Asides
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Why is Salaat (five times obligatory prayer) so important for a Muslim?
In Surah Maryam Ayahs 58 & 59 Allah Subhanuhu wa Taala says that He selected prophets and messengers among the children of Adam and among the generations of Noah, Abraham and Israel and blessed them; and when these Apostles received the revelations of Allah they bowed down in prostration to Him and cried in submission…
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Complete Taraveeh ki Soghat PDF (Urdu)
The holy month of Ramadan is only two weeks away and millions of Muslims throughout the globe are preparing to benefit from Allah’s blessings in this month by bracing themselves to fast, recite the Holy Quran, give charity, pay the obligatory zakaat on wealth, establish Qiyam-ul-Lail (Taraveeh) at night hours and do good deeds. For…
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Reflections on Death and Journey to the Hereafter
The reality of death and questions relating to what happens after death have fascinated man in every era and generation from the Pharaohs who built impressive pyramids for themselves to live in the company of the gods to modern times when occurrence of death has multiplied manifold and the graveyards and cemeteries in our cities…
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Journey to the Holy Land
In this spiritual travelogue of the Muslim Holy Land, the author Mr Syed Basheerudin Zamani takes the reader into his personal experience of the journey performed by him to Egypt, the land of the ancient Pharaohs and Moses, and his visit to Harmain Sharifain, the two holiest sites in Islam. It is an interesting travel…
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Zalikal Kitab
By: Syed Basheeruddin-Zamani A review of the major Themes and Guidance contained in the Holy Quran in an easy to follow commentary in Urdu language. Originally published in Karachi, Pakistan, in hard copy in 1997 by Syed Basheeruddin-Zamani (RA). This blog is in 4 attachments in PDF format There is no restriction on the…
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Complete Book “Quraner Sogat” in Bangla (PDF)
Quraner Sogat2 By: Syed Basheeruddin-Zamani A review of the major Themes and Guidance contained in the Holy Quran in an easy to follow commentary in Bangla language. Originally translated from “Zalikal Kitab” published in Urdu in 1997 by Syed Basheeruddin-Zamani (RA). Full Text is attached as PDF above. Credits: Late Behrouze Isphanai for financing the…
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Reflections on Innovation in Deen (Bidaa)
Syed Sharfuddin 1. What is Bidaa? Bidaa is a thoughtless addition or removal of certain things of worship or actions from the authorised rituals of Islam, which may have good intention to start with but which have devastating impact on the Ummah in the long run. Bidaa includes everything which sounds and looks good but…
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The Significance of Hajj: A New Perspective
by Syed Sharfuddin Hajj is a pagan ritual which existed even before the advent of Islam in Arabia. The circumambulation of the Kaaba was done by the tribes of Arabia long before the birth of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, whose belief system comprised a plethora of superstitions and worships of multiple gods. Why…
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Does Islam have Enemies.
Syed Sharfuddin Disclaimer. This article is a reaction to a fake and anonymous chain letter which was received in March 2018 though second class UK post by several members of the public, including British Muslims which said “April 3 would be “Punish a Muslim Day,” and points would be awarded for acts of violence: 25…
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Does Privacy Matter? The Other View
Syed Sharfuddin (A phone rings in a room in a lighted building somewhere in a city in the middle of the night. The call is answered and a conversation follows). Caller: Hello! Is this Gordon’s Pizza? No sir, it’s Google’s Pizza. Caller: Did I dial the wrong number? No sir, Google bought the pizza company…
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Monday is not the New Friday
Syed Sharfuddin In a modern brass and glass multi-story shopping-mall, a group of Muslim tourists decided to perform the afternoon prayer in the lobby. A person who was sporting a beard and wearing the traditional turban was requested to lead the prayer. The congregation even found a small glass cubicle for the Imam to stand…
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The Charter of Madinah: Arabic Text and English Translation
(Photo Credit @The_MuslimTimes) Syed Sharfuddin The Charter of Madinah in two parts, the first part dealing with the rights and obligations of the Mohajirs and Ansaar of Madinah (Clauses 1-24) and the second part dealing with the rights and obligations of the Jews, their clients and friends, pagans, polytheists and other inhabitants of Madinah. The…
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Muslim Ummah and Minorities
Syed Sharfuddin (This essay developed out of a discourse on the nature of Muslim Ummah and the rights of minorities). Ummah أُمَّةً is an Arabic word which means community. But because of its Arabic origin it has acquired an association with the predominant faith of the people of Arabia. When someone uses the word Ummah,…
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Encounter with the Shaitan
Syed Sharfuddin A man woke up early in order to offer his morning prayer in the neighbourhood mosque. He got dressed, set on his way to Allah’s house. On his way to the mosque, the man accidentally set foot on a loose stone and fell down. His clothes got dirty. He got up, brushed himself…
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Five Qiblas
Syed Sharfuddin Imam Fakhr al Din Al-Raazi, in his commentary of Surah Fatiha in Tafseer Al-Kabeer identifies five components of a few things both known and unknown to the faithful. These are: the five pillars of Islam, five senses, five obligatory prayers, five key components of Surah Fatiha, five types of self and five stages…
