In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful . . . The Bedouins say, ‘We have believed.’ Say, ‘You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], “We have submitted,” for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your … Read more
It’s a very small phrase— Astaghfirullah— we learned it when we were young. And yet do we know its benefits? In the life of a Muslim, all that matters is earning the pleasure of Allah. Among the things that stop us from earning the pleasure of Allah are sins. And that’s where istighfar comes in. … Read more
In the very beginning of Surah Yaseen, Allah takes an oath: By the Hakeem Quran. Allah says that the Quran is hakeem. This attribute of the Quran is mentioned in multiple places in the Quran, and Allah Himself is called al-Hakeem in the Quran multiple times. What does it mean? And how is the Quran … Read more
We worry and run after material things believing that these things are our providers. We need to take time out to reflect on one of the greatest attributes of Allah, i.e. Ar-Razzaq. We all know about Him as The Provider, but do we really internalize it? Do our hearts deeply rely on the providence of … Read more
And whoever relies upon Allah, He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a (decreed) extent. [Quran, 65:3] Every day we encounter different situations. At one point in our lives we want good grades in high school, while later in our lives we want job promotions … Read more
It is with shock and horror that the world looks on on the night of Friday, the 13th of November, when multiple coordinated attacks took place in Paris. Almost 130 dead (at the time of writing this article) and over 330 injured. Similar attacks have happened in that same week in Baghdad and in Beirut … Read more
“It’s not fair!” the child pouts. “All the other girls have one!” “Life isn’t fair,” Mom replies wearily. Voila— a conversation repeated around the world ad infinitum. But the child isn’t buying it, and for good reason. For one thing, life in general seems to her to be basically fair, and her parents have persuaded … Read more
The ancient Greek poet Homer said that when a man is enslaved, God removes half his soul. Most of the ancient philosophers came to believe that slavery was an injustice, but putting an end to the practice was another story; as much as they acknowledged the suffering caused by slavery, their culture and economy was … Read more
“Why didn’t you tell me you were in a car collision?” she asks angrily. “Because I didn’t want to upset you!” he insists. “But don’t you think that’s something a wife should know?” “It was just a little thing— a bump and a dent, no more,” he points out. “If it was such a little … Read more