WHAT IS THE gift that our Messenger ﷺ said is better and most comprehensive? It is sabr. Commonly translated as patience, its complete meaning, like many Arabic words, becomes lost in translation. The word patience comes from the Latin patientem, meaning ‘suffering’. As such sabr would suggest accepting hardship without taking action or believing … Continue reading Exploring Sabr: More than Just Patience
A MIRACULOUS NIGHT journey. With Jibril (as), the Prophet ﷺ travelled on a winged creature whose stride took it as far as the eye could see. They paused at various places before arriving at the Holy Land and masjid al Aqsa. He led all the prophets in prayer, affirming his foremost position amongst the prophets … Continue reading The Night Journey: A Lesson in Speaking the Truth
TODAY WE ATTENDED a janazah of a well-respected alim in our community. Whilst I personally hadn’t met him, he and his family were known to my wife. On the way to the masjid, we discussed our purpose for going. As Muslims, it’s crucial to correct our intentions and actions to please Allah alone and avoid … Continue reading Attending Janazah: Intentions and Actions
THERE IS A story that Allah ﷻ mentions in surah al Araf that is worth revisiting again and again. He ﷻ describes a village by the sea at the time of Bani Isra’il. Like most villages by the sea, the people’s livelihood was dependent upon the bounties from the sea. Allah ﷻ wanted to test … Continue reading The Good, the Bad and Those Who Remain Silent
I TOOK MY elderly parents to the airport last night. They were not excited about the long trip ahead. I understood how they felt. Travelling long distances by road, rail, sea, and air has been made so easy with modern transport and mass tourism, that we may forget what a blessing it is and all … Continue reading The Traveller’s Plea: An Opportunity for Spiritual Connection
WHAT CAN WE learn from the fires ravaging Los Angeles? The arrogance of man It is easy for man to become arrogant about his position. He can send a man to the moon and create atom bombs that can vaporise other men in an instance. Yet despite all his material progress he stands unable to … Continue reading Reflections from the Los Angeles Fires
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
Living For Islam 