The evil eye
Translated by Hala Akram and Aisha Akram 1. Introduction and Context A question was put to me by the well-known Qur’anic scholar, Ustādh Nouman Ali Khan, about the truth of the evil eye. Answer: Imam Bukhari narrates in his Sahih from Abu Hurayrah, and Imam Muslim...
The Most Ridiculous Question
Translated by Dr. Abu ZaydThey asked: To atheists, we affirm the existence of God and point to the causes of everything, and then to the causes of those causes until we arrive at the cause of all causes, the Prime Mover, God, who is the creator of the...
Practices on the Days of Dhu al-Hijjah
It is recommended that one give special attention to the day of `Id al-Fitr and the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah by remembering Allah and glorifying Him. `Abdullah ibn `Abbas reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these days.”
The role of ‘ulama’
The fact is that the `ulama’ are not a respected group in society. The respect that they are given is primarily sentimental because of the emotional attachment that all people have to their religious and cultural background. That background in all societies without exception, until the last century…
How to engage with what is happening in our time
I generally avoid commenting on political issues, because in my experience doing so only serves to complicate and multiply the weaknesses of my fellow Muslims. I prefer to focus on matters which can waken people to a strong realization that they have…
Islamophobia
Any phobia has two directions from which it arises. One direction is from the person himself who is suffering the phobia, some cause in him, psychological or cultural. The other direction is from that which the phobia is about. In this case, Muslims should realise and admit to…
Al `Imran 121-130
The Qur’an is not revealed to human minds and hearts cut off from their pasts. It is not revealed to blank minds, but to minds already shaped and constrained by their culture (inherited from their ancestors) and by present, ongoing relations and commitments.
What is Balaghah?
It should be ordered and coherent, with a clear direction of argument. The listener or reader should be able to make sense of, to understand, the speech or writing as it moves along. (That is one reason why specialised terminology and technical subject-matter are not compatible with balaghah.)