There is no compulsion in religion. The right way stands clearly distinguished from the wrong. Hence he who rejects evil and believes in Allah has indeed taken hold of the firm, unbreakable handle. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Month: August 2020

I know I should pray but…

August 31, 2020

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Veronica

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Advice, Religion

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, and all praise and thanks belong to Allah who gave us guidance, clarifying and correcting the earlier revelations and promising to preserve the noble Qur’an, and peace and blessings on Muhammad, the beloved messenger, who delivered the message to his people and…
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Matthew Arnold on loss of faith and the darkness of modernity

August 30, 2020

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Veronica

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Poetry, Tradition versus Modernity

Writing around the middle of the 19th Century, just before the seismic shock waves of the Origin of the Species and Das Kapital, in a society still confident in its faith, the sensitive seer Matthew Arnold has detected a turn in the tide. This is another treasure from English literature which will resonate with a…
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On association: not all exchanges are equal

August 30, 2020

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Veronica

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Literature

When water mixes with soil, it revives it, but when soil mixes with water, it contaminates it. When light mixes with dust, the dust glitters, but when dust mixes with light, it clouds it. When tea mixes with milk, it stains it, but when milk mixes with tea, it takes away its bitterness. Rose petals…
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Let’s think about where our world view comes from

August 30, 2020

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Veronica

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Tradition versus Modernity

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, whose name does not harm anything in the heavens and the earth, a name which, mentioned at the beginning of each undertaking, is a key to unlocking its blessings. And blessings be upon our master, Muhammad, who was sent as a…
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Do the ends ever justify the use of evil as means?

August 28, 2020

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Veronica

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Tradition versus Modernity, Religion

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, upon whom we rely in every situation, and peace and blessings be upon his messenger Muhammad, who was sent but as a mercy for everybody, and upon all of his family and companions. Fear is at the root of so many bad actions. Many people look…
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Prayer for Life

August 28, 2020

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Veronica

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Poetry

Don’t let me get to Ninety-three, Just to discern my life to be Wasted in futility. Don’t let me say when it’s too late, “I should have shut that stable gate. If I knew then what I know now I’d choose a new furrow to plough.” Lord, don’t let me shut my eyes To…
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Let the days go forth as they will (Imam Shafi)

August 28, 2020

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Veronica

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Poetry

Here is my translation of a very nice poem by Imam Shafi’ the respected founder of one of the four schools of Islamic Law in Sunni Islam. In it he gives some advice about how we should live. Poetry and eloquence has a high place in Arabic culture. دَعِ الأَيّامَ تَفعَلُ ما تَشاءُ وَطِب نَفساً إِذا…
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Remembering God – and a beautiful reminder

August 28, 2020

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Veronica

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Religion, Poetry

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. All praise is for Him who made pitch, harmony and discord, sound and silence, and peace and blessings be upon his messenger who taught us how to pray and to remember Allah. This life is full of alarms and attractions which grab our attention, making us …
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The illusion of technology: Do we really understand the rules of the game?

August 27, 2020

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Veronica

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Religion

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم In the name of Allah, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful. All praise and thanks is due to Him in every situation and blessings be upon all of the messengers sent by God to guide humanity to the ways of peace. فوسوس إليه الشيطان قال يا ادم هل أدلك على شجرة الخلد و…
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What John Donne foresaw in his poem, The Anatomy of the World

August 26, 2020

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Veronica

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Tradition versus Modernity, Poetry

Wisdom is the lost property of every Muslim, and for this reason it is a pleasure to share a gem of wisdom found in the treasury of English literature. John Donne was a metaphysical poet, and as such, he speaks to our times which needs his metaphysics as physic (medicine) for the sickness of materialism…
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We have no religion – we do everything as well as possible

August 26, 2020

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Veronica

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Religion

Marshall Mcluhan, in The Medium is the Message, quotes the Balinese as saying “We have no art, we do everything as well as possible.” ( Mcluhan, (1964). The idea in this that art is not a specialism, confined to certain aspects of life and largely carried out by specialists, but a way of life that…
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On trials, testing and turning back: part 3

August 26, 2020

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Veronica

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Society and Environment, Tradition versus Modernity, Advice, Religion

A translation of part 3 of البلاء والرجوع The Secret of Congregational Prayers In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, And praise be to Allah, Lord of all the Worlds, and blessings of Allah be on the Master of the Messengers, and the final outcome is for the Mutaqeen (those who…
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On trials, testing and turning back: part 2

August 26, 2020

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Veronica

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Society and Environment, Tradition versus Modernity, Advice, Religion

A translation of part 2 of البلاء والرجوع After I wrote the paper on testing, trials and turning back, I realised that certain questions needed to be addressed in more detail. In this paper, I am looking at three questions: Who does this trial apply to? Is it really true that all these environmental problems are caused…
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On trials, testing and turning back: Part 1

August 26, 2020

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Veronica

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Society and Environment, Tradition versus Modernity, Advice, Religion

On Testing, Trials and Turning Back البلاء والرجوع A translation from the original Arabic article البلاء والرجوع In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, I’d like to begin in the traditional way, by giving praise and thanks to Allah and asking Him to send peace upon his chosen servants, the messengers. …
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It’s my body and I can do what I want!

August 26, 2020

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Veronica

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Tradition versus Modernity

It’s my body, and I can do what I like!بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم يرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ سُنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَيَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الشَّهَوَاتِ أَن تَمِيلُوا مَيْلًا عَظِيمًايُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَن يُخَفِّفَ عَنكُمْ ۚ وَخُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ ضَعِيفًا Allah wants to make things clear…
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