A mosque is supposed to be a spiritual retreat – a community centre which encourages spiritual growth and makes people feel welcomed. You could think of it as a gym, except that it’s for the soul and not the physical body. Yet, unfortunately, mosques have lost their appeal. I think this is largely due to the fact that they tend to be male-dominated with a strict dress code focusing on very minute details of how to worship God. Inhospitable to... Read more
It is common practice among Muslims and other faiths alike to hold ceremonies in which relatives come together to pray for forgiveness for someone who has passed away. There are “Quran Khawanis” in which it is allegedly believed that reading the Quran would somehow benefit the deceased. People go so far in this dogma that they send someone else on behalf of the deceased for pilgrimage, in the hopes that the reward may be given to the deceased person. From... Read more
It is supposedly the birthday of Prophet Mohammad today (Sunnis and Shias celebrate it on different days). I am all for celebrating birthdays, as they are an integral part of many cultures and allow families to spend some quality time together. However, what I’m against is hypocrisy. Some of the Muslims think that celebrating birthdays is a “Bidah” (innovation) and are adamantly opposed to it. Still, they find no harm in making an exception when it comes to the birthday... Read more
I was just talking to a friend of mine, and we were discussing Religion & Politics. His point, basically, was that the world has plunged too deep into evil, and that just by changing himself, he couldn’t bring about any noticeable change whatsoever. So, why bother? Just relax and “live your life”. And, of course, the much repeated statement: “All this chaos is one of the signs of Qiyamat, anyways.” The thing is, I completely disagree with this notion. Yes,... Read more
With the current crisis going on in Gaza, Iraq/Syria, and all around the world, I often hear statements like “Please make dua (prayer) for them”, or “Pray for the destruction of the oppressors”, and think to myself: “What good is a prayer without action?” We have imams supplicating their hearts out at the weekly Friday prayer, imploring God to restore the condition of the “Muslim Ummah” and pleading God to help the Muslims. But that doesn’t seem to do anything... Read more
God has given us an amazing gift in the form of life, what are we doing to give back? Our prime purpose in this life is to give, to benefit humanity in some way. The Quran repeatedly emphasizes the importance of spending in “the way of God” to help those who are not as fortunate as we are. Nothing, I repeat, nothing is stressed more than this! When we distribute our resources with others, we perform the real act of... Read more
If you identify as a Muslim, but haven’t read the Quran — then the best course of action to take would be to obviously read it. No one is born into a religion just as you can’t be born into a political ideology. I can’t call myself a Communist if I haven’t researched it for myself. Bear in mind, that when you decide to identify yourself as a Muslim to other people, you decide to become an ambassador of Islam.... Read more
Your brain works like a fertile land. What you sow is exactly what you reap. If you don’t like a certain plant, all you need to do is pluck it out of its root and throw it away. Plant something beautiful instead! You are the caretaker of this garden. Do not blame anyone else for what you have sown in it. Sow positive thoughts and actions: reap peace of mind. Sow negative thoughts and actions: reap anger, jealousy, insecurities etc. A simple... Read more
When reading the Qur’an, I think we do a great injustice to our understanding by viewing it with the lens of our preconceived ideas/notions. For example, kafaroo = rejectors, so this must be speaking of those people who are not Muslim. How can you be so sure that you don’t fit into it? Just because you were born into a ‘Muslim’ family does not make you a Muslim. Your actions decide that. And it’s not a label that you can... Read more
We come across many ‘Supplications’ in the Quran that Prophets and believers do. Let me put forward my understanding and it’s purpose of it. Let’s take this for an example: Among them is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” 2:201 Now the purpose of sharing dua’s in the Quran is to make you internalize the... Read more
Quranalyze It
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In