Below you will find a list of companies and individuals who provide material investment and/or support to the terrorist state of Israel. In the spirit of a single Ummah, we appeal to all Muslims to refrain from purchasing goods from these companies until they with withdraw their investment/support. We appeal, similarly, in the spirit of humanity to everyone, Muslim or not.

A beautiful short speech by Abu Eesa about our brothers in Palestine, may Allah accept them from His believing servants.

A short and powerful excerpt of a speech about Gaza by Hamza Yusuf.

Zakatu'l-fitr is often referred to as sadaqatu'l-fitr. The word fitr means the same as iftar, breaking a fast and it comes from the same root word as futur which means breakfast. Thus, Islamically, zakatu'l-fitr is the name given to charity which is distributed at the end of the fast of Ramadan.

What is it that we celebrate in Ramadan? In this inspiring khutbah on the eve of the Holy Month, Ustadh Nouman takes us back to the story of Adam, 'alayhis-salam, who was so dignified by Allah that He spoke to him directly. But even though Allah dismissed Adam from Jannah, He promised to give him a way back up through repeated guidance. Allah promised those who follow this guidance that they will know no fear or sadness in this life. The last time this promise was fulfilled was when Allah sent his final message, the Qur'an. In Ramadan Allah revealed his extended rope from the sky to the earth to teach us that there is hope, no matter how lost we feel or how far we have fallen. Ramadan is the opportunity Allah gave us to celebrate our connection with Him.

Laylatul-Qadr is the most blessed night. A person who misses it has indeed missed a great amount of good. If a believing person is zealous to obey his Lord and increase the good deeds in his record, he should strive to encounter this night and to pass it in worship and obedience. If this is facilitated for him, all of his previous sins will be forgiven.

Praying Qiyam

It is recommended to make a long Qiyam prayer during the nights on which Laylatul-Qadr could fall. This is indicated in many ahadith, such as the following - Abu Dharr (radhiallahu 'anhu) relates, "We fasted with Allah's Messenger (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) in Ramadhan. He did not lead us (in qiyam) at all until there were seven (nights of Ramadhan) left. Then he stood with us (that night - in prayer) until one third of the night had passed. He did not pray with us on the sixth. On the fifth night, he prayed with us until half of the night had passed. So we said, 'Allah's Messenger! Wouldn't you pray with us the whole night?' He replied:

'Whoever stands in prayer with the imaam until he (the imaam) concludes the prayer, it is recorded for him that he prayed the whole night,'…"

[Point of benefit: Abu Dawud mentioned, "I heard Ahmad being asked, 'Do you like for a man to pray with the people or by himself during Ramadhan?' He replied, 'Pray with the people' I also heard him say, 'I would prefer for one to pray (qiyam) with the imam and to pray witr with him as well, for the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: 'When a man prays with the imam until he concludes, it is recorded that he prayed the rest of that night.'" [Masa'il]]

Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu 'anhu) narrated that the Messenger (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever stands (in qiyam) in Laylatul-Qadr (and it is facilitated for him) out of faith and expectation (of Allah's reward), will have all of his previous sins forgiven." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim; the addition "and it is facilitated for him" is recorded by Ahmad from the report of 'Ubadah ibn As-Samit; it means that he is permitted to be among the sincere worshippers during that blessed night]

From the wisdom of fasting is that: It is an act of worship done for Allah, in which the 'abd (servant) draws closer to His Lord by abandoning the things that he loves and desires, such as food, drink and sexual intercourse.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, his family and all his Companions. To proceed …

Many of the Muslims residing in Britain, and other countries not ruled by Muslims, ask how one should give Zakat ul-Fitr, therefore in order to clarify the rulings concerning this great symbol of Islam this treatise has been written.

Alhamdulillahi rabbil-'alamin was salatu was salamu 'ala ashrifil-anbiya wa'l-mursalin nabiyina Muhammad wa 'ala alihi wa sahbihi ajma'in

Amma ba'ad:

To many of you reading this the title may seem absurd, and may have even caught you off-guard, as love generally is not associated with the month of worship and blessing. Yet, if we were to contemplate the actions that we partake during this blessed month we would see that the vast majority of them revolve around love, we are often people that just fail to reflect.

The first thing that is needed to actually conceptualize where I am coming from would be to understand what love really is, or at the very least how it is being defined in this treatise. We all know that love has many manifestations, degrees, and types. The way a child loves his or her parents is not the same as the way a woman may love her husband, and likewise, the way a person may love chocolate, per se, is not the same way a person would love his or her Lord (or at least we hope not). However in all of these types of love there is a common and key theme, that of sacrifice and fulfilment. The more we love something, the more we are willing to sacrifice for it, and the more we will strive to fulfil the every command and wish of our beloved. This should not be misunderstood as sacrifice and fulfilment being the only components of love, but rather they are from amongst the essential components that make up love, along with longing and cherishing. And this is why we should see that love, along with hope and fear, is a pillar of our worship. Our worship will not be complete nor acceptable until it encompasses the right amounts of love, hope, and fear. After having comprehended this, we can see how shirk can be performed even in love, yet most of mankind knows not.

