A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Is celebrating New Year’s Day a sin, and haram , in Islam? ”   How would the commemoration of a new solar year negate the shahadah and our ‘aqidah ?   This is a cultural practice, not an act of worship.   If the argument, as some conservatives state, is about “imitating the disbelievers”, then they should cease benefit from all the accoutrements and inventions of “disbelievers” such as medicine, technology, and live in a cave somewhere.   It is this anti-intellectualism and pettiness in Muslim societies that is the reason why Muslim communities are comparatively backward and insular.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, said that to get the full value of joy, one needs someone to share it with, and confessed he had been wrong about Eve — it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her.  Twain wrote that as a joke about marriage.  He stumbled, by accident, onto something closer to Islamic theology than most sermons manage.  The Apple That Never Existed, and the Woman Who Never Took the Blame Let us deal with the apple first, because it is not in the Qur’an.  Nowhere does the text name the fruit.  More importantly, nowhere does the Qur’an make Hawa’ the sole author of the fall.  Surah al-A’raf is explicit: Shaythan whispered to both of them, and both of them ate.  Compare that to the Genesis account, where Eve is handed the fruit, hands it to Adam, and the entire weight of original sin gets pinned on her descendants for the rest of recorded history.  Two different scriptures, two ver...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ During the time when Sayyidina Abu ‘Abdullah Salman al-Farisi ( r.a. ) was not yet a Muslim, he went to the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), when he first entered Madina, with a platter of dates.  He placed this in the hands of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ).  He had read that one of the signs of a prophet is that he does not take from charity.   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) asked him, “What is this, Salman?”   He replied, “Charity for your companions and you.”   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) said, “Take it since we do not eat from charity.”   Sayyidina Salman ( r.a. ) took it and returned the next day with a similar platter and gave it to the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) who asked him again, “What is this, Salman?”   And Sayyidina Salman ( r.a. ) replied, “Charity for your companions and you.”   Again, the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w. ) told him, “Take it since we do not eat from charity.”   So, Sayyidina Salman ( r.a. ) took it and ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is by Mawlana Wafi’ Muhammad.   As the year is coming to an end, it is necessary for all of us to keep in mind that we are now Blessed with one more year in our physical lifespan in this earthly life.   We also need to remind ourselves that we have one year less remaining in our lives, because our physical life on earth, has been Fixed long before we were born.   Allah ( s.w.t. ) Says:   سُوۡرَةُ آل عِمرَان كُلُّ نَفۡسٍ۬ ذَآٮِٕقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ‌ۗ ... (١٨٥)   Every soul shall have a taste of death ... (Surah Ali ‘Imran:185)   At the end of every year, as a matter of fact, at the end of every day, the true believer is required to reflect upon the way as to how the precious Gift of life was managed.   Was it done properly, in accordance with the Guidance from Allah ( s.w.t. ) and His Rasul ( s.a.w. ), or otherwise?   Perhaps one can contemplate on the following: Was it a beneficial and p...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from a transcript of a discourse delivered by Mawlana Wafi’ Muhammad.   As we mark the start of the new Gregorian year, certain resolutions have been made.   Firstly; we realise that another year has come to an end.   This means we have one year less to live, as the day of departure is Fixed by the Lord.   Therefore, we must make proper and constructive usage of the time we have left.   We will try to increase our love for our Lord.   Allah ( s.w.t. ) Says:   سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة … وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَشَدُّ حُبًّ۬ا لِّلَّهِ‌ۗ ... (١٦٥)   … But those of faith are overflowing in their love for Allah ... (Surah al-Baqarah:165)   Every day, we try to love our Lord more and more.   As Muslims, we must always aspire to please Allah ( s.w.t. ) as much as possible.   We will try to meet and greet Him more regularly.   How can we meet and greet Allah ( s.w.t....