03
Jun 2023
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) performed the funeral prayer on a deceased (Muslim) and then came to his grave and threw three handfuls of dirt at the direction of his head. (Ibn Majah) He is reported to have recited these verses when his daughter Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) was positioned in her grave. (Musnad Ahmad)
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11
Apr 2023
What will reach the deceased in their graves? As per the well-known hadith, when someone dies three things continue to benefit them in their grave. These are charity given on their behalf, beneficial knowledge and the duas of their righteous children. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When the son of Adam dies, all his deeds come to an end except three: sadaqah jariyah (ongoing charity, e.g. a waqf or endowment), beneficial knowledge (which he has left behind), or a righteous child who will pray for him.” (Tirmidhi) Abu Hurayrah......
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11
Mar 2023
Acute regret Imagine you are in a dark cave filled with stones, and your friends urge you to pick up the stones and carry them back with you to the exit. You think they are foolish. Why would you want to burden yourself with heavy stones? You don’t want to waste your time and energy carrying these stones and you think your friends are foolish trying to carry heavy stones with them. You feel free and you have fun, laughing and chatting and making fun of them. Then light enters the cave......
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17
Feb 2023
The People of Allah are disconnected from dunya On the topic of remembering death, dhikr al mawt, Ghazali talks about the people of Allah – those with gnosis – their state, their connection with Allah and how they perceive death. Such people have deep knowledge of Allah, and devote their time in the remembrance of Allah, so they do not need to be reminded of death because their state is already close to Allah. By contrast, the rest of us, we need to remember death to cut us off from dunya and......
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06
Feb 2023
Remembering Death The tenth and final chapter of The Forty Principles of the Faith is about death. Imam Ghazali chose to end his book, which is a summary of the great tome, Ihya Ulum ad-Din, with this topic. He mentions that the previous nine principles are not all on the same level. Some of them are sought as a bridge to another end, whereas some of them are sought as an end in themselves. The highest on the list are mahabba and rida – love and contentment, which are inseparable. Whoever loves......
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08
Jan 2023
Remembering Death The tenth and final chapter of The Forty Principles of the Faith is about death. Imam Ghazali chose to end his book, which is a summary of the great tome, Ihya Ulum ad-Din, with this topic. He mentions that the previous nine principles are not all on the same level. Some of them are sought as a bridge to another end, whereas some of them are sought as an end in themselves. The highest on the list are mahabba and rida – love and contentment, which are inseparable. Whoever loves......
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05
Dec 2022
In general it is permissible to have a small structure constructed over a grave and have a gravestone to mark it. The structure should be humble and not higher than a handspan. Graves From a shariah point of view, you should not construct a large structure over a grave. It should be low / close to the ground. Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade that the graves should be plastered (made into permanent structures), used as sitting places (for the people) or building over......
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30
Nov 2021
There are various duas for a good end to one’s life. Ibn ‘Umar heard a man wishing for death, and said: Do not wish for death, for you will surely die; rather ask Allah for well-being. A timely end We ask Allah for our life span to be good and to take our souls when it is the best time for it to depart, as Allah is the only one who knows when that is. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)......
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21
Sep 2021
I am frequently asked whether it is permissible to donate organs in Islam. The answer is that apart from certain restrictions, it is a matter of personal choice. What is organ donation? Organ donation is the removal of any ‘organ’ (tissues, cells, blood and so on, such as the cornea) from the donor and its transplant to the recipient in order to keep the beneficiary alive or to keep some essential or basic function of his body working. There are four types of organ transplant: Transplant of an organ from a living......
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17
Dec 2020
The Islamic Funeral prayer Salatul Janaza is performed in congregation to seek pardon for the deceased and all dead Muslims. It is Fard al Kifaya, a collective obligation upon Muslims, which means that at least one person from the community has to fulfil this obligation. As long as someone attends, it is accepted on behalf of the community, but if no one attends, then all the Muslims of that community are accountable for not fulfilling this rite. The reward for attending salatul janazah The Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) said: “Whoever......
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13
Aug 2020
Allah Almighty says; On the Day when every soul will come pleading for itself, and every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and they will not be wronged. An-Nahl:111 Allah is here giving us a glimpse of the unseen, there are many things which will happen on that day and this is one of them. Ibn Abbas said: While Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) stood up to deliver a sermon, he said: O people, Allah would make you assemble barefooted, naked and uncircumcised (and then recited the words of......
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03
Aug 2020
Can you hold a Khatam al Quran or recite the Quran for the deceased Widespread practice The practice of holding khatams is so widespread in the community. Probably more than 80 percent of people do this. Is it permissible? In a nutshell, in our time, the entire ummah, barring a small minority, say that it is permitted to recite Quran for the deceased and gift the reward to them. As long as you hold a khatam without adding any haram elements to it, it is permitted to recite the Quran and gift......
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03
Aug 2020
How long is the mourning period in Islam Mourning lasts for three days for everyone except the widow. The widow has to mourn four months and ten days, as stipulated in the Quran: And those of you who die and leave wives behind them, they (the wives) shall wait (as regards their marriage) for four months and ten days. (2:234) This iddah is shorter than the iddah of widows in times of Jahiliya when it was one year and the widow had to stay in a darkened, miserable place, like a garden......
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20
Oct 2018
What Have You Packed? Being Prepared to Face Death Whenever you go on a journey you pack for it. Our most significant journey is to the Hereafter to meet Allah the Almighty, and so it is important to check what have we packed. It would be insane to go on a journey without provision. Therefore, Allah Almighty tells us to seek provisions. The Reality of Death ‘Glorious is He who is in His hand is the sovereignty, the kingdom, who created death and life, in order to test you who is best......
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