Islam
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Aroosa Akram, Slough The Islamic principle of modesty is an essential part of faith and it concerns a Muslim’s physical and mental state. To fully understand the importance of modesty, ‘haya’ (حیاء) in Arabic, let us look at its meaning in some detail. The word ‘haya’ comes from the Arabic word of ‘hayat’ which means…
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Basma Malik, Roehampton ‘Say, ‘My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.’ (6:163) Sacrifice is a concept that is present in religions and cultures from the Hebrews to the Aztecs notably in the form of animal sacrifice. In the religious context, sacrifice is…
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Nooresahar Ahmad, Hartlepool In chapter 20, verse 115 of the Holy Qur’an is a simple prayer: “… O my Lord, increase me in knowledge.” The Arabic is but three words: rabbi zidni ilma. It’s probably the first prayer I ever learnt, the prayer I always recite before an exam (and the prayer I repeat,…
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Iffat Mirza, Raynes Park It’s strange to think that a headline itself can make headlines. On 22nd March 2019 the New Zealand newspaper The Press published the paper with a blank front page, with only the Arabic word Salaam written on it, accompanied with a translation in English: Peace. This was in response to the…
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By Dr Aalia Khan, London God’s existence can be seen anywhere and everywhere, for those who are enabled to look. How can we see God’s existence in our day to day lives? Why is it important that we recognise, appreciate and praise His Being? We know about God, Who we call Allah as Muslims, through…
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Abgina Sohail, Kingston To seclude oneself completely from the world and devote oneself to the remembrance of Allah, the Almighty, and the study of the Holy Qur’an at a mosque for ten days straight is something that many Muslims try to do at least once in their life, if not more. This Islamic practice is…
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Tooba Khokhar, Cambridge I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils… I still remember encountering this poem for the first time, as many of us will have done, in an age its poet deems “apparelled in…
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Iffat Mirza, Raynes Park Within each of us, a belief of God lives. For some it burns brighter. For others it may only be in the form of latent heat not quite a spark yet. Even the most adamant of atheists must have pondered over the possibility, however small they may perceive it to be,…
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Sadiya Ayaz, London Celebrations and festivities are an integral part of human life in every society and at every level, regardless of one’s culture, race or belief. In most cases their origin can be traced to ancient rites or religious practices. However, they also play an important role in bringing together people of different cultures…
Voice of British Muslim Women 