Did you know that in Arabic, there are 12 levels of friendship?
For every level of friendship, there is an Arabic word to describe it. From Siddique to Khaleel, it is rare to find all 12 levels of friendship in one person.
1. Siddique (صديق) – a true friend; someone who doesn’t befriend you for an ulterior motive. The word “Siddique” is commonly translated as truth, so honesty and loyalty is at the core of this friendship.
2. 𝘼𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙨 (أنيس) – someone with whom you’re really comfortable and familiar with.
3. 𝙕𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙡 (زميل) – someone you have a nodding acquaintance with.
4. 𝙅𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙨 (جليس) – someone you’re comfortable sitting with for a period of time.
5. 𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙧 (سمير) – someone you have good conversation with them.
6. 𝙎𝙖𝙝𝙞𝙗 (صاحب) – someone who’s concerned for your well-being.
7. 𝙍𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙦 (رفيق) – someone you can depend upon.
8. 𝙆𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙡 (خليل) – an intimate friend; someone whose presence makes you happy.
9. 𝙉𝙖𝙟𝙞 (نجي) – a confidant; someone you trust deeply.
10. 𝙉𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙢 (نديم) – a drinking companion (just tea) that you might call when you’re free.
11. 𝙎𝙖𝙛𝙞 (صفي) – your best friend; someone you’ve chosen over other friends.
12. 𝙌𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 (قرين) – someone who’s inseparable from you; you know how they think (and vice versa).
How many times have you heard within your family, something along the lines of ‘he’s really good looking and fair’ or ‘she’s so fair’ with their eyes lit up? How many times have you heard something like ‘it’s all good but he’s quite dark’ with a tinge of sympathy or ‘I hate getting tanned!’ In a tone that’s a little bit uncomfortable? This is colourism. Colourism is a form of heavy discrimination within the same race, it’s internal, it’s a ‘within your own people’ problem… and boy, don’t we all know about it. I still struggle to believe that in 2022, it is STILL an issue, still, a thing that’s got to be spoken about and still an innate disease stirring in and amongst us.
When the British ruled India, discrimination based on skin colour was most visible. The white British foreigners were symbols of power, authority and wealth and thus, light skin served as a signal of high status across the country. Those individuals with a lighter skin colour enjoyed more privileges from the British, were considered to have a more affluent status and gained preference in education and employment and darker-skinned individuals were socially and economically disadvantaged, and this disease continued…
This dangerous phenomenon of colourism passed on, to the extent that huge, ‘forward-thinking’ corporate brands such as L’Oreal have had no qualms in putting up gigantic billboards across the busy roads of India advertising their skin-lightening products with famous celebrities such as Priyanka Chopra (who, ironically, likes to push herself as a humanitarian) being the face of such companies. So, is it really any wonder that the power of colourism has crept into our South Asian psyche so silently and so dangerously, that today in 21st century Britain, we are still so wrapped up about the colour shade of our own people.
In a Hadeeth, it is narrated: ‘We passed by Abu Dharr (Allah be pleased with him) in Rabadha. Abu Dharr (Allah be pleased with him) said, “I had a quarrel with one of my brethren whose mother was of foreign descent, so I vilified him as ‘you son of a black mother’. He went to complain about me to the Prophet ﷺ. When the Prophet ﷺ met me (one day), he said, ‘Abu Dharr, you are someone who still displays Jahiliyyah (ignorance).’ Now, this Hadeeth might be focused on racism rather than colourism but the concept is the same. Discriminating and belittling because of the colour of the skin was deemed as ‘someone who still displays ignorance’ by our Prophet ﷺ. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ was a forward-thinking man, he was progressive in his ideologies and so for him, this was incredibly backwards. He remarked to Abu Dharr (Allah be pleased with him) that he ‘still’ displayed signs of ignorance so imagine if our Prophet ﷺ was to see that 1400 years later, we, the South Asian community, STILL have deeply entrenched traits of colourism within us. We still have marks of ignorance. We still haven’t progressed. We still think fair skin = excellence and dark skin = inferiority.
