Based on Lata’if al-Ma’arif By Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali [1] Abu Hurayra, may God be pleased with him, relates that the Prophet, peace upon him, said: “The reward of every action undertaken by the human being is for him—and good deeds will be rewarded from ten up to seven hundred times—God…

Dear Self is a penetrating journal that documents a year in the life of a poor welfare mother in a public housing project in the Northeast United States. That year, 1973, was one of transition for America. The roll-back of Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” was gaining momentum, the Vietnam War…

(updated daily) 1. Al-Hasan al-Basri used to say: “Beware of being an executor for someone’s estate [if you can avoid it]. Because an executor might be unjust in his execution of the will, no matter how hard he tries to be just.” 2. Abu Yusuf, the companion of…

What follows is the statement of Zaytuna Institute concerning the beginning of Ramadan. We here at NID endorse Zaytuna’s position on this issue. As Muslims we have a clear methodology for determining the beginning of the lunar month. We start all months upon the initial physical sighting of the waxing…

By Imam Zaid Shakir September 11, 2007 This year, the birth of the invisible new moon, an event that will be followed in a day or two by the beginning of the month of Ramadan, upon the sighting of the waxing crescent in the evening sky, will occur on…

The following is a transcript of a lecture delivered by Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi of Oxford University, on the role of women scholars in preserving and transmitting prophetic tradition (Hadith) in Islam. The original transcript has been edited by Imam Zaid Shakir to enhance readability. The Female Scholars of…

(Updated Daily) Reflecting on the Reality of Death 1. Abu Bakr used to wish for death. When asked about that he replied: “I fear that I will see a time when good is no longer commanded and wrong no longer discouraged.” 2. Abu Hurayra used to say: “A time…

Sha’ban is a month of good that introduces the great month of Ramadan. The Prophet, peace upon him, used to fast voluntarily during this month more so than in any other month. One of the motivations for that, as we will mention below, is that Sha’ban is the month during…

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali mentions in Lata’if al-Ma’arif: The month of Rajab is the key to the months of goodness and blessings that follow it. Abu Bakr b. al-Warraq al-Balkhi said: “Rajab is the month to sow the seeds; Sha’ban is the month to irrigate the crop; and Ramadan is the…

Introduction Nihilism has been defined as “belief in nothing as opposed to the absence of belief.” [1] Being divorced from conventional norms of virtue, value, or morality, such an idea is bound to manifest itself in a destructive cynicism. As nihilism evolved into a political idea, primarily in 19th Century…