We have all heard about the importance of inculcating Khushu in our prayers. It refers to a state of mind when we stand in front of Allah and fully direct our minds and hearts towards Him. Ibn al-Qayyim defined Khushu as a state “. . . when the heart feels aware and humble before the greatness and glory of Allah, and is filled with awe, fear and shyness . . .” (Al-Rooh, p. 314). Anything less not only diminishes the rewards of our worship and Ibadah but we should consider it as a sig

Ramadan is here again providing us the opportunity to reach out to Allah more than ever and ask for His forgiveness and blessings. As Allah has singled out this month more so than others for showering His blessings and mercy, it is only prudent that we also use the opportunity to reassess our conditions, our purpose and direction in life, and accordingly make appropriate changes in line with His commands. This Ramadan, as we look at the state of Muslims around the world in general, we see tha

By: Aftab Hussain Kola While the religious moorings in Ramadan are more or less the same across the Muslim world, certain strands of culture in different locations give uniqueness to the customs. The topic of Ramadan could begin from the Makkah region (Saudi Arabia), the focal point for many Muslims. I spent one full Ramadan several years ago in Jeddah-Makkah and had an amazing feeling of fasting in the land from where Islam spread. Piety is seen on everyone’s faces. They make it a poin

Imagine Ramadan at your doorstep. The long anticipated first taraweeh prayer will take place tonight. You desperately want to feel the spirit. But you just aren’t into it. You’re overwhelmed with something else: distractions! You’re drowning in deadlines for work;you need to catch up with family issues that you’ve been postponing for ages. On top of all that, your social media feeds – this one thing that you depend on to de-stress – is draining rather than boosting your spirit. With minimal s

During Ramadan, apart from worship and concerns of how to spiritually improve oneself, a lot of people get preoccupied with what they will cook or prepare for iftar and suhoor for thirty straight days. The numerous shopping trips start a week or two before Ramadan. During the first few days of Ramadan, some people prepare the most lavish meals without thinking about how it will affect them later on, especially when they need to stand up for long taraweeh prayers. In this article, we will disc

Ramadan is just around the corner. What are the signs that I see around me? By far the most important of them all is the cleaning of the Haleem (meat and lentils) cooking cauldrons, repairing of the tandoor ovens and the painting of signs screaming that the Haleem of that particular establishment can’t possibly be bettered in this life. Then is the case of iftar parties, those who claim first strike and those given in retaliation; do unto others what they did unto you. Yeah! I know that is po

Every year as Ramadan approaches, there are many online webinars, events, and local activities that all pertain to one thing: preparing you for the best month. I have always believed thatknowledge is not power; knowledge is potential power. Because no matter how many lectures you listen to, and how many webinars you attend, if you are not willing to take that knowledge and implement it in your day-to-day life, then you are really not taking advantage of your resources and the knowledge that y

Ramadan can be one of the most dramatic, life-shifting 29 to 30 days of a Muslim’s life, if we know what to do with it. Throughout this five-part series, In sha Allah I will share with you many tips and techniques to make this your most awesome Ramadan ever! In today’s post, I hope to demonstrate to you that Ramadan is worth preparing for, as early as possible! Ramadan can be the most rewarding time of the year, if we know how to maximize it. Let’s do a little math to put the amount of blessi

The angry summer sun is unforgiving and makes most of us run to the hills. It’s hot outside and inside too. Sweltering summer days don’t just make the environment uncomfortable; they also tend to raise your body temperature. One of the most common problems associated with staying outdoors for too long is catching a heat stroke. According to Dr. Simran Saini, Nutritionist at Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, “Heat exhaustion is a temporary phase where your body is overloaded with heat, but a heat st

Being the month where the rewards of any act of worship and charity are multiplied, Ramadan is a time Muslims look forward to, as we strive to perform more ibadah and good deeds. Unfortunately, it is also when we can easily get distracted, as we tend to devote too much of our time to food, preparing meals for suhoor and iftar.  I know, I know, we’re hungry, we’re tired, aren’t we allowed to at least enjoy a well-prepared, home-cooked meal after a day’s fast? Of course! However, do keep in

Biological diversity, or the shorter term "biodiversity," means the variety of life forms like human beings, animals of all sorts and plants of different categories in a region or on the globe. Any harm to biodiversity may increase diseases on Earth or in other words less of biodiversity means more of infections. Protecting this diversity on Earth is the prime duty of all Muslims. This ecological ethics is one of the moral principles of Islam, based on Quranic Injunctions (Verses) and Prophet

We are all aware that the marital relationship is regarded as extremely important in Islam. In addition to fulfilling half our deen, marriage is a safeguard, a place to find peace, and also a strongly recommended sunnah. Our Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “Marriage is part of my sunnah, and whoever does not follow my sunnah has nothing to do with me.” [Ibn Majah]1 But why is it that so many Muslims are dissatisfied with this

Effective communication helps us better understand a person or situation and enables us to resolve differences, build trust and respect, and create environments where creative ideas, problem solving, affection, and caring can flourish. As simple as communication seems, much of what we try to communicate to others—and what others try to communicate to us—gets misunderstood, which can cause conflict and frustration in personal and professional relationships. By learning these effective communicati

Ramadan is coming up and Alhamdullillah that we are alive to begin preparing for it. Coming up is another chance to earn Allah’s  mercy, seek forgiveness for our sins and gather all the barakah that we possibly can. Alhamdullillah!Unfortunately, I missed fasting during Ramadan last year; I was too sick to even attempt to keep fasts. I was undergoing chemotherapy and my last session was a day before Eid. But the truth is that these fasts are not the only ones I have missed in my life. Th

Exams are just around the corner for many students. Many of us have a number of panic attacks around this time of year, every year. The guilt of procrastination and piles of books that have yet to be read looms over us. Memories of ploughing through hours of dreary revision sessions are often hidden away somewhere in the back of our minds. While we may lose confidence in our abilities and question if we can even go through with exams, it is important to remind ourselves of Allah’s  words in S

1) One theory is 'Triangle of life' A controversial theory which was given by Doug Copp. According to this theory objects like sofa, desk and other furniture get crushed when a roof collapses and a void (often triangular in a shape) is created around it. That's a safe place to seek cover, ideally in a foetal position. 2) When you are in a multi-storied building Lie down in a foetal position next to a bed sofa or a bulky object. 3) When on the road Pull your car to

Allah tells how His Messenger and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) will say: “O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Quran.” The full verse of Surah Furqan is as follows: ’And the Messenger will say: “O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur’an.”’  Surah Furqan (Verse 30) The Arabic word ‘mahjur’ is capable of several meanings. As such, the sentence may mean:” “these people did not regard the Quran as worthy of their consideration: they neither accepted it nor followed it”; or

Today’s post is about commuting ProductiveMuslim style! ;) How you can make the most of those long hours on the road so that they truly add value to your life (and afterlife) instead of subtracting from it. Now this all depends on which commuting vehicle you’re using (and trust me, I’ve used them all). Below is a breakdown of what you can do in each type of commuting vehicle. But before we get into that, a few prerequisites: 1. When you leave your house, remember the dua for leaving the hous