10
Jul 2018
‘The strong believer is more beloved to Allah than the weak believer. And in both there is goodness’ (Muslim) What does ‘strong’ believer mean? Is it muscles and brawn? Is it intellect? Or is it Imaan? If it is Imaan does that exclude physical strength? The strong believer is not the one with greater physical strength, otherwise the athlete would be closer to Allah Almighty than others. However this does not diminish the importance of physical fitness and strength. A strong Muslim should ideally be strong not just in Imaan but......
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07
Jul 2018
What Makes One Deed Acceptable to Allah but Not Another? ‘And say: Work; so Allah will see your work and (so will) His Messenger and the believers; and you shall be brought back to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He will inform you of what you did.’ (9:105) Allah Almighty always pushes us towards good deeds through the Qur’an. However it is not only work, but the quality of the work, or the action which is important. If the quality of the action is good the fruits......
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06
Jul 2018
Truth vs Untruth It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) happened to pass by a heap of eatables (corn). He thrust his hand in that (heap) and his fingers were moistened. He said to the owner of that heap of eatables (corn): What is this? He replied: Messenger of Allah, these have been drenched by rainfall. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Why did you not place this (the drenched part of the heap) over other eatables so that the......
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01
Jul 2018
Action vs Laziness ‘And say: Work; so Allah will see your work and (so will) His Messenger and the believers; and you shall be brought back to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He will inform you of what you did.’ (9:105) Picking the Right Actions There are no less than three hundred and sixty verses in the Qur’an which talk about action (a’mal) and amongst these verses are mentioned good deeds, actions related to the akhirah, righteousness, taqwa (obedience), as well as actions related to the dunya, like......
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26
Jun 2018
Leadership and Justice When his Lord tested Ibrahim’s faith, (by His words) and he satisfied the test, He said, “I am appointing you as the leader of mankind.” Abraham asked, “Will this leadership also continue through my descendants?” The Lord replied, “The unjust do not have the right to exercise My authority.” (2:124) Allah the Almighty mentions in Surah Baqarah, when the Lord of Ibrahim tested him, and he fulfilled his test, then Allah the Almighty said, ‘I am going to appoint you as the leader of humanity’. Ibrahim (peace......
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20
Jun 2018
Why We Are Thankful at Eid, and the Benefits of Feeling Thankful Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful. hardship (2:185) In Surah Baqarah Allah Almighty says He wants ease for you and He does not want hardship. He wants you to complete the numbers, in other words: the whole month of siyaam (fasting) and to celebrate Allah’s name, glorifying......
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19
Jun 2018
The Low Down on Repentance How do I erase a bad deed? Will Allah accept my repentance? How do I repent? Is my sin too great to be forgiven? The repentance accepted by Allah is only for those who do wrong in ignorance and then repent soon after. It is those to whom Allah will turn in forgiveness, and Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (4:17) Sinning has been part of our existence since our history began. Islam is realistic about the human condition and does not shy away from......
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13
Jun 2018
The Message of Love Allah the Almighty mentioned in surah Shu’ara: And indeed, the Qur’an is the revelation of the Lord of the worlds. The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down Upon your heart, – that you may be of the warners (26:192-4) In this very verse there are many lessons, but my focus today will be on the fact it has been revealed to you upon your hearts. It has been bought down to you on your hearts: ‘a’la qalbi’. This has been repeated twice in the Qur’an, once......
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11
Jun 2018
Allah the Almighty says in the Qur’an: ‘It is He who created for you all that is on the earth.’ And in another verse He says: ‘It is He who made the earth manageable for you.’ And in another verse Allah the Almighty says: ‘For God’s favours to them during their summer and winter journeys,’. And then He said: ‘and Allah permitted sale and forbade riba’. Thus there are plenty of verses in the Qur’an which talk about doing business in the ways in which Allah the Almighty has permitted. Halal......
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07
Jun 2018
Our Responsibility to Look after the Earth In Surah al-A’raf Allah Almighty said, ‘Do not corrupt the Earth… Indeed Allah Almighty’s mercy is close to those who are doing good.’ (7:56) And in Surah al-Hud, He says, ‘He is the one who brought you from the Earth and made you to dwell in it. So, seek His forgiveness and repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is very close to those who seek his forgiveness.’ (11:61) In these two verses we can see Allah Almighty talking about the importance of the Earth and......
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04
Jun 2018
Two Types of Hypocrite Beware, it is, in fact, they who spread disorder, but they do not appreciate. (12) And when it is said to them, ‘Believe as people have believed,’ they say, ‘Shall we believe as the fools have believed?’ Beware, it is, in fact, they who are the fools, but they do not know. (13) When they meet those who believe, they say, ‘We have entered Faith;’ but when they are alone with their satans, they say, ‘Indeed, we are with you; we were only mocking.’ (14) It is Allah......
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02
Jun 2018
Hypocrisy – how it originated and what are the signs Hypocrisy is a disease of the heart. Just like heart disease, very often people do not even realise they have it. If they do not seek a cure for it, their disease spreads aggressively and leads to dire consequences personally, as well as for those around them who suffer from their machinations. And of the people are some who say, ‘We believe in Allah and the Last Day,’ but they are not believers. (2:8) They deceive Allah and those who......
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29
May 2018
What have we been entrusted with? And why we should maintain trust Allah the Almighty says in the Qur’an when he was describing the believers in Surah Mu’minun, ‘And those who are faithful to their trust and pledges.’ (23:8) In Surah Anfal, He says, ‘Believe. Do not betray Allah Almighty or His Messenger and your trusts.’ (8:27) So there are plenty of verses in the Qur’an and hadith, in the sunnah of the Prophet (peace be on him) which confirm the importance of amanah: keeping your trust. The word amanah is a......
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17
May 2018
#Glorify the Word of Allah Say NO to Ferrari tarawihs! The time has come for the ummah to rise up against the annual scourge of fast-paced recitations in some masjids across the world. At the time of year when people most yearn for a deep spiritual experience, some mosques are doing a disservice to worshippers AND to the Words of Allah Almighty. The danger of such tarawihs is that tradition is destroyed and people are disconnected from the Qur’an, particularly when they have come seeking Allah’s pleasure. From every angle such recitation is wrong. That......
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17
May 2018
The Truth – only if you seek it How do we know that the Qur’an is the truth from Allah Almighty? What assurance do we have that the Qur’an can help us in our lives? How do we know that it is still relevant to us today? This Book has no doubt in it – a guidance for the God-fearing (2:2) Anyone searching for an explanation to their existence, and wanting to know how to proceed on their life-long journey and how to pick their way through the rocky terrain that is......
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