My neighbour said to me one morning, as he stood contemplating my face for some time: “Why do I see you today radiant of countenance, your brow aglow, a light in your eyes I have not known before? Only yesterday you seemed near to withering, your movements subdued, your vigour spent. And now you appear… Continue reading Reminder: I am a flower, and I rejoice in the spring
Reminder: Do not praise yourself
Do not exalt yourself, for there is no servant whose record is free of both good deeds and sins. All sins arise from the stirrings of the soul and the following of its desires, whilst all good deeds are from the grace of God and His enabling. Had God willed, He could have forsaken you… Continue reading Reminder: Do not praise yourself
Reminder: I long to enter the garden of bliss
My soul said to me: I long to enter the Garden of Bliss. I replied: A noble longing indeed. To aspire to God’s mercy is an elevation, and to hope in His bounty is an act of worship. Yet the Garden has a clear path; it is not traversed by wishful thinking, nor attained by… Continue reading Reminder: I long to enter the garden of bliss
Prophet Ibrāhīm 20.02.2026
*Prophet Ibrāhīm ʿalayhi as-salām and the Wisdom of the Five Daily Prayers* This paper is based on a talk delivered by Shaykh Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi during his visit to Batley, West Yorkshire, on 21 December 2025. It explores how Prophet Ibrāhīm ʿalayhi as-salām transformed religion into a living, reflective millah, and how the five… Continue reading Prophet Ibrāhīm 20.02.2026
Reminder: I am not the master of the day of judgement
I saw one praying eight rakʿahs of tarāwīḥ and said, “He is lazy.” I saw another praying twenty and said, “He hastens and does not recite properly.” I saw one bare-headed and said, “He is far from the way of the righteous.” I saw another wearing a turban and said, “He is showing off and… Continue reading Reminder: I am not the master of the day of judgement
Over-definition of legal concepts
The phenomenon of over-definition in legal reasoning represents a critical challenge within Islamic jurisprudence. It arises when jurists, in seeking to extract universal principles from specific Qur’anic or Prophetic rulings, generalise without sufficient attention to context. Such generalisations, while convenient for doctrinal exposition, risk distorting the spirit and intent of the Law. Consider the discourse… Continue reading Over-definition of legal concepts
Reminder: Magnify your Lord
Do not boast of yourself, your lineage, your teachers, or your affiliations. Do not let reverence become blind partisanship, nor belonging turn into pride. Such claims to greatness are only mirages, bright on the surface, hollow within. Pride is a dark shadow: it dims the heart, hardens it, and leaves a person empty and undone.… Continue reading Reminder: Magnify your Lord
Reminder: Think well of fellow Muslims
Cherish a good opinion of your Muslim brother, for the bond of Islam is the firmest of ties, the noblest of lineages, and the most enduring of affections. A Muslim is a brother to every Muslim, irrespective of colour, race, ancestry, or creed. One faith unites them, the declaration of Tawhid enfolds them, and a… Continue reading Reminder: Think well of fellow Muslims
The Arrival of God’s Guest
*A Community in Waiting* The people of faith stand upon the heights of their homes and mosques. Even if their feet cannot reach the mountain peaks, the flight of their yearning is no less than the loftiest summit. They stand at the zenith of their aspirations, eyes fixed upon the vastness of the sky, hearts… Continue reading The Arrival of God’s Guest
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 sacred interval inserted into an otherwise uninterrupted life, but a concentrated pedagogy of the self. Its practices are instruments designed… Continue reading Living Ramadan well