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Description of Woman (as a singular noun) in the Quran
Syed Sharfuddin There are many words used in the holy Quran to describe women in different relationships and roles. These are both in singular nouns such as wife, woman and partner and in plural nouns such as aunts, sisters, mothers, daughters, married women, divorced women and women as close relatives and in general. الْمُسْلِمَاتِ و…
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The Power of Bismillah
Syed Sharfuddin Imam Razi writes in Tafseer Kabeer (Vol 1, page 173) that invocation of the name of Allah بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ is extremely powerful and effective when done with full conviction. He points out the two specific places where Bismillah (literally meaning ‘in the name of Allah’) is mentioned in the holy Quran…
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Moses and the Herb
Prophet Moses was born with stammer. But when on Mount Sinai he was commanded by Allah to go to the Pharaoh of his time and invite him to embrace Islam, Moses prayed to Allah to remove his stammer so that he could convey the divine message without any difficulty. Allah asked Moses to eat a…
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Rahman and Raheem
Syed Sharfuddin In his voluminous commentary on Surah Fateha in Tafseer al-Kabeer, also known as Mafatih-al-Ghayb (Arabic), Volume 1 (pages 235-236), Imam Muhammad Fakhr al-Din Razi explains the attributes of Allah, Rahman and Raheem through three parables. He says Rahman means Allah gives provisions in ways man cannot even imagine. Raheem means Allah gives provisions in ways…
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Nine Regrets
🔴 Syed Sharfuddin The Holy Quran describes certain regrets which people will express on the Day of Judgement when they will stand before their Lord in humility and admission of their transgressions. These regrets represent the essence of Islam in three elements: belief and obedience to one God, following in the footsteps of His apostle…
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Does Allah Guide or Misguide?
Syed Sharfuddin Yesterday I posted on WhatsApp a famous Arabic phrase which is repeated every week in Friday sermons and on other occasions. The post said: “Man yahdillahu fala mudhillalahu, wa man yudhlillahu fala hadiyalahu. Translation: “Whoever is guided by Allah cannot be led astray by anyone; and whoever is left astray by Allah, no…
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Strange are the Ways of God
By Syed Sharfuddin A Sheikh was commenting on the parable of Moses and Al-Khidr in Surah Kahf (Chapter 18 ‘the Cave’ in the Quran) which is well known to Muslims. He said the key lesson of this parable is that man cannot fathom the plan of Allah because it is beyond the reach of human…
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In_Sha_Allah, If Allah Wills
By Syed Sharfuddin In_Sha_Allah or if Allah wills is the most commonly used phrase in the daily Muslim discourse. In some Muslim communities it is spoken seriously with the intention of seeking Allah’s intervention in getting something done as is commanded in the holy Quran: “And never say anything such as indeed I will do…
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The Friday Sermon: Language, Style and Contents
By Syed Sharfuddin The Friday salat (prayer) is obligatory on all Muslims. There is a full surah (chapter) in the Holy Quran on the Friday prayer (Surah Jumma). However, in the Shia school there is difference of opinion whether Friday prayer is obligatory, especially if the call to prayer is made by a representative of…
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The Concept of Rizq in Islam
Syed Sharfuddin The next time when you see a live caterpillar, observe how fast and how continuously it devours fresh leaves much larger than its size. Also, the next time when you see a flying locust, observe how much destruction it causes to green crops far heavier than its weight. We human beings are also…
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Understanding Faith From Information Technology
Today IT has permeated our everyday life so much that it is hard to imagine how living would be like without using WiFi, VPN or LAN. In fact, this evolving technology will further progress to a stage in the future where artificial thinking will most likely overtake the individual free will. The human race will…
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Steadfastness and Faith
There are three verses in the holy Quran [41:30; 46:13; 72:16] where the word Istiqamu (for plural) has been used in relation to the character of the faithful follower of Islam. Its purport is to remind Muslims that accepting Islam as their faith is not a one-way ticket to attaining material advancement in life which…
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Destiny and Choice
Syed Sharfuddin The debate on the question of divine destiny and choice (Qada wa Qadr) also known as Jabar wa Qadr goes back to the period of the Ummayads and fascinates the student of Islamic history about the possibilities of philosophical interpretation in this area. The debate still goes on and I am not sure…
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Faith is like the Moon
Faith is like the moon. It changes shape, it is born, it rises and it sets. It has magnetic waves. It attracts and causes high tide. It guides caravans and ships at sea. It makes people fall in love, get romantic or become lunatic. Moon inspires and challenges man to think beyond earth. It is…
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Example of Life of the World
By Syed Sharfuddin The example of life of the world is like rain which Allah sends down from the sky that irrigates the earth and produces food which men and cattle enjoy until the earth is adorned with beautiful flowers, fruits and greenery everywhere. Closer to harvest time, when people think they have obtained the…
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The Winner
