The Understanding of Prophethood in Judaism

The institution of prophethood is seen in religions regardless of time or place, and in different cultures. This institution’s function is to effect communication between God and people. In the Jewish tradition as well, the institution of prophethood is amongst the basic institutions. This work addresses not the prophetic tradition in Judaism, but its conceptualization of prophethood in the abs...

The Qur'an from the Mouth of its First Addressee

  Fourteen hundred years have passed since what is believed to have been the last link on the chain of divine revelation, the Holy Qur’an, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This also marks the time when our beloved Prophet assumed the responsibility of this significant role. Many verses in the Qur’an introduce and explain its very own qualities. (See 1:103; 10:57; 17:9; 37:77; 56:77-80...

Fasting Six Days in Shawwal

Abu Ayub al-Ansari relates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said, "Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawwal is as though he has fasted the entire year" [Reported by Muslim in his Sahih; Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah; Ahmad transmitted it from Jabir, Muntaqa]. According to the opinion of many scholars, it i...

Staying Vigorous With the Qur'an

How frequently does a Muslim read the Qur'an? How did the Companions do it, how do we go about this and is there an average measure to go buy? What is the status of our texts and transliterations readings that are read from one Ramadan to the next? A person who does not adorn their average days with worship and dhikr, how will they, spend important days and times, in remembrance of what? During ...

Merits of Shaban

The scholars say that the linguistic root of the word Sha`ban is a branch, because the month of Sha`ban “branches off” and leads on to many good things. It acts as a bridge between the two blessed months of Rajab and Ramadan. In spite of this, it is often neglected. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) alerted us to this fact when he was asked why he was fasting so much...

Shaykh Abdulqadir al-Jilani on the Month of Shaban

On the Special Merit of the Month of Sha’ban ‘A’isha, the wife of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace, and may He be well pleased with her), is reported as having said: Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to fast until we would say he was never going to stop fasting, and he would go so long without fasting that we would say he was never going to fast, but I nev...

Night of Ascension: The Basics

Lailat al Miraj, or the Night of Ascension, is a Muslim holiday that commemorates the Prophet Muhammad's nighttime journey from Mecca to the 'Farthest Mosque' in Jerusalem where he ascended to heaven, was purified, and given the instruction for Muslims to pray five times daily. This is also the anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad's ascension to heaven; he was taken from Mecca, in his time of dee...

Bless Us in Rajab and Shaba'an...

O Allah! Make the months of Rajab and Sha'ban blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan - Hadith Sahih, a prayer repeated by millions of Muslims over the past week

We pray that all of our readers have  blessed Rajab and Shaba’an, and with health and faith reach the blessed month of Ramadan. Tonight in Turkey will be celebrated as ‘Recep kandil’ or the first Thursday night in the m...

What the Emigration Demands of Us

Starting from a narrow family-tribal environment Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) underwent 13 years of hardship and torment in Meccan society; with the immigration (Hijra) to Medina, a new stage began. This stage, if one takes into consideration the time that it took all religions to spread, is the starting point of one of the fastest religious developments in recorded history. In this sense, when one s...

Review: The Life of Muhammad, Episode 1

The significance of BBC Two’s recent broadcast of the first episode of the documentary, the Life of Muhammad, who the BBC describes as “a man who - for the billion and half Muslims across the globe - is the messenger and final prophet of God” is palpable. Rageh Omaar, journalist and Al-Jazeera’s Middle-East correspondent, narrates the life of the man who “changed the course of world history”, be...

New take? Or more of the same?

The BBC is surely to be commended for their pioneering step in taking the life of the Prophet Muhammad to a wider audience. Making his life more accessible to a western viewership with such a pronounced paucity of knowledge about the personality at the center of the faith system of one-fifth of the world’s population, the significance of the Life of Muhammad documentary cannot go unnoticed. What ...

The Finale: The Life of Muhammad, Episode 3

The third and final installment of the Life of Muhammad documentary aired on BBC Two recently presented the latter stages of the Prophet Muhammad’s life and explored the extent to which his life and actions are reflected in today’s world. While the episode clearly addresses several key issues deemed to be the most controversial aspects of his life, it does not fall into the conventional trap of e...