18
Apr 2021
If you are eating when you hear the adhan or the time for suhoor has ended, finish what you have in your mouth but do not keep eating beyond that. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِذَا سَمِعَ أَحَدُكُمُ النِّدَاءَ وَالإِنَاءُ عَلَى يَدِهِ فَلاَ يَضَعْهُ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ حَاجَتَهُ مِنْهُ ” . أبو داود. “When one of you hears the call to prayer while eating the pre-fasting......
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03
May 2020
The cycle of corruption and correction Why did Allah Almighty send messengers and prophets? In the varied stories of the prophets, we see a pattern throughout time. We see the spread of corruption, and when it reached rampant proportions, people would need guidance to restore the principles of decency. They were in need of reformation – of inward and outward cleansing and correction, so Allah would restore them and their community back to goodness and justice. In the words of the prophet Shuaib (peace be upon him), he said he only......
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01
May 2020
The month of the Quran is Ramadan. Though the Quran is not exclusive to Ramadan. However we do increase our recitation during this month. Here are some of my reflections on The effect of the Quran on us and why we should make the effort to discover it more. Tranquility Allah Almighty says: الَّذينَ ءامَنوا وَتَطمَئِنُّ قُلوبُهُم بِذِكرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلا بِذِكرِ اللَّهِ تَطمَئِنُّ القُلوبُ Those who believe, and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of God. Surely, it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find comfort. (13:28)......
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25
Apr 2020
Change is particularly appropriate topic in Ramadan. May Allah make this month a month for change for ourselves, our families and our communities, so we become better. Apart from new year resolutions we have ongoing goals and lists. Another year comes and we renew our list. Some years we manage to achieve part of it, at other times none. Change is not just about theory but practice. And Ramadan is a month of change, which Allah gifted to our ummah. He gave us this month to reflect. But how do we make......
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18
Apr 2020
Time for repair Every year Ramadan comes with a different flavour. Although you are fasting in Ramadan but you can still taste its sweetness. It is a favour from Allah which He never gave to any nation before us. Fasting itself was also prescribed to previous nations, as we know from Surah Al-Baqarah: O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous (2:183) However the actual month of Ramadan is a gift to our ummah. Unique and special,......
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11
Apr 2020
Once Sha’ban is here, the countdown to Ramadan has truly started. The Prophet (peace be on him) used to fast regularly throughout the year, but it was in the month preceding it, Sha’ban, when he cranked up his efforts and would fast almost the entire month. In a famous hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked by Usama bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting any month as much as in Sha’ban.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied:......
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02
Jul 2019
My reflections on the social and spiritual dimensions of Ramadan and Eid Every year I have some reflections on Ramadan and these reflections keep changing. They constantly change because these reflections are connected to our mental status, our spiritual status, as well as what we see or read or hear at the time. All these always affect our understanding. My personal journey from the Middle East to the West, to Karachi, to Bahrain, to Saudi, to the UAE and to various other places have all given me a very different understanding of......
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01
Jul 2019
From Ramadan to Eid and back to Ramadan Celebration of the revelation of the Divine Message What Is Eid? As we know that the very first verse which was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) was in the cave on the mountain of Hira. Jibreel came down and said ‘Iqra’. We tell this story to our children and youth as the beginning of the revelation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was forty years old when he received the first revelation and guess what? It was in Ramadan! So Eid......
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17
Jun 2019
Reflecting on what you gained and hanging on to it Notice the New You We spend quite a bit of time psyching ourselves up before Ramadan. During Ramadan we direct our energy towards purifying ourselves, and all of sudden Eid comes and life, with all its myriad demands, resumes full throttle. So many of us do not usually get a chance to reflect on what we gained over that blessed month. Recognise what you achieved Even though we had shortcomings, may not have achieved all our goals, and felt our ibadah was......
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15
Jun 2019
Moon-fighting and Flying Goats The annual moon-fighting fiasco is a pain we endure every year first with uncertainty when it will be, guessing which day to take off from school and work and inevitably ending with families divided on the day of Eid, when half celebrate on one day and the other half, even within in the very same town, celebrate on a different day. There are variety of issues which are a point of debate but these are further compounded by stubbornness and rebelliousness within our leaders, mosques and communities. How......
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04
Jun 2019
Celebrate Eid with a Smile Alhamadulillah we have been able to fast in Ramadan and pray, and stand in night prayers. The good news that that Prophet (peace be on him) said: Whoever fasts in Ramadan out of imaan and expecting the reward from Allah, his former sins will be forgiven, and whoever stands up in night prayer out of imaan and expecting reward from Allah his former sins will be forgiven. (Bukhari and Muslim) The day of reward The day of Eid is called the Day of Prize or yaum al......
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04
Jun 2019
Reform your Character in Ramadan Reflections by Shaykh Haytham Tamim Day 1 – Mercy and Deceit Positive Action Reflect on the mercy in our lives. In the hadith the Prophet ﷺ said if we want more mercy, we have to practice more mercy. Allah bestows His mercy only on those of His servants who are merciful (to others). Negative Beware of being deceitful and cunning. You shouldn’t be the kind of person that can’t be trusted. Don’t be in this category. Be a person of principles. And be consistent in all facets......
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30
May 2019
The Concept of Gradualism Tadarruj or gradualism is the introduction of a concept over a period of time so that it is not overwhelming in the first instance. Though we have all the rulings now, and see Islam as black and white package of halal and haram, it is worth remembering that the Quran was revealed over 23 years and the rulings were brought in bit by bit as Islam was established in the hearts and minds of its followers. This means that many things that were prohibited later, were initially accepted......
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29
May 2019
Ramadan: Reclaiming your inner and outer peace Talk by Shaykh Haytham Tamim on 28th May 2019 at Open Iftar, Westminster Abbey and Khutbah 31st May 2019 Life is busy – full of stress, fatigue, conflicts, tests and temptation… We are missing tranquility and peace. Ramadan comes and brings peace back to our lives. It puts us back in control. It gives us the ability to control our desires, anger, and emotions. It begins in the mind, through building up cast iron will over our whims and desires, which gives us total control......
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25
May 2019
Ramadan is the time to smell the perfume of jannah When it’s the first night of Ramadan, the devils will be chained and the giant jinns will be chained and the gates of hell will be closed and none of it will be open and the gates of paradise will be open and none of it will be closed and then a caller calling ‘O you who is seeking goodness, come forward and O you who is seeking evil stay away’ and Allah Almighty will free from hell many people and this......
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