In the previous blog we discussed who is a loser in the context of Islam. Here we will discuss the concept of winner in Islam. Simply defined, winning is a measure of success in a field of endeavour one chooses to follow. People line up to win sports competitions, lotteries, elections, love and affection and…
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The Loser
The term loser is used to describe someone who has no worth in society, someone who has failed in every field, lost his investment, failed in life, ended up in a big mess and has nothing to stand on his own to make an honourable and safe living. This definition is taken so seriously by…
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Duas in the Holy Quran
Syed Sharfuddin In the name of Allah the most beneficent, the most merciful. In the holy Quran Duas are of three types – Duas that Allah’s messengers, angels and other pious men and women have made in their times and which are narrated in the holy Quran; Duas which Allah has taught to our prophet…
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Signs of Allah
By Syed Sharfuddin Allah’s status as the Creator of the universe and possessor of all knowledge and power that ever was or will be has hardly been disputed by human beings, except for a few who have even gone beyond Shaitan in denying the existence of God. What has been in dispute however, is Allah’s…
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A Commentary on Muslim Dua
by Syed Sharfuddin [Photo Courtesy Shariq Arif] A Commentary on Muslim Dua The Arabic word Dua is understood by Muslims in many ways. It means supplication; appealing for the mercy of the one and only Lord; calling Allah for help in time of distress; communicating with God secretly without any intermediary; making a prayer that…
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Safa and Marwa – Allah”s Symbols on Earth
The following text is reproduced from http://sunnah.com/bukhari/60/43 which copies the narration of Ibn `Abbas in Arabic and English translation taken from Sahih Al-Bukhari 3364, Book 60, Hadith 43. English Reference Sahih Bukhari, Vol IV, Book 55, Hadith 583. “The first lady to use a girdle was the mother of Ishmael. She used a girdle so…
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The Concept of Permanence in Islam
The concept of Khuld [permanence] and Adan [perpetuity] is central to human nature especially when there is total absence of hardship and discomfort in life. In reality, the good times never roll forever but human beings are always in search of peace and pleasure and are ready to pay any price they can afford to…
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Sustenance
O Son of Adam. Do not fear authority because no authority lasts forever. But the authority of your Lord is permanent. O Son of Adam. Do not be worried about your provision because resources are limited. But the treasures of your Lord are always full. O Son of Adam your Lord has created you for…
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Hizb Allah and Hizb Shaitan
Tonight on the eve of the festival of Eid, two groups returned to the world of matter and material. One group comprised people who left their homes ten nights ago to sit in Etekaf and remember Allah day and night within the four walls of their local mosques. The other group comprised shayateen who were…
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The House
In the holy Quran there is a description of three types of houses. The first is the House of Allah which was rebuilt by Prophet Abraham in Makkah and is the most sacred place in the universe for the Muslims. “Allah has appointed this sacred house, the Ka’bah, as a means of support for…
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The Straight Way
The words صراط المستقيم or Straight Way appear in the holy Quran 34 times including in the First Chapter Al-Fateha which is recited many times in prayers and is regarded as the equivalent of the Lords Prayer in Christian faith. The question arises what is the Straight Way which guarantees success and promises everlasting heaven…
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Instruments of Shaitan
Three things that assist Shaitan who is man’s declared enemy are: Self (nafs); Desire (hawa) and World (dunya). It is a lethal combination against living a good life and staying on the right path. Shaitan uses these instruments to tell man (insaan) to go to hell in such a way he looks forward to…
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Pure Food: Milk and Honey
سوره النحل القران وَإِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ لَعِبۡرَةٗۖ نُّسۡقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِي بُطُونِهِۦ مِنۢ بَيۡنِ فَرۡثٖ وَدَمٖ لَّبَنًا خَالِصٗا سَآئِغٗا لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ. ٦٦. .وَمِن ثَمَرَٰتِ ٱلنَّخِيلِ وَٱلۡأَعۡنَٰبِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنۡهُ سَكَرٗا وَرِزۡقًا حَسَنًاۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَعۡقِلُونَ. ٦٧..وَأَوۡحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحۡلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِي مِنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ بُيُوتٗا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعۡرِشُونَ. ٦٨..ثُمَّ كُلِي مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ فَٱسۡلُكِي…
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What is Man
In the holy Quran, Allah Subhanuhu wa Taala has stated that He created man out of the extract of clay (23:12) but he created him with so many defects that without divine guidance and help from his Creator man cannot return to the Garden of Eden from where he was expelled because of…
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Ramadan and Muslim Charities
For Muslim charities this is the season of fundraising in the UK. Muslims usually pay zakat in the holy month of Ramadan and also exceed in acts of charity such as feeding the hungry, sponsoring orphans, supporting the destitute and collecting funds for refugees, widows and the elderly, as well as for natural disasters…