If we zoom in, we can observe that colourism has played a dark and ugly role in the field of matrimony. I use past tense, but a huge part of me says that should be corrected to the present tense and that colourism still rears its ugly head in marriages. It beggars disbelief when a mother refuses to accept a girl for her son because she’s ‘a bit on the dark side’. When asked for a potential spouse, ‘fair’ is a requirement. Yes, ‘fair’. They are flagrantly and unashamedly stating that a person with darker skin shade is not good enough for their family.
Colourism is heavily embedded throughout South Asian culture. The lack of melanin in your skin isn’t just used as a marking point of attractiveness, but the colour of your skin is frequently used to determine your self-worth. And this toxic rhetoric spills out of the household, out of our communities, and feeds into racism beyond our culture. If we don’t like dark-skinned Asians, we definitely don’t like the Black community – it’s an uncomfortable truth, isn’t it?
I’d like to think the tide is slowly turning. The international brand Unilever recently announced it would no longer use the word ‘fair’ in the name of its popular (in South Asian countries) skin-lightening cream Fair & Lovely. Johnson & Johnson has discontinued two skin care products that promote “fairness”. While, most recently, L’Oreal has stopped using the words “fair”, “fairness”, “light” and “lightening” on its products. So we have some progress. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Colourism is so deeply embedded in our communities from the top down and unfortunately, we still have a lot of work to do. We actively need to hold conversations around it to stamp it out properly. It’s a mindset that needs to be changed and reformulated. We have to be more alert to the micro aggressions that have become a part of our daily dialect, especially amongst the older generations (‘she’s so dark’ ‘you need to scrub your tan off’, ‘I wish I was fairer’…) and be brave enough to challenge them.
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)
But the magicians will never be successful.” (10:77)
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
This is an open letter of warning to those who practise Black Magic, be it in the form of White Magic, under the guise of Taweez or that which is sold by the soothsayers and fortune tellers. Whoever you are wherever you are, if you are a so-called practising Muslim or non-practising. It doesn’t matter how black and long your beard is, how thick your niqab or hijab is, how loose your abayah is. I don’t care about your social-standing, if you are a peer or mawlana, or imam. Wrong is wrong! Let me remind you where you will stand in the Hereafter…
“And verily, they knew that whoever traffics in magic has no share in the Hereafter.” (Al-Baqarah 2:102)
He also stated: “They believed in Jibt and Tāghoot.” (An-Nisā: 51)
And the “buying, purchasing” mentioned in the verse, Shaykh Salih Aal ash-Shaykh says in explanation of the verse,
والساحر اشترى من تعلم السحر اشترى، اشترى أي شيء؟ اشترى السحر بدل أي شيء؟ بدل توحيده، فالثمن التوحيد، الثمن هو الإيمان بالله وحده، والمثمن هو السحر
And the magician he has purchased the learning of magic, he has purchased, purchased what thing? He has purchased magic in place of what thing? In place of Tawhid, so the price is Tawhid, the price is faith in Allah alone, and the object (being bought) is magic… so it means the one who gave his religion as consideration (something of value) for that thing which he took, which is magic…
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Jibt is magic and Tāghoot is the Shaytān (the Devil).” (Bukhari)
Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The tāghoots are the soothsayers upon who the devils descend [with false information]. And in every district, there is one [of these soothsayers].” (Tafsir ibn Kathir)
Sihr: A Major Sin in Islam
Abu Hurayrah said that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “Keep away from the seven destructive sins.” They asked him: “What are they, O Allah’s Messenger?”
He replied: “Associating partners with Allah, magic, killing a person whom Allah has made impermissible to kill, consuming usury (interest), taking the wealth of the orphan, to turn away on the day of battle, to falsely accuse the chaste believing woman (or man) of fornication.”
