Educations Family

Can the supposedly understood 'brief & meaningless' life be in reality 'meaningful & everlasting' ? Analyzing life from a neutral point, our purpose in life is restricted to following & seeking good-life according to the requisites of civilization & culture. Be it the materialistic western civilization or the ascetic eastern traditions, most individuals try to blend in with the crowd - without thinking, pondering & contemplating. There are other philosophies which try to explain that the sole aim of feelings, senses included in the machine of one's life is restricted to satisfying the desires, one such is Atheism. The 'purpose of life' can be summed up in two simple steps: To recognize the truth behind : our existence, our intrinsic-morality & our natural tendency to search God. To know and experience the divine attributes of God, and by experiencing them, to believe in them. Every single action & experience in ou...

Assalaamu 'alaikum! ( May peace and God's blessings be upon you )   What does Qur'an & Islam speak on the nature of God and How God is defined in Islamic text and context. For the case of existence/non-existence of God first one must conclude upon 'What is the definition of God' , then comes the second stage of investigating - whether that 'God' as defined can exist or not. Nature of God through Islam is concisely described in the following chapter of Qur'an Chapter 112 - Surah Al Ikhlas In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful 1. Say: He is God, the One and Only; ( The architect of everything Known and Unknown to man, including the Universe and everything within) 2. God, the Eternal, Absolute; ( We know that the Universe wasn't eternal, It had a beginning, something which caused the universe must be pre-existing, intelligent and not bound by universal-laws) 3. He does not beget, nor is He begotten; (one such example...

It is imperative for a person to know the value of his/her time, for ‘time is life’. In any system there is no room for motto like " killing time ", for time is really valuable. In fact, wasting time is much more dangerous than frittering away property, because unlike property, time cannot be compensated. In traditional sayings: “ There are two of God’s favors that are forgotten by many people: health and free time. ” Free time is a blessing that is overlooked, and not wholly appreciated by many people now-a-days. Any person should not waste his/her time in activities that does not bring her/him closer to Knowledge, in pursuits that will not serve as a contribution for the betterment of his/her people, his/her society and mankind in general. There is also a rich record of many traditional sayings that acknowledge the value of time and confirm the responsibility of man on how he maintains it; he will be brought to account by God on the Day of Judgment: “ ...

All faiths and societies have given parents an honorable status. From a purely material viewpoint, we find ourselves indebted to our parents, particularly to our mother. She not only nourished us in our womb, but went through pain and suffering. She loved us even before we were born. She toiled when we were totally helpless infants. She spent sleepless nights caring for us. Our parents provided for all our needs: physical, educational, psychological and also in many instances the moral, spiritual and religious guidance. Our indebtedness to our parents is so immense that it is not possible to repay in full. In lieu of this, it becomes obligatory for us to show utmost kindness, respect and obedience to our parents. The position of parents, and the mutual obligations and responsibilities, have been addressed in Islam in great detail.  A Muslim's duties to his or her parents are secondary only to duties toward Allah, their Lord and Creator. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)...

Peace – the oft-repeated concept that echoes in all minds. What does peace mean to us?  A feeling of endless security, immunity from the myriad of life's problems, and contentedness with oneself and close-knitted affection from those that matter? Theoretically, we can create the most beautiful definitions of the word, but the question is, how much of it can be brought to reality from a daily life perspective? Majority of the time, peace is an independent variable: our peace and tranquility are maneuvered by our very own hands. If we possess the tendency to blame external factors (people, material life, etc.) for dictating our life's happiness, then everlasting peace is hardly attainable for us. We are all in constant pursuit of the prolonged everlasting peace and happiness in life. Ever wondered why people persist in sinfulness? On closer examination, we will find that most sinful behavior comes about from the longing for peace of mind: music, drugs, alcoho...

