Who is the one I like the most?
It is not the radiant glow of a moon-like forehead, Nor the flowing dark tresses cascading gracefully on…
Character and Ethics
Character sits at the heart of the Islamic tradition, and these articles ask what it means to live well among others. Shaykh Akram Nadwi writes here on sincerity, restraint, the dangers of excess, and the conduct that faith calls for in ordinary dealings. The emphasis is practical: knowledge is measured by how it shapes a person’s manners and heart.
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Living Ramadan well
Students often ask how Ramadan may be inhabited so as to produce lasting transformation rather than a fleeting intensification of religious sentiment. This question is not merely devotional; it is philosophical. Ramadan is not a…
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The Puzzling Mind: A Call to Contemplative Inquiry
The natural world and all its phenomena present themselves as intricate puzzles, each requiring contemplation and understanding. To…
The Hereafter
Human life is inherently complex and difficult to sustain without a sense of intrinsic value. Mere survival—marked by…
On the Concept of Tay al-Makan wa al-Zaman (Folding of Space and Time)
Imam Abdul Wahhab al-Sha’rani, in his book Lawaqih al-Anwar fi Tabaqat al-Akhyar, narrates about his Shaykh, Ali al-Khawas.…
Fishing Adventures
Childhood Memories of Fishing When ponds and pits were filled with water, villagers would fish with rods, and…
I Am With You
A Message to Muslims, Arabs and Non-Arabs Translated by: Celsabil Hadj-Cherif The cry went up, saying: “The rider…
Extremism in the Name of Religion
Introduction We have a friend, Maulana Irfanul Haq Mazahiri, who has a refined taste for literature and poetry.…
Does a Lioness Lay Eggs?
1. The Question of Authority They said: It’s a common saying here that the leader is always right,…
The Meaning of Wealth Being a Trial
Dr. Syeda Hina Fatima from Mumbai is an Arabic language professor, and she is deeply engaged in spreading…
Action must follow faith
Let me begin by qualifying the claim that actions must follow faith, that actions are rewarded rather than…
Limits and Scope
Without limits there can be no real possibility, only theoratical and abstract possibility. All that God has given…
Do not search for a magical night
Translated by Hala Akram and Aisha Akram. I moved to Oxford in January 1991 and stayed near a…
Questions & Answers on Character and Ethics
View all Q&A →Knowing oneself through returning to the Dīn
My student, Abu Hanifah Dilawar, forwarded to me the following question: Assalāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuhu, Shaykh. This is a question from a Bangladeshi reader of the Bangla Facebook page who regularly reads your articles. They wrote: “I could…
“A bedding for a man, a bedding for his wife, a third for a guest, and the fourth is for the shayṭān”
Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 4142, narrated by Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah. The hadith says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned bedding and said: “There should be bedding for a man, bedding for his wife, and a…
Balancing birr, patience, and self-protection
My student Dr Areeg asked me the following question: Assalamu alaykum Shaykh Akram, Islam places great emphasis on maintaining family ties and showing birr al-walidayn. However, I struggle to understand how this can be reconciled with situations involving abusive parents,…