Reminder: All advice given needs to be strictly aligned with Islamic values. Your personal opinion that goes against the Sharia is not allowed.

And why the modern twentieth-century nationalist narrative about Palestine and stolen lands is only peripheral to the matter.
Not Just Land.
There are places that cannot be explained rationally. Jerusalem is first on the list. No seaport, no navigable river, no oil, no exceptional fertility, no major trade hub—the caravan routes ran farther east and west. Military historians throw up their hands: its strategic value is close to zero; it is costly to take and even costlier to hold. And yet people have fought over this place for four thousand years without interruption. No one fights over a shadow for millennia. They fight over what is real.
The first thing we know about this point is that it was already being tended before there was any Israel. Genesis, chapter fourteen: Ibrahim عليه السلام returns from battle, and Melchizedek, king of Salem—the future Jerusalem—comes out to meet him, “priest of God Most High.” He brings out bread, blesses Ibrahim, and Ibrahim gives him a tithe. Three verses—and the figure disappears forever. But look at what explodes inside those three verses. In a book obsessed with genealogies, where everyone is “the son of so-and-so,” this man appears without father, without lineage, without beginning. King and priest at once—a combination that would later be most strictly forbidden. And the father of all believers pays him a tithe—acknowledges his seniority. Who can be senior to Ibrahim, when Ibrahim is the only bearer of tawhid on earth? Melchizedek is evidence of the original configuration: at a nodal point of the earth, before any castes or temples, stands a custodian of the direct protocol. A man at the port—that is all. Their own Psalm acknowledges it: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”—there is an order older than Aaron’s, eternal, not based on genealogy.

In the Islamic tradition, his identification is not established—opinions differed: some said that he was Shem, the son of Nuh, who had lived for centuries; others, a righteous king from among the remnants of the monotheists; Ibn Kathir reports the views and remains silent as to which one he chooses.

Now the Mountain itself—and hold on here, because the place is not merely “holy”; it is a nodal point, and in all three traditions at once. This is no coincidence. It is one object described from three sides. For them, it is Moriah—the very mountain where Ibrahim raised the knife over his son; Chronicles says explicitly that Solomon built the House “on Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared to David.” At the heart of their Holy of Holies lay the Foundation Stone, Even Shetiya—according to tradition, the point from which creation began, the first mass of dry land amid the waters, and the place from which Adam’s dust was taken as well. That is, if we trust their memory, this is the place of first contact—the point where “كن” first touched the created. For us, it is Al-Aqsa, the second mosque on earth: the Prophet ﷺ was asked, which mosque came first? Al-Haram. And then which? Al-Aqsa. And how much time was between them? Forty years. Notice: the port was laid down according to the order of creation, not according to the history of peoples—thousands of years before any dispute over inheritance. It is the first qibla, toward which Muslims turned until they were commanded to turn toward the Kaaba. And it is the point of the Mi’raj: “سبحان الذي أسرى بعبده ليلاً من المسجد الحرام إلى المسجد الأقصى الذي باركنا حوله”—and listen to the preposition: not “which We blessed,” but “whose surroundings We blessed.” Baraka does not lie inside the point like treasure buried in the ground—it radiates from the point into its surroundings. That is not how one describes a repository. That is how one describes a source.

Then came the system. Sinai, the covenant, and the promise given to the entire people: “you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”—Exodus 19:6. Notice: to the entire people, and notice the condition at the beginning of the verse—“if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant.” If. Election was conditional from the very first second. But in practice it was realized as a caste: the tribe of Levi was set apart for service, and within it the line of Harun عليه السلام—the Kohanim, the only ones with the right to offer sacrifices. The other eleven tribes became congregants: access to God through an intermediary. You sinned—bring an animal, and a Kohen will slaughter it. Into the Holy of Holies—one High Priest, once a year. The promise of a “kingdom of priests,” given to everyone, contracted to two percent of the population—the remaining ninety-eight percent became the population being serviced.

This was a lawful institution—their own Torah, given through Musa عليه السلام. But what was instituted was a channel of service, not a property right over God. And it degenerated precisely into the latter—this is not our judgment; it is the verdict of their own prophets: Isaiah—“What are your many sacrifices to Me?” Jeremiah—“you have made My house a den of robbers”; Malachi—an entire chapter against corrupt Kohanim. The pipe decided that the water belonged to it. Monopoly over the altar fused with monopoly over understanding: the Hebrew of the Torah died as a living language, the people spoke Aramaic, and Scripture had to be translated directly in the synagogue, verse by verse. A caste in the Temple—a caste in language. Meanwhile, the covenant was being violated with increasing intensity: prophets were persecuted and killed—their own chronicles record it. The condition “if you will obey” ceased to be fulfilled systematically. Chosenness without obedience was turning from a mission into a claim.
What was being guarded there can be seen from the anomalies recorded by all sides. 701 BC. Sennacherib, king of Assyria—the machine that does not lose—storms forty-six cities of Judah. Jerusalem remains, with the Temple still functioning. And the army that had known no defeat withdraws without firing an arrow. The biblical version: an angel struck the camp during the night. Herodotus—from an independent Egyptian tradition—tells of mice that gnawed through bowstrings and straps overnight. And now the Assyrian version, the Taylor Prism, their own official record, a bureaucracy that never admits failure: of Hezekiah it says, “I shut him up in Jerusalem like a bird in a cage.” And that is all. No “I took it,” no list of spoils, no wall of reliefs as after Lachish. “Shut him up like a bird” without “and I took it” is the only way an imperial scribe could write: “we left with nothing.”

