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‘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

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The most succinct definition of taqwa is to guard oneself from the displeasure of Allah by guarding oneself from the disobedience of Allah. We must guard our eyes, ears, tongue, hands, feet and even our heart from any act, thought, …

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 …

‏In a ḥadīth, related by Abū Dawūd, Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم says “Beware of envy for envy consumes up good deeds just as fire consumes up and devours wood or dry grass.” On one hand we work hard …

We are so obsessed with physical health and fitness with no regard for our spiritual health, yet anything can happen. A poet says: Oh son of Adam Prepare for death Create provisions of Taqwa For indeed you do not know …

Fasting in Arabic originally means abstention, therefore we should not only abstain from food and drink but from anything that displeases Allāh سبحانه وتعالى. Thus the fast of speech will mean abstention from all foul, offensive and sinful speech which …

There is no concept of remaining stagnant in deen. We are either rising or falling, progressing or deteriorating, but we never remain at a constant level of spirituality and devotion. In order to remain afloat in water, we have to …

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qurān, الْأَخِلَّاء يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ The intimate friends on that Day will be hostile unto one another save the God-fearing. [Az-Zukhruf 43/67] This verse tells us that the best of …

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qurān, وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ Nor can good and evil be equal. Repel thou evil with that which is goodly …

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم in the Holy Qurān, فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ So let man look – from what is he created. [at Tariq 85/5] This verse reminds us that we should focus on …

Just as martial arts is physical training, tazkiyah is spiritual training. Martial arts instructors train and discipline their students in order that they may defend themselves. Tazkiyah under the guidance of a spiritual guide is training in order that we …

وَالْعَصْرِ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ By time Indeed man is in a great and constant state of loss [Surah al Asr 103:1-2] We learn from the Qur’an and hadeeth that man is in a constant state of spiritual decline. You …

Gratitude for a gift is not something that is expressed verbally, rather it is expressed in attitude and deed, i.e. it is appreciated and utilised it in a beneficial manner. We have the opportunity to learn, educate and reform ourselves, …

People never forget any wrong done to them by others and any good done to them is easily forgotten. However a believer should overlook any wrong done to him and engrave in his heart and mind any good done to …

The whole purpose of tazkiyah is to reform one’s fitrah (core character). A person may adopt a facade for a certain time, however when he is tested, his true fitrah emerges. On the path of spiritual purification, a person must …

Many of us wander at our lack of spiritual progress yet we fail to avoid the basic sins. For example, sins of the tongue such as swearing, backbiting, rumour mongering and slander. Silence is the hallmark of a believer and …