The poem which made Imam Ahmad cry
In our society, crying denotes the very opposite of masculinity. We find throughout our history, however, that tears readily fell from the eyes of Muslim men. Tears spring only from men who have soft hearts and...
The Caged Hawk at Toulon-Abdul Qadir al-Jazairi
Abdul Qadir al-Jazairi (alternatively spelled Abdelkader El Djezairi) was an Algerian scholar who led the struggle against French colonization in the mid 19th century. His consistent regard for human rights dre...
What I Learnt In 25 years of Marriage
“Today is our 25th wedding anniversary.
So what did I learn?
I learnt that a marriage is a game of give and take in which the more you give, the more you take. And that unless you give you can’t take.
...
Khutbah at the Conquest of Jerusalem 1187
Eight days after the conquest of Jerusalem, on the 4th of Sha’ban 583 AH, the first Jumu’ah salah in over 100 years was held in Masjid al-Aqsa. The khutbah was delivered by Qadi Muhiy ad-Deen ibn az-Zaki. The f...
Exile toward the Beginning
Someday we are bound to come back to the beginning. Even the most distant pathways always lead us inward, completely inward, into intimacy, solitude between our self and our self—in the place where there is no ...
Ali ibn Abi Talib’s eulogy of Abu Bakr
After the Prophet ﷺ’s death, there was no day more sad for the people of Madinah than the day of Abu Bakr’s passing. Upon receiving the news that his beloved friend had returned to his Lord, Ali ibn Abi Talib...
The Counsel of Sidi Ahmad Zarruq
Ahmad Zarruq was a 15th century Muslim scholar from Morocco. A Berber of the Barnusi tribe, he lost both his parents within a week of his birth and was raised by his grandmother, an accomplished jurist in her o...
The book as your companion
Although a Mu’tazilite in theology, Abu Uthman Amr ibn Bahr al-Jahiz attained fame as a litterateur best known for his brilliant Arabic prose. Having written a massive collection of essays, poetry, jokes, and a...