In the Footsteps of the Prophet is a long-needed biography of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that focuses on his character, manners and experience, rather than merely narrating dates and facts. Many classical Islamic books are somewhat out-of-touch for modern readers, so that while they may have been satisfactory to their original (often Middle Eastern) readers, when […]
I’ve recently started to pray but I’m having difficulties with fajr and the timing. I’m from the uk and at my local mosque fajr start time is 3.05am but dawn is at 4.07am will my prayer be accepted or have I been praying too early There are multiple definitions of “dawn”. You have probably looked at […]
Hi,this maybe not an question asking about islam,but i am quite interested about how you manage your time between becoming a programmer and writer. I am deeply inspired and amazed by your writings as it shows your erudition. I would also like to know how you learned programming. Thank you I do not have a […]
There are times when you read a book that completely change your understanding of the world, answering questions you have had for most of your life, and even better, answering questions you did not know you had. This is such a book. Duchesne unites economic analysis, anthropology, history and philosophy in order to make a […]
As-salamuʿalaykum, I recently i have come across Dr. Shabir Ally’s thoughts on the nail polish dilemma on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOpxO_ISJQ4). I’m inclined towards his reasoning for it but would like to know your take on his opinion too if possible. Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, I watched the video but unfortunately he did not say anything new on […]
I read your essay on the permissibility of drawing but I’m still a little confused. Is it okay to draw (animals, people etc) as long as you don’t put it up on walls? As to show it off/be proud/or idolise it? – and how can this be connected to social media, drawings should not be […]
Download links: PDF – Word – ePub – Mobi (kindle) The text was sourced from Sacred Texts. It uses modern spelling and the quoted verses are apparently from the KJV (only the notes come from a Geneva commentary). Michael Hoffman, in his Usury in Christendom: A Mortal Sin that Was and Now is Not, made a reference to the 1599 Geneva Bible Notes as a […]
Hello. I write to you because I don’t know what else to do. I come from a Christian family, in a very much Christian country where Islam is never regarded, not even discussed or insulted. Just ignored. Yes, people know about it but when I speak about my love for the Quran or my wishes […]
Are student loans haram? what if one is unable to pay for school? are credit cards/mortgages in the West haram? Yes, they are all haram unless a person is unable to avoid them. Ideally a Muslim who is able should avoid all of them. They fall on a spectrum when it comes to how bad […]
Free download (PDF) Free download (Mobi) (for e-readers and ebook reading apps) Buy as a paperback on Amazon.com Buy as a Kindle ebook on Amazon.com My new book An Intelligent Person’s Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims is now available on Amazon.com. This book grew out of a review of Shahab Ahmed’s wonderful What is Islam? that […]
Asalam Walikum, I hope you are doing well. I really really need help 🙁 so i went through a heartbreak with someone i liked and wanted to marry. I made a promise to Allah about it, that ill stop talking to him until he is brought for marriage. He did come back after so many […]
Assalamualaikum what is your preferred opinion on whether cheese is halal or haram? I’ve read online that during the manufacturing process rennet can become mixed in with the cheese and therefore it is doubtful? It’s very hard to confirm with companies if that happened and also I read one opinion that said the companions ate […]
[1] Salam, don’t know if this is the best place to ask, but I feel you give perceptive answers that make a lot of sense, & you have answered questions relating to writing poetry etc aswell as reviewed a contemporary romantic novel Ayesha At Last on your blog. Personally I hope to one day write […]
I have an issue I feel bad about. Whenever I read the Qur’an i can’t connect to it. At worst I haven’t even had a clear feeling it’s from God. Idk why. Maybe because I don’t know Arabic. But whenever I watch a religious video explaining the religion i feel very connected. You could try […]
AOA! I had severe depression for more than 2 years that I could neither focux on my studies nor on my daily routine tasks. My family wasn’t supportive and I had no friend to talk to, as my father doesn’t let me leave home much.I was a mere dead soul. So one day I started […]
Dear Mr.Ikram Hawramani Salam brother, i hope you find the question in good health. I have benefited from some of your blog post and i find that you have a poetic way of explaning things so here i am asking for your advice. To put in perspective i am 19 years old and i have […]
