“One day, a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked him: “ Is Allah far away, so we call out to Him, or is He close by, so we should whisper to Him?” Allah Himself answered the man’s question, (Hadith narrated by Imams Abu Dawoud, Al Nisa’i and at-Tirmidhi)- a…
Planning for the holy month of Ramadan involves several areas, which I will try to group in here for people to get the most of Ramadan, not miss a chance to get closer to Allah, and end the month feeling reborn. Don’t deceive yourself into getting involved in friends’ planning for night outings in…
Ramadan is more than a month in the Islamic calendar where Muslims all over the world are required to abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk, but an extraordinary journey that bonds the human heart, mind, and body, in a unique act of purgation, following the divine light of guidance. Ramadan…
By: Haya Amiri Performing Umrah in Ramadan is not easy! This must be one of the reasons why the reward for an Umrah in Ramadan is equal to that of a Hajj. To make it slightly easy for you, here are some tips on what to take along with you if you’re planning to go…
The overall character of Islamic decorative arts is enhanced by the creative use of colors. Colors play an important role because of their remarkable qualities that can easily have an effect on people. Effects that colors can have on people are psychological, intellectual and spiritual. For instance, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali wrote that of the four…
With heads slightly tilted, right hands facing up to receive the light and beneficence from Allah (SWT), and the left facing down to deliver such blessings unto humankind, Dervishes start and keep on whirling in a systematic movement that is an active practice of Dhikr… With heads slightly tilted, right hands facing…
The Muslim architect always exerts himself to ensure that a new structure serves a noble purpose, regardless of whether it is a mosque, school, dwelling, caravansary, hospital, fountain, mausoleum, etc., whereby God alone is meant to be worshiped and adored. – Function of Islamic Architecture Instead of standing alone amidst the marvels of…
Sufism is more of an ascetic way of life, that doesn’t involve any deviation from Shariah, Islamic law, or deviation from the teachings prescribed by Allah (SWT) through the Quran and the traditions of His Messenger (peace be upon him). Beyond Rumi’s Poetry, the whirling Dervishes, detachment from worldly life, and recitation of…
The house is an institution that has a clear mission and vision. Not just possessing houses but also rearing the favorable socio-political and economic conditions where planning, building and acquiring suitable houses would be a norm, does Islam see crucial. The house in Islam is not just a shelter or a place to…
“There are two types of people, when they are good and righteous the whole community becomes good and righteous, but when they are bad and morally corrupt the whole community becomes bad and morally corrupt, those two types of people are scholars and rulers.” It is an undeniable truth that a proper education…
While revealing the causes of the spiritual ruin of certain people in this worldly life, Allah singles out the trap of excessive love for houses in which many people fall, as one of such causes. People tend to adore unduly their houses making use of them either as the end of their flawed spiritual cravings……
Islamic housing is a blend of the belief system, teachings and values of Islam, on the one hand, and the prerequisites and influences of indigenous cultures, climates, topographies, building materials, talents, technologies and economies, on the other… It is divine. The latter, however, fluctuates and varies from one region to the other, and from…
Allah Almighty says: [And He is the One Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Each is swimming in its orbit.] Scientific discoveries have proved that we live in a huge universe that depends on rotational motion. Allah the Almighty says: [And He is the One Who created…
Islamic architecture is not concerned about the form of buildings only. Islamic architecture signifies a process where all the phases and aspects are equally important. It is almost impossible to identify a phase or an aspect in that process and consider it more important than the others. The Islamic architecture process starts…
Jihad, an Arabic word derived form the root “Jahad”, means to struggle- And struggle takes various forms: either spiritual, physical, or mental- Group or individual strugle. It can be struggle against one’s base desires, against enemies, against anger, or to fulfill one’s goals in life. The concept of Jihad has always been mistakenly defined as…
