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
DO YOU FEEL the pressure to buy things you don’t need, with money you don’t have, to please people you don’t like? Things we don’t need Whether it’s the latest gadget, clothes or accessories, have you noticed how we’re always told it’s so last year? It is not good enough, even though it perfectly meets … Continue reading Breaking Free from Consumerism: A Spiritual Perspective
I FIND MYSELF revisiting the life of Isa (as) and his mother Maryam (as) around this time of year. Their stories have many lessons for us today. Take these two ayat. The Qur’an describes how Maryam (as) was visited by Jibrael (as), in human form. فَٱتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا … Continue reading Maryam (as) and a #MeToo Reflection
MAY ALLAH ACCEPT Khaled ‘Soul of my Soul’ Nabhan among the Shuhada and reunite him with his beloved grandchildren in the highest place of Jannah His serene and heartfelt reaction to the murder of his granddaughter Reem and grandson Tariq by the Israilis touched millions worldwide. He traveled through Gaza comforting others who had lost … Continue reading Islam’s Dignity in Times of Oppression: Khaled Nabhan’s Legacy
ON THE 16TH of December 1971, one of the bloodiest civil wars of the 20th century, the Bangladesh Liberation War between East and West Pakistan came to an end. Many of that generation argue that it was a necessary war to be free of the injustice of the West Pakistan regime. They cite issues such … Continue reading Reflecting on Bangladesh’s Liberation, Past and Present
Living For Islam 