Prophets

I was christened and brought up in Germany. My parents split up when I was 7 followed by the sad loss of my older stepbrother through suicide. It left me somewhat traumatised and yearning for security, love and stability but it also forced me to be fiercely independent and self-sufficient. I had been close to my mother who was primarily a non-practising Christian…

The fundamental belief in the oneness of Allah is the cornerstone of Islamic theology. Allah is considered the sole creator, sustainer, and ruler of the universe. This belief entails that Allah has no partners, equals, or offspring, and He is incomparable to any of His creation in any way, shape, or form.

Muslims believe that God has knowledge of all that will happen, and everything happens according to His divine plan. While God’s knowledge is absolute, humans have free will to make choices…

Muslims believe that all humans will be resurrected from their graves and judged by Allah based on their deeds. Every individual will be held accountable for their actions in this life.

A core belief of Islam is that God (exalted is He) has books that He revealed to His prophets wherein He clarified His command, prohibition, promise, and threat as well as informing of past, present, and future incidents.

Angels are ethereal bodies created from light, meaning that they are normally invisible to human beings. They can, however, be seen if they take on a corporeal form. They have no free will and carry out Allah’s commands in total obedience and without error.

The last of the core pillars of Islam is the obligation to perform pilgrimage to Mecca, known as hajj, once in a lifetime if one is financially and physically able to do so. The Quran says, “To Allah is an obligation on people to perform pilgrimage to the House, whoever is able to find a way to do so.”

One of the core pillars of Islam is the obligation to fast during the month of Ramadan based on the Quranic injunction: “You who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.”

The third of the five core pillars of Islam is to pay an amount of one’s wealth to charitable causes, known as zakah in Arabic. The Quran commands Muslims to pay the zakah in several places in the Quran and praises those who “give out from what they have been provided with”

One of the five core pillars of Islam is to establish five daily prayers, known as salah in Arabic. God instructs Muslims to establish salah 16 times directly and highlights its importance several other times throughout the Quran.

The shahadah means “testification” or “witnessing” in Arabic. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Islam is based on five things: Testification that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger, establishing the prayer, giving zakah, fasting Ramadan, and pilgrimage to the House”

Zakah is an obligatory financial act of worship and one of the five pillars or foundations of Islam. The eight categories who are eligible recipients of zakat are restricted and defined by canonical religious texts. In this article, we will discuss the limitations and restrictions around distributing zakat to converts under the purview of the category of “reconciling hearts”…

I couldn’t comprehend death, or why God would take him from us. I was left with more questions than answers, and with that I distanced myself from religion as a whole.

I grew up in a secure and loving home in a tiny village in the Swiss countryside. This village gave me the best childhood memories and until now, it is the place I call home (pictured above). My family moved there when I was about five years old. My parents wanted my...

All my life I’ve been a deep thinker and dreamer, always wondering at my place and purpose in this world. My education and deep love of nature took me down a scientific route, but I’m also very creative and curious. It’s this part of me that was drawn to philosophical...

“So, your father tells me you’ve converted to Islam?” said James’s mother. “Actually, it’s reverted, mum, reverted.” James pedantically replied. It may seem a trivial issue to some, but the use of words can have severe impacts in the real world, especially in an age...

“What’s my name?” Shouted Muhammad Ali as he delivered a powerful and swift left-right combination to an already hurt and demoralised Ernie Terrell. “What’s my name?” he spat again through his mouthpiece. Terrell closed his eyes as the next combination flew at him. To...

I have supported children and adults with additional needs most of my working life and it was work where my journey began. I was brought up in an Atheist family and lived in a 95% White area so never had the chance to meet people from other cultures and religion. I...