“FOR FASTING THE day of ʿAshura, I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the year that came before,” said our beloved Prophet ﷺ (Ibn Majah) As the sacred day of ʿAshura draws near, many of us prepare to fast on the 9th (Tasu’a) and 10th of Muharram, seeking the immense reward of having … Continue reading ‘Ashura: Not Just a Fast
THE PEOPLE OF this world are like passengers on a ship journeying across the sea. During their voyage, the ship halts at a beautiful island. The captain announces that they may go ashore for a short time but warns them not to linger too long. The passengers disembark and wander in various directions. The wisest … Continue reading Left Behind on the Island: The Danger of Worldly Distraction
A QUIET KNOCK on the door. It was late. But Abu Bakr (ra) had been expecting it. He had been ready for this moment ever since the Prophet ﷺ told him that Allah had granted him permission to emigrate. Abu Bakr (ra) had prayed to be chosen as the companion on this momentous and dangerous … Continue reading 1447 Years: History, Meaning and Relevance of the Hijrah Today
SOME IN OUR community express that we were better off under the iron fists of rulers like Saddam, Gaddafi, and Mubarak than under those who have replaced them since the Arab Spring. As they watch, helplessly, the unimaginable horror unfold in Gaza they ask: Surely, the old guard would not have stood by silently in … Continue reading From Complaint to Commitment: Building What Allah Commands
IN THE SIXTH year after the Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a dream in which he was performing the rites of Hajj. The dreams of the prophets are divine revelation, so he shared it with the Sahabah. Imagine the excitement that rippled through them—especially among the Muhajirun. Finally, after years of exile, they … Continue reading Tribalism: Past and Present
THIS MORNING’S CLINIC was really tough. Halfway through my morning surgery, a Muslim mother was booked in to see me. As I glanced over her notes before she entered, one line stopped me: she had lost her 12-year-old son just a week ago. A sudden, unexplained death. She was already crying before she even sat … Continue reading From Her Son to Their Sons: But Still Holding On
SUMMER CAN BE a challenging time for Muslims living in the West. As the temperature goes up, the clothes come off. Five things that we can do to protect ourselves. 1. Lower the gaze قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ ‘Tell the believing men … Continue reading From Gaze to Guidance: Remedies for a Summer Trial
FOLLOWING THE ZIONIST missile attack on Iran and the killing of several top military officers I remembered the words of Khalid-bin-Waleed (ra) on his deathbed, “ I attended such-and-such a battle, and such-and-such a battle, proceeding (towards the enemies); and there is no spot of my body but that it has either a sword’s strike, … Continue reading “May the Eyes of the Cowards Never Sleep”
BACK IN THE 1950s and 60s, social psychologists conducted a series of fascinating experiments on conformity. Let me give you a simplified example to illustrate one such experiment. Imagine I invited 50 people to a venue to answer a simple question: What is 2 plus 2? The correct answer, of course, is 4. However, before … Continue reading When 2 + 2 = 5: The Cost of Conformity
EID MUBARAK TO all our readers—from East to West and everywhere in between. May Allah, the Most Merciful, accept our du’as, our sacrifices, our prayers, our fasting, our charity, our Hajj, and every sincere deed we do for His sake. As we remember the legacy of sacrifice this Eid, may it awaken our hearts and … Continue reading Eid Mubarak: Let This Be Our Turning Point
Living For Islam 