ALLAH SAYS IN the oft quoted verse: لَآ إِكْرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشْدُ مِنَ ٱلْغَىِّ Let there be no compulsion in deen, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood. (al-Baqarah 256) The obvious understanding of this is that we cannot force anyone to become a Muslim. The truth is clearly the truth … Continue reading ‘Let There be no Compulsion in Deen’: Individual and Ummatic Perspectives
UP AND DOWN the country, every single day there are charity fundraising events for our ummah in Gaza. Funds to buy the basics to live; food, milk, clothing, and shelter. This is a noble cause. But, if I were at one of these gatherings, I would want to say a few words. ‘My brothers and … Continue reading Charity vs Liberation: Changing the Solution for Gaza
THE STORY OF Musa (as) appears as scattered scenes throughout the Qur’an so it might not be clear where it starts and where it ends. It is easy to think that the story ends with Pharoah’s fall, a fitting end for a man considered to be the worst of all tyrants. But we forget that … Continue reading Beyond the Fall of Tyrants: A Lesson From the Story of Musa (as)
THE MESSENGER ﷺ SAID: ‘The most beloved of places to Allah are the masajid, and the most hated of places to Allah are the markets.’ (Muslim) Why would the marketplaces be the worst of places? It is not too difficult to work out. Buying and selling is a necessary part of life but in the … Continue reading When the Marketplace Becomes a Way of Life
THIS WEEK HAS been a week of illness for me. First the flu and then a bad back. The latter is an old problem with a slipped disc that has probably worsened with all the coughing and lying in bed. With its fast pace of life, the materialistic worldview views ill health negatively. We don’t … Continue reading Understanding Illness: A Spiritual Reflection
RAJAB HAS COMMENCED. It is one of the 4 sacred months. In these months good actions have greater reward and evil is more sinful. إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِى كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا۟ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ‘Indeed, the number of … Continue reading Rajab: A Sacred Month to Reflect and Prepare
IF YOU ARE not inviting others to your thoughts and way of life, they will invite you to theirs. You might not think so but that is the reality of life. There is no neutral position. The New Year’s Eve celebration is a good example. Whilst some may use it to reflect on the year … Continue reading An Identity Crisis: Muslims and New Year’s Celebrations
SOMEONE ONCE TOLD me that if you are going to ask Allah for your rizq, then don’t ask for little. Ask for immense wealth, so much that you never have to worry about money again. After all, Allah is ar-Razzaq, the Provider, and He gives without limit. To support this idea, he quoted the words … Continue reading Overcoming the Scarcity Mentality and Fear of Missing Out with Dua
MANY MUSLIMS LIVING in the West look to non-Muslims and their movements to end the genocide that we are witnessing in Gaza. Certainly, the activity and weekly protests, vigils, sit-ins etc, in major cities worldwide by millions of non-Muslims show that there are good people still, despite the stance of the ruling classes. But what … Continue reading Lessons from the Seerah: Gaza, the Call for Justice and the Role of Non-Muslims.
The Messenger ﷺ said: كُلُّ بَنِي آدَمَ خَطَّاءٌ, وَخَيْرُ اَلْخَطَّائِينَ اَلتَّوَّابُونَ All of the children of Adam are sinners, and the best sinners are those who repent. Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2499 A reminder that just as I will sin, so will others. But what differentiates the sinners is what they do after, ie repent. May Allah … Continue reading Reminders for Heart and Mind: Repentance
Living For Islam 