Sha’ban is a month of good that introduces the great month of Ramadan. The Prophet, peace upon him, used to fast voluntarily during this month more so than in any other month. One of the motivations for that, as we will mention below, is that Sha’ban is the month during…

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali mentions in Lata’if al-Ma’arif: The month of Rajab is the key to the months of goodness and blessings that follow it. Abu Bakr b. al-Warraq al-Balkhi said: “Rajab is the month to sow the seeds; Sha’ban is the month to irrigate the crop; and Ramadan is the…

Introduction Nihilism has been defined as “belief in nothing as opposed to the absence of belief.” [1] Being divorced from conventional norms of virtue, value, or morality, such an idea is bound to manifest itself in a destructive cynicism. As nihilism evolved into a political idea, primarily in 19th Century…

101. ‘Abdul Wahid b. Zayd used to say: “Hasan al-Basri did not reach the spiritual heights he reached for any reason other than the following: If he commanded people to do good he was the first of them to do act on his advise; and if he forbade them something…

Introduction Historically, one of the virtuous religious practices of Muslims is voluntary fasting during the month of Rajab. Unfortunately, there are a growing number of Muslims that consider this practice a blameworthy innovation. The following discussion, taken from Lata’if al Ma’rif fi ma li Mawasim al-‘Amm min al-Wadha’if (The Subtleties…

Eye of the Storm Today, Wednesday, August 1, 2007, early in the evening, I departed from Mecca, that physically barren, but spiritually rich Arabian city, after two incredible days filled with prayer, Qur’anic recitation, supplication and rest, joyous rest. With no lessons to prepare, no classes to teach, no meetings…

[Updated daily] 51. Al-Hasan al-Basri used to say: “If Satan comes to one of you while he is praying and says, ‘You are dissimulating by lengthening your prayer,’ you should make your prayer even longer.” Note: What he means is that if you undertake an action for God with a…

It is related from the Prophet, peace upon him, that he said: “O God! Bless us in the months of Rajab and Sha’ban, and bless us to reach Ramadan.” (Imam Ahmad, Musnad 1/259) I have been truly blessed during this month of Rajab by being able to spend a good…

Surely, we will test you with something of fear, hunger, and loss of wealth, lives, and fruits. Give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Al-Qur’an 2:155 Two weeks ago, I was preparing to board a shuttle bus for a five minute ride from my hotel to the International…

(updated daily) The sayings gathered here, entitled Wisdom, are extracted from, Alerting The Self Deceived, a book written by the great Islamic scholar and mystic, Abdul Wahhab ash-Sha’rani, d. 973 AH/ 1565 AD. In this book Ash-Sha’rani gathers the aphorisms of the early pious scholars of the Islamic tradition as…