inner dimensions of pilgrimage

August 16, 2016

Preparations for Pilgrimage & Piety

The Qur’an says of itself: [This is] a Book that We have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may meditate upon its signs, and that those possessed of understanding may take heed. [38:29] The Quranic insistence on tadabbur (to ‘meditate’, ‘reflect’, ‘ponder’ upon the Qur’an) is one of the three essential states our hearts should be in for them to be enriched, Continue reading

pillars of religious practice, qur’an, tafsir, tadabbur

asrar al-hajj, goal of hajj, inner dimensions of pilgrimage, meditations on the Qur’an, Pilgrimage in Islam, pilgrims as Guests of God, rules of Pilgrimage, spiritual preparation for haj
October 8, 2013

Dhu’l-Hijjah: Honouring the Days of Abraham

The sacred month of dhu’l-hijjah (the last month in the Islamic calendar) is upon us, bringing with it all its virtues and blessings. It is the month of the pilgrimage or hajj, in which God has marked out, for pilgrims and non-pilgrims alike, some exceptionally blessed days. The Prophet, upon whom be peace, taught us the spiritual courtesy Continue reading

fiqh & usul al-fiqh, pillars of religious practice

Abraham, fasting on Arafah, hajj, Ibrahim, inner dimensions of pilgrimage, Ishmael, Isma’il, pilgrimage, spiritual significance of hajj

About Me

My name is Surkheel Sharif (aka Abu Aaliyah). Born and raised in London, England, I began my more formal, but gradual studies of the Islamic sciences around the late 1980s (just a few years after having quit my degree in Astrophysics). I also gained an MA in Islamic Studies from Birkbeck College, University of London, in 2009.

I’ve translated a few Islamic works from Arabic into English; one of them, a short text on Muslim spirituality, called The Exquisite Pearl (2000). I have also authored a few books, including: More Fish Please & the Earth’s Complaint (2011); Fussing Over the 15th of Sha’ban & the Golden Rule of Differing (2011); A Muslim’s Guide to Modernity (2025); and Salafism Reconsidered (forthcoming)

I am the founder and current Director of the Jawziyyah Institute (est. 1999): a non-profit organisation dedicated to cultivating an Islam true to its time-honoured tradition, relevant to its current context, and of benefit to wider society.

inner dimensions of pilgrimage

Preparations for Pilgrimage & Piety

Dhu’l-Hijjah: Honouring the Days of Abraham