Major Principles of Islam – The importance of community
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Major Principles of Islam – The importance of community

The principle of the community, or being together, or togetherness, is called al-Jam’aa in Arabic.  It is related to many other topics. First, Allah Almighty created us as an Ummah.  We are all go back to Adam and Eve, who are our ‘parents’, and from there we split into different communities and different tribes and…

Major principles of Islam: Obedience and its limits

Major principles of Islam: Obedience and its limits

Today my focus is obedience.  Obedience is ta’a in Arabic. In Islam, we have the concept of obedience to Allah Almighty, obedience to His messenger, and obedience to those who are in charge, as Allah Almighty stated in the Quran in many verses. For instance, Allah Almighty says in Surat al Imran: ‘Say “Obey Allah…

Major Principles: Giving sincere advice

Major Principles: Giving sincere advice

Naseeha is sincere advice. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned in the very famous hadith narrated by Tamim al-Dari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, عَنْ أَبِي رُقَيَّةَ تَمِيمِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ الدَّارِيِّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: “الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ.” قُلْنَا: لِمَنْ؟…

Knowing Allah through His Beautiful Names: Al Latif
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Knowing Allah through His Beautiful Names: Al Latif

Every name of Allah has its own unique reflection and divine light. The name Al Latif has been mentioned in the Quran seven times. It has been translated variously as Benevolent, The Kind One and The Subtle One depending on the context. In Surat al Anam, Allah says: لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ ۖ…

Knowing Allah through His Beautiful Names: Al Mu’izz and Al Mudhil
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Knowing Allah through His Beautiful Names: Al Mu’izz and Al Mudhil

Pairs of names Two of the beautiful names of Allah Almighty are Al-Mu’izz and Al-Mudhill. Al-Mu’izz is the One who gives honour while it’s opposite, Al-Mudhill is the One who humiliates. As we have seen with other names, they sometimes come in pairs such as Ar-Rafi, the One who elevates and Al-Khafid, the One who…

Knowing Allah through His Beautiful Names – Al Khafid and Ar Rafi’
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Knowing Allah through His Beautiful Names – Al Khafid and Ar Rafi’

Among the beautiful names of Allah Almighty is Al Khafid, the Abaser, and Ar Rafi’, the Exalter. Literally, khafada in Arabic is to lower something down, while rafa’a is to raise something. The One who abases infidels is Allah Almighty and He is the One who raises up the faithful by salvation, so you can…

Knowing Allah through His beautiful names 11: Al Hakam and Al Adl

Knowing Allah through His beautiful names 11: Al Hakam and Al Adl

Bringing Allah’s names into our lives Anything related to Allah Almighty is beautiful. When talking about His attributes and His names, we should reflect on how we can live by His names, and activate His names in our lives. Bringing Allah’s names into our lives is transformative. It gives us a new dimension to our…

Knowing Allah thorugh His beautiful names 8: Ar-Razzaaq and Al-Wahhab

Knowing Allah thorugh His beautiful names 8: Ar-Razzaaq and Al-Wahhab

Allah’s beautiful name Ar-Razzaaq  has been translated in various ways, but they are all connected to rizq, which is provision.  So accordingly, you see the translation of Ar-Razzaq as the Total Provider or the Provider or the Sustainer. Also as the One who creates the sustenance for all His creation. And it is one of…

Knowing Allah through His beautiful names 5 – Al Mujeeb, Al Raouf, Al Ghafoor
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Knowing Allah through His beautiful names 5 – Al Mujeeb, Al Raouf, Al Ghafoor

Don’t sell your deen and your dignity and your akhirah for silly games in the dunya. Don’t do that, even if it’s for money, even if it’s followers. They will not carry this responsibility on your behalf on the Day of Judgement. You will carry the responsibility of your own action and their own actions which they were influenced by you. This is why we need sincerity and ikhlas in our actions which we are doing. And we ask Allah Almighty to make our actions, and our deeds, purely for His sake, and in line with the Shariah and away from the influence of the shaytan and the evil around us.

Loving Allah
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Knowing Allah through His beautiful names 3 – Loving Allah, Al Wadud

The first obligation of every human being is to know his Creator. Some people accepted this invitation from Allah Almighty to find out about Him and truly knowing Him can only lead to gratitude towards Him. Allah called them to His message through different prophets and messengers, and a variety of means, yet unfortunately some…

Knowing Allah through His beautiful names 1 and 2
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Knowing Allah through His beautiful names 1 and 2

The major principles of Islam (kulliyaat al Kubra) are the main principles which we cannot live without.  The first main principle is to know Allah Almighty, but it is hard to do justice to this topic because Allah Almighty is beyond our comprehension. What we know about Him is from the Quran and what we…