CONTINUING FROM OUR discussion about identity, I asked my daughter: Don’t we sometimes act as though we have different identities depending on whether we’re around Muslims or non-Muslims? For example, with Muslims, we say Bismillah, inshaAllah, alhamdulillah, and so on. But we rarely use these expressions in front of non-Muslims. But why is that? The … Continue reading Do We Have a “Muslim Switch”?
MID TO LATE autumn is always a busy time in the garden. The trees stand almost bare now. Their last leaves drift down, joining the golden mounds scattered across the lawn. I rake them up and add them to the compost heap, recycling at its finest. The herbaceous perennials that lit up the summer now … Continue reading Simple Pleasures: Autumn Gardening
WITH MY OLDER son at university and my youngest too young to talk, my daughter gets my full attention during the forty-minute school runs, twice a day. These drives are our special time, where conversations flow unexpectedly. Sometimes she talks, sometimes I do, but more often, we just share our thoughts together. Lately, I’ve noticed … Continue reading Rooted in Islam: Having a Consistent Identity
THE MESSENGER ﷺ SAID: “Take up good deeds only as much as you are able, for the best deeds are those done regularly, even if they are few.” (Ahmad) This teaches us two simple but powerful lessons: set goals you can sustain, and stay consistent. One practical approach is the “unbroken chain.” Choose a small, … Continue reading Start Small, Stay Steady: The Sunnah of Sustainable Growth
SOMETIMES I CAN’T help but feel that parents, especially those of South Asian backgrounds, see their role primarily as providers of their children’s rizq (sustenance). We spend our lives in pursuit of provision. We toil day and night, often sacrificing our own growth, our own spiritual nourishment, and even our own joy. We save relentlessly, … Continue reading Raising Inheritors of Iman, Not Just Inheritors of Wealth
THE EYES HAVE been closed. The body washed and shrouded. The janaza is complete. The funeral procession led us to where we will all go one day- the grave. The return to earth. The dua. The deceased has started a new journey. Whilst we returned home. If the departed could talk to us, what would … Continue reading For Those Left Behind: How the Living Can Benefit the Deceased
ONE OF THE GREATEST tragedies of our time is that many who claim to speak for Islam fail to speak clearly. When asked simple, direct questions about the religion, they often respond with slogans, buzzwords, or vague political phrases. Instead of guiding the people, they obscure the truth. Why? Fear. Fear of losing votes, fear … Continue reading The Truth About Islamic Governance: Clarity Over Confusion
WE ALL HAVE the same 1440 minutes in a day. Not one minute more, not one minute less. And yet, some people seem to accomplish so much, while others struggle to achieve even a little. People often talk about managing time. But time itself cannot be managed. What we manage is ourselves, how we use these … Continue reading 1440 Minutes: Insights From Salah
IN MY LAST article, I spoke about Britain’s Prevent policy, sold to the public as a shield against terrorism. But it didn’t shield anyone. Instead, it scarred thousands of Muslims, poisoned trust between neighbours, and cast suspicion over an entire community. Prevent claimed to protect us. In reality, it controlled us. I don’t say this … Continue reading Silenced, Yet Still Resilient: The Muslim Community Under Prevent
YOU KNOW WHAT’S really sad? After almost 20 years of the government’s Prevent programme, all the money, the speeches, the endless training sessions, even the people running counter-terrorism now admit it’s not working. An independent commission has finally said it: Prevent isn’t keeping the country safe. And honestly, that’s something Muslims in Britain have been saying for years. … Continue reading Prevent Was Never About Safety. It Was About Control
Living For Islam 