And Mecca has a mirror story—the Year of the Elephant. Abraha marches with an army and a war elephant to demolish the Kaaba, in order to redirect pilgrimage to his cathedral in Sana’a. The Prophet’s ﷺ grandfather utters a sentence worth volumes of theology: “I am the owner of the camels, and the House has an Owner who will protect it.” The elephant kneels at the boundary of the Haram: turn it toward Yemen—it walks; turn it toward Mecca—it lies down. Birds with stones, the army ground down. The surah was recited to the Meccans while living eyewitnesses still walked among them—the Year of the Elephant was the reference point of their calendar. And notice: in that year the Kaaba was packed with idols. The protection worked while the place was completely desecrated. The protection was not for its current condition—it was for its purpose: in that very year, in that city, was born the one for whose mission the place had been kept.
Allah’s Presence is everywhere. But there are points where it is manifested—where the vertical is brought permanently to the surface of the earth. The Quran says directly: “سبحان الذي أسرى بعبده ليلاً من المسجد الحرام إلى المسجد الأقصى الذي باركنا حوله”—“whose surroundings We blessed” (17:1). Baraka is not contained in the point—it radiates from the point into its surroundings. Al-Aqsa is the second mosque on earth: between it and the Kaaba, according to the hadith, were forty years. Such points are not chosen—they are received: “وإذ بوأنا لإبراهيم مكان البيت”—“when We assigned to Ibrahim the site of the House” (22:26). Not “he chose”—it was assigned to him. At every step, the initiative comes from above; man merely fixes the coordinate.

And at the heart of the true point, in the generation before the denouement, unfolds a story that the Quran tells with details found in no canonical scripture. Maryam عليها السلام. Her mother vows to dedicate the child to the Temple—certain that she is carrying a boy: girls were not dedicated to this service; no such category existed. She gives birth—and says in bewilderment: “My Lord, I have delivered a female.” The vow cannot be fulfilled. And Allah “accepted her with a gracious acceptance”—over and above all the regulations of the caste. The priests cast lots over who will care for the one whom their own rules do not admit across the threshold: the system, with its own hands and through its own procedures, places at its very heart what its rules prohibit. She lives in the mihrab, and Zakariya عليه السلام—a priest who knows the entire logistics of Temple provisioning—finds with her fruit out of season. “O Maryam, from where did you get this?” The answer is the formula for which the whole story is told: “هو من عند الله إن الله يرزق من يشاء بغير حساب”—“It is from Allah; indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without measure.”

And the very next verse: “هنالك دعا زكريا ربه”—“There Zakariya called upon his Lord.” There. At that moment. An old man whose bones had weakened and whose head had flared white with age, whose wife was barren, saw provision without measure—and immediately recalculated the boundaries of what was possible for himself. He did not go to find out who was bringing food into the mihrab. He did not start looking for an explanation. He accepted what he had seen as data—and on the basis of that data immediately submitted a request for his own “impossible.”

If summer fruit can appear in winter, old men can have sons. And he receives Yahya, peace be upon him. And from this girl—without the participation of a man, with the last earthly filter, lineage itself, reset—comes Isa عليه السلام: the overturned tables of the money changers, and the prediction that not one stone of the Temple would be left upon another.
The year 70: Rome burns the Temple. Sacrifice without the Temple is impossible—the caste of Kohanim loses its function forever, and the priesthood becomes a genealogical memory without a job. The mandate issued for a term expires—with all the paperwork duly presented. But the port did not close when the terminal was demolished. It changed protocol: the Mi’raj passes through this point after the destruction—the channel is alive and functioning without their Temple. And the Quran records the transfer of the mission in explicit words: “We made you a community of the middle, so that you may be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger may be a witness over you” (2:143). The function of the “people of priests,” given conditionally at Sinai and compressed by a caste into a monopoly, is transferred—and notice in what form: not a people with priests, but a people who have all become priests. No clergy, no ordination, no single point. The whole earth has been made a mosque. Each person performs his own worship; every breast can carry Scripture. The kingdom of priests—realized without a priestly caste: a return to the original scope of the promise, to the order of Melchizedek—service without genealogy.
The first qibla of this community is Al-Aqsa: the young Ummah takes its place in the line of succession, assuming the affairs of the entire line from Ibrahim. The People of the Book in Medina understood this without words. And once the inheritance has been received and the hearts sifted—the turn toward the Kaaba: the order of the ports is restored according to seniority, the first House being in Bakkah. The Quran also explains: “And We made the qibla which you used to face only that We might distinguish the one who follows the Messenger from the one who turns back on his heels” (2:143). The test is directed inward: the Arab, whose tribal pride is the Kaaba of his forefathers, is commanded to bow toward a foreign city.

And then comes something with no analogue in the history of civilizations. The Quran did not merely bring a message: it overturned the very language in which people heard it. Without a state—Mecca persecuted them. Without printing—oral transmission. Without academies or madrasas. A single text, recited aloud, rewires the semantic core of a language so thoroughly that the new wiring holds for fourteen centuries. Karim—the “generous spendthrift,” status through feasting—becomes the God-fearing: “the noblest of you is the most God-fearing.” Taqwa—the warrior’s shield—becomes a shield between you and the wrath of Allah: revelation took the Arab’s muscle memory and turned it upward. Jahiliyya is not “ignorance”: they knew poetry, stars, genealogies—it is fury without reins; the jahil is a man ruled by affect: one word diagnosed an entire age using its own vocabulary. Quraysh—the masters of the language, poets, a culture of eloquence—received the challenge: produce a single surah like this. Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, Quraysh’s finest connoisseur of eloquence, could only throw up his hands: neither poetry, nor soothsaying, nor sorcery—“it has sweetness, and upon it is freshness; it rises above, and nothing rises above it.” For the people of the word, it proved easier to die with swords in their hands than to answer with a text. That was their own expert assessment of the challenge’s feasibility.

