follow a certain school, or scholar or opinion. The…