Assalamualaikum. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to learn Arabic in the Qur’an? I already know how to read the Arabic, but since I want to understand deeply about Qur’an maybe you have learning methods which you can suggest. Jazakallah brother Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, You may be interested in my book Learning Quranic […]
I just wanted to ask you since my major is economy and some jobs involves working with the interest rate especially if it’s a firm that works with lending money. Can I still work with them? There’s a lot of competition here in this country regarding this major so saying no to a job means […]
I dont have good relations with the people around me. I feel like I have no one. Growing up I had no mentor. Maybe thats why I have made some mistakes. Do you have any advice for someone like me? First, realize that you cannot guide yourself. No matter how much you try, without God’s […]
Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh. I hope this question finds you in high imaan & good health, aamiin. I would like to ask for your tips on getting up for Fajr prayer. I’ve set up my alarm and get awaken in time (usually 1 hr before syuruk) but instead of getting up to do wudhu […]
Aselam Alaikum, hope your well in shaa Allah. In Islam does the consequences of another persons sin, affect oneself? My aunt, who has been very absent, rude and hating towards my family and I, and disowned us for years, has now fallen ill. And out of all, I have ended up being the one taking […]
Salam, I asked about the false idols. Sorry if you already explained this in the first answer, but I was reading commentary of Surah Baqarah v22 which mentions false idols. It says “Will you still resist and go after your false gods, the creation of your own fancy? The false gods may be idols, superstistions, […]
Salam, A man with good intentions and a clean heart, finds a young lady attractive and has heard very pleasant things about her. Mashallah, she is gorgeous and after getting to know her, he is very sure about the decision of inshallah making her his wife. Pure intentions, clean heart, no ill means wallah. However, […]
Dastūr al-Akhlāq fī l-Qurʾān might be one of the most important works of Islamic philosophy in the 20th century. It is a work on Quranic moral philosophy by Muhammad Abdullah Draz (1894-1958), a highly intelligent Egyptian Islamic scholar who had thoroughly studied the Western philosophical tradition. The work was originally written in French as a […]
Salam, this guy i know is probably the one person i met who is genuinely kind-hearted and different to me. But, sometimes i have doubts about crushes and i just think about how im always thinking about the person i like rather than Allah SWT. I was afraid of how Allah might take him away […]
hey, I’m struggling with myself. I want to start praying , but i don’t know how to pronounce the things. And the other thing is if I can’t remember the sayings can I write it down and read it or is it not focusing on Allah and the praying then and when do I have […]
Assallamualeykum! Could you please share your opinion on spending a lot of money on building beautiful mosques instead of using that amount to help the people who are really in need? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, When Imam Ahmad was asked about a rich and powerful man who had spent 1000 dinars (a large sum of money […]
What is your advice for young people struggling with sexual daydreams? The Prophet, peace be upon him, says: God has pardoned for my community what comes to their mind, so long as they do not act or pronounce words to that effect. (Sunan Abi Dawud 2209, various forms of this hadith are also present al-Bukhari, […]
السلامعليكم! I have been considering taking shahada for almost 10 years now, yet there’s always something that seems to be holding me back. My values and beliefs are inherently Islamic-influenced and I have read and understood the Qur’an multiple times as independent study. I’m just unsure of what’s holding me back and making me apprehensive. […]
Death is known to be the most natural thing to happen. Yet, why do muslims suffer when someone they love dies? I, myself wish soon and beneficial death to the person I love, so he won’t have to face sins anymore. But then, as far as I know, our Prophet (peace be upon him) cried […]
Hi. Assalamalaikum. I have a boyfriend who is a Muslim. Im not.. And now I got pregnant. He is not ready to tell his parents. So we are keeping everything in a secret. I don’t know what to do 😔 A boyfriend-girlfriend relationship is just a highly primitive form of marriage that lacks most of […]
I am in love with a man who lives on the other side of the world and does not even know about my existence. He is a very good and God-fearing Muslim. Besides, he’s a blogger. I can not just write to him because I think that this is not correct. What should I do? […]
Assalamualaikum. I wanna ask something, how not to hate your own sibling who really made a big mistake that affecting people around her especially our family? I feel really mad at her because she’s really made a really huge mistake and also she had misused the trust that we put on her, like my family […]