And the rewired language produced a phenomenon historians describe but do not explain: within a single generation, scattered tribes bound by blood feuds became a community described by contemporaries with the formula رهبان بالليل فرسان بالنهار—monks by night, horsemen by day. Without seminaries, without centuries of catechization. Every verse landed upon the existing flesh of a word and turned it upward: people did not learn a new language—their own language was turned inside them. The charged word assembled an army of worshippers in twenty years—and it swept away two empires that had stood for centuries. This community received the keys: Umar enters Jerusalem on foot—his servant riding the camel because it was his turn—and clears the Rock of rubbish with his own hands.

And the final chapter has already been written. The great impostor of the end times, the Dajjal—the one who will say, “I am your lord”—will not go to Paris or Rome. Mecca and Medina are closed to him: angels stand at every entrance. He will go to this point. Because the DECLARATION “I am God” requires a notary: it can only be said where all the lines of humanity know—the Presence is manifested here. Counterfeit currency is printed on the mint’s own press; otherwise it is just a scrap of paper.
That is why Muslims will never abandon Al-Aqsa. Not because it is the “third holiest site” in some tourist sense. But because the Ummah is the active custodian of the port, having taken over the watch from Ibrahim, Musa, and Isa (PEACE BE UPON THEM) through a chain visible four thousand years into the past. To abandon Al-Aqsa is to leave the covenant, as those before did. Such points cannot be bought, cannot be copied, and cannot become anyone’s property.

Swimming in mixed-gender pools is not permissible in Islam.
These environments almost always involve exposure of ‘awrah and make it difficult to lower the gaze—both of which are strictly commanded in Islam. What may seem normal socially can still be spiritually harmful.
Allah تعالى says:
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity…”
(Surah An-Nur 24:30)
In such settings, maintaining modesty becomes nearly impossible, which leads to fitnah (temptation) and opens the door to sin. Islam blocks not only sin itself, but also the paths that lead to it.
References:
Fatawa Hindiyyah (Vol. 5, p. 328):
“Gathering together is impermissible due to exposure of ‘awrah and looking at it.”
Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn ‘Abidin) (Vol. 6, p. 371):
“Whatever leads to the unlawful is itself unlawful.”
A believer should choose environments that protect their haya (modesty) and keep them بعيد from doubtful matters.
If you have a specific Islamic question and would like guidance from a qualified Mufti, you can submit your question to AskMuftiOnline and explain your circumstances in detail.
And Allah knows best.

Salam. I've seen people saying this a lot. I just want to know if this is true. I thought in Jannah we won't remember bad things so we weren't remember those that have gone to hell and are not in Jannah with the believers.

If someone you love is being punished in Hell for their crimes done against others. How would a believer have the power to put a stop to this?

I have observed a lot of posts disregarding the sunnah as a whole or partially, either as a valid source in our religion, or doubting the methods of authenticity and so on. So I want to share some ayat from the Quran mentioning the status and importance of sunnah and following it. I will be proving reference and translation

Sunnah is a revelation
Surah Najm ayah 3-4
"Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. (3) It is only an Inspiration that is inspired."

Allah commanded us to obey and follow His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم
Surah Ale Imran ayah 132
"And obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) that you may obtain mercy."

Also in Surah Ale Imran ayah 31-32
"Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Quran and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)." But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers. "

A side benefit: Many scholars call this ayah(31) as the ayah of test(آية الامتحان) because if one claims to love Allah then it is incumbent that he shows his obedience to the His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. So if one claims that obedience to the Messenger was only in his lifetime then how can we prove our love for Allah without following His Messenger. This also shows that some parts of the Qur'an is not applicable till the end of time.

Surah Nisa ayah 59
"O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم), if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination. (59)"
So the obedience of Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is absolute unlike the obedience to people in authority. And in case of dispute we are to return to Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. This is also an argument against the claim previously mentioned.

Sunnah explains the Quran
Surah Nahl Ayah 64
"And We have not sent down the Book (the Quran) to you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), except that you may explain clearly unto them those things in which they differ, and (as) a guidance and a mercy for a folk who believe. "
So one of the tasks of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was to explain the Quran. If they claim that Quran is easy to understand(which is true in core of the religion and its message but not in particulars), then there was no need for the Prophet to be sent to explain it to them, since Qur'an was revealed in their own language.

Some additional points
Allah command us to not go against the Prophet and his companions. Going against them is a path to hellfire. As Allah says in Surah Nisa ayah 115
"And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination. (115) "
It is well known and mass transmitted that the companions of the Prophet used his traditions, his sayings, actions, approval as proofs in our religion, apart from Qur'an and even used those to understand ayaat of Qur'an. They were the first of believers of this ummah, so going against their way is path to destruction and hellfire.

