Linguistically, "barakah" means increase. It is a hidden and intangible blessing which Allah can bestow upon anyone He chooses. This blessing can be bestowed by way of increased health, wealth, time, progeny, happiness in this life and happiness in the hereafter. The ultimate barakah is when Allah is pleased with you, resulting in Him looking… Continue reading Project Smile
Someone once sent out a question on why we fast during Ramadhan. Some of the replies were: to detox, to gain rewards and to lose weight. There was little talk of the spiritual aspects to it. This got me thinking that throughout the passage of time, misinformation and lack of knowledge, we have lost the… Continue reading Purpose of Ramadhan
What is a Muslim? ***I have a Muslim name. My identification papers say that I'm Muslim. I obey Islamic rituals. But my habits, style of life, character, ambition and achievements are all from the material life – 95% of my efforts are focused on the material life, leaving 5% of my time for devotion. If… Continue reading A Muslim and a Muslim Heart
When you walk along the beach, a common sight is that of children and sometimes adults, building sandcastles. They scoop damp sand and use their buckets and spades to shape the sandcastle, slightly away from the waves but where the sand is still moist from the previous tide. Beachgoers build sandcastles for fun, knowing from… Continue reading Sandcastles
Some people can never be happy. They complain that they work too hard, and then complain that they are bored at home during the weekends. Summer is too hot, and winter is too cold. The food is too salty, the water is too sweet. I even saw someone in a restaurant complaining that her seafood… Continue reading Complaining and Blaming
The Qur'an is a miraculous script, containing the words of Allah. It is not merely a collection of Arabic passages verses to be ritually memorised and recited. The Qur’an is the encyclopaedia and the map for our lives in this world, containing a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and guidance. The Qur'an is the only surviving… Continue reading DEMYSTIFYING THE QUR’AN
When we feel crushed by the weight of our life issues, we seek psychological and emotional cure in whichever way we can. One of these is by escaping from our failed personal issues – sour relationships, tragedies, losses, unhappy jobs, unfulfilled ambitions, to compensate those losses or dreams that failed to crystallise. We try to… Continue reading Escapism
Have we ever wondered whether the reasons our dreams don’t come true is because we may be chasing the wrong dreams, and that the chase is backed up by the wrong guidelines? Whenever we aspire towards something, and whenever we achieve something in life, we feel as if a fundamental need has been fulfilled. We… Continue reading Chasing the wrong dreams
Once a person has cultivated envy and arrogance in his personality, the next in the sequence is arrogance. This arrogance is manifested by arrogance towards others, and ultimately, arrogance towards Allah. When someone asked Rasulullah SAW what arrogance meant, he replied: “Arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people.” [Sahih Muslim] Arrogance can… Continue reading Arrogance
No matter what you have in life, you feel that it's not enough. You want a better job, a bigger house and more cars. Your spouse is not beautiful enough, and you only have two children whereas your friends have three or four. You are pretty but not as pretty as your cousin. Discontentment is… Continue reading Discontentment
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