I swear by Allah! Have your fun in this temporary world, control who you can control, even if that means your own sons and daughters and your own husbands. You happily watch the breaking of families; a son hate his own father, even abuse him. A daughter abuse her own mother, and eventually leave her. You thrive over the breaking of marriages, divorce after divorce. You are delighted by people losing their jobs, their families struggle to put food on the table, all because of you. You are shaytan personified! Wolves in sheep’s clothing! Hell-mates living on Earth! You ruin people’s lives and destroy their personality and cause them destruction. This is why Allah SWT said, you will not have a share in the Hereafter.
You only have one way out… to repent. Repent today and get yourself out of Shaytan’s web, all he wants from you is Kufr – for you to disbelieve and join him for a hot seat in Hell. If you were living in Muslim countries this is what would and should happen to you:
Jundub (radiyallāhu ‘anhu) narrated what is ascribed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “The punishment of the magician is that [the judge rules] he struck with the sword.” Reported by Tirmidhi
It is reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhāri from Bajālah Ibn ‘Abdah who said: “[The Caliph] Umar Ibn Al-Khattāb (Radiyallāhu ‘Anhu) wrote: “Execute every male and female magician.” So we executed [upon his command] three magicians.”
It is reported authentically from the wife of the Prophet, Hafsah (Radiyallāhu ‘Anhā) that she commanded that a female servant of hers should be executed because she performed magic on Hafsah, so she was executed. Mālik in Al-Muwatta no. 14; Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Kubrā 8/136 no. 16941. Similar has been reported from Jundub (Radiyallāhu ‘Anhu) Bukhāri in At-Tāreekh Al-Kabeer 2/222.
Imām Ahmad (Allah have mercy upon him) stated: “This is reported from three Companions of the Prophet ﷺ.”
This is your final chance, stop what you are doing before your death comes and Izraeel takes your soul in the most painful and agonising manner. Think of your grave, your master Iblees will not help you there, nor will your filthy jinns. No magic will save you in the grave from the snakes and scorpions. On the day of Qiyamah, you will burn under the blazing sun, there will be nobody to shade you. If you die as a magician or a witch, Jahannam will be your final abode, you will suffer there forever as you made others suffer in this world… is it really worth it?
Read daily after Fajr (morning) and Asr (evening)Read daily after Fajr (morning) and Asr (evening)Read daily after Fajr (morning) and Asr (evening)
Listen to the Ruqya Daily at home, NOT when driving nor at work!
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Do not turn your houses into graves. Indeed Ash-Shaitan does not enter the house in which Surat Al-Baqarah is recited.” (Tirmidhi)
1) Know your audience and choose your style accordingly.
2) Read and practise! Read newspapers especially broadsheets, highlight words and remember them.
3) Listen and practise! Listen out for beautifully spoken English, find scholars online who speak well and use good terminology, write down the words they use and implement them into your own terminology.3) Use Apps such as Grammarly
4) Find your best ‘English’ person and ask them nicely to proofread and/or give feedback. Remember, this takes time so try not to become too reliant and learn from them so you can become confident yourself.
5) Use a dictionary NOT necessarily a thesaurus. It’s always cringingly obvious when someone has tried too hard; use sophisticated language but let it flow naturally. Like Orwell said, why use a long word when a short word will do.
6) Commas and apostrophes are cool. Teach yourself the rules regarding these.
7) Vary your sentence lengths so your writing sounds interesting/exciting/dramatic. Use conjunctions to create longer sentences but use short sentences too. A short sentence immediately after a long sentence always adds drama.
8) Keep it clean and simple. Don’t over complicate your writing in the attempt to impress. This will only discompose your reader and the main purpose of your writing will be lost.
9. Finally, start a blog. Writing will help you tremendously.
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)
The tradition in Muslim religious literature of gathering collections of forty Hadiths dates as far back as the first century after the Hijrah. Abdullah ibn Mubarak al-Marwazi (Allah have mercy on him) is thought to be the first to have gathered forty Hadith in a collection. Perhaps the most well-known collection is that of Imam an-Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him), which has been translated into English, and on which there are several commentaries.
