Truth
“Truthfulness is to speak the truth when you think the only way out is to lie.” — Imam al-Junaid
English Defence Leage (EDL) In Makkah?
(Taken from Cambridge Islamic Science Seminars (CISS) found here) This statement may come as a surprise for many but the situation in Makkah at the time of the Prophet (SAW) was far worse than any confrontation the EDL may have had with the Prophet (SAW) and the his companions in Makkah. The Prophet (SAW) had to…
Reflection
Different states have different outcomes. This accounts for the variety of types of action (9) Withdraw the heart into the arena of reflection – nothing helps the heart more than that! (12) [Al-Hikam of Ibn Ata’ Illah As-Sakandari]
Muslims as a Marginal Minority in America: The Gift of Historical Consciousness
There a few scholars who understand Islam and the West as well as Dr. Sherman Jackson. His insight into the challenges western Muslims face and the remedies he is proposes are not necessarily revolutionary. As you read his works, the thought that most comes to mind is “that’s what I was thinking” as opposed to “aha!”. What…
Saintly Character
“He is a man whose secret is as his open, and his words are as his actions” If he orders people to a good, he was the most vigorous of them in pursuing it And if he forbade people from an evil, he was the strictest in avoiding it I saw him needless from what…
The Differences of the Imams
Would highly recommend this small book on “The differences of the four imams”. It clarifies a lot of important issues and walks you through the reasons for why difference of opinions exist. One of the most powerful illustrations comes right at the beginning where he lists various reasons for why there are different versions of…
Change
Since reading Muhammad Asad’s “The Road to Makkah”, I have become fascinated to explore the perspectives non-Muslims and converts have on Islam and life generally. Being born Muslim, many of us take for granted the way we think and act, rarely paying attention to the reasons why. We casually assume every person to be the…
Freedom to criticise religion
I often hear the “right to criticize religion” as the reason for justifying things like the recent film which sparked the riots. The video itself wasn’t an “criticism of religion”, it was insult to an individual. Though we can NEVER justify violence, if we call someone’s mum a prostitute, most of us will expect to…
Dhikr
Do not leave the invocation of Allah (dhikr) because of your lack of presence with Allah therein, for your heedlessness of invocation is worse than your heedlessness in invocation. It may well be that He raises you from invocation with heedlessness to invocation with attentiveness, and from invocation with attentiveness to invocation with presence of…
Laying the Foundations – the Approach of Dawah
Salaams I was recently sent this amazing extract of a conversation from Sh. Muhammad Al-Ghazali. Sadly, Muslims have lost all perspective of how to talk to people about Islam, seeing it simply as rules to enforce upon people. True change is the one you allow the person to realise from within! Have a read 🙂…
On the Path of Knowledge 