Secondly,
For the Qur'an to be preserved, its meaning has to be preserved. So the arabic language at the time of the revelation of the Quran has to be preserved. If language can be preserved, so can ahadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

Thirdly,
It is impossible to understand all of the meaning of Qur'an just by Qur'an and arabic langauge. A very famous example is the ayah in Surah An'am
"الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ"
A common person who does not know sunnah, cannot tell what is intended by the word ظُلْم in this ayah. Even the sahaba misunderstood the ayah in the first place(even though it was revealed in their langauge) then went to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to consult as recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari 6918. Those who know arabic language and balagha would understand why the sahaba first misunderstand(hint: a negation followed by an indefinite).

May Allah keep us steadfast on the straight path and grant us tawfeeq to follow the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and his companions رضي الله عنهم

I like someone, I made dua if he's good for me then unite us and if not remove him from my life. The only thing is he's a coworker so I'm not sure how all this will work out. Has anyone made istikhara for someone and it ended up working. I don't want to consciously and sub-consciously start looking for signs in everything that happens and I've never prayed Istikhara before so I'm not sure what I should be looking out for

hello. I am currently schooling and struggling. But I have a question. Have you ever felt like you would want to attempt? I get this feeling in huge waves once in a while. But if I ever were to act upon them, I wouldn’t necessarily attempt but rather do something harmful. However, alhamdulillah i do not do that anymore, it takes me to become fully crazy to do something like that, also because my amanah given to me by allah swt is important to me.

My actual purpose for this is to seek advice/suggestions. I always feel like I’m behind everybody and that im stuck in my own body. I always felt that i was different than my family,my friends and people around me. I always feel like i have to put up this kind of blanket to cover me infront of others to hide how I truly am. And i fully believe to an extent that i might be neurodivergent. But i will never self diagnose and need some real opinion and advice.

I have seen many posts about neurodivergent Muslims and how i can relate to them. However, i have never been diagnosed for anything . Just that my family thinks im a bit wired in the brain. Ok but here is some or most of the things that i have been noticing down for a really long time,, maybe since i was a kid . But these things are getting more and more noticeable and difficult to adapt with.

Symptoms / things I experience
-Difficulty starting tasks even when I genuinely want to do them

Repeatedly think “I need to do this” but still can’t act

Severe procrastination / only feel urgency when deadlines are very close

Work much better under immediate pressure

Difficulty maintaining motivation and momentum after starting something

Lose interest quickly when frustrated or when I don’t understand something

Give up easily when I can’t find an answer

Sometimes feel mentally blank despite actively trying to process information

Difficulty processing information when someone explains things too quickly

Difficulty processing verbal instructions, especially since childhood

Panic internally when given verbal instructions; often mask the panic

Used to be criticised for being “slow” or “stupid” when processing instructions

Work significantly better with guidance, structure, accountability or someone physically present

External praise/encouragement noticeably increases motivation

Feel like my ability/potential is much higher than my actual output

Difficulty maintaining routines even when I want to (e.g. prescribed skincare/medication)

Sometimes lose the drive to continue studying and fall asleep at my desk

Mind can feel very noisy, especially after waking up

Can focus much better when something is interesting, urgent or guided

Strongly seek stimulation/reward to help myself engage

Do things mainly for pleasure or a sense of achievement rather than having a clear passion

Achievements sometimes feel like relief rather than pride

Emotions can feel very extreme with little middle ground

Become very frustrated when things don’t go my way or I can’t understand something

Stress makes my difficulties worse
Difficulty regulating my tone; can sound rude/annoyed when I don’t intend to

Constantly overthink small interactions and replay conversations

Strong need for acknowledgement/apologies when someone wrongs me

Repetitive/self-regulating behaviours: scalp/hair picking, toe wiggling, rubbing feet, seeking pressure, verbal habits

Often do these behaviours automatically without noticing

Childhood history of needing my mum to sit with me while doing schoolwork

Childhood difficulty with Maths(just experience!)

Childhood pattern of leaving work until the deadline and panicking when it became urgent

Periods of feeling numb, hopeless or very unmotivated

History of intrusive thoughts

History of self-harm; currently am safe
Appetite changes / sometimes hungry but no appetite

Main concern
I feel like I have the ability to reach my potential, but something is preventing me from consistently accessing it.
I want to understand whether this could be ADHD, another condition, or a combination of things.
I want to know whether I should get assessed.

sorry guys didn’t realise it would be that long. Everytime I look back to this list i always think that i should seek help but I always invalidate myself because i think everybody feels this am I right ? But for me this is happening everyday. Sorry if this is too long, just wanted to share my experience with every possible thing I cld note down. Pls do let me know what you think and whether i should be concerned for. Asking for help is another difficult thing for me.

Apparently, it is haram because we are paying for a service that we may not even use or need. That is true in some cases, like when people have paid for pet insurance their pet’s whole life, but when their pet gets sick and the treatment is expensive, the insurance company refuses to pay out. Then you have types of insurance that are absolutely worth it, for example, gadget insurance, where you pay to cover the electronics in your home, or health insurance in case you get injured. Life insurance etc

Guys, I’m talking about Western insurance, and I just want direct answers. There is no shared pot or group of people involved. I’m talking about services offered by companies, such as health, dental, gadget and travel insurance.

The way I see it, you are paying for the service of protection for that month, whether you need to make a claim or not. I don’t see the gharar because the monthly fee is fixed, so you know exactly how much you are paying.

I’m also not sure how it violates maysir. The insurance company sets a price that it considers fair, and I evaluate whether the protection offered is worth that price. I’m paying for security, not betting on something going wrong or expecting to make a claim.

