Maulana Muhammad Ghufran Nadwi (administrator of Majlis Tahqiqat wa Nashriyat Islam, Nadwat al-‘Ulama’, Lucknow) is a man of broad reading, deep insight, and refined character. He is also generous in manner and cheerful in disposition. Once, he shared an incident: during the summer, as he was walking along the road outside Nadwah, he saw a… Continue reading Social Realities
Excessiveness in Joking
They said: What do you say about joking? I said: It is among the recommended acts—indeed, part of the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ—when it is truthful, pleasant, light-hearted, and refined. Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه who said: They said, “O Messenger of Allah, you joke with us!” He ﷺ said: “I… Continue reading Excessiveness in Joking
Who Are You?
You claim that at your mere signal, lights are extinguished, lanterns go out, stars disappear, the moon enters eclipse, the sun sets, darkness spreads across the world, and an era of gloom begins. But had you lit a lamp, kindled a flame, protected it from the winds, wiped away the stains of night from the… Continue reading Who Are You?
The Passing of Shaykh Muhammad Sultan Dhawq al-Nadwi
Tonight (Friday night, the 5th of Dhul Qa’dah 1446 AH), I was deeply grieved to receive the news of the passing of the firm scholar, exceptional man of letters, and Islamic researcher, Shaykh al-‘Allāmah Muhammad Sultan Dhawq al-Nadwi. Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return. He was a foundational pillar… Continue reading The Passing of Shaykh Muhammad Sultan Dhawq al-Nadwi
Lament by Shibli on the Collapse of the Islamic States
When the nations of Europe ignited the flames of the Balkan War in 1912, the entire Indian subcontinent was shaken. Eyes wept blood, the scholars mourned and lamented, and the elders wailed and sobbed. At this, the great scholar Allama Shibli Nu‘mani (d. 1914) composed a powerful poem in Urdu that stirred the hearts of… Continue reading Lament by Shibli on the Collapse of the Islamic States
Learning Etiquette with Allah from the Example of Ayyub (peace be upon him)
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ When a person raises his hands towards the heavens, he is not performing a passing gesture; rather, he is engaging in the most intimate expression of servitude, proclaiming his neediness and humility before his Master, and placing his hopes in the One who holds the dominion of all things. Yet this… Continue reading Learning Etiquette with Allah from the Example of Ayyub (peace be upon him)
A Verse That Always Moves Me
There is a verse in the Book of Allah that never fails to move me. It penetrates deep into my being and flows through me like fire racing through dry grass. My limbs tremble at its mention, and the hardness of my soul softens. Every time I recite it, hear it, or it crosses my… Continue reading A Verse That Always Moves Me
The Natural Disposition upon Which Allah Created Mankind
Last night (Saturday night, the 7th of Shawwal 1446 AH), my daughter Fatimah and her husband, Dr Imran, were blessed with the birth of a daughter at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. At the time, I was in the town of Reading with my daughter Aisha, teaching Qur’anic tafsir to a group of men… Continue reading The Natural Disposition upon Which Allah Created Mankind
Between the Intellect and the Heart
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ I have previously published several articles explaining the concept of innate disposition (fiṭrah), the sources of knowledge, and the functions of the intellect. These are all interlinked and coherent, and a proper understanding of this new article depends on reviewing them. Therefore, no one should be hasty in judging this piece… Continue reading Between the Intellect and the Heart
I am a Coward and an Ally of the Arabs
It has reached me that one Arab said to his brother: “If you do not ride your horse boldly through the encampments, and your wounds do not drip blood upon your chest and your feet, you are not of me.” Another said: “He who is a coward is not from our tribe.” I have seen… Continue reading I am a Coward and an Ally of the Arabs