Salam, my family claim to be Muslim but unfortunately have a bad lifestyle and mindset (no religious practices whatsoever) however I am not like that and if I choose to cover my awrah, my mother seems to get very upset at this situation, she says if I were to put on the hijab, she would […]
assalamu aleikum, my situation is a little difficult, i dropped out of school a few years back because of my immaturity and ignorance and now finally after a difficult year i have a chance to go back but my father seems reluctant, he always dismisses me when i mention it and i fear that he […]
Salamalaikum. How do you repent from major sins you don’t remember? Because when I do taubah I focus on the sin in question and there is guilt associated with my contemplation. I can’t get that same feeling from all the unknown sins I have forgotten when I ask forgiveness for all my sins. I keep […]
I don’t know where to crash and I think you’re the one I could trust on this matter. I was in the brink of depression and don’t know what to do to figure out my future. I quit university and went back home in 2016 and months ago found someone who asked to marry him, […]
Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh. Thank you in advance for answering the questions. Last year I learned about tasawwuf & was immediately hooked. The problem now is lately I’ve been feeling rather self-righteous & troubled that other doesn’t have the same ‘in-tasawwuf’ way of thinking. I feel this is a sign of arrogance and try […]
Assalamualaikum. I have a question. I committed zina once but I am really ashamed of it, regretted it and have made taubah prayer. I know that Allah will forgive sinners if they really mean it but how do I live with knowing that I have committed this sin?? I just can’t take this out of […]
assalamu aleikum, how can I know whether I’m following a certain Islamic opinion due to my personal preferences/ because it seems less extreme to me Or if I am just thinking logically?Jazak Allah Khairun Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, You cannot practice Islam without using your own judgment. Even if you only follow the opinions of respected […]
In Islam when is a girl considered to have hit puberty? After she starts menstruating? Because as a child I was a petty thief which I feel a lot of remorse and guilt over now, I want to compensate the people I hurt along the way but I also want to know if it counted […]
Assalamualaikum I’ve been studying Islam for the last year or so. I feel the pull and I’m grateful for the hidaya that Allah (SAW) has given me. However I struggle to part from christianity. Any advice on what to do? Or is it my own journey to make? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, I recommend that you […]
Our society trains us to think in a certain way (“If you disagree with me, then you’re hateful!”) and imposes limiters on our minds as we quote back popular talking points (“Love is love!”) without always examining them first or showing a willingness to consider different arguments. So I’m writing today, not as some moral […]
Is having a boyfriend haram? But you don’t do anything haram with him. You just label each other as boyfriend/girlfriend but treat each other as best friends without doing anything haram The right question to ask is: “Does it please God and my family to have a boyfriend/girlfriend, is it beneficial to my own soul, […]
1/x Salam. No matter how hard I try to change my heart, I just don’t have a good relationship with my parents. There are things that I end up saying and doing, that they don’t like, and likewise from my point of view. But I never try to do it out of spite. My parents […]
1/x Salam. No matter how hard I try to change my heart, I just don’t have a good relationship with my parents. There are things that I end up saying and doing, that they don’t like, and likewise from my point of view. But I never try to do it out of spite. My parents […]
I get so depressed whenever I think about the state of the Islamic world. Some of the biggest degenerates in the world somehow have the word ” Islam” attached to them. All Muslim countries are suffering from some sort of disease. The rich are disgustingly rich, the poor are pathetically poor. Its so uncomfortable. Im […]
Assalamualykum Dear Brother, Allah says that family is a great trial. I have been living in a toxic family environment for some time in which my sisters and mother do not get along. In this situation, I love them both, and it hurts me in a deep way when they fight and I can do […]
Assalamualaikum & Hello, lately I heard bad comments about me and people judging me for no reason. I’ve never spoken to these people before therefore I am saddened by the fact that they would say such things about me. All this time I have been nice to everyone I meet and I try to not […]
my husband is occasional alcohol drinker。when he drunk he became the most terrible person in the world。he comeback home midnight says very bad words about me and even my family。most of the times when he drunk he thinks I cheated on him but I never did that kind of haram things，and in our marriage happened […]
