November 2012
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Breaking Bread as Brothers: Rights of Brotherhood
The Qur’an says: The believers are indeed but brothers. [49:10] Brotherhood (ukhuwwa) is a core principle of Islam. It is a brotherhood obliged by God. It’s a brotherhood, the bonds of which are rooted in love of God and love in God. Islam’s teachings all ensure that these bonds are allowed to flower and flourish, and that whatever stands in the way… Continue reading
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“We Only Follow the Qur’an & Sunnah.” Really?
In an earlier post (it can be read here), I discussed how the words of the Four Imams (Abu Hanifah, Malik, al-Shafi‘i and Ahmad bin Hanbal) concerning taqlid (incorrectly translated as “blind following”) continue to be misunderstood and misused by many groups and individuals today. In this post, I wish to tie-up some loose ends on the subject of… Continue reading
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Climbing Mount Taqwa
The Qur’an speaks of God as dhu’l-ma‘arij: Lord of the ascending ways. [Q.70:3] Believers are expected to be climbers, so to speak, in their upward journey to God. The ascent, however, is not that simple and the old saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” must be the watchword. The iradah (“will”, “aspiration”, “spiritual ambition”) to find God is, unarguably,… Continue reading
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The Gift of the One to Man
In this enchanting piece of writing, taken from his slim anthology of miscellaneous spiritual benefits, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah discusses the preeminence of Adam, peace be upon him, over the rest of creation. At the centre of this Adamic distinction are the twin gifts of: Then God fashioned him, and breathed into him of His spirit.… Continue reading
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Look! And Ye Shall See: On Science & Meaning
One may often hear Muslims say how it is understandable for someone to not believe in Islam, but not how one can disbelieve in God. For we have, the Qur’an states, all the evidence for God’s existence we need in our immediate experience, and that it is only a deliberate refusal to look that’s responsible… Continue reading
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The Imortal “If”
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ‘There is wisdom in poetry.’ [Bukhari, no.6145] He also said: ‘Poetry has the same status as prose – good poetry is like good prose, bad poetry is like bad prose.’ [Al-Daraqutni, no.495] That being said, the Sunnah cautions against over indulging in poetry, as per the following hadith: ‘It… Continue reading
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Are We Letting Time Whizz Right Past Us?
Imam al-Shafi‘i remarked: ‘Time is like a sword, if you do not cut it, it will cut you.’ He also said: ‘Your soul, if it is not kept busy with the truth, it will busy you in untruths and falsehood.’1 Islam’s “masters of the heart” tell us that filling our lives with works of faith and… Continue reading
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Reading Qur’an for the Deceased
Question: Is it permitted to donate the reward of one’s recitation of the Qur’an to a deceased person, and will they benefit by such recitation? Or is this an innovation (bid‘ah) that opposes orthodox Islam, as claimed by certain people? Answer: Unfortunately, this issue has become a cause of great controversy and fiery disputes between Muslims in… Continue reading
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The Conditional Promise: When Will Allah’s Help Come?
That Muslim social and political well-being is the result of sure faith and obedience to God, and not visa-versa, is borne out by the Qur’an in many a verse. Whilst analysing the verse, God will surely help those who help Him, [22:40] Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin al-Shanqiti (d.1393H/1972CE), the highly acclaimed Mauritanian scholar of Islamic legal theory (usul… Continue reading