The Etiquette of Dua (20 Tips)

Source: “The Book of Dua”

By: Shaikh Hussain Al- Awaaishah

” An excellent book laying out the rewards, warnings, conditions and other matters related to supplication (du’aa), all being based proofs taken from the Qur‘aan and authentic ahaadeeth o­nly. A truly delightful book. ”

Unnecessary disputation vs. forbidding evil

Source: seekersguidance.org

By: Shaykh Faraz A. Khan

The matter of avoiding unnecessary disputation while upholding sounds standards of decency and conduct returns to the issue of enjoining the good and forbidding evil, which is a communal obligation (fard kifaya) and an essential duty in Islam. Based on the criteria outlined below, if the conditions of enjoining the good and forbidding evil are met, one must do so. Otherwise, one can be vague so as to avoid disputation of no benefit.The Obligation and Importance

Allah Most High states, “And let there be amongst you a group inviting to virtue, commanding the good and forbidding evil—those indeed are the successful ones” (3:104).

Jihad: A Misunderstood Concept from Islam – Conditions for Combative Jihad

By: Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani (Chairman, Islamic Supreme Council of America), Shaykh Seraj Hendricks

Source: http://islamicsupremecouncil.org/

Conditions for Combative Jihad

The ruler, the Imam, is completely answerable to the people and their legal apparatus, the most important representatives of whom are the scholars. The position of the law is that only at such a time when it can be reasonably proven that; there are aggressive designs against Islam; and,thereare concerted efforts to eject Muslims from their legally acquired property; and, that military campaigns are being launched to eradicate them.

Commanding the good: knowing when and what to say

Source: seekersguidance.org

By: Shaykh Faraz A. Khan

Making the correct determination regarding when and how to intervene when something wrong or inappropriate occurs returns to the issue of enjoining the good and forbidding evil, which is a communal obligation (fard kifaya) and an essential duty in Islam. Based on the criteria outlined below, if the conditions of enjoining the good and forbidding evil are met, one must do so. Otherwise, one can be vague so as to avoid disputation of no benefit.

More bodies found in Nepal avalanche area

Source: aljazeera.com

A snowstorm in the Himalayan region of central Nepal has killed at least 20 people, including eight foreigners and a group of local yak herders, while dozens of climbers remain unaccounted for, officials have said.

Improving weather conditions allowed rescue workers to recover the bodies of four trekkers – two Poles, an Israeli and a Nepali – from the Thorong La pass area on the Annapurna Circuit trekking trail on Wednesday, a day after they were caught in a blizzard.

Spirituality in Modern Civilization

By: Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani

Source: http://islamicsupremecouncil.org/

We have been asked to address the topic of “Spirituality in Modern Civilization.” Such topics are typically chosen by professors who find such combinations of concepts catchy, flashy and even a little spicy. However, when I hear the term “modern civilization” bandied about, I often wonder what it really means. After all, did people in the past consider themselves backwards, out-of-date, ancient, or behind the times? Did they consider their time uncivilized, looking towards our era as one in which they would finally be “modern?” Was not the time of our Prophet (s) also a “modern” one for those who were blessed to live during it? I propose that “modernity” exists in every era, depending on the circumstances of the time, and thus can be applied equally to each of them as well.

Accountability is a lighthouse when the fog of life sets in

By: Suhaib Webb

These days are hard. From Gaza, Ferguson and ISIS, it is difficult to have insight into where the world is today. That question is important. But of more importance is asking where it is now! After all, the answer to that question, is the answer to the first. However, there are times when the fog of the future blinds us from seeing the demands of today.

The Rundown On The Worst Drought In California History (Video)

 Wildfires have been spreading across California all summer. Hundreds of thousands of acres are already scorched, and the conditions are ideal fuel for more devastating blazes. Over 80 percent of California is in the midst of an exceptionally severe drought as a result of erratic weather patterns caused by climate change.

Hamza Yusuf Hanson: The China Study, The Caveman’s Diet, Vegetarianism, Freegans (Audio)

 Hamza Yusuf Hanson discusses The China Study, The Caveman’s Diet, Pescetarianism & Vegetarianism in Islam. Lecture delivered at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in December of 2011.
Full lecture…