In what condition does a religious belief becomes dogmatic and toxic to its follower? When a person thinks that Islam is meant to replace their humanity. Below is an excerpt from my book An Intelligent Person’s Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims on this question. George Orwell and George Eliot George Orwell, in his Road to Wigan Pier, […]
Why do you think Allah created things like depression and anxiety? I want a refund on my current life. For the same reason He created things like poverty and loss. God wants this universe to be a testing hall for humanity. The best humans prove their love and loyalty toward God by maintaining a close […]
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah, ive recently been struggling with materialism and its making me miserable. at school everyone i see seems to be either smarter, prettier, richer, or more pious than me and thats been distracting me a lot. i havent read salah or quran as often recently and i keep thinking about changing myself […]
Assalamualaikum. I hope you’re doing well. I want to ask something about making assumptions especially negative ones. How can I avoid from making this assumption and why exactly I am making all of these negative assumptions. I can’t seem to understand and can’t figure it out. If you can help me with this problem I […]
Assalamu alaykum. I am dealing with significant heartbreak. I had been dating a Muslim Lebanese American woman for two years. I am Anglo American and converted to Islam. We had discussed spending our lives together and getting married, but her family disapproved as I am not Lebanese. Her mother made her decide between continuing with […]
Assalamualaikum. I need your opinion about something. I have a big family and we have certain members that we’re not a fond of because of their characters and things that they did. It’s very hard to forget because it really hurt and disappoint us. And I know that we should have mercy on people like […]
I feel an incredible sense of comfort in Islam. I read the quotes and I’m in the process of learning Arabic and understanding the Quran, and it’s safety.I’ve been getting waves of depression and anxiety so having something feels very nice. But I’m not Muslim. I grew up not having a religion and I’m already […]
Alslam alikum Does not wearing hijab can be reason for not responding for my prayers (Du’aa) that I have been asking Allah for along time I’m so disappointed Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, God can have many reasons for not answering prayers at the time we expect and in the way we expect. We cannot say with […]
Did Allah grant Isaac and Jacob to Sarah because she was happy that the People of Lut would be destroyed? Why did then prophet Ibrahim not react same way but Allah SWT still didn’t say anything bad about his reaction when they are two opposite reactions? The reason for Sarah’s laughter is not given in […]
I became interested in the Christian theologian William Lane Craig after reading Jacobus Erasmus’s The Kalām Cosmological Argument: A Reassessment, a 2018 book that reconsiders Craig’s views on this argument for God’s existence and tries to strengthen it. I was surprised by just how strong this argument is, although it does not reach the level […]
My parents tried their best but, I feel like they could’ve done more to teach me Islam. Where can I seek Islamic knowledge from? I want to start from the beginning and learn more from my previous knowledge. Start by reading the Quran daily. If you do not speak Arabic, read a good translation like […]
(1) Greetings. I have been following your blog and are fascinated by your wisdom in viewing life through Islamic lenses, but does not fail to be logical. I am a Muslim young woman in her mid-twenties and am thinking to be a transgender, because ever since I was little I sometimes thought myself as a […]
Asalam Walikum, Are women joining the military haram? If so, why? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, According to a fatwa issued by al-Azhar University, it is permitted for women to work in the police force and the army. There are examples of women working in the army during the time of the Prophet PBUH. They mainly worked […]
My parents and siblings ask way to many questions about my life, sometimes finding out way more than they need. What should I do? It’s bothering me. Sometimes I feel like I have no privacy or that they give me no space. The relationship sometimes feel nonreciprocal as well, for example they do not always […]
AOA, Akhi! few days ago I met an aunt of me.She and her daughters are very social and they all are well known in their fields.My father couldn’t afford our studies so we sisters are just graduate.Also my father never allowed us to go out much so we are kind of staying at home type […]
Assalamualaikum. I’m a PhD student & often my research leads to complicated problems which keep coming into mind during my non-working activities & even in my salah. When I catch my mind drifting into my research problem I quickly say istighfar & focus on salah again, but then it keeps happening. Sometimes I can’t even […]
