By Shafaat Shahbandari : What do you do when you see a handy new tool? Learn how to make good use of it, or abuse it? What I am referring to here is our use or rather misuse of social media. It is heartening to see that, as a community, we have taken to this powerful tool big time. What with many of our grandmothers using WhatsApp now! But, I have no qualms in saying that, unfortunately, we have come to abuse social media more than use it. Our treatment of WhatsApp, in particular, is most

Based on the works of Bilal Philips: This post describes the genealogy and description of God, the Most Merciful as it is described in Surah Ikhlas. It was revealed by Allah to refute beliefs attributed to Him by misguided people concerning His similitude, form, origin and offspring. For example, those who paint pictures or make statues of Allah are claiming similitude, those who worship others besides Him claim similitude, and those who attribute some parts of His creation to othe

“Every woman needs to know the facts. And the fact is, when it comes to breast cancer, every woman is at risk”- Debby W. Schultz. Come October, and it’s raining pink, the month for breast cancer awareness. Yes its pink, the colour most commonly associated with femininity. The colour which symbolizes love, warmth & nurturing, is most aptly chosen to universally mark the campaigns of breast cancer awareness. Breast cancer is fast gaining prominence in India. It is at present the most commo

Bismillaah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem In the Name of Allaah, Most Gracious Most Merciful Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds, Who has said in His book (interpretation of the meaning), “…and stand before Allaah with obedience” [al-Baqarah 2:238] and has said concerning the prayer (interpretation of the meaning): “… and truly it is extremely heavy and hard except for al-khaashi’oon…’ [al-Baqarah 2:45]; and peace and blessings be upon the leader of the pious, the chief of al-khaashi’oon, Muhamm

These verses of the Quran were revealed at the time when non-believers of Makkah asked the Holy Prophet that how could they become alive after they die. In these verses, Allah asks these people how they came into being for the first time. Allah mentions that it is not difficult for Him to do such things and that He is omnipotent, powerful and supreme and none can equal Him. He is the master who gives orders and commands that are to be fulfilled. In Makkah, addressing to the Holy Prophet, th

If you're not eating on time, skipping meals or loading up on the wrong kind of food, then listen up! Poor eating habits can not only have terrible consequences in the short-term but also persist long after your diet has returned to normal. According to a study that was published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, poor eating habits alter the way genes express (epigenetics) themselves. Including those that deal with the immune system. This change ultimately exposes a person to the risks of

Fasting on the day of Ashura is highly recommended based on the Hadith below. Along with this we also remember this day as one of the most tragic events in Islamic history when Prophet Muhammad's beloved grandson Imam Hussein along with his family were martyred while standing up against injustice. Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 202 - Narrated Ibn Abbas: When the Prophet arrived at Medina, the Jews were observing the fast on 'Ashura' (10th of Muharram) and they said, "This is t

The month of Muharram is the first month of the Arabic year, and it is one of the four sacred months of Allah. Allah says in the Quran:   “Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar)….” [Quran, Surah Al-Tawbah 9:36] The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be

Imagine. A half asleep six-year-old on an international flight shaken awake as the aircraft plunges several feet, half-eaten food trays hitting the ceiling and crashing around, a service trolley trundling down the aisle. No, it’s not a scene from a Hollywood thriller. It’s my first flying experience. I remember opening my eyes to this as my mother struggled to put the seat belt on me. I don’t recollect when and how the pilot managed to steady the aircraft, I had fallen asleep in a

Sadly, many Muslims do not pray or fulfil the conditions of the prayer, despite its importance. The purpose of prayer is to strengthen your relationship with God; to be grateful for all His blessings; and to remind yourself of His Greatness. Just as the body requires physical needs, such as food and water, the soul requires spiritual needs, nourished by acts of worship, the most important of which is prayer. It could be that the body of a person is healthy but the person is spiritually dead.

There is no match to a crisp cob of sweet corn which is one of summer's simplest pleasures. But, few myths keep many people away from this delight and that's a shame! We've busted some of the biggest misconceptions that surround sweet corn. Corn is unhealthy - Nope! Corn is a vegetable that contains a lot of nutrients. The idea that corn is unhealthy likely came about because corn is high in starch. Your body cannot digest corn - While it's true that corn has high amounts of insoluble fibe

The Day of Eid ul Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) is an important occasion celebrated by Muslims globally on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah to honour the willingness of ʾIbrāhīm (Abraham)(peace be upon him)  to sacrifice his son Ismā'īl (Ishmael)(pbuh) as an act of obedience to Allah Ta’ala, before Allah Ta’ala intervened to provide him with a sheep to sacrifice instead. It reminds us how obedience to our Lord Allah Ta’ala is the answer to everything. This means surrendering your life, your whole being

Photo Courtesy: QSEP.com Author: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid Praise be to Allaah. 1.          It is the day on which the religion was perfected and Allaah’s Favour was completed. In Al-Saheehayn it was reported from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a Jewish man said to him, “O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, there is an aayah in your Book which you recite; if it had come to us Jews, we would have taken that day as an ‘Eid (festival).” ‘Umar said, “Which aayah?” H

Praise be to Allaah. There are six conditions for the udhiyah: -1- It should be one of the an’aam class of animals, which are: camels, cattle, sheep and goats, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And for every nation We have appointed religious ceremonies, that they may mention the Name of Allaah over the beast of cattle that He has given them for food” [al-Hajj 22:34] Baheemat al-an’aam (translated here as “beast of cattle”) includes camels, cattle and sheep. Th

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. May peace and blessings be upon the Chief of the Messengers, Muhammad. Indeed it is a great favour and blessing from Allah that He has made for His righteous servants periods of time within which they can increase in good deeds to attain great rewards and one of these opportunistic periods is the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah (the final month of the Islamic Calendar, in which the Hajj is performed). SUPERIORITY OF THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF DHUL-HIJ

  I have been on the pilgrimage to Mecca three times in my life: once during the annual hajj season and twice during the off-season. This has left me savvy as I try to negotiate the physical hurdles, including massive crowds and the heat, while performing the pilgrimage rituals. With the pilgrimage I hope to refill my always empty spiritual cup by praying and reflecting in peace. The best time to visit the Kaaba and do this, I have come to realize, is after midnight. The Kaaba is t

Unity is vividly observed in the great pillar of Hajj, which is repeated every year and for which millions of Muslims gather from all over the world. They represent the Muslim ummah with all its different races, countries, colors, and languages. They gather in one place, at the same time, wearing the same garment and performing the same rites. They make one stand in the same monument. They proclaim the oneness of the Lord of the worlds, submit themselves to His law, and show their unity under Hi

Hajj literally means 'to set out for a place'. Islamically however it refers to the annual pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah with the intention of performing certain religious rites in accordance with the method prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad . Hajj and its rites were first ordained by Allah in the time of the Prophet lbrahim [Abraham] and he was the one who was entrusted by Allah to build the Kaba - the House of Allah - along with his son Ismail [Ishmael] at Makkah. Allah described th