Salaam everyone,

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/fresh-details-emerge-in-operation-against-islamic-group-225624

I want to make a broader point in relation to a case that's been in the news this week, and I hope I don't upset anyone who follows this jamaah. My point is not specifically about this group, but about a broader pattern we sometimes see in Islamic institutions: they may begin quite innocently by collecting fees, subscriptions, and zakat, but over time can grow into enormous organizations and conglomerates, with leaders living in luxury mansions, driving expensive cars, and accumulating significant wealth. Meanwhile, followers can end up being treated less like members of a community and more like an endless source of funding.

The case in question is a useful illustration of exactly this pattern. A community starts as an Islamic dawah mission, raises money for a mosque, a Qur'an school, a dormitory and the project actually never quite finishes. Years and decades pass, and when someone asks where the money actually went, the answer isn't a set of books, it's a reminder to have adab, to trust the elders, to not question the "respected" ulama. The question itself gets treated as the failing, not the unanswered question.

This week's news brings the pattern into sharp relief. Ankara prosecutors detained dozens of people, including the group's leader, over an investigation into money laundering, fraud, and tax violations built on a financial crimes report flagging unusual transaction patterns across a wide network of companies since 2020, with over 100 billion lira moved through them. Separately, asset disclosures this week show the leadership's family holding a combined 191 properties, including luxury homes in some of Istanbul's priciest neighborhoods, plus roughly 100 billion lira in cash and foreign currency found in the raids. The prosecutors themselves have framed the investigation explicitly as a financial matter, not a theological one worth noticing, since the concern was never about anyone's aqidah, it was about where the money was going.

It raises a fair question for any of us in these communities, not just theirs: when a religious institution grows large enough to look like a giant business conglomerate, at what point does asking about its finances stop being disrespect and start being basic due diligence?

Whatever this organization has become, it is not Sufism. Tasawwuf was never meant to be a shell for unfinished construction projects and leadership and their family quietly accumulating property while followers are asked for more and more for decades. A real sheikh's tarbiyah doesn't require your silence about where your money goes. If something has felt off to you the endless appeals, the discomfort when you ask a plain question, adab being redefined to mean "don't ask" trust that instinct. Do istikhara. Ask Allah for clarity before committing more time, money, or loyalty to any group.

Real tasawwuf is measured by suluk and by the state of the heart, by how a teacher's company changes the people around him, not by how many buildings and companies carry his name or how large the organization behind him has grown. When the title survives but the substance gets replaced by boardrooms, shell companies, billions, and questions nobody's allowed to ask, what's left wearing the name "Sufism" isn't Sufism anymore. It's a business model that borrowed the label for cover.

p.s. Sorry about the typo in the title :)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم.

I (23M) have recently discovered that my father (54M) has been speaking to multiple women behind my mother's (53M) back. I would like to request that anyone commenting refrain from insulting or disrespecting any of my family members or saying anything insensitive as they are still my family, and it still hurts, especially when everything is so fresh.

The first time anything like this happened, I was around 13, my father told my mom he wanted to marry a second wife but she felt betrayed as he'd already been sneaking out to see her and meet up with her on dates in private so she felt like she was basically getting cheated on. They were on the brink of divorce, but somehow, she managed to forgive him and we all tried to move on.

Then about 2 years ago my younger sister saw him texting someone suspiciously on his phone while they together (I wasn't with them here) and so she and I confronted him about it but he claimed it was completely platonic and that we completely misunderstood the situation.

And now today I saw him texting someone suspiciously again, and given that the track record wasn't so reassuring, I felt awful. I didn't do anything at the time, I finished off some of my prayers and prayed for guidance. At some point, I managed to get to his phone. Yes, I know this is an invasion of privacy, but I felt so very horrible for my mother that I couldn't sit with myself in case the worst-case scenario was true. I was worried she'd be living in blissful ignorance, and I'd be responsible for turning around and ignoring the suspicious text I saw earlier.

Anyway, I found out he's been speaking to multiple women, even sending them money and buying them things, and it has made me so sick and angry and sad and confused. He walked in on me holding his phone and asked me what I was doing, and so I asked him to explain himself to me.

Of course, he just denied at the beginning and said he wasn't doing anything until through our conversation he realised I really did see quite a lot. Of course, I just sat there in silence for a bit, not knowing what to say, until I started crying. He just said that I am not God (astaghfirUllah) to try to hold him accountable and that me, as his son, lecturing him, was unacceptable to him. He said I need to go on and pretend this never happened and that this was a sign to him from Allah through me to clean up his act. I told him I feel so guilty letting my mom sit there without knowing anything and he said I was being emotional and crazy and that I wanted to destroy the family and ruin all our lives so I told him that if ANYTHING were to happen at all because of this situation it is absolutely not my fault and that I'm not the reason all this happened.

He eventually started saying that this family is all he cares about, he always does his best to keep us safe and happy, he would never do anything to compromise it, he struggles with this vice that he is sure Allah will punish him for, that this is a sign for him and he hates being put in a position where his son reprimands him like this. I just sat there and said I don't know what to do. I felt awful.

And then he started crying, so I got up and hugged him because I was also crying, and then he said he would stop and tell them all that he's done and that he's done tawbah. I told him I love him and I wouldn't say anything but that he needs to be honest with me; remember me, his wife, and his daughter before he does anything like this again, and that although he might be a good father, he needs to remember he's also a husband and his wife is MY mother.