Salam Aleyckoum, what to do when people act badly with me and what to do when people without even speaking to them come to distribute wickedness about me ? I always try to act nicely and never say anything but i always cry about that. Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, The best thing to do is to […]
Assalamu alaikum! Brother, what do you think of Israel occupation of Palestine? Do you approve of the Israelite State standing on the land of the Palestinians? Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah, Israel was established by injustice and oppression, based on a Jewish-supremacist ideology that believes all Palestinians should ideally be made to leave all the “Israeli” lands. […]
I cannot control my impulse for masturbating can I? It will get easier to control your impulses as you get older. So do not get disheartened but always do your best to make up for it by doing other good deeds. Please see this previous answer for more details: On how to stop masturbating Best […]
Salaam. Brother, as a young person in her mid 20’s, I wanted to ask for your advice. I’ve grown up in a way that my parents never taught me lessons about life and I got to experience it myself at first-hand. It made me a quiet person, but observant. Somewhere at my early 20’s, I […]
Salaam. Can I say that religion is one of human needs, and that is to attain inner peace? As for how human beings live on the earth, we are free to make our own rules on how to regulate our people. I know from an Islamic religious group that human should not make their own […]
Assalam alleikumwarahmatuallahi wabarakatu.am stayn wid ma mother and ma daughter but ma mother loves ma others sisters kids more dan mine we always have fight bZ off of dis situation plz would like u to help me what to do.i was thinking to go leave alone widout my mom but shes old .and i dnt […]
Selam! I wanted to ask something. A family member of my friend died and i dont know if i should immediatly go to her and visit or let her get trough it for a little while? I few friends of mine are going to her right now but i just think i should let her […]
Which one is better: delaying salah until we do it in the mood or forcing ourselves to salah and feel compelled to do it? And why? I would say doing it as soon as the time comes in is better because the Quran says: The prayer is a timed obligation upon the believers. The Quran, […]
A review of Christian Lange’s inaugural lecture “The Discovery of Paradise in Islam” at the University of Utrecht. In his lecture, Lange refers to four unique aspects of the Quranic treatment of Paradise: Paradise is not created at the end of time. It already exists. Paradise is not in a separate realm or dimension; it […]
Salam. I’m in a difficulty. I dreamt about him for about 6 times and he’s the one that I dreamt the most compared to anyone that I know. We’re friends but we’re not close anymore. We don’t even talk anymore. But he still appears in my dream. Even when I don’t think about him on […]
I have one desire in my life that could lead to open many possibilities for me. Regardless of what god has in mind for me, This is what I THINK is best for me. Is it okay to ask god for this in my prayers, or should I go and say you know what’s best […]
Asalamu aleikum, I just read your essay on tahajjud, which was very interesting, I didn’t know tahajjud existed. I have a question though: I’d like to watch videos of Quran recitations, so I can both hear it in Arabic and read in English. I’m wondering if this is okay, wouldn’t it be too much like […]
What has made my emaan weaker is that I became traumatisied from a bad childhood. My parents played part in this. Sometimes they used islam against me to manipullate me. Also I wasn’t allowed to get help, and my mom labelled my depression as kufr, which made me feel bad and try to suppress the […]
Hi, i don’t remember where i learned this from but as far as i know, when a believer enters jannah, all the bad and unpleasant wishes will be removed from them. Isn’t that means we are not gonna be fully ourselves? Why we can’t fulfill our wishes as who we are there? Why can’t we […]
Why must women pray behind men? Why is it that in Pakistan women have the worst place to pray when we need to pray in public and/or in the masjid? And also, why must men and women be separate in public? Isn’t that inconvenient? What is the wisdom behind all of this? The wisdom in […]
How do I deal with low imaan? recently I’ve suddenly felt like not praying. At first I would never miss my prayers but now I feel like I have to force myself. I’ve abandoned the sunnah prayers which I know is a sin. Whenever you feel that you have low iman, ask yourself, “Have I […]
I would like to ask about my family problem. My parents have been fighting for years. My father no longer talks to my mother although he tried to make amends once. My mother constantly talk bad about my father to me and my siblings. She is always full of hatred and anger towards my father. […]
