“WHAT IS LIFE’S purpose?” “Simple: to worship Allah. He created jinn and mankind for nothing else.” “Yes, but… what does that look like?” A pause. “Prayer, I suppose. Reading the Qur’an. Good character. Remembering Allah…” But here’s where the question deepens. Allah ﷻ tells us plainly: وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ “I created not … Continue reading Beyond The Prayer Mat
IMAGINE THIS SCENE in the not-too-distant future. It is the 29th of Sha‘ban. Across the Muslim world, believers gather late ‘Asr. Families walk to open spaces. Scholars, students, elders, and children lift their eyes toward the western horizon. The anticipation is shared, from Jakarta to Jeddah, from Istanbul to Islamabad, from Lagos to London. A … Continue reading Who Declares Ramadhan for the Ummah?
AS BANGLADESH COMES to another general election, I keep hearing the same arguments on repeat. Secularism is the only path to stability. Democracy is the only legitimate system. Islamic political aspirations? Emotional. Regressive. Dangerous. But here’s what nobody seems willing to say out loud. Five decades of secular governance haven’t resolved the moral and political … Continue reading Beyond the Ballot: What Bangladesh’s Election Won’t Solve
I SOMETIMES HEAR Muslims criticise other Muslims, especially those in European lands such as Russia, Turkey, Albania, etc. “You wouldn’t even realise they’re Muslim.” Some Muslims indeed have very little to do with Islam but their names. It is also true that every soul is responsible for its own actions. Every soul will stand before … Continue reading The Revival Is Happening
WE’VE ALL HEARD about brain drain from the Muslim world. But a brain drain from Britain? A recent Guardian report revealed that Britain is cutting funding for major scientific research projects. Hundreds of scientists, particularly early-career researchers, are leaving the country. Not because Britain lacks intelligence or universities, but because successive governments have decided that research … Continue reading Britain’s Brain Drain and Ours: Why Islamic Governance Is the Answer
“IF THE QURAYSH buried their daughters alive, wouldn’t there eventually be no women left? And then there wouldn’t be any people left,” my daughter asked after learning about Arabian society before Islam. It was a simple, yet piercing, question. She wasn’t dismissing history; she was engaging with it thoughtfully. And her thinking was sound. Her … Continue reading Challenging What’s Normal
I CAME ACROSS something recently while reviewing parts of the seerah that I hadn’t quite connected before. After the death of Abu Talib, the Prophet ﷺ went to Taif hoping to find support. Instead, the people rejected him brutally—they set their children and servants to chase him from the town, pelting him with stones until … Continue reading They Were Listening
THE YEAR OF Sorrow. We know it as that devastating period when the Messenger ﷺ experienced the loss of his two main supports: his beloved wife Khadijah (ra) and his uncle Abu Talib. We often focus on what the Prophet ﷺ lost in that year. But recently, I found myself reflecting on what Khadijah (ra) … Continue reading She Never Saw Madinah
THEY SAY THAT there are three types of people when it comes to crime. Those who commit it, those who facilitate it and those who turn a blind eye to it. For many people, the Epstein files confirm this very point and what had long been suspected: his crimes were not the actions of a … Continue reading The Pattern of Power: From Empire to Epstein
I’VE BEEN THINKING about investing for some time. Inflation quietly erodes savings, financial instability is a reality, and like many people, I wanted to act responsibly rather than leave money idle. Yet almost every facet of our economic lives is bound up with capitalism, and navigating what is halal and what is haram within it … Continue reading Halal Investing and the Questions We Are Avoiding
Living For Islam 