Articles & Blog
Writings on jurisprudence, thought, and da'wah
461 articles — page 16 of 20
461 articles — page 16 of 20
Imamship & Leadership
30 articlesCrafting the imam and the caller, the daʿwah household, and the fiqh of reform and steadfastness.
Educational Objectives in Qur’anic Stories: Ulū l-Albāb, Prayer and Leadership
Closing the discussion of Sūrat Āl ʿImrān, the lecturer reflects on the prayer of those who think deeply, on oppression and responsibility, and on the burden carried by imams and community leaders.
Educational Objectives in Qur’anic Stories: Uḥud and Staying at Your Post
Why Sūrat Āl ʿImrān, the surah of steadfastness, includes Uḥud: the role of the masjid, shūrā and where it stops, the two groups that almost failed, and re-educating a community after victory.
Educational Objectives in Qur’anic Stories: Khalīfa, Imām, Obedience and Giving
Two words to carry through Sūrat al-Baqara: khalīfa and imām. The lecture follows Ādam's obedience and Ibrāhīm's giving, then righteousness, giving out of love of wealth, and fasting.
Our Purpose in the West
A khutbah on our purpose in the West: are we the bearers of this religion or merely its adherents? With the example of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, may God be pleased with him, in carrying the faith.
Our religion is our trust
The heavens declined the trust and the human being bore it; the sermon reads that verse within Sūrat al-Aḥzāb and asks what keeping the religion costs, from a hostile post in McKinney to the mosque's own bills.
Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa'l-Ḥikam 12: Part of the Excellence of a Person's Islam Is Leaving What Does Not Concern Him
The hadith "Part of the excellence of a person's Islam is leaving what does not concern him": curiosity fills a void that Satan manages, while occupation with Allah and the Qur'an guards the inner self and the tongue. In an age of much talk about people, the rule is to answer whoever asks you and not to volunteer.
Our Noble Imam… Your Khutbah
Every week, as the eve of Friday draws near, thousands of preachers sit at their desks, leafing through books, browsing websites, and asking their brethren — all preoccupied by a single question:…
Key to Paradise 2
Knowledge is the first step toward every gate of Paradise: why the Prophet's first command was to read, why learning precedes action, and why parents must bring their children to the masjid.
The Qur’an: Reflection & Application: The Jinn, Our Children and the Masjid
The jinn who heard the Qur’an hurried to warn their people. The lecture sets this beside our own habits with the Qur’an and with the youth, and calls us from using the deen to working for it.
Leadership as Service to the People: From Mūsā to the Prophet ﷺ
Dr. Abou Seif reflects on two scenes of Moses with his people in Surat al-Baqara to show that the essence of the imamate is serving people and meeting their needs, not merely excellence of performance in the mihrab. He draws on the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) listening to the woman who complained, his serving his family, and his steadfastness in great scenes, then tells imams that they are a hand, an ear, and a heart for the people.
Collective Thinking and Building the Next Generation
From the Qur'an's individual addresses to the Prophet ﷺ to the question of where we stand on the map of collective thinking, between momentary emotion and sustained giving, and spending that preserves the identity of the coming generations.
The Clear Delivery of the Message
From the etiquette of leading prayer to the principle of clear conveyance and consideration of the differing levels of reception, and the reason for the variety and repetition of the Qur'anic story.
That They May Gain Understanding in the Religion
The role of the group who seek understanding in religion and the danger of division, and that the responsibility of da'wa is the greatest responsibility. Conveying is not the preserve of anyone, and whoever cannot should be an example through his conduct.
One Lord or Quarrelling Partners
The parable of al-Zumar of the one Lord versus quarrelsome partners: whoever worships Allah submits his affairs to a Lord who teaches him repentance, while whoever worships wealth, position, and children is torn by his competing desires.
Between Assimilation and Isolation: Is There a Third Path?
Muslims in America are asked whether they understand their dīn or only practise it, whether they will sacrifice for it, and why they stay behind closed doors while others decide about their children.
You Are a Vicegerent on Earth
The Isha supplication, then a reminder to imams and Muslims of the station of vicegerency on earth and of the duty of a distinctive stance befitting the identity of Islam. The transcript is mostly prayer recitation and unintelligible English passages.
Yusuf, a Model for Muslims in the West
Yusuf's character in a land that was not Muslim is offered as the pattern for Muslims in the West: show manners first, take responsibility for da'wah, and be proud of your name.
Hijra: Meaning and Structure
Hijra was neither flight nor rest, but a stage in the work for this religion. A khutbah on feeling responsibility for Islam, from Dār al-Arqam to the Prophet's ﷺ reply to Khabbāb.
Congregational Prayer: Meeting upon Obedience
The two lectures on congregational prayer cover meeting upon obedience, reward multiplied by effort and humility, the story of the man living farthest from the mosque, and what is prepared in Paradise for those who go to the mosque.
Khatira [ Fellow Shaykhs… We Hold Everyone Accountable Except Ourselves? ]
Scholars holding themselves accountable as they hold owners of wealth accountable, the hadith of the four questions, and that knowledge is not to be counted like money. Then the causes of errors among those affiliated with knowledge: putting people in the wrong ranks, and that they were not raised to be callers.
Khatira [ The Imam's Choice of a Friday Khutbah Topic, Part 2 ]
Continuation of the reflection on choosing the khutbah topic: styles of exhortatory, rational, and informative discourse, and a question to followers about combining them amid the world's crowding issues.
Khatira [ The Imam's Choice of a Friday Khutbah Topic ]
The difficulty of the preacher's choosing the Friday topic because listeners and their expectations differ, advice to seek the help of advisers, and a warning against generalizing discourse, which leads to bewilderment.
Family & Parenting
28 articlesThe jurisprudence of the Muslim family and raising children in the West.