SURAH AL-’ASR, a very early Makkan surah is one of the shortest surahs of the Quran. The words used in this surah are also commonly used in Urdu and are familiar to those who have a fair knowledge of this language. This is why a sketchy meaning of the surah is grasped without much difficulty by every Urdu-knowing individual. But studied and pondered over at a deeper level, this Surah opens up a treasure house of knowledge and wisdom. As a matter of fact, there is a striking analogy between ... [Continue Reading]
Books
Four Basic Precepts of the Quran
Those of us who have been familiar with the writer from the beginning are aware that, at the start, he confined himself mainly to the fundamentals, trying to scrub away the centuries old crusts which had dimmed the true Islamic concepts and to remove the misunderstandings that had spread gradually regarding the basic principles and purpose of Islam. His book, Four Basic Precepts of the Quran, which originally appeared in his monthly Urdu magazine, was one such effort, the intention being to ... [Continue Reading]
The Spiritual Cure
It is named al-Fatihah, the Opening - because it opens the Book and by it the recitation in prayer commences. It is also named Ummul Qur’an, the Mother of the Qur’an, and Ummul Kitaab, the Mother of the Book, according to the opinion of the majority. This was mentioned by Anas, however al-Hasan and ibn Seereen disliked this appellation reasoning that this was the most fitting description for the Preserved Tablet. Al- Hasan also said that the unequivocal verses of the Qur’an comprised the ... [Continue Reading]
Lessons From History
The substance of this book is based on the ideas published by Dr. Israr Ahmad in 1993 in the olumns of the Urdu daily Nawa-e-Waqt of Lahore. The series of write-ups continued for a few months and were widely read with interest. The entire material, after slight editing, was published in a book form in October 1993 under the title Sabiqa aur Maujuda Musalman Ummatun ka Mazi, Haal, aur Mustaqbil, and has since gone through many re-prints. Dr. Ahmed Afzaal rendered these ideas into English and part ... [Continue Reading]
Between Yesterday and Today
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate Praise be to Allah, may He bless and save Our guide Muhammad, the victor and the Seal of all prophets, His family and his Companions. The Message of the Faithful Prophet Thirteen hundred and seventy years ago, Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah, the Illiterate Prophet, proclaimed in the heart of Mecca from Mount Al-Safa: ‘O mankind, I am sent to you all as a messenger of Allah, to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: ... [Continue Reading]
Spiritual Disease And It’s Cure
The Imam was asked a long question of which a part was - What is the opinion of the scholars regarding a man who is afflicted by a disease, and knows that if it should continue it would damage his life? The Imam Quoted the Hadith from Sahih Bukhari The prophet (S) said: 'Allah has appointed a remedy for every disease He has sent down' Imam Ahmad reported on the authority of Usamah bin Shareek that the ' Prophet (S) said Allah has not made a disease without providing a remedy for it, wih the ... [Continue Reading]