We have been looking at the way the reasons of revelation can aid us in developing a sound understanding of the Qur’an. Here we look at this issue with much more depth. Imam ash-Shatibi radi allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him) states in al-Muwafaqat: “Knowledge of the reasons of...
Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) tells us in the Qur’an: “Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and...
By Nabeelah Naeen Eight days after the December 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, 11-year-old Fatimah was rescued from the rubble. Holding a soda can in her hand she asked, “Am I allowed to drink this? It is not mine.” “What really moved me is the level of consciousness that the young girl had,”...
Think back to the last time you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror when you were stressed. Did you look approachable? What message did you send to others around you with your distressed facial expressions? What type of reaction did your family or co-workers have when they...
Istiqaamah is often translated to mean ‘uprightness, steadfastness and correctness.’ It comes from the root word قام (qaama) meaning ‘to rise’ or ‘to stand upright’ and from this we derive words like مستقيم (mustaqeem) as in ‘Siraat al-Mustaqeem’ (Straight Path). For the...
