Hunger
Thankfully, the kind of hunger that springs from sheer helplessness has reached us mostly through the war and famine stories of our elders, or through the pages of novels. Meanwhile, the deprivation unfolding in parts of Africa — almost at our doorstep — and farther away in the Far East and South America scarcely troubles the rest of the world; it passes before our eyes like scenes staged on a fil...

Moving Lips, Rustling Pages
One of the indispensable practices of Ramadan is the muqābalah — a revival of the Sunnah of our Prophet (pbuh) and Jibrīl, who would review the Qur’an together every Ramadan. Copies of the Muṣḥaf, which might not otherwise be carried openly, are tucked under arms; with taqiyah  and prayer garments, people hurry to the mosques where the muqābalah is recited. Ramadan adorns its nights with pray...

Ramadan: An Opportunity
If a person were to resolve each Ramadan to rid themselves of one bad trait and acquire one good quality, where might they be in five or ten years? Thirty days is not a short period for such focus and effort. To witness that one can exercise self-restraint — that one can act not under the pressure of emotions but in accordance with the principles of faith — is a tremendous gain on the path of spir...

The Miraculous Meal of the Night
Ramadan is the time when, as a servant of Allah, I feel my faith and reverence for Him most deeply. Fasting is a way of showing devotion to Allah.  It doesn't need to be shown in a way that everyone can see; its sincerity is known only to Allah. Yet beyond that, despite the weakness of long Ramadan days and the fatigue of tarawih prayers that stretch late into the night, getting up at an unus...

Iftar in Haramayn (Two Sacred Sanctuaries)
We are always chasing after worldly things, but every year, Ramadan gives us a chance to reflect and refocus. When it arrives, we experience the three essential disciplines on the path to becoming a complete believer: Eating less, sleeping less, and speaking less. We only experience these for a month, though. This is why we are told that a person's faith will deepen after Ramadan.

Ramadan is a mer...

Closed for Renovation
Our soul is like the vessel from which we earn our eternal provision. We flourish in proportion to our soul’s longing, and Paradise is prepared for us in proportion to the beauty of our devotion. For this reason, the maintenance of the soul must never be neglected. Whenever needed, every corner should be carefully cleaned, repaired, and furnished. But when? Worldly responsibilities never come to a...

Barakah of Ramadan
When we talk about the barakah of Ramadan, the first thing that comes to mind is the overflowing refrigerator, as the snacks between meals have ended and the meals have been reduced to two. It is a competition among people to help each other and to provide iftar to as many people as possible. It is the increase in the circulation of food aid, zakat, alms in society, and much more.

For me, the bles...

Will Our Children Love Ramadan?
As Ramadan begins, our friends with children express concerns about how to raise awareness among them and foster a love for Ramadan. They seek advice from us in this matter. Although we attempted to convey something vaguely, we couldn't find an answer that resonated with us. I've been pondering this issue for a few days now.

What is Ramadan? It entails strict control over eating and drinking, mana...

Fasting as a Celebration
In accordance with the command of Allah and the Hadith Jibreel, which is a widely transmitted narration from our Prophet (pbuh), we understand the significance of fasting as one of the five pillars of Islam. We are also aware of its value in the eyes of Allah. However, some of us harbor an unnamed distress and are hesitant to express it, both during the day while awaiting iftar and as Ramadan appr...

Extraordinary Circumstances Require Extraordinary Morals
We all focus on health due to the circumstances we experience in this process. Protection measures as well as to-do-lists before, during and after the illness are everywhere. However, in this article we approach the matter from a different perspective.

Before expressing our viewpoint, we need to remember our stance in line with tawheed(unified) and answer two questions accordingly. Our first ...

The Prophetic Pace: in Between Running and Running Late
In the present day and age, which is characterised as one in which the slow fish is eaten by the big fish, the state of those who figuratively carry five or ten watermelons under their arm, and cannot spare time for their children and parents are on the one hand seen as hardworking and held in high esteem for this reason and on the other are regarded by those who study humans and societies as peop...

Religion Is Tough for Whom?
How the man has challenged the nature throughout history and struggled to subjugate it, he also manipulated the revelation; he twisted it, distorted it and tried to make it fit into his liking. Except for the final revelation.

Mountains, seas, forests, deserts are all there regardless of whether we like them or not. You may choose not to go see them or live near them, but you cannot change the fac...