Al-Quddus means holy, transcendent above everything. As such, Allah (Exalted be He) is transcendent. He is beyond our sight and our hearing, beyond space and time, and beyond any imperfection whatsoever. This is in stark contrast to what we find in this world. Imam ibn ‘Ata ilah mentions in his Aphorisms that the imperfections of this […]
cambridge khutbas etc.: Twlight of the Islamosaurs As an early Eid present, here’s a talk recorded five years ago by Oxford University ISoc and preserved over on IslamOnline.net. It’s not one for the audio purists unfortunately but we’ve done our best. It’s definitely worth a listen for Sheikh Abdal Hakim’s perceptive and invigorating review of […]
In the Name of Allah, the Benevolent, the Merciful According to the vast majority of Islamic scholarship–including the Hanafis, Malikis, and Shafi`is–it remains obligatory to perform the Friday prayers when Eid falls on a Friday. [Nawawi, al-Majmu` Sharh al-Muhadhdhab; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar] The Hanbalis allow skipping the Friday prayer in such circumstances, however. (Thus, […]
It is said that the one who performs Hajj, or the ritual pilgrimage, comes back free of sins. But are mere actions enough? This story illustrates what makes a true Hajj. A man, whose life reflected no change after having performed Hajj, came to visit Imam Junaid al-Bagdadi. Junaid asked him: “Where are you coming […]
On the Heart, Wisdom and Knowledge Fath al-Mawsuli (Allah have mercy on him) said: Doesn’t a sick person who is deprived of food and drink die?… It is the same with the heart: if it is kept from wisdom and knowledge for three days, it dies….” Imam Ghazali (Allah have mercy on him) comments: He has […]
Four Keys To Successful Action Guaranteeing Success by “True” Conditions By Shaykh Faraz Rabbani The idea of striving for success is a central theme of both the Qur’an and Prophetic teachings. It is something ultimately sought by every human. But how is success achieved? Shaykh al-Islam Shabbir Usmani, one of the great Muslim scholars of […]
Another one of Allah’s names is Al-Malik, the Possessor. Allah absolutely possesses everything and nothing possesses Him. Acting according to this name entails that we acknowledge that we are Allah’s possession. As Allah has absolute possession over everything, we must rely on none other than Allah. After all, if a king sends a servant to perform […]
Faith & Reason: Emotion is not Enough By Faraz Rabbani “When those bombs exploded in London, I felt my faith itself rocked,” confessed a friend of mine. Many people find their beliefs shaken by the flow of events, in their own lives or in society. Why? It would appear that most people’s religious commitment is based […]
Imam Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami (Allah have mercy on him), one of the great masters of the spiritual path, wrote in his work The Proper Manners of Companionship (Adab al-Suhba) that, Proper companionship with one’s friends is through: [1] Remaining constantly cheerful [2] Doing the good [3] Spreading mention of their virtues [4] Concealing their […]
