Shahadah in Islam

Wisdom provides us with the capacity to solve real life problems. So, acquiring wisdom becomes a must if we want to live meaningful lives. As we live through life and its experiences, it is vital that we reflect on such experiences to make our subsequent steps in life easier. As Immanuel Kant, a famous philosopher said that "Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life."  So, if wisdom enables a person to make more sound decisions, take a shortcut path to success, recalibrate values for the better, and simply live a better life, then why not spend time reflecting on our own experiences as well as learning from others? As Will Durant, a renowned philosopher and Pulitzer Prize winner stated, "A wise man can learn from another man's experience; a fool cannot learn even from his own." The words of the Quran and teachings of our prophet Muhammad guide us to a wealth of wisdom and knowledge. In fact, Allah calls Quran the "Book o...

On the 10 th of Dhul-Hijjah, Muslims around the globe will be celebrating Eid al-Adha – commonly referred to as “The festival of sacrifice.” The day marks the occasion Ibrahim (as) was prepared to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to Allah.  As we decorate our homes and prepare fun and games for a memorable day for our children, it is also important to foster an awareness of the true spirit behind this celebration: Convey the significance of the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah – Increase in your Ibadah just as you would in ramadan and encourage children to fast and perform extra good deeds. This allows parents to create a build-up to the special day and a sense of reward and celebration. Teach children about hajj – Discuss the different rituals involved for the pilgrims and undertake activities that will familiarise them with the kabah, special dress code (ihram) etc. Emphasise that, despite not everyone being able to perform Hajj, Allah has given us al...

In our eagerness to copy the West, we Muslims have adopted many of their practices which have no basis inthe Sharee’ah. And among them is the practice of a woman changing her family name to that of her husband after she gets married. The fact is that Islam does not require woman to change her name at marriage and there is nothing in the Sunnah to indicate that a womanshould take her husband’s name after she gets married. Actually, the Ulama tell us that this isan innovated practice that is not approved of in Islaam. Now, I know some people will say…“Oh, come on… What is the big deal?!!” So read on and you will know what I mean…. The wives of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) are the Mothers of the Believers, and the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam), is the noblest of people and the best example. And yet when we look at their example, we will realize that when the Prophet(Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) married any of his wives, NOT ONE of them took hi...

Ever wish you could read your husband’s mind? Western culture encourages husbands and wives to talk to each other and discuss things. However, in many Muslim cultures, men are raised to be stoic and tight-lipped. Muslim husbands are very often (not always) reluctant to talk about certain things with their wives. Part of the problem is also that sometimes it is hard to actually formulate our thoughts into the right words. The only thing more difficult than translating thoughts to words is translating feelings to words. So, a lot of Muslim men and women go through their marriages with very little communication and never really knowing what the other person is thinking. This quick list is for the Muslim sisters in my audience. This list will give you good idea of some of the things your husband thinks about, but just doesn’t know how, or want, to tell you. 1. Above All, He Desires Your Respect I spoke about this in my article “Love or Respect: Which Do You ...

At the outset, before stating the rulings of Fuqahaa on oral sex, it is important to mention the emphasis Shari’ah has laid down on shame and modesty. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) has said in Hadith: إن مما أدرك الناس من كلام النبوة ، إذا لم تستحى فافعل ما شئت "Indeed, surely people will come to know the words of prophethood. If you do not have shame, then do as you wish." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, 4/183, Dar Al-Fikr) الحياء من الإيمان والإيمان فى الجنة والبذاء من الجفاء والجفاء فى النار "Modesty is from Iman, and Iman leads you to Paradise. Shamelessness is from futile things, and futile things lead you to the fire of Hell.” (Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, 2/21, HM Saeed) In light of the abovementioned, Fuqahaa have ruled oral sex to be makruh tahreemi (an abominable act close to haraam) due to the shame and immodesty in the act and the strong possibility of najis (impure) fluids entering the mouth. Even if precaution is taken in this regard...

We give below some major scientific breakthroughs of Muslims which the Western World has sought to hide, claiming it as their own . What is taught  which is what we have learned from Western sources intent on hiding  the truth  and  what  should be  taught  which is the reality as we understand it from a proper reading of history: What is Taugh t :   The first  mention of man in flight was by Roger Bacon, who drew a flying  apparatus. Leonardo da Vinci also conceived of airborne  transport  and drew several prototypes. What should be taught : Ibn Firnas of Islamic Spain invented, constructed and tested a flying machine in the 800's A.D. Roger Bacon learned of flying machines from Arabic references to Ibn Firnas' machine. The latter's invention antedates Bacon by 50...

She was one of the noblest women around, coming from a very prominent family. She was also quite beautiful and the holder of a considerable amount of wealth, being a prominent businesswoman. To marry her would have been a great feat for any man, and indeed, quite a few of the most prominent and wealthy men in society had asked for her hand. Yet, she rejected them all; already being a widow, she had lost the desire to marry again. Until he came into her life. He was young man of 25, and although he was also of a very noble family, he was an orphan and was not a man of many means. He had made a meager living tending sheep in the hills surrounding the city. Yet, he had an impeccable moral character, and he was widely known as one of the most honest men around. That is what attracted her to him: she was looking for someone honest who could conduct business for her, as she – a woman in a fiercely patriarchal society – could not do it herself. So, he started working for her. After he came ...