Do We Like Advice?


Do you like giving advice? Or being given advice? What is the role of advice in today’s human relationships? How do the new generation pedagogues see the parents or other elder family members giving advice to the younger ones? The fact that we get into an apologizing mode when we happen to be in a situation of giving advice or an ennui rushes when somebody starts to give us advice indicates that ...

When the Righteous Ones Are Gone
When the good ones among us are gone, the good on the Earth partly lessens.They say the human life is as short as the duration of a single prayer. The prayer for the adhan that is called upon our ears when we are born is performed upon our death. Our lives consist only the time between that adhan and the prayer. We do whatever we would do within that duration. The deceased have already passed this...

Lives Full of Entertainment
Well, what is wrong with having a good time, being entertained or joyful? Of course these are not wrong as long as the limits set by Allah are not transgressed. What is wrong is not to take a break in life, but to consider the whole life as a break. We live in an era where being entertaining and entertained is exalted. Just knowing the investments made in entertainment industry worldwide is enoug...

Call for Being Serenely Beautiful
Works concerning the appearance of our Prophet not only tell us the unique beauty of his physical appearance, but also narrate what an aesthetic life he has carried out, from the way he drank water to the elaboration of his use of mirror and comb. The elegance he manifested is a beauty that is unpretentious, unobtrusive and totally natural. It is a beauty that overflows from his choice of words, ...

After Ramadan
Sometimes we want to stop time and live some moments forever, but time, luckily, doesn’t listen. It passes as it always does. Time flows in the same speed for everyone everywhere, but depending on the situation we find ourselves in, one day may seem like an entire century, or like the blinking of an eye.

For me the moments that I wish wouldn’t end are the ones when fasting women, tired from suhoor...

The Refugee
Today I would like to briefly share Ms. Feyza Şahin’s reflections on Ramadan. She compares Ramadan to a safe haven in a world full of wars and herself to a refugee that would like to remain in the safe haven: “I waited for these days like a desperate refugee, waiting for the border to open. As I was suffering in the hunger and the thirst of my soul, I threw myself through the door that was opened...

The Three States of Ramadan
Ramadan, the beginning of which is mercy, the middle forgiveness, and the end release from Hellfire, is a lot like the prayer with its standing, the bowing down, and the prostration.

When Ramadan came we all rolled our sleeves and got ready for worship. Just like standing at the beginning of our prayer. Every believer did this in his/her own way. Just like how everybody has his/her own way of stan...

Ramadan Butterflies
One of our friends who has written a reflection about Ramadan upon our request is dear Ayşe Şebnem Yeşilkaya. She compares our Ramadan joy to the gaiety of butterflies in spring; our enthusiasm in charity to the flight of butterflies from flower to flower; our refining souls to the elegance of butterflies; and the transitory nature of this season of happiness to the short life of a butterfly:

“The...

Our Feelings in Ramadan
Today I am sharing sister Sare Çizmecioğlu’s reflections on Ramadan, with great gratitude to her for sharing her feelings with us.

“I saw the crescent in the sky of the dark blue night, in the red of the flag, on the top of the dome, above the Neretva.* I had a difficult time fasting through the long hours. The gates of divine help opened wide. The sun hid its heat, and the clouds wished the faste...

When the Devils Are Restrained
In a hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim our Prophet says: “Satan circulates in the body like blood. Make his passage narrow by means of hunger.”

In the words of al-Ghazali, lusts are grazing grounds for the devils. As long as there is something to be grazed on, Satan will be present. Fasting, through which one establishes a mastery over one’s most fundamental (and unmanageab...

Fasting as Told by Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır
Today I would like to cite a few quotations about fasting from Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır, a famous Turkish Quran commentator known for including subtle philosophical and psychological analyses in his tafseer. He firstly points out that the struggle against the lower self is possible only through fasting and states that no other means are as effective as fasting in calming the ambition that the human be...

Ramadan Mobilization
During the month of Ramadan we see a dramatic increase in all acts of worship. In these blessed days prayer, charity, and preoccupation with the Quran are at their highest for many of us. This fact is also manifest in the prophetic narrations that deal with the month of Ramadan.

When Ramadan came, a noticeable change would take place in our Prophet’s (s.a.w) spiritual life. His generosity would re...