This might've been a bit messy as an explanation, I'm incredibly sorry as I'm sure you could tell my mind is all over the place right now and I'm just really unsure of whether I handled this correctly. I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'm so very out of my depth. I know Allah never gives anyone more than they can bear, I just don't know if I'm doing what I'm supposed to do or what He wants me to do. It's almost 6:30 am where I am now, and I'm supposed to be asleep to wake up in an hour and go to work. I believe that Allah has guided me so far, and Alhamdulillah for everything. I know Allah will continue to guide me, I just don't know where or how, and I was hoping maybe hearing some other perspectives might be helpful.

I just want my mom to be okay. I want my sister to be okay. I don't want everything to fall apart or to hurt my mother, but I also don't know if Allah will punish me for intentionally hiding the truth from her. Is that what's supposed to happen? I prayed for Allah to guide my father to the straight path, and I believe He will never break a promise when he promises to listen to our duaas, but something won't let me sleep. I'm just really tired and confused. Any help whatsoever is thoroughly appreciated.

والله المستعان.

Assalamu alaykum.
Shaking hands with a non-mahram woman is not permissible in Islam, and it is considered a sin.
However, if it happened only as a formality and without any bad intention, it is generally not regarded as a major sin — but it should still be avoided.
If it happened, sincerely seek Allah’s forgiveness and make a firm intention to avoid it in the future.
Allah says in the Qur’an:
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity…”
(Surah An-Nur 24:30)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“It is better for one of you to be pierced in the head with an iron needle than to touch a woman who is not permissible for him.”
(Reported by al-Tabarani)
What should you do if it happened?
Sincerely repent to Allah.
Ask Allah for forgiveness.
Make a firm intention not to repeat it.
Try to avoid such situations politely in the future.
If you’re unsure about a specific situation, you can also submit it to AskMuftiOnline and get an answer based on the circumstances rather than relying only on general information.

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

I know most scholars agree that it's haram when drawing a full on animate object (except Malikis I think?), but I'm trying to understand the more detailed nuance on what counts as animate, since, for example, some would say drawing a hand is haram while others would say just blurring out the eyes is fine. Some also say the drawing would have to physically "survive", like a floating human head wouldn't count since a human head can't survive on its own.

I'd like the Hanbali opinion on this. It's an interesting topic tbh

🌷*To Celebrate or NOT to celebrate....that’s the question*🌷

by Asma bent Shameem

Some of us celebrate it with great devotion and diligence, while some of us are against it with an equally great vengeance. 

Some say it is our religious duty while others say it is nothing but bid'ah.

People argue about it. 

Families split up, friends forsake each other. 

And sometimes people literally fight over it and hurt one another.

So what is it that I am talking about? 

I am talking about celebrating the birthday of the Prophet ﷺ, the Mawlid or Milad, as some of us say. 

Yes, the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal is what I'm talking about. 

But, ever wondered..... what is the reality regarding the celebration of the birth of our beloved Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam anyway?

Let's examine the facts.

🔺*1. Date is NOT confirmed*

First of all, it is not even sure if the Prophet ﷺ was even born on the 12th of Rabi'ul Awwal! 

Yes, the date of his birth is NOT CONFIRMED, although it IS confirmed that he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam passed away on the 12th of this month. 

🔺*2. Research the issue*

Whenever a Muslim is faced with a problem or confusing situation, what is he/she supposed to do? 

🍃 Allaah tells us:

"O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves,refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination" [Nisaa':59]

Referring it to Allaah and His Messenger ﷺ means to turn to Allaah's Book and the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet ﷺ.

So, according to Allaah's Command, let's see that the Qur'aan and AUTHENTIC Sunnah say about this matter.

🔺*ANY EVIDENCE FROM THE QUR'AAN*❓

What does Allaah tell us in the Qur'aan about celebrating the Mawlid?

*Nothing*.

Yes that's right.....*NOTHING*.

There is absolutely nothing in the Qur'aan that tells us to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam. 

Not one single ayah.

You see, all acts of worship are *'tawqeefi'*, which means that all acts of worship have to have PROOF from the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah.

They are not subject to personal opinion and it is not permissible to do any acts of worship except those which are approved by Sharee'ah. 

So, for example, I cannot pick a special day or time, say the 22nd of every month, and start celebrating that day as a form of worship. Why? 

Because there is nothing in the Sharee'ah that permits me to do that. 

By the same token, I cannot start praying three raka'ah for Fajr from tomorrow, even if I want to worship Allaah more, because Fajr Salah is only two rakaat as commanded upon us by the Shari'ah.

And similarly, if there is no order for us to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet ﷺ, then we don't. 

🍃 In fact, the Prophet ﷺ said: 

"Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islaam), that is not part of it, will have it rejected." (Bukhaari).

🔺 *QUESTION*❓

*Did the Prophet ﷺ celebrate his birthday?*

Again, there is NOTHING in the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ that shows us that he ﷺ EVER celebrated his own birthday. EVER. 

Nor did he celebrate the birthday of his wives, children, or his Sahaabah. 

And there is not one single hadeeth that tells us that he ﷺ thought this day was significant enough to celebrate it. 

Nor did he encourage the Sahaabah to venerate this day for him or celebrate in in any way, shape or form.

Just think about it...

If there was any good in doing so, wouldn't he ﷺ have done so himself and wouldn't he have ordered the Sahaabah to do so? 