To everything in this world are rights, guaranteed by the sacred laws of Islam. Everywhere we look around us today, we see cruelty to animals.  Especially, in the food industry, where animals are treated with extreme inhumanity in "civilized" nations in the name of wealth and profit! Such atrocities are widespread, well-documented and a sad fact of the materialistic modern world.  Even though such actions are extremely disturbing, in spite of us closing our eyes, they will not disappear.  Therefore, it is our duty to reform our outlook and attitudes in order to change this world for the better.  Lest we transgress against the rights of others; and by others, in the context of this article I mean "animals".  One day, the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) saw a man overloading his donkey, so the prophet (peace be upon him) became very angry and said, "Do not overload your animal!  Verily, he who is not merciful shall not be shown mercy (by ...

Praise be to Allah. We ask Allah to make ourselves steadfast in adhering to the truth, and to make our hopes come true, and to make us one of those who turn to Him and who know the truth, defend it and adhere to Islam. There are great hopes that can be achieved through faith, as it was narrated that Sufyaan al-Thawri: "Faith is not wishes or pretence, rather it is what settles in the heart and is proven by actions.” So we will discuss the matter of faith and how important it is in becoming a devoted slave, pleasing and honouring one’s parents and achieving the victory of Paradise. The sincere believer has a heart like a burning coal, hence it was narrated by al-Haakim in his Mustadrak and al-Tabaraani in his Mu’jam with a saheeh isnaad that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Faith wears out in your heart as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your hearts.” The believer’s hearts may sometimes feel overwhelmed by cl...

There are essentially two forces happening simultaneously within the human being. There is a positive attraction, coming from the Qalb (heart) which directs us toward our Maker, and a negative force which induces us to follow our whimsical Nafs (ego). The Qalb is constantly God-oriented, nostalgic for the Day of the Primordial Covenant as Allah the Exalted says: “And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware." (1) The Nafs , a vital force and go between for the heart and the earth we live in, is also preoccupied with disorienting us from God, desiring itself instead, as Allah the Exalted says: “Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? Then would you be responsible fo...

Seest thou one who denies the Judgement (to come)? Then such is the (man) who repulses the orphan (with harshness), And encourages not the feeding of the indigent. So woe to the worshippers Who are neglectful of their Prayers, Those who (want but) to be seen (of men), But refuse (to supply) (Even) neighbourly needs.  In his first khutba given after the Winter hiatus the Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad begins with a recitation of Surah Ma'un, that Surah that would 'strike at the heart of the one with sincerity'. These verses cover the vices of boastfulness and pride, miserliness and hypocrisy, but before all of these harmful vices Allah in this chapter mentions the active repulsion of the orphan. To be an orphan is to be without the warmth, shelter and security that a parent's care provides naturally. That this should stir our compassionate instincts is understandable, as is Allah's stern reprimand to the one who would repulse them, especially since their condi...

The 7 Habits Independence or Self-Mastery The First Three Habits surround moving from dependence to independence (i.e., self mastery): Habit 1: Be Proactive Synopsis: Take initiative in life by realizing that your decisions (and how they align with life's principles) are the primary determining factor for effectiveness in your life. Take responsibility for your choices and the subsequent consequences that follow. Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind Synopsis: Self-discover and clarify your deeply important character values and life goals. Envision the ideal characteristics for each of your various roles and relationships in life. Habit 3: Put First Things First Synopsis: Plan, prioritize, and execute your week's tasks based on importance rather than urgency. Evaluate whether your efforts exemplify your desired character values, propel you toward goals, and enrich the roles and relationships that were elaborated in Habit 2. Interdependence The next three have to do...

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficial Practice Islam as much as you can “He who loves my Sunnah has loved me, and he who loves me will be with me in Paradise.” -The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Tirmidhi) As a new Muslim, you will have trouble keeping up with prayers every day, fasting during Ramadan, and the many other practices in this religion. The struggle that we face, with such a radical change in lifestyle, is difficult and will take some time. Awkward moments are bound to happen, don’t fret. You are not expected to wake up at 4am every morning to pray tahajjud (extra night prayers). If you have problems with certain practices, then gradually work yourself into the mindset of worship. A counselor once told me when I was young, “How do you eat an elephant? Just One bite at a time.” Think of it as one step at a time. Pray to Allah (swt) and ask for Him to make it easy for you and the rest will come naturally. Keeping up with your devotional practi...