Chon u La Kwewa Dast Pe Bkain (“How and From Where Do We Begin?”) is a 170-page Kurdish book based on interviews with Ahmad Moftizadeh done after he was released from prison (and soon before his death) and perhaps some of his writings. It provides an overview of his thinking processes regarding various matters, especially the proper […]
how could life fight me so hard while i didn’t do anything to deserve this hurt ,, I am tired of fighting and tired of trying, i don’t need this life I don’t want it, i can’t hold on, life is not for me i think i came here wrong i don’t belong here i […]
I’m a muslim girl and I’m attracted to girls. I’ve fallen in love with girls but I have never done anything (like kissing or more) because I know that would be fornication. Other than that, I pray, I fast, and I’m really religious. I know my attraction to girls is just a test Allah has […]
I finally got a job hamdullah. But I finish late and I have to walk through some secluded places to go back home. Is there any dua i can say for protection? Surat al-Falaq (chapter 113 of the Quran) is meant to be used as a prayer for God’s protection. That’s probably the best prayer you […]
I have relatives (we’re all Muslims) who have mercilessly beaten the poor and vulnerable, mocked and treated the poor like they’re sub-human, and just overall have vile character. As a result, I have no respect for them. I can’t help but be filled with a degree of bitterness and scorn towards them. Is that considered […]
Why are Muslim men allowed to marry a non-Muslim but Muslim women are not allowed? One theory is due to genetic and psychological differences between men and women, Muslim men will be better able to remain practicing Muslims and to bring up devout Muslim children even if their wives are Christian or Jewish, while Muslim […]
How do I stop having infatuation for someone? People have been asking that for thousands of years and as far as I know no cure has yet been discovered. The best thing to do is to wait patiently, to read the Quran, to read other books, and to try to live life as best as […]
Below is a table that is like a “best sellers” list, except that it only includes books that were published at least 50 years ago. Many of today’s best-selling novels will be forgotten in a few decades. The test of a really good novel is that people continue to read it decades after it was […]
Salaam 🙂 I had a question. I was wondering since I am currently finishing trying to complete the Quran inshAllah, would I be able to read a translated version in English instead? So I can understand each Surah. Would reading the translation version be considered as completing the Quran? Thank you so much for you […]
Salam. This thing has bugged me for a while and I try to not care but it’s an important topic . Basically many scholars, many ahadith, are very sexist. The work of bukhari, ibn abbas, alkatherr , it feels like I can’t escape it and no matter how much I try to think that woman […]
There are a group of hadith narrations, not found in al-Bukhārī and Muslim, but found in various other collections, in which the Prophet Muhammad PBUH mentions that the Muslims will divide into 73 groups, 72 of which will enter the Hellfire, meaning that only one among these 73 groups will be saved. This one group […]
How can we distinguish an honest and good scholar from a bad and misleading. I used to think before that they are all honest so I didn’t understand why Islam was telling me to be so evil. It also makes me confused because why would someone dedicate so much time for the sake of Allah […]
I’ve committed zina with this one guy and we promised to get married in future. Suddenly one day he told me that he wants to stop seeing me, and he wants to perform umrah. He said he wants to repent but never to be responsible for marrying me. Somehow i feel like i’m being cheated […]
Can you please give me advice? My sister wants to marry a (Muslim) man that belongs to a different culture. Our mother has accepted the idea but my father is still angry about it- he says he’s always had trouble with members of this culture in the past, and he will not give his daughter […]
Salam Alaykum. By reading books and listening to informative lectures, I’ve come across quiet many bible verses. There are a few verses like the story about the tower of Babel & Noah’s Ark that are used for general research, which can be useful. There are also stories I’ve never heard of as a muslim. So, […]
Salaam,I’m curious about something,we are all know that Bible and Zebur changed by people,that’s why God sends us to a new Holy Book,I read the Bible and it has very bad parts and it makes me disgusted,but I don’t like some part of Quran tho,I think it’s because I read Turkish Quran? The translate must […]
So intoxicated I am, so intoxicated I am today, That out of my hoop I have leapt today! Such a thing that cannot be imagined, That’s how I am, that’s how I am today! In spirit out to the Heaven of Love I went, Though in body still in this world I am today! I […]
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