The practice of gathering forty Hadiths springs from a Hadith, narrated through several Companions, which puts the spiritual rank of religious scholarship within easy reach of the ordinary believer: “Whoever memorises forty narrations for my nation in matters of this religion, Allah will raise him up a scholar and I shall be an intercessor and witness for him on the Day of Rising.”
Allah make us from them.
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)
Zakah is not just any form of voluntary charity, almsgiving, tax or tithe. Nor is it simply an
expression of kindness or generosity. Zakah is all of these combined and much
more, for it also includes Allah-consciousness as well as spiritual, moral and
social objectives. Zakah is a Divine injunction and an ordinance from Allah
Himself. It is not a personal matter or a voluntary contribution; rather, it is
an obligation for which one will be called to account before Almighty Allah
SWT. Zakah is indispensable as it helps achieve reform, both financially and
spiritually. It eliminates misery and greed from hearts and consolidates the
Islamic economy, leading to its stability and prosperity.
Virtues
The Qur’an describes Zakah as 1. The means by which to attain Allah’s mercy: “With My Punishment, I visit whom I will, but My Mercy extends to all things. That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who have God-consciousness and give their Zakah and those who believe in Our Signs.” (Surah Al-A`raf 7:156).
2. A precondition to achieve victory: “Allah will certainly aid those who aid His (cause); for verily Allah is Full of Strength, Exalted in Might, (Able to enforce His Will). (They are) those who, if We establish them in the land, establish regular prayer and give their Zakah, enjoin the right and forbid wrong: with Allah rests the outcome of all affairs.” (Surah Al-Hajj 22:40-41).
3. A sign of brotherhood in religion: “But (even so), if they repent, establish regular prayers, and give their Zakah, they are your brethren in Faith.” (Surah Al-Taubah 9:11). 4. A distinctive feature of the faithful community: “The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, pay their Zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His Mercy: for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.” (Surah Al-Taubah 9:71).
Definition
The word Zakah is the infinite form of the verb “zaka”, meaning to grow, to increase and to purify. When said about a person, it means to improve or to become better. Consequently, Zakah means, blessing, growth, cleanliness and betterment.
In the Shari’ah, the word Zakah refers to the determined
share of wealth prescribed by Allah to be distributed among the deserving
categories of those entitled to receive it. Zakah is a divinely ordained
institution and is regarded both as a right of Allah as well as the right of
the poor. In fact, an Islamic government can forcibly take Zakah from the rich
if the rich withhold it.
Zakah in the Qur’an The word Zakah is mentioned thirty-two
times in the Qur’an. In thirty from these thirty-two, Zakah is in its technical
meaning of paying Zakah. From these thirty, Zakah has been interlinked with
Salah, the obligatory prayer, twenty-eight times.
It is important to have a fixed date (in the Islamic calendar) when you pay your Zakah annually to avoid late payment. If you cannot remember the date you first became the owner of the Nisab, then the date should be estimated. If this is not possible, then a specific Islamic date should be selected arbitrarily and adhered to annually.
Zakah is not due on children who are minor and prepubescent in the Hanafi school. However, according to the Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali schools, Zakah is obligatory on the wealth of minor children also.
Zakah on buy-to-let property Zakah is not due on the market value of one’s buy-to-let property. It is only payable on the net rental income on one’s Zakah anniversary.
If you have borrowed money, you can deduct the forthcoming 12 months’ worth of repayments from your total balance of Zakatable assets, the same applies for a mortgage. The reason for this is to ensure a Zakah payment doesn’t impact your ability to repay the debt owed to others.
Zakah on money lent to others. Money lent to others is still Zakatable. Zakah is due on it yearly whilst lent. However, you can pay yearly for it, or pay for all previous years once you get money back.
Zakah on home businesses & home catering. If you run a catering business from home or even sell small items such as cakes and biscuits, Zakah is payable on the price you sell these items.
Zakah on a joint account. If the share of one partner can be determined in a joint account, they will be liable to pay that amount. Otherwise, a couple can treat their joint account as 50:50 and pay accordingly.
