The Night of Salvation: Bara'a

Bara’a connotes the lack of relation between two things; a person becoming freed from an obligation or not having an obligation. It is understood that Allah clears his servants [slate] who face him on this night and ask for forgiveness.The Night of Bara’a (Salvation or record) holds an important place among nights which are considered sacred. The hadith belonging to Prophet Muhammad (p...

The Day of Ashura and Its Historical Dimensions

The principal events that are thought to have taken place on the day of Ashura are; The repentance of Prophet Adam was accepted on this day; Prophet Noah's ark settled on Mt. Judi and the believers were saved; for this reason a fast of thanksgiving was held; Prophet Moses and the Israelites were saved from the oppression of the Pharaoh on this day. In addition to this, there are those who are of...

The Qur'an

“This Qur’an does indeed show the straightest way. It gives the faithful who do right the good news that they will have a great reward.” (17:9) The Qur’an, which we are required to believe in and whose rulings we are expected to abide by, has declared and circumscribed the purpose of life. The Qur’an has classified the purpose of life according to people’s understandings. Just as one must read a ...

To Live a Simple Life under the Contemporary Conditions

Question: The sources tell us that our Prophet led a very simple life. How would he have lived under the contemporary conditions? Answer (Meral Günel - Theologian): If the Holy Prophet (pbuh)’s life style and means of livelihood – during his entire life – are examined comparatively, the conditions of his day and the insufficiency of his financial conditions are not enough to explain his life stri...

The Manner of Greeting and Shaking Hands According to the Sunna

According to the Prophet's Sunnah, greetings are given by saying "As Salamu Alaikum"; the reply to this greeting is "Wa Alaikum Salam" and when the words "Wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu" are added to the greeting, the reward is increased. In Surah Nisa of the Qur'ân, Allah Almighty commands His servants to greet each other, and to spread greetings across the face of the earth. "When yo...

The First "Lady Photographer" in the Arab World: The Palestinian

Photography was introduced to Palestine in the nineteenth century first by the British, and then the Germans, with finally the Americans arriving on the scene; all were searching for evidence about biblical subjects and connections. Palestine has always had a special place within the Arab world for the importance it gives to the pioneering work and education of women. The fact that the first Arab...

Women in Muslim Civilization

Muhammad Akram Nadwi, who published a forty-volume biographical dictionary of women muhaddithat (scholars of hadith) gave a speech about the role of women in Islamic civilization in Istanbul on March 13, Saturday. Nadwi is a scholar of hadith and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and is currently a research fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. He has published over twenty-five books in the ...