The successful life
The successful life as measured in this world does not secure safe passage into the favor of God…
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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Sincerity and the Search for Validation
As a person progresses upon this path, they must guard themselves against seeking validation from others regarding the quality of their īmān or the depth of their spirituality. No scholar, teacher, or community can truly…
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Purpose of Islam
The purpose of Islam is not to create an Islamic social or political system; rather the point is…
Writing for one’s time
There have been many great Muslims who did not commit their religious wisdom to writing. We know about…
The Qur’an should not be valued as merely a sacred object
1. Allah says in the Qur’an about the Qur’an, that it is a self-consistent, coherent message from the…
My Late Father, May Allah Have Mercy on Him
Translated by Mohsina, Fatima and Aisha Akram Yesterday (Friday 4th Ramadan 1442 / 16th April 2021) my father,…
The worst stupidity
They asked: What is the worst stupidity? I replied: It is to associate with Allah. The polytheists are…
When I had to reverse my car
There is a large population of South Asian Muslims in East London. Situated near Whitechapel station is the…
Practices on the days of Dhi l-Hijjah
It is recommended that one give special attention to the day of `Id al-Fitr and the ten days…
Questioning Your Studentship
Today (5th July, 2020) is the last day of this academic year at Al-Salam Institute. God willing, we…
Preparing for the Questions of the Day of Resurrection
Faith, submission, righteous deeds, piety, benevolence, patience, gratitude, asceticism, humility, contentment, truthfulness, trustworthiness, compassion, encouraging in good deeds…
Desire is desire, not will
During this lockdown period, you are confined to your homes. Madrasahs are not yet open. You wish to…
Shaytan’s Tricks
1. Most people most of the time do not intend to do bad things (crimes and sins, like…
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,…