I highly recommend the following three things for any beginner student to help understand the words of the Qur’an: 1) An Arabic/English Mushaf This is imperative and now possible with the relatively new Al-Quran Al-Karim series from Karya Bestari. It’s a word for word translation of the Madinah Mushaf, on the same line as the […]

The journey of the hereafter is fascinating. There is one stage however, that as a Muslim is worrying. This is the day of judgement being fifty thousand years as per the verse: تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ “The angels and the holy spirit will ascend to Him on a […]

The word ‘Arafah comes from the root word ع ر ف which means ‘to come to know’. Scholars said there are different interpretations of where the word ‘Arafah/Arafaat’ stems from: – Where people gather together in this land as pilgrims and get ‘to know each other ’. – When Adam (as) descended from Jannah and […]

Dhikr [remembrance of Allah] is one of the easiest acts we can do during the days of Dhul-Hijjah. It can be done when you’ve just woken up, driving your car or sat in a meeting. You don’t even need Wudhu! Some general points to consider: 1) It’s from the *best* of deeds. قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ […]

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ ۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا “Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him. O believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him and salute him with worthy greetings of peace” (33:56). 1) Allah uses the present tense verb ‘يصلون’ (send peace/blessings) which […]

Know that Hell is Allah’s justice. And he is the most Just. إِنَّاۤ أَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِینَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمۡ سُرَادِقُهَاۚ وَإِن یَسۡتَغِیثُوا۟ یُغَاثُوا۟ بِمَاۤءࣲ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ یَشۡوِی ٱلۡوُجُوهَۚ بِئۡسَ ٱلشَّرَابُ وَسَاۤءَتۡ مُرۡتَفَقًا “Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with […]

A quick note that Istikharah (the prayer of seeking guidance) can be done anywhere, at any time. There are three variations to consider: 1) Prayer and the long du’a This is the optimal way and the sunnah. A 2 rak’ah prayer followed by the well-known du’a we normally recite (the full du’a is below). 2) […]

Ten for the last ten nights 1) Try and stay awake during the odd nights. If you can’t that’s fine as well. But try and stay awake as much as you physically can. Highly recommend a ninety-minute nap in the day to stay fresh. 2) Be in a state of humility with Allah Realise our […]

Ramadan comes from the root word رمض which signifies something being intensely heated by the sun. The scholars therefore liken Ramadan to the opportunity of ’burning our sins’ and purifying ourselves. This is important as we enter this month, because if we’re honest with ourselves, every single one of us are sinners. Day by day, […]

When Shaykh Saeed al-Kamali came to Birmingham last year, he brought up an interesting point about the hadith of Banu Quraydha. Many may have heard the hadith in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim where the Prophet (Saws) ordered a group of the Companions to the tribe of Banu Quraydha in response to their treachery at the […]