Question: Assalaamu alaykum, I would like to whether the ulema of the past have ranked sins in order of seriousness? I know that shirk is the worst, but how are the remaining sins ranked? Is homosexuality worse than murder? Is incest worse than homosexuality? Is riba worse tha zina? And so forth. Jazakumullahu Khair Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum Wa-Rahmatullāhi … [Read more...]

Imam Abu Hanifah's (RA) Respect Before His Shaykh It is narrated from Imam Abu Hanifah رحمه الله that he said: "I never stretched out my legs in the direction of my teacher, Hammad's, house out of respect for him. This despite the fact that there were seven sidestreets between my house and his house. Every salah that I offered after Hammad passed away, I sought forgiveness for him together with my parents. I certainly seek forgiveness for … [Read more...]

The Nature Of The Lower Self In man, there exists the capacity for desire. This capacity is termed the lower self (nafs). This capacity includes both virtue and evil. It desires goodness as well as evil. In its development the lower self passes through three stages: the lower self that incites to evil (nafs ammara); the lower self that denounces evil (nafs lawwama); and the lower self that is well pleased (nafs mutma'inna). Nafs Ammara - At … [Read more...]

Make your Heart a Fruit-bearing Orchard Imaan is our greatest wealth and the means of safeguarding this great wealth of Imaan is adopting Taqwa, i.e. to abstain from sins and to fear the displeasure of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) and in order to be able to adopt Taqwa we should seek the company of the “Saadiqeen” (the Truthful). Therefore the key to the security of Imaan is adopting Taqwa and the key to adopting Taqwa is to be with the … [Read more...]

A Valuable Analogy in understanding Bay`ah Bay`ah can be described as a kind of captivity, with a unique outcome. That outcome is Freedom. Strange as it seems, it is a reality, and it will be the experience. Reflecting over this point, we will come to understand that there certainly is freedom in captivity. We will also come to realize that there is captivity in freedom. As an example: If a student is in the 5th year, and lives in ‘captivity’ … [Read more...]

Words Of Wisdom - Councel In Three's     “Wisdom is the lost property of the believer. If he finds it then he is most deserving of it.” [1] It has been reported that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Theone who wakes up in the morning and complains about the scarcity of livelihood,it is as though he is complaining against his Lord. The one who wakes up and issad over the affairs of the dunya, it is as though he … [Read more...]