Liability deductions for Zakah. If you’ve booked to go for Hajj and owe the travel agent, you can deduct the amount owed from your Zakah calculation. Zakah is not payable on that amount – it is as if it doesn’t exist as it is engaged with a current expense.
Zakah is not due on personal belongings regardless of their value such as one’s house, car, clothes, phones, laptops, appliances and furniture.
The Hanafi School treats all gold and silver jewellery as Zakatable, regardless of whether it is worn or stored. However, the other schools of Fiqh treat gold and silver for personal use as exempt from Zakah.
Zakah for gold stores: Have you ever wondered how much Zakah is due on a gold store?? Every gold/silver item in the store is Zakatable at their retail price. A goldsmith may give the gold in Zakah if he does not have that sufficient cash flow.
Zakah is not payable on unlawful earnings from non-Shariah compliant avenues. 100% of the earnings must be dispensed in charity as a relinquishment of unlawful wealth & not as a rewarding act.
Zakah can be paid in advance of one’s Zakah anniversary. Once, Al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked if he could pay Zakah in advance. The Prophet ﷺ permitted paying in advance. Al-Tirmidhi) A business may set up a monthly direct debit of Zakah to spread their Zakah payments across the year. However, these instalments should be in advance for the following year & not in arrears.
If Zakah has not been given for several years, then it still must be given. The person must think carefully about how much money the person had every year and then give Zakah accordingly. It is better to give a little extra as a precaution.
Zakah is not payable on the value of diamonds, other precious stones in one’s ownerships and in jewellery.
It is an obligation to pay Zakat on one’s business stock. Samurah bin Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘’The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us to give Sadaqah (Zakah) on what we intended to trade.’’ (Abu Dawud)
One month’s worth of council tax can also be deducted and if your phone bill falls within your Zakah anniversary date you can deduct one month’s bill.
It is wrong to estimate Zakah e.g. Last year I gave £200, so this year it must be the same. As you may have cash in the house which is extra and sometimes a person has £200-£300 in his/her house including their wallet and purse. This must be added to the Zakah assets.
Interest money must ALL be given to the charity without hope for reward/.
Zakat al-Fitr/Sadaqah al-Fitr has the following benefits: 1) It’s an atonement for any shortfall in Ramadhan of the payer 2) it’s a means of happiness & a provision for the recipient on Eid day.
Approved by Mufti Ibrahim Saheb Raja (Ustadh of Hadith at Bury Darul Uloom)
Without Zakah, there can never be profit in business. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: “Sadaqah (Zakat) is never intermingled with any amount of wealth without destroying and rotting it.” (Al-Bayhaqi)
Zakah payments preserve your wealth, they do not destroy nor deplete your wealth. Interest income depletes your wealth. “Allah destroys interest and increases charity. And Allah does not like every sinning disbeliever.” (Quran 2:276)
Give Zakah & Sadaqah to help the needy people & the suffering Ummah with a firm conviction of the promises of Allah for you in this world & Hereafter for spending your wealth.
When Zakah is not paid, a business portfolio is exposed to loss of blessings & the displeasure of Allah. Therefore, despite an annual turnover of millions & a high-profit margin, a business person is exposed to loss in this world and the Hereafter.
Imam al-Sarakhsi states that a Zakah payer receives more reward in giving Zakah to his needy, eligible relatives in another town as it entails maintaining family ties together with discharging their obligation.-(Mabsut)
Ibn RH said, “The best of charity [and zakah] is that which the greatest need, or is a means to the greatest benefit.” [Hashiya Ibn Abidin] Make your Zakah revive & resuscitate the Ummah.
The four mainstream schools of Islamic jurisprudence all agree that Zakah is due immediately. Zakah is an immediate obligation as Allah has instructed us to pay immediately in the following verse: “And give its due on the day of its harvest.” (Qur’an, 6:141)
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)
Read daily after Fajr (morning) and Asr (evening)
