Many of us take this month for granted – the fact that we can fast (as we’ve been commanded to do), perform taraweeh, and do all the other, communal things that come packaged with this ‘month of the ummah’. But while we have it easy – while we have this freedom – our brothers and … More Appreciating Ramadan
I hope everyone’s having an awesome Ramadan so far. Ramadan in South Africa usually means that our esteemed guest, Mufti Ismail Menk (from Zimbabwe) performs taraweeh in one of our cities – each night following the salaah with a talk based on some aspect of the Quran. This year, he’s in Cape Town – at … More Ramadan 2011 with Mufti Ismail Menk
Over the past decade, Ramadan has been a very special time for me. You see, prior to that, things were different. I was different. And then, one day in that Ramadan ten years ago, everything changed. That experience, that miracle, marked a turning point in my life – one that I’m eternally grateful for, and … More The Gathering
With Ramadaan on our proverbial doorstep, I thought it would be a good time to recycle some older material to help us prepare for what is probably the most important month of each year. 1. The Fasting and the Furious For starters, I highly recommend listening to Muhammad Al-Shareef’s “The Fasting and the Furious” … More It’s almost here…
For those in Cape Town, there’s a Ramadaan preparation seminar at UCT in a few weeks. Details are in the advert if you’re interested, and clicking on the image should take you to the organisers’ web page, where you can register.
This month marks the anniversary of my foray into the world of blogging. 5 years ago, this blog began – with a simple picture post of shots I’d taken from a rooftop that I was fond of going to at the time. Inspired by the blogs I’d followed (particularly Saaleha’s), I decided to start my … More Five years later…
Terms like “balanced”, “moderation”, and “middle path” are often associated with the ideal of Islam. Muslims are meant to be a ‘middle nation’ between extremes, yet in today’s times, with increasing fragmentation among the ummah and different groups taking their views as the only ‘correct’ way – it’s hard to see how this balance is … More Reviving the Islamic Spirit 2011: Striking the Balance
Nowadays, concepts such as “Zen” and the decree of “the universe” are commonly mentioned in public discourse, among today’s mish-mash of ancient Eastern and new-age philosophies. But, while many grapple to find the truth and seek a successful belief system, Muslims already have a set of beliefs that emphasise the most important of all truths … More In Allah’s name: Eat, Pray & Love
It’s amazing how much benefit and reward a person can get from just simple actions. For example, the following hadith (narrated in Muslim) tells of four simple words that – if recited three times – are more valuable than hours and hours of thikr. Juwairiyah bint Al-Harith (May Allah be pleased with her) reported, the … More Four words of tremendous benefit
