Hurt people hurt people. Many of our criticisms are written because we’re hurt somehow, not because we’re defending Islam. If there’s religious evidence to support our case, it’s naturally used for our case. Sometimes we’re purely emotional, sometimes it’s a mix of desire to defend the truth and desire to follow our negative emotions. In either case, we should be careful with our intentions, especially if we’re students and teachers who have access to knowledge.

It was narrated about ‘Āmir ibn ‘Abd Qays, one of the ascetic Tābi’īn, that a man said to him, “Talk to me.” – ‘Āmir ibn ‘Abd Qays replied, “Hold the sun.”

Today a friend of mine asked me for some advice regarding teaching. I sent him a few pointers via WhatsApp. I thought I’d share as it maybe of benefit to others as well.

Islam promotes seeking all types of knowledge, although seeking Islamic knowledge is the most virtuous, studying secular subjects along side Islamic studies open many doors towards inviting others towards Islam.

It’s the time of the year where we as students push to our limits, late nights, early mornings, additional prayers, supplications and excessive Dhikr. The thought of failure during from an exam aside, there are perks of having them too! It allows us to dive into our books, unearth the gems we zoomed past the first time. Surely you’ve experienced the same.

I pray Allah creates ease in all our exams, and more so the main test of the hereafter. May He عز و جل allow us all to succeed with amazing results, and make it a means of pleasure for our parents and teachers. May He عز و جل remove pride or jealousy that this period may erupt, and May He make it pass with ease.

Please remember me in your humble Du’as.

When reading ḥadīth, names like “‘AbdAllah bin ‘AbdarRahman” etc. are usually what we read and find normal, but then we may encounter titles like “Ghundar” or “Masrūq” and “Ābil Laḥm” and wonder, what a strange and abnormal-sounding-like name?

A group of atheists once approached the great Imām, Abū Ḥanīfa (Allah have mercy on him) with the intention of killing him. The Imām asked them what they would say about a person who claims that he has seen a ship laden with goods sailing in the sea transporting the goods from one shore to another. The goods are piled into the ship automatically and similarly off-loaded by themselves upon reaching their destination. The ship navigated the waves perfectly all by itself with no sailor to steer it.

They replied that no sent human would accept such a nonsensical contention. Thereupon the Imām remarked: “Pity upon your intelligence. If a mere ship cannot sail smoothly without a sailor how can it ever be possible that this entire universe runs so perfectly without a controller?” Upon hearing this they were utterly embarrassed and immediately accepted Islam at the hands of the Imām.

The Qur’ān is the speech of Allah, Most High. The word “Qur’ān” is grammatically a verbal noun (masdar) meaning “gathering” and “joining”, and also “reading”. Hence, a Qur’ān is that which gathers the chapters together and joins them; that is why it is called the Qur’ān. In this case the word holds a meaning of an active participle (ism al-fā’il). One can also interpret it as “that which is read” (al-maqrū’), since it is read and recited. In this case, the verbal noun takes the meaning of the passive participle (ism al maf’ūl).

Sunan Ibn Mājah is a collection of ḥadīth compiled by Imam Muḥammad bin Yazīd Ibn Mājah al-Qazvīnī (Allah have mercy on him).

In the discussion of Ḥajj the author of Hidāyah explains that a person going for Ḥajj can put on the Iḥrām prior to the Mawāqīṭ, he mentions regarding adoring the Iḥrām from the house.