In the pursuit of knowledge

Asalam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu I pray this email meets you in the best of health and eeman. I am sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I have truly been busy with research and all other stuff. Alhamdulillah it is going well. I am also learning to drive but that story is for another day. The different situations we find ourselves in everyday only seek to enhance our eeman if we indeed open our hearts. The ayats of Allah is all around us and it also manifests itself in our lives. We should take time out of our busy schedule to reflect and take stock of where we are at in terms of eeman and doing that which pleases Allah (SWT). Sometimes you find you are praying but the khuso is not there or you have not read your Quran in a while or contemplated its meaning. This is what being busy with other than Allah brings. But we go back ask for forgiveness and re-train ourselves, restore the khuso and humility into our prayer, re-direct our intentions in our everyday activities towards ...

By Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d.751H) For a space to accept what is being put in it, it has to be emptied of the opposite. The same way this is relevant with individuals and objects, it is also true for beliefs and wills. So, if the heart is occupied with loving and believing in falsehood, then it has no space for loving and accepting the truth. Just like if a tongue is busy uttering what does not have benefit, then its owner will not be able to utter what has benefit for him except if he stops talking about what is useless. Also if the different body parts are busy doing what is not obedience then it is not possible to keep them occupied in doing what is obedience except if he (the owner) frees them of the opposite. In the same way, a heart full of loving other than Allaah, wanting him, longing to meet him, and enjoying his company cannot be occupied with love for Allaah, wanting Him, longing to meet Him except by emptying it (the heart) from attachment to anything other than H...

Salam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, A young girl who was just 4 months short of her eighteen years birthday makes a journey across the Atlantic to study in the UK. She has not been away from home although she went to a boarding secondary school. She thinks how would she cope, how would she survive with no support from family, siblings and friends? The culture to which she is coming into is different from hers. Her dad and uncle have been to this land before at a time when things were different; the people weren’t too nice then. So based on their experience they give her different advice but the best of all is simple, put your trust in Allah and HE would make it easy for you, remember the home where you are from and Insha’Allah all should be well. The girl prays to Allah to facilitate the move for her if it would be beneficial to her in terms of her deen and if it makes her life better and the hereafter even better. So she comes to the UK, to a wonderful city. The city opens its ar...

Salam Alaykum, I pray this email meets you in the best of health and eeman. Sorry I haven't blogged for a while. I was away recuperating and building up my energy to continue my research. Hope you all had a good eid. May Allah give us the strength and time to continue to worship him and do only that which pleases Him. "O my Lord! Make me one who performs As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and (also) from my offspring, our Lord! And accept my invocation. {Surah Ibraheem 14:Ayah 40} O CHILDREN of Adam! Beautify yourselves for every act of worship, and eat and drink [freely], but do. not waste: verily, He does not love the wasteful! {Surah Al A'raf (The Heights) 7:31} Hadith of the Day Narrated Anas: Allah's Apostle said, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, "O Allah\'s Apostle! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?" The Prophet said, "By preven...

Salam alaykum waramatullah wabarakatuhu, "Do you think I look like a good muslim?" that was the question I was asked yesterday. This question took me by surprise. I had only known this sister a few months. In that time have I treated her badly? Have i interacted with her as though she was unworthy of my attention? This were the questions that was going through my mind seconds after the question was asked. I asked her what had brought this question on, she then told me the story of how someone at her work made a statement to the effect of you are not a typical muslim. I should point out her colleague is not a muslim. From our discussion I came to the conclusion that her colleague made this statement because she does not wear the hijab but more importantly this sister is nice and caring which her colleague seems to think are not characters befitting of a good muslim. First of all I think every muslim is on a journey of faith, we keep struggling to be the best muslim we can be. ...

Hadith of the Day Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should not hurt his neighbor and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should serve his guest generously and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should talk what is good or keep quiet." {Volume 8, Book 73, Number 158, Sahih Bukhari} Abu Sufyan reported it on the authority of Jabir that he had heard the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: When Satan hears the call to prayer, he runs away to a distance like that of Rauha. Sulaimin said: I asked him about Rauha. He replied: It is at a distance of thirty-six miles from Medina. (Sahih Muslim, Book of Prayers (4), Number 0751)

As salaam alaykum wara matullah wabarakatuhu, How are you all? I pray this post meets you in the best of eeman and health. It has been a while since my last post the hustle and bustle of life is to blame but Allah has made it possible for me to write this alhamdulilah. I would like to relate a little story about a friend of mine after seeking her permission of course hoping that it serves as a reminder for us all as we go about our everyday activities. May Allah continue to be with her, give her strength and increase her in eeman. She applied for a job at the start of the year, went for the interview but was unsuccessful. Seven months later the company sends her an email saying that another position is available and would she be interested in applying for it. Alhamdulillah after the interview process she was accepted for the position. I remember the feelings of upset she had the first time of applying for the job and didn’t get it. Sometimes in life we experience difficulties and setba...