If we were to take just a moment to reflect what Islam means linguistically (let alone conventionally), we would see that submission (the true linguistic definition of Islam, and not peace contrary to common belief), entails a common theme with love and that being sacrifice. When we truly submit to Allah we are willing to sacrifice anything and everything for Him. This can be seen in one of the most fundamental mottos of a Muslim:

"Say: Indeed my prayer, and my sacrifice, and my living, and my dying are for none other than Allah, Lord of all that exists." [Al-Qur'an 6:162]

So when one goes about sacrificing and fulfilling the wants of other than Allah, just as much or, more than what he does for Allah then such an individual has fallen into shirk. And if one fails to meet the necessary sacrifices and falls short in fulfilling the required obligations then such an individual has fallen into disbelief. It is in light of these words that we understand the verse:

"From mankind are those people who have taken deities other than Allah, they love them as they love Allah, and those who have faith (i.e. are Muslims) are stronger in their love for Allah." [Al-Qur'an 2:165]

During this Ramadhan do not let the sweetness of our deeds vanish into the night, leaving only emptiness. When one contemplates the texts on fasting, its wisdom and goals in Shari'ah, and looks at the reality of the Muslim communities, one realizes a wide gap between the reality and our obligations. Remember that Ramadhan is a bounty that Allah blessed His servants with, to strengthen their faith, and increase their piety (taqwa). Allah said:

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become pious." [Al-Qur'an 2:183]

This article is an attempt to present the essential causes of this gap, and to offer some remedies. The primary reason for the gap is ignorance about the goals of fasting and the wisdom behind it. Many Muslims ignore the purpose and wisdom of fasting. Fasting is done merely to conform to the social environmet without contemplation. If one is not aware of the divine wisdom of Shari'ah and its fruits in this world and in the hereafter, one will not apply it in the right way.

Goals of Fasting

Achieving taqwa: This is one of the most important wisdoms of fasting. Fasting brings on taqwa as it lessens the desire of the stomach and mutes the sexual appetite. Whoever fasts frequently would be able to overcome these two desires more easily. This deters against the committing of abominations and sins and assists in controlling one's life ultimatley leading to taqwa.

Strengthening willpower and acquiring patience: The Prophet, upon whom be peace, called Ramadhan the month of patience as it increases one's will power to control his desire and the selfishness of his soul. This training allows him to be strong in following Allah's commands. The most important being to carry the Message and propel it forward. The person trains himself to be patient in obeying Allah by stopping at the limits set by Allah both by way of action and abstention. Allah said:

"These are the limits set by Allah, so approach them not." [Al-Qur'an 2:187]

Fasting is pure worship: The fact that one is abstaining from food and drink both in public and in secret shows his honest faith and strong love of Allah, and his knowledge and feeling that Allah is All-Knowing. For this reason Allah has made the reward for fasting greater than for any other type of worship. Allah said in the hadith qudsi:

"Every deed of the son of Adam will be multiplied [in rewards], the good deed by ten of its like, up to seven hundred times, up to whatever Allah wills, except fasting, it is for Me and I will reward it. He abandons his desire and his food for My sake." [Related by Muslim]

O fasting person, know that by your sacrifice and giving you are actually giving a loan to your Loan for the day of your poverty and need.  The Day of Indigence and Wretchedness.  The Day of Loss and Gain.  O fasting person, know that  drink of water, a taste of milk, a handful of dates, the little food, money, clothes and fruits that you give to the needy are all it takes to clear your way to Paradise.

All praises to Allah, Lord of the worlds. He who revealed in His Glorious Qur'an, "O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who came before you that you may keep your duty to your Lord (having taqwa)." [Al-Qur'an 2:185] And may blessings and peace of Allah be upon His last Messenger Muhammad ibn Abdullah, forever.

O you who believe, Ramadhan is a sacred month wherein Almighty Allah is constantly testing His creation and giving humanity the opportunity to achieve infinite, endless Bliss. Fasting is a complete purification and a means to developing the consciousness of Allah's presence. The consciousness of Allah (Taqwa) is a protection against the schemes of Shaytan, and the suffering of this world. Allah has informed us that, "Whoever keeps his duty to Allah (has taqwa), He ordains a way out for him and gives him sustenance from where he imagines not. And whoever trusts in Allah, He is sufficient for him. Surely Allah attains His purpose. Allah has appointed a measure for everything." [Al-Qur'an 65:2]