Category: Spirituality

By: Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi 1. Most people most of the time do not intend to do bad things (crimes and sins, like lying, stealing, defrauding, raping, killing, backbiting, etc.). 2. Most people most of the time intend to do good things (or ‘neutral’ things, things whose good or bad value is not known). 3. The Shaytan would be wasting much of his energy if he expended it trying to persuade most of the people most of the time to switch from intending and doing good things to intending and doing bad things. And the Shaytan is not at all…

By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi I would remind my brothers and sisters in Islam – those who support me in some degree or agree with me in some ways, and those who disagree with me or oppose me or abuse me – that speech is action which has weight in the present and consequences thereafter. Therefore it is of the highest importance to be very disciplined in one’s speech. Just as you would not strike someone with your hand, so also you should not strike them with your tongue, neither to hurt nor to flatter. Allah says: “The hearing, and…

By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi The hungry one calls upon Allah to feed him but food does not fall from the sky. The unwed calls upon Allah to grant him a child but he does not get what he wants. The supplicator calls and calls upon Allah but his wishes do not come true and so he thinks that dua is the weakest of means and feeblest of ways. We have seen the disbelievers and polytheists mock dua. Doubt enters the hearts of those weak in faith and many Muslims do not resort to dua except out of habit and…

By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi The difficulties that Muslims are facing in our times belong to every aspect of life. Moreover, very often the loss of the political power, or strength of the opponents of Islam make many of us to loose any hope. This despair is not appropriate to the people who have the Qur’an, and who are entrusted to help others. We should remember the lives of those Prophets of reformers who worked normally in situations much worse than ours. Remember Ibrahim who was raised by a father who not only worshipped idols but he used to make…

By Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwī First, we must understand the meaning of the word, that is, look at its application in different contexts and situations. After that, we can reflect on what the virtue of it is. sabr is of two kinds, active and passive; and found in two forms, individual and collective. The fact that the Qur|~n, in commending sabr in different contexts and situations, uses the same word, tells us that there is a shared or general value, common to all contexts. Therefore, while differentiating the kinds and forms, we should also try to understandthat common, general value.…