Do not boast of yourself, your lineage, your teachers, or your affiliations. Do not let reverence become blind partisanship, nor belonging turn into pride. Such claims to greatness are only mirages, bright on the surface, hollow within. Pride is a dark shadow: it dims the heart, hardens it, and leaves a person empty and undone.… Continue reading Reminder: Magnify your Lord
Reminder: Think well of fellow Muslims
Cherish a good opinion of your Muslim brother, for the bond of Islam is the firmest of ties, the noblest of lineages, and the most enduring of affections. A Muslim is a brother to every Muslim, irrespective of colour, race, ancestry, or creed. One faith unites them, the declaration of Tawhid enfolds them, and a… Continue reading Reminder: Think well of fellow Muslims
The Arrival of God’s Guest
*A Community in Waiting* The people of faith stand upon the heights of their homes and mosques. Even if their feet cannot reach the mountain peaks, the flight of their yearning is no less than the loftiest summit. They stand at the zenith of their aspirations, eyes fixed upon the vastness of the sky, hearts… Continue reading The Arrival of God’s Guest
Living Ramadan well
Students often ask how Ramadan may be inhabited so as to produce lasting transformation rather than a fleeting intensification of religious sentiment. This question is not merely devotional; it is philosophical. Ramadan is not a sacred interval inserted into an otherwise uninterrupted life, but a concentrated pedagogy of the self. Its practices are instruments designed… Continue reading Living Ramadan well
The Quran: A Living Dialogue of the Contemporary Age
The Quran: Historical Text or Living Address? Regarding the understanding and interpretation of the Holy Quran, the most fundamental question is whether this book is merely a historical text—its relevance confined to the era of its revelation—or whether it is a living address that speaks directly to every subsequent reader, just as it did to… Continue reading The Quran: A Living Dialogue of the Contemporary Age
Are you God?
A chance meeting A venerable shaykh had taken residence in a quiet corner of the city, renting a modest apartment after journeying from the environs of Multan. Cloaked in simplicity, pure of heart, discerning of mind, and composed in presence, he bore upon his face the traces of serenity and profound reflection. Every greeting began… Continue reading Are you God?
The Speaker’s habit as a principle for understanding the Qur’an
The interpretation of the Qur’an is inseparable from the question of language, and language is inseparable from the one who speaks it. Words do not exist as free-floating containers of meaning to be filled at the discretion of the reader. They are bound to meanings through intention, convention, and the recurring habits of a speaker… Continue reading The Speaker’s habit as a principle for understanding the Qur’an
Probability and the irreducibility of existence: an existential critique
The theory of probability provides a rigorous framework for understanding uncertainty, regularity, and expectation within the natural and social sciences. By assigning likelihoods to classes of repeatable events, it enables prediction and rational decision-making under conditions of incomplete information. Yet, despite its undeniable utility, probability theory encounters a decisive philosophical limit when confronted with the… Continue reading Probability and the irreducibility of existence: an existential critique
Unity before method: moonsighting and collective responsibility
The determination of the beginning and end of Ramadan represents one of the most prominent expressions of collective religious life in Islam. These moments are intended to unite Muslims in shared worship, discipline, and spiritual renewal. Yet in many contemporary contexts, particularly within Muslim minority societies, the issue of moonsighting has become a persistent source… Continue reading Unity before method: moonsighting and collective responsibility
Qiyām al-Layl and Tarāwīḥ
The Question A friend of Professor Muhammad Arshad has raised the following questions: • What is the difference between Qiyām al-Layl and the Tarāwīḥ prayer? • Is it better to perform Tarāwīḥ at home or in the mosque with congregation? • Are the number of rakʿāt in Tarāwīḥ fixed, or is there flexibility? • As… Continue reading Qiyām al-Layl and Tarāwīḥ