Articles & Blog
Writings on jurisprudence, thought, and da'wah
461 articles — page 12 of 20
461 articles — page 12 of 20
Wisdoms & Insights
155 articlesQur'anic, educational reflections carrying the verse to the heart.
Mutual Mercy: Believers as One Body
Why the Prophet ﷺ likened the believers to one body, why we imitate Allah's mercy, and how humility toward one another begins at home, in marriage.
‹What Would Allah Do with Your Punishment If You Are Grateful and Believe?›: What Befalls the Believers Is Discipline, Not Vengeance
On His words, Exalted is He, "What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe?": what befalls the people of faith is discipline, not vengeance, like a father's disciplining of his child. Whoever deals with Allah as a disciplined worshipper, Allah treats him with care and mercy.
The Call to Eat of the Good Things
The call in al-Baqarah to eat of the good things and give thanks to God, the lawful and the forbidden, the footsteps of Satan, and the hadith on praising God after a meal; the transcript is short and garbled.
Security, Health and Daily Bread: Possessing the Whole World
A pause at the hadith "Whoever among you wakes up secure in his home, healthy in his body, with his day's food": how one with modest sustenance owns the world through the heart's appraisal, and the meaning of the order of security, then well-being, then sustenance.
‹Seek Help through Patience and Prayer›: Do Not Imagine You Are the Only Victim
A pause at His words, Exalted is He, "Seek help through patience and prayer": the norm in life is hardship, some calamities are merely imagined, and every person has his own trial. The glad tidings are for the patient, not for those who accumulate, and the reward is according to patience, not according to what is gained.
Entrusting Oneself and One's Family to Allah's Protection
When Allah is entrusted with something, He preserves it; so how do we properly entrust ourselves and our families into Allah's hands? The difference between the covenant of protection and personal responsibility, and what respect for the status of the trust requires, namely abandoning lying, cheating, and deceit.
The power of Eman between formation and continuity
Every person has some kind of power, but only faith sets it moving. After Ramadan filled the masjid, the khutbah asks how īmān can be sustained, and what the five prayers, the Qurʾān and the night prayer do for it.
Fajr Khatira
A khatira on holding fast to the rope of Allah and the verses forbidding division from Al Imran and al-Rum, on the unity of hearts and of forms, and on rejecting sectarian fanaticism. It ends with a supplication for the unity of ranks.
Ramadan and the Eternal Battles
At the midpoint of Ramadan the khutbah asks what has changed in us, retells the story of Ṭufayl al-Dawsī, and describes the lasting battles against desire, the self and the surroundings.
Those Left Behind and the Means to Act
Dawn khatira: those left behind and the means of action
Everything Has a Price, and the Failure Is the One Who Pays It in the Wrong Place
Dr. Abou Seif starts from the question: in what did the Children of Israel spend their lifetimes? He contrasts the productive lives of the prophets with those who spread corruption. He then affirms that everything sought has a price, that Paradise is a precious commodity whose price is a lifetime, and that loss lies in spending one's life in the wrong place.
Spending in Charity Is a Sense of Responsibility
Dr. Abou Seif reflects on a verse from the end of Surat al-Munafiqun and widens the meaning of spending to include every form of giving: a phone call, expending time, and caring for family. He shows that a sense of responsibility toward people is what protects its holder from regret at the moment of death.
Sūrat al-Jāthiya: Forgive Those Who Have Harmed You
Al-Jathiya: "Tell those who believe to forgive": whoever asks Allah for pardon should pardon, and the one who harms does not hope for the days of Allah.
Allah's Expansion and Restriction of Provision
Dr. Abou Seif pauses at the verse of al-Shura, "And if Allah were to extend provision to His servants, they would rebel in the earth," explaining why the word "rebellion" and the word "servants" were chosen, and that the decree takes into account the recipient, not the amount given. It ends with a call to contentment and gratitude in both expansion and constriction.
The Principle of Clarity of Vision
A dawn khatira on the principle of clarity of vision drawn from a verse in Fussilat, and its effect on intention, relationships, raising children, and organizing the day.
Between the Sabīl and the Ṭarīq
A Qur'anic khatira on the difference between "sabil" and "tariq" and what it indicates about one who hesitates to walk with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then a call to adhere to his sunna in all circumstances.
The Late Response
A delayed response, as in Pharaoh's embrace of Islam, stories from real life, and the necessity of using reason before acting. And the wisdom of considering the consequences of a stance fifteen years later.
Allah Has Purchased from the Believers
The effect of Allah's purchase from the believers and the terms of the deal in the verse of al-Tawba: repentance, worship, travel, and keeping the limits. A contemplative pause at "Indeed, Allah has purchased," and the meaning of repentance even for the pious.
Bonds Between People: Faith and Hypocrisy
The allegiance of believers is a relationship of hearts bound by Allah, unlike the hypocrites, then a pause at "he pledged to Allah" and the difference between giving (i'ta') and bestowing (ita'). A counsel to tie all relationships to Allah because hearts are in His hand, and that asking carries a tax, which is gratitude and reviewing one's blessings.
The Blessing of Security, Well-Being and Daily Bread
A reflection on the hadith "Whoever among you wakes up secure in his home" and the interconnection of security, well-being, and the day's food. A reminder that peace of mind is a blessing, and that we trouble ourselves by our own doing.
Not a Slave but a Servant by Choice: Walking the Straight Path
A khatira on the difference between Allah and Rabb, between a slave and a servant who follows guidance by choice, and on the din as the one route a believer takes without detours. Illustrated by the GPS, the highway, Abu Bakr, and Ibrahim leaving Hajar and Ismail in the desert.
A Contract Is a Word and a Mindset, Not a Paper and a Signature
Contracts in the Qur'an are broader than signed papers: the marriage contract is a word, the testimony of faith is a covenant with Allah, and there are pledges of neighborliness, work, and friendship. The aim is to build a mindset that honors a contract as a matter of principle, not interest, with a conscience that restrains rather than a policeman.
Change Is a Desire That Springs from Within
True change begins with a sincere desire within the soul, not with the strength of the argument or the clarity of the truth. A reflection on Umar, Ibn Salul, the smoker, and the Companions of the wine.
Our Servitude to God: Station versus Speech
The lecture distinguishes between claiming to belong to God and realizing servitude as a way of life, showing that acts of worship are means to servitude rather than ends in themselves.