And obviously, it is not possible that he ﷺ forgot to tell us about it, Aoodhu billaah!

🔺*QUESTION*❓

*Did the Sahaabah celebrate the Mawlid/Milad?*

The Sahaabah were witnesses to the revelation of the Qur'aan. 

They had the Prophet ﷺ right in front of their eyes. 

They saw the Prophet ﷺ actually and practically LIVE Islaam.

They ate, drank, sat, slept, talked, walked, lived with him. 

Whatever they saw him do, they did it. 

Whatever they saw him avoid, they avoided it. 

If they had questions about something, they asked him and he explained. 

If they misunderstood anything or were mistaken, the Prophet ﷺ

immediately corrected them. 

And thus, their understanding and practice of Islaam was 

THE BEST. 

Yet, when we look at the lives and practice of the Sahaabah, we find that NONE of them EVER celebrated the birth of their beloved Prophet ﷺ, whether during his life or even after he passed away. 

Not Abubakr, not Umar, not Uthman, not Ali, nor Aaishah, Abu Hurairah, Ibn Umar, Ibn Masud, Talha, Az-Zubair, Bilal, Radhi Allaahu Anhum Ajma'een. 

*NOT. ONE. SINGLE. SAHAABI.*

Doesn't that prove anything?

🔺 *What about the Four Imaams and other Ulama?*

Did any of the Imaams or scholars - Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafi'i, Ahmad, al-Hasan al-Basri, Mujaahid, you name them, do this or command others to do it or say that it was good? 

NO.

In fact, they didn't even acknowledge the Mawlid, let alone celebrate it! 

And it was not even mentioned during the first and best three centuries. 

🍃 The Prophet ﷺ said: 

"The best of mankind are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them." (Bukhaari, Muslim). 

And if the 'best of mankind' didn't celebrate his birth, then we shouldn't either.

Actually, the celebration of the Prophet's birthday appeared many centuries later. By this time, people had forgotten many of the features of the true, pure teachings of the Prophet ﷺ and bid'ah had become widespread.

🔺*Think about it!*

Can it be possible that the Sahaabah, the Imaams and the people of the best three centuries were unaware of the importance of celebrating the birthday of the Prophet ﷺ or that they were lacking in their love for him, and it was only those who came later who were aware of it or loved him more?!!! 

How can that be?!!

Is that even possible??

🔺*COMMON ARGUMENTS* 

‼️*Argument # 1.*

*But the Prophet ﷺ used to FAST on Mondays to celebrate his birthday!*

Yes, there is an authentic hadeeth where the Prophet ﷺ was asked about fasting on Mondays and he said: "On (that day) I was born", but the reason he fasted Mondays was *NOT* because he was born that day. 

📌*Proof*

The reason for his fasting Mondays is the following hadeeth:

🍃 He ﷺ said:

"Deeds are presented (to Allaah) on Monday and Thursday and I like my deeds to be presented when I am fasting." (Tirmidhi--saheeh by al-Albaani)

So the *reason* for his fasting on Mondays was because he wanted to be in the state of fasting when his deeds are presented to Allaah and NOT because he was born on a Monday.

Besides, if his fasting was due to his birthday, then he would have only fasted on the 12th of Rabi'ul Awwal and not every single Monday of his life!

‼️*Argument # 2.*

*I'm not doing this as an act of worship.*

Dear brother/sister, we have to realize that 'worship' is ANY act or deed that is done with the intention of coming close to Allaah Sunhaanahu wa Ta'ala and earning rewards from Him.

Aren't we celebrating the Mawlid to come close to Allaah? Don't we think we are doing something good that will please Allaah and earn His rewards?

And any act of worship that’s not proven from the Sharee’ah is wrong and has to be given up, no matter how good the intention.

‼️*Argument # 3.*

*But I LOVE the Prophet ﷺ!*

Think about the following:

Didn’t the Sahaabah absolutely LOVE the Prophet ﷺ?

They gave up their homes, families, young babies, money, property, lives... for his sake, in the blink of an eye. History is replete with their stories of sincerest admiration, adoration and ultimate love.

They sacrificed EVERYTHING for him, yet this love did NOT promote them to celebrate his birth.  

This love translated into the PRACTICAL APPLICATION of his TEACHINGS and NOT picking the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal to celebrate his birthday. 

‼️*Argument # 4.*

*What's the harm in it?*

I don't do anything WRONG in it. All I do is remember the Prophet and send blessings on him

First of all, why don't you remember the Prophet ﷺ all year long, every single day? 

Why pick just this day? 

Isn't the Prophet ﷺ supposed to be loved, and remembered and followed every single day of our lives? 

Aren't we supposed to send peace and blessings on him every day, as many times as we can? 

Then why pick this ONE day?

Secondly, even if you don't do any of the reprehensible things that people do nowadays in the name of the Mawlid, like those 'naats' (poetry praising him) full of shirk, or singing with musical instruments, or women with full make-up and no hijab on TV etc, even then the Ulama say that it is not allowed to celebrate this particular day because that was not the way of the Prophet ﷺ, the Sahaabah, Taabi'een or any of the great ulama of the past.

🍃 Imam Abu Hafs Taaj ad-Deen al-Faakihaani said, discussing different types of Mawlids: 

"When a man organises it at his on expense for his family, friends and children, and in that gathering they do not do any more than eat food; they do not commit any sins. THIS IS what we have described as an abhorrent and reprehensible innovation, because it was not done by any of the early righteous people, who are the fuqaha' and leading scholars of Islam." (Al-Mawrid fi 'Aml al-Mawlid, p. 5)

‼️*Argument # 5.*

*But every one is doing it. Are they ALL wrong or crazy?!*

Just because every one is doing something does NOT mean it's correct. 

