As we enter the final moments of Ramadan, a reminder to myself first and foremost to pray that Allah *accepts* our deeds. Ibn Rajab (ra) mentions in his Laṭā’if’l-Ma’ārif that our pious predecessors would exert themselves to perfect their deeds but thereafter would be concerned about them being accepted. Ali (ra) said; ‘Be more concerned […]
Bunnān al-Hammāl (ra) was a great ascetic, scholar and worshipper and is notably known for being imprisoned with a lion! He was especially recognised for ordering the good and forbidding the evil and was reported not to take anything from the state. He was a man attributed with certain wonders and having strong belief in […]
Wanting guidance for others vs oppression When you look at the many places where severe oppression is happening, it is clear our only refuge is in Allah (swt) alone. Yes, in a general sense we want guidance and goodness for everyone as this is what the Prophets (as) were sent for. They all called their […]
Many of us are receiving messages of uncertainty from our loved ones regarding the coronavirus. This is totally understandable as something of this magnitude has not taken place for many of us in our life-times. At the same time however, it is important to mention that these ‘feelings’ are not new for millions of people […]
The issue of some Muslims having extreme doubts in faith is becoming more concerning as time goes by. Once at a student conference, 2/3 people out of a large group of students came up to me privately to me with the same points; ‘I am having doubts about belief in Allah and Islam’. Now these […]
I remember our teacher once said; “A man may have knowledge of many of the books of tazkiyah (purification of the heart) and be proficient in them, whilst another man may only know Surat’l-Fātiḥah. It could be that the latter is closer and more beloved to Allah!” This is because he internalizes the verses of […]
There is no doubt that every Muslim’s ultimate goal is to please Allah (swt). However, a subsequent ‘goal’ is that we all want to enter Jannah. There are many aḥādith of ways to enter Jannah however there is a ḥadīth which provides an all-encompassing method to be of the people of paradise. The Prophet (saws) […]
A verse which stops me in my tracks every time I come across it is when Allah (swt) reminds us of our weakness and our complete dependence upon him; يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ “O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Self-sufficient […]
BD/ 1 – Having a negative assumption of someone without just cause So to kick off the bad deeds, the first is the prohibition of having a negative opinion of someone without just cause. The asl (default) of dealings between Muslims is that they think good of each other, unless there is an evidence to […]
GD/2 – Initiating the salām when passing by children So clearly this writing every week isn’t working out how I thought ! Not giving up yet as still early days and so the second deed on the list is giving salām to children. It is narrated: عن أنس رضي الله عنه أنه مر على صبيان، […]
