The (quick) fiqh of Fasting

By: Shaykh Mansur Ali

Source: ilmgate.org

Definition: Fasting is to refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and having sexual intercourse from dawn till dusk with the intention of worship.

Types of fasting:

The 25 DO’s & DON’Ts of Courtship in Islam

Source: nikah.ca

By: Hosai Mojaddidi & Dr. Nafisa Sekandari

There are a lot of single Muslims
trying to navigate their way through the marriage process. It’s not always easy
to know what’s permissible, what isn’t, what works and what doesn’t. The list
below is a great guide for anyone who is thinking about marriage and wants to
prepare in advance.  It’ll help prepare
you for what to expect, what to do and what not do to before you begin your
quest for “Mr or Ms. Right” and once you start meeting potential prospects,
inshAllah!

1) DO make Istikhara.

There’s an old Arab proverb that says,
Man proposes, God disposes.” Before actively working on oneself and
pursuing marriage through worldly means, one has to turn to Allah (swt) and
make the intention for marriage. Next, one should make the Duah of Istikhara
and put their trust in Allah’s divine decree, especially when considering a
particular candidate. Istikhara is a prescribed prayer with specific guidelines
that should be properly understood. There is also a lot of confusion about how
one “interprets” their Istikhara. Here is a good article from SeekersGuidance that helps
clarify everything one needs to know about it:

The reality of Istikhara

2) DO have a “checklist.”

It’s important to know what you’re
looking for in a partner and to take the extra time to put your thoughts down.
Not only does the list give you tangible things to focus on, but it can also
reveal whether or not you have your priorities down. If you notice, for
example, that most of your “requirements” are superficial in nature
then you may scale back some things and put focus on more important matters
like character, family values, and future goals. Additionally, a written
checklist can also help your friends and family who are actively on the
look-out for you to better screen potential candidates.

What Muslims Should Know about their Deen

Source: missionislam.com

By: Habib Ahmad

Prophet Muhammad (saws) said: “Seeking Knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim.” (Related by Ibn ‘Adiyy, Al-Bayhaqi & Al-Tabarani)

Though this Hadith is known and memorised by most Muslims, the essence, the amount, and the kind of knowledge referred to in this Hadith remains misunderstood by many.

If it is true that the knowledge incumbent upon every Muslim pertains to religious knowledge, or al-‘Ilm al-Shar’i, how deeply does one have to pursue his quest of this knowledge to fulfil his duties and discharge the learning obligations placed upon him? In other words, what are the minimum teachings that every Muslim – male or female – is required to know about his Deen?

Malaysia proposes dropping Visa requirements for OIC states

Source: kuna.net.kw

Malaysian Minister of Tourism and Culture Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz on Wednesday proposed the cancellation of visa between member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).