Material wealth, public wealth and real wealth
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...
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Ghazali on sincerity – transforming an inferior act into a superior act
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...
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Modesty or being shy of doing something wrong
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...
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Heavy on the scales…the importance of good character in Islam
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...
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Enriching the rich and penalising the poor is a dereliction of responsibility
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...
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How Islam encourages postive thinking
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...
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Ghazali on Sincerity – purify and multiply your intention
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...
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The Art of Asking Questions – part 2
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...
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Ghazali on shukr (gratitude)
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...
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On the passing of Elizabeth II
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...
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The request that surprised the Prophet ﷺ Ten lessons from the story of Rabi’ah bin Ka’b
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...
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The art of questions – part 1. Insight into the minds of the companions through their questions
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...
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Ghazali’s 20 rules for dealing with people
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...
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Earning Allah’s love
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, Verily, Allah has distributed your characters among you just as He has distributed your provision. Allah gives the world to...
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What Islam can offer us today
What can Islam offer us today? Connect people to God You could talk for volumes on this question, but let me summarise. Firstly, we must understand that Islam is a divine revelation, so the...
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