(part 1 of 2): The Early Years Ali “Ibn” (son of) Abu Talib was the young cousin of Prophet Muhammad. This child, who greatly admired his older cousin, grew into a noble warrior for Islam, a knowledgeable judge, a remarkable exegete of Quran and a righteous leader of the Muslim nation. Ali was born in … Read more
(part 1 of 2): What is in a name? In 622CE Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, and most of the Muslim community migrated from Mecca to Medina. At that time Medina was known as Yathrib. It was not so much a city as a series of fortresses and … Read more
(part 1 of 2): From Slavery to Freedom “I was present…. when Mohammad, the Messenger of God, walked the earth. I heard what he said and saw what he did…” So begins a book based on the life of one of Prophet Muhammad’s closest companions – Bilal Ibn Rabah. Bilal was a black slave, almost … Read more
(part 1 of 2): From Africa to America Most of the African slaves sent to North America came from West Africa. They were men, women and children captured and sold to slave traders, forced on to ships, and kept in appalling conditions for the long journey to the Americas. [1] It is thought by modern … Read more
(part 1 of 3): The Empire of Ghana Muslim geographers and historians have provided excellent records of Muslim rulers and peoples in Africa. Among them are Al-Khwarzimi, Ibn Munabbah, Al-Masudi, Al-Bakri, Abul Fida, Yaqut, Ibn Batutah, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Fadlallah al-’Umari, Mahmud al-Kati, Ibn al Mukhtar and Abd al-Rahman al-Sa’di. Islam reached the Savannah region … Read more
(part 1 of 2): Islamic principles transform an Empire After the death of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, the rapidly expanding Islamic nation was led by a series of men known as the Rightly Guided Caliphs. They were men who had learnt their faith directly from the Prophet … Read more
The Quran and the Sunnah have been the guide of Muslim political and moral activism throughout the centuries. The example of how the Prophet Muhammad and his companions led their lives and developed the first Muslim community serves as a blueprint for an Islamically guided and socially just state and society. More than a prophet, … Read more
What They Said “The Allaamah, the Shaikh, the Faqih, Abdul-Aziz ibn Baaz, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on him, said about Shaikh al-Albaani, ‘I have not seen under the surface of the sky a scholar of hadith in this time of ours like the Allaamah, Muhammad Naaasirud-Deen al-Albaani.’ And his eminence was asked … Read more
Shaikh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Al-Hada said: “The Shaikh, the great scholar, the ocean (of knowledge), Muhammad Al-Ameen Ash-Shanqeetee (rahimahullaah) – the one whom no knowledge of the Science of Tafseer and the Arabic Language was comparable to during his lifetime – used to respect Shaikh Al-Albaanee so remarkably to the point that when he would see him … Read more
On the authority of ʽĀaisha (that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to her:) “‘O ʽĀaisha, if your people had not recently been polytheists and (if it wasn’t for) me not having enough means that would support its construction, I would have spent the treasure of the Kaʽbah in the path of Allāh, and … Read more