Time to Reflect - Lock down in London

         The lock-down continues… March melted into April; and now, April is rolling into May. Every day is pretty much like the day before; if we’ve lived through one, we’ve lived through 30… save the moments of reflection, prayerfulness and enlightenment, alhamd; which make these days, worth the while.           The topic today was ‘Sadaqa’ – it being Ramadan and all. Although we are doing History, Tahera has a brief practical starter where she does some Amr and Nahi: timely reminders of how we can increase in our taqwa. Incidentally, I had been thinking a lot about   how I can give a bit of myself, fee sabeelillah too.   Especially, after having read in the Quran earlier that day an ayat that particularly touched me: Who is it that will lend Allah a good loan that He may multiply it for him several fold? (2:245) and I thought that is such a gentle and generous way of inviting people towards charity. He who is the Ma...

               The Muhajir in Medina had become economically weak having left their properties and business behind in Mecca. They were not farmers and found it difficult to adapt to life in Medina which was basically a farming community. They were dependent on their brothers in faith – the Ansar, for all their needs and this was not very easy. There was a sense of disquiet and impatience amongst them.                   To compensate this, the Prophet (pbuh) encouraged them to raid the Quraysh caravans that passed by Medina to reach Mecca. These raids were called ‘ghazua’ and were a common practice amongst the Arabs as a way of ensuring that wealth in the desert was more equitably distributed. As such, trading caravans were often challenged and if the merchants were not able to defend their properties the raiding parties helped themselves to the goods which were s...

The Beginning  In this blog I would like to chart the History of Islam with the history of the world as a back drop. An ambitious goal, and not a novel one, to be sure. Innumerable efforts have been made to achieve this, nevertheless, it is lock-down in London… and we are privileged to be having these lessons with Tahera… it would be shame not to record notes.                           Right, so…  although we started off with the Prophet's ancestors, exploring his linage, I am going to start my blog with the his (pbuh) birth, IA and refer back to his ancestors whenever the need arises.             It was the year 570 CE when Allah’s Mercy descended in the form of a holy little baby in the home of Hazrat Abdullah and Bibi Amina. Abdullah, however was destined never to see his son. ...

Life around us is literally falling apart and we have to keep our sanity. There is little time left and a lot to do...  Discussion time with Tahera.  Last week we spoke about Amr and Nahi - I have just been able to complete my notes.  The thing that makes Islam unique as a ‘deen’ is its multifaceted nature. It is individual – in that it allows every human to grow and evolve intellectually & spiritually on a personal level; at the same time, it is also collective and inclusive , because the potential to grow and evolve can materialize only on a social plane when we interact with others and practice and demonstrate the success of our intellectual and spiritual progress. Islam offers this opportunity for growth through the practice of the two wajib acts: Amr bil Maroof and Nahi anil Munkar – which simply mean: promote or invite people towards goodness and piety; and deter them from going towards that which is harmful or evil. And, in taking on this very im...