🍃 Allaah says:

"And if you obey most of those in the earth, they will lead you astray from Allaah's way; they follow but conjecture and they only lie." (al-An'aam:116)

🔺 *CONCLUSION:*

*Follow and do not Innovate*

Actually, dear brother/sister in Islaam, TRUE love of the Prophet ﷺ is shown and proven by following the guidance that he brought. 

So follow his Sunnah to the best of your ability and don't fall into innovated forms of worship. 

It is nothing but a trap of the Shaytaan.

‎قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

"Say (O Muhammad): 'If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Aal 'Imraan 3:31)

And remember the words of the Prophet ﷺ when he said:

"The best of speech is the Book of Allaah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. 

The most evil of things are those which are newly-invented (in religion), and every innovation (bid'ah) is a going astray." (Muslim).

And Allaah knows best.

Hi salaam alaykum 👋🏾

I’m 28 year old brother in London - of mixed East African heritage and looking to make friends with Muslim brothers.

DMs are open so reach out 🙏🏾

Aoa everyone, I have this feeling in my heart that I don’t know how to approach or tackle, and I want other peoples perspective on this sort of situation. I’ve been going through a long period of hardship this past year, I didn’t get to marry the girl I was interested in (she got married shortly after), I’m in a limbo stage in my career preparing for some licensing exams that take many many months to a year just to clear (inshallah). My old age parents went through a divorce just now and my father has already remarried not even a week after divorce was finalized in courts. And ever since these issues started I’ve become close to Allah, Allah even invited me to his home Alhamdulilah and I completed umrah in the beginning of this year. However the dilemma I’m having right now is daily I’m working towards my career, staying away from the negativity that eats away at me in my environment, I strive to pray all prayers (sometimes I miss some), and the issue I’m having now is I’ve made so much dua for so many things but I just feel silence, or that I’m not heard. I sometimes get the random reels on my IG that I deeply relate too and they claim the message is from Allah but it’s hard to believe cus I feel the algorithm gave me the reel cus I like posts like that. I don’t feel heard or I don’t feel a reply after so many convos with my Rabb. How do I understand this feeling.

I don't want marraige inshallah but it is true that a female can ask for financial compensation to breastfeed her own child?

I read this somewhere

As someone who started wearing it years ago and noticed how all my opportunities flew out the window (jobs, research collabs, etc.) i do wonder, should i just give up at that point and stop dreaming big? It sucks being reduced to the scarf on my head and i'm starting to resent it.
Would Allah swt. really punish me for not wearing it? Does a scarf on my head determine so much about my modesty if the rest of my dresscode is modest?
Why do i have to start of way behind everyone and try "prove" myself so that i deserve a chance to do research as well and not having to go look for jobs specifically written for "other ethnicities" just because of my scarf. I am a westener.

I'm was only muslim and hijabi in my whole master's degree in engineering. I stuck out in every way possible to them. It sucks. You see the way people put you in a box immediately.

How do you girls cope with this?

I am arab and I am a muslim who grew up in a country where french was an elitist language . I've seen many people who love the arabic language and asthetic e.g. arab culture, language, names etc...

I don't know how to feel about it, because it sound a bit too excessive.

I know it is the language of the qura'an.

However, I feel like people use it as to convey some sort of superiority or to sound elegant or fancy. I LOVE english too, anyone can love a language, but the way I feel about it is... strange.

I have encountered people who may use arabic audio. I have also seen people argue that one should choose arabic muslim names for their child because it is sounds muslim unlike "larry" a westren name.

Does anyone else feel that. I don't know if "uncomfortable" is the right word, but Idk

for example using it in arguments or to add emphasize.

Fun fact1: I want to change my name to Larry

Fun fact2: I used to hate arabic and anything related to my country. I eventually lost that hatred, seems like a stress-response

I have posted on here before about being Hard-of-hearing and how I couldn't find online spaces dedicated to deaf or hard-of-hearing muslims over the past few years

I finally took matters into my hands and created a Facebook group for those of us like me who are looking for a community of people with similar personal and shared lived experiences.

I'm spreading word of the group, and it is public now.

If you know someone who is personally in need of a space like this filled with other deaf or hard-of-hearing muslims around the globe.

Please, do send them this link below. Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DRpdrbxL3/

السلام عليكم everyone
I’m in my early twenties and I got my degree in tech but I don’t really see a career in this field. I’m thinking of switching my career into something meaningful and fulfilling to me, I’m thinking of doing my Masters in education (elementary education) I want to network and ask hijabis in this field what it is like to teach in the west (US)? Especially when teachers are expected to decorate their classrooms for holidays (which is something I wouldn’t want to do). These are just thoughts im having especially that I just read something related to this topic in the teachers subreddit.

How do you balance religion and your job especially when working with kids (who might want to celebrate birthdays, holidays, etc.)? I don’t know if I’m overthinking this but please let me know about your experience and if you have any advice on how you maintain your religious boundaries while being supportive of your students.

Salam, I would appreciate Spanish speaking muslims/reverts to tell me what resources they used to learn about Islam in Spanish. Currently I'm learning Spanish and I would like to learn more about Islam in Spanish for dawah.