“O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Quran), and a healing for that which is in your breasts, a guidance and a mercy for the believers.” —Qur’an (Yunus, 10:57) In some of my moments of spiritual confusion, I’ve wondered why so many of us are born into cultures and lands with no …
An American high school student was given the homework assignment to interview someone from a different faith, and he chose Muslims. Here are his questions and my answers, as shared in the book He Asked About Islam: Who is your God and why do you worship Him? My God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He is …
“And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.” — Qur’an (Adh-Dhaariyaat, 51:55) In seeking to teach our hearts true love for the sake of Allah, it is important to remember that ultimately, this is an emaan issue rooted in the spiritual state of a person’s heart more than anything else. This spiritual reality is conveyed in the prophetic hadith: …
“By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another.” —Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him (Tirmidhi) Years ago I was visiting a Muslim woman I’d met, and she shared the difficult relationship she had with her uncle. Other than the …
“You know when I started feeling better? When I stopped feeling bad about feeling bad.” —from the journal of Umm Zakiyyah “Why do you and your husband have only one child? Are you trying to have more? Or is it because you don’t want any more children?” These questions began when my daughter was around five years old, and they …
“You have to care about your soul more than you care about the specifics of the temporary comforts and tests God will give you in this world. That’s what it boils down to. This is what we need to teach our hearts, and this is what we need to teach our souls…” —from the journal of Umm Zakiyyah “I can’t …
“And if you would count the graces [or favors] of Allah, never would you be able to count them. Truly! Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” —Qur’an (An-Nahl, 16:18) Today I was reviewing my Arabic vocabulary by reading a children’s book entitled Qisas An-Nibiyeen (Stories of the Prophets), and I reached the chapter about Prophet Moosaa (Moses), peace be upon him. …
“No,” the sister said indignantly. “I’m not going to pray about this because I know Allah will make it happen. And I don’t care if it’s good for me. I don’t want it, period. And I shouldn’t have to deal with it if I don’t want to.” I grew quiet, as I realized that there was no further advice I …
Abdullah ibn Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “None of you has [true] faith until his desires comply with what I have brought.” —Al-Sunnah li-Ibn Abī ‘Āṣim 14, Sahih by Al-Nawawi Are you pleased with Allah as your Lord? This is a question that hit my heart as I was reciting the morning and …
No one should have to apologize for taking care of themselves. This is something that took me a long time to realize and embrace in my life, and I’m still striving to do better at avoiding saying “I’m sorry” for taking care of myself during a time that people deem inconvenient for themselves, or when they feel my absence proves …
