Our essential characteristics are not defined by the things we have no control over, but rather the things which we do. Devoid of all worldly distractions, each mature person of sound mind living on this vast planet will readily acknowledge that the land in which we are born, the colour of our skin, the people we originate from or are attributed to, are areas that are not within
Question What is the ‘Ṣalātul-wusṭa’ – the ‘middle’ prayer that is mentioned in the Qur’ān? Answer The ‘Ṣalātul-wusṭa’ that is mentioned in the Qur’ānic verse, is the middle prayer or mid-afternoon prayer, ‘aṣr. While it has long been acknowledged that there are alternative views reported that it may relate to other designated prayers, the weight of evidence in totality supports the view that it is the ‘aṣr. Reasoning The
Following the resounding defeat of the Labour Party in the recent general election of Dec-2019, bitter recriminations from the fallout continue to reverberate. Party activists that staked enormous political capital in the hope that the Labour Party would oust the incumbent Conservative and Unionist Party from power are now engaged in a series of bitter recriminations, not least over the selection of the new leader. Factions within the party,
Question Many popular Muslim speakers are quoting this ḥadith: “Two voices are cursed in this world and the hereafter; Music at the time of happiness and wailing at the time of calamity.” Is it correct? Answer It is correct to note that some Muslim speakers are citing this tradition at present. On occasion, the word ‘singing’ is sometimes adjoined to, or placed instead of the word music in the translation.
Question: Are we required to have a niyyah (intention) when performing the wuḍu (ablution)? Answer: i. Ṣalāh (prayer) is an integral part of Islam. Its prerequisite is the required level of purity. Most books and manuals of fiqh (jurisprudence) tend to place this subject of Ṭahāra (purification) at the beginning, given its importance. ii. Writing in Bidāyatul Mujtahid (Vol. 1, Kitāb aṭ-Ṭahāra) Ibn Rushd states: ‘Wuḍu (ablution) becomes obligatory when
