Al Kawthar Academy | 'The Abundance of Good' We aim to preserve and promote the pure message and sublime values of Islam.
Content Soul
A collection of words of wisdom and excerpts from the spiritual gatherings of Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq
June, 2016
May, 2016
April, 2016
-
21 April
A Beautiful Garden
The heart should be thought of as a garden. To make a beautiful garden, one of the first thing you have to do is clean out the garden – remove all the nettles, brambles, weeds, clean and prepare the soil. You have to then maintain the weeding to prevent them from overgrowing. To cultivate a good heart and grow the …
March, 2016
February, 2016
December, 2015
-
31 December
Stopping at a Critical Time
We focus a lot on children’s tarbiyah at a young age but then stop at a critical time during their teenage years. We never focus on the tarbiyah of adults. Rasul ﷺ did tarbiyah on the sahabah. Who will do our tarbiyah? We are in need of nurturing and cultivation. We are need of someone to help us to develop …
-
17 December
Value of the Teacher
‘Those who don’t have a teacher appreciate the value of a teacher.’ (Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq)
-
10 December
Heart to Heart
Knowledge in Islām is not just from mouth to ear or from books, but knowledge in Islām is predominantly from heart to heart.’ (Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq)
-
7 December
A Mechanical Performance
A routine, mechanical performance of salah in reality is not sufficient although it may fulfil the obligation. We also need to consider social etiquettes, and fulfilling the rights of the creation as well as the creator. We can get obsessed with halal and haram but we forget about the essence of worship, the core spirituality. [This short excerpt is based …
-
7 December
Ihsaan
In the famous hadeeth of Jibril عليه السلام narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Huraira رضى الله عنه (Hadeeth 47, Abridged Saheeh al-Bukhari), Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.says ‘Ihsaan is that you worship Allah as though you see Him. Then, if you do not see Him then indeed He sees you’. This sentence of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. can be understood …
-
7 December
Nafsun Mutma’innah
We are not humans because of the physical body but rather due to the soul. We need to focus on the soul on its entire journey from its origin till the final destination that Allah has designated it. By focussing on the soul and fulfilling its requirements, Allah will make us amongst those who are successful as they have purified …
-
3 December
Polluted Faith
‘There are many who purify their clothes yet pollute their faith!’ – The companion Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (رضى الله عنه). — Tweet by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq @sh_riyadhulhaq November 3 2015
July, 2015
-
2 July
Ramadan Reflections 2
1. If, even in the blessed and sanitised atmosphere of Ramadan, we do not reform our character and conduct then we must ask ourselves: ‘When?’ 2. Fasting in Ramadan with constant awareness and mindfulness is the easiest and most effective course for anger management and self discipline. 3. Ramadan was the chosen month of divine revelation, and it remains a …
June, 2015
-
25 June
Ramadan Reflections 1
1. Fasting curbs our animalistic indulgence and carnality, and enables us to break free of the shackles of bestiality and soar to spirituality. 2. The Islamic purpose of fasting is to create taqwa: the soul’s own immune system, which develops resistance to spiritual diseases and sin. 3. Fasting curbs the cravings of the lower self, for when the body is …
May, 2015
-
21 May
Am I responsible?
Imam Nasa’i and others relates a ḥadīth where it is mentioned that Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم led Fajr salah. He was reciting the Holy Qur’an and experienced some difficulties in the recitation. After salah he turned to the congregation and said to ‘Oh people! Make good your wudhu. Some of you do not complete your wudhu and because of that …
February, 2015
January, 2015
-
22 January
Brief Sojourn on Earth
Some deny the existence of the spirit but Islam tells us that it is really only the spirit that lives in man and makes us who we are. The spirit is more important than our mind or body. We are not our body or mind rather the spirit as it is our spirit that existed before we came into this …
-
8 January
A Deadly Disease
Arrogance is such a severe disease of the heart because an arrogant person is not merely objecting to Allah’s division and distribution in His creation, as with envy, but is actually challenging Allāh in His greatness. We learn from the ḥadīth that greatness, grandness and pride are the garments of Allāh سبحانه وتعالى and whoever wishes to claim them is …