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Written by Sakina bint Erik Marx
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Thursday, 03 November 2011 11:08 |
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 It is one of our greatest tests as new Muslims; one that strikes at the very core of our beings, something that hits deep inside, forcing us to push back against our deepest desires and the traditions of our childhood. If you are reading this thinking that I am going to mention shirk (associating partners with Allah) or modesty, this is not the case. I am referring to the struggle with food and drink choices one faces as a convert to Islam.
Recognising and embracing the fact that Allah is One and has no partners is instinctual and is something that resonates internally in our hearts and minds. Following Islamic rulings on what is halal (permissible) and haram (impermissible), particularly when it comes to food, is a much greater challenge. It is something that we learn to do, over time and in varying degrees.
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Written by Maha Ansari
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Thursday, 25 August 2011 11:57 |
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 Ramadan. A period of sacrifice, endurance, and spirituality. A month of abstinence from all that is forbidden, and engagement in all that is in accordance with His will. A momentous period of spiritual training from which the devoted follower emerges as a transformed individual, with a character chiselled to perfection. Upon serious contemplation, can we truly state that we have lived this month to its fullest potential? Have the passing fasts of this holy period clarified our vision of righteousness, or have they merely amplified our excitement at the prospect of the boisterous celebrations that are to follow?
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Written by Riad Saloojee
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Monday, 20 June 2011 15:46 |
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 Happiness is defined, sought and experienced by people according to the state of their nafs (lower selves). True happiness is the happiness of the righteous, those who are correct in their beliefs and conduct, and, with the permission of Allah, Exalted be He, are able to correct and rectify others.
We must learn about and aspire to experience the unsurpassable happiness of the righteous. One of the righteous predecessors (salaf) stated: “If the kings or sons of kings knew the joy that we rejoiced in, they would fight us for it with their sword.”
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Written by Linda Belanger
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Friday, 13 May 2011 18:40 |
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A number of my Arab friends have expressed disappointment at the lack of involvement of the Palestinian, Arabs and Muslim community in standing up for Palestinian rights and generally defending their own interests in Canada. I’ve often excused them saying that other Canadians for the most part suffer from the same disease and that perhaps Arabs/Muslims and Palestinians in Canada have good reason to fear being active in the post 9/11 world, especially since the election of the Harper regime in 2006.
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Written by Riad Saloojee
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Friday, 13 May 2011 17:43 |
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When asked about the goal of life, who would not exclaim: happiness! But what is happiness?
The 14th century philosopher Ibn Khaldun, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Happiness is the attainment of pleasure and delight by the acquisition of that which every ghareezah (sense, natural inclination) longs for and desires in accord with its own nature.”
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