A QUIET KNOCK on the door. It was late. But Abu Bakr (ra) had been expecting it. He had long prepared for this moment. Ever since the Prophet ﷺ informed him that Allah had granted permission to emigrate, Abu Bakr (ra) had kept two camels ready. He had waited and hoped that he would be … Continue reading The Islamic New Year 1448AH
ONE OF THE most striking images in the Qur’an appears in the story of Yusuf (as). The king of Egypt sees a troubling dream: وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ سَبْعَ بَقَرَٰتٍۢ سِمَانٍۢ يَأْكُلُهُنَّ سَبْعٌ عِجَافٌۭ وَسَبْعَ سُنۢبُلَـٰتٍ خُضْرٍۢ وَأُخَرَ يَابِسَـٰتٍۢ “Indeed, I saw seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones, and seven green ears … Continue reading When Lean Cows Eat Fat Cows
AS A FATHER of a teenage daughter, a recent article highlighting a growing phenomenon known as cosmeticorexia caught my attention. The term refers to the increasing obsession among young girls with skincare routines, beauty products, and the pursuit of flawless skin. Everyone in the article, dermatologists, psychologists, journalists, and parents from across society are recognising that something … Continue reading Raising Daughters in an Age of Manufactured Insecurity
SURAH ANBIYA OPENS with an unexpected urgency and force. Something momentous is drawing near, yet people are acting as though nothing is happening. ٱقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِى غَفْلَةٍۢ مُّعْرِضُونَ (The time of) people’s account has drawn near, yet they are heedlessly turning away. (al Anbiya 1) It is a wake-up call. It confronts a common … Continue reading Inside Ghaflah
ALLAH SAYS IN Surah Ta Ha: وَأَضَلَّ فِرْعَوْنُ قَوْمَهُۥ وَمَا هَدَىٰ And Pharaoh led his people astray and did not guide. (Ta Ha 79) This is amongst one of the shortest verses in the story of Pharaoh, yet it contains one of the most profound lessons about leadership in the entire Qur’an. Consider everything that … Continue reading The Qur’anic Measure of Leadership
SURAH ṬA HA opens with a striking reassurance: مَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَىٰٓ “We did not send down the Qur’an to you to cause you distress.” (Ṭā Hā 2) The word translated as “distress” is shaqāʾ (شقاء). The root (ش ق و) conveys a sense of wretchedness, suffering, distress, and the absence of blessing. The … Continue reading Seeing Revelation Through the Wrong Lens
WHEN I WROTE the introduction to the Remembering Hajj series just over ten days ago, I framed it as a murāqabah, a watchful, honest revisit. I wanted to reflect on my own story, hold it up to the light, and ask the uncomfortable question: have I lived up to any of it? Thirteen posts later, I am not … Continue reading Eid ul Adha Mubarak, 1447AH
AFTER THE STONING of the jamarat comes the sacrifice. A thought came to me that comes every year. Ibrahim (as) was asked to sacrifice his son. Not in a moment of impulse, but through a recurring dream, and the dreams of the prophets are revelation. He knew what he was being asked. He had to … Continue reading Sacrifice
AFTER THE QUIET of Muzdalifah, after sleeping on the earth beneath the open sky, the pilgrim rises in darkness and begins to move again. This is Yawm al-Nahr, the 10th of Dhul Hijjah. For those who have not made the journey, this is Eid, a day of celebration and feasting. For the hujjaj, it is … Continue reading Stoning the Jamarat
WE LEFT ARAFAH at maghrib in silence. It isn’t far from Arafah to Muzdalifah. In normal circumstances it is only 10 minutes by taxi or bus. But when you have two million people moving all at the same time, buses and taxis very quickly come to a gridlock that takes hours. For the more fortunate … Continue reading Muzdalifah
