Asif Siddiqi- a student of Quran Academy

Lying is another sin which is classified among the Greater sins. The famous scholar, Shaykh Ansari (r.a.) writes in his book, Makasib al-Muharrama: “Common sense suggests lying is Harām, all the revealed religions also say so; particularly Islam. The Qur’an is explicit in this regard. The corpus of hadith (opinion of the majority of the jurists) verifies this tenet and reason also sustains this assertion.” Lying is listed with the greater sins in the narration of Fazl Ibn Shazān from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.). Lying is one of the greatest sins A tradition from the Holy Prophet (S) declares, “Beware I inform you regarding the greatest of the mortal sins: Associating anything with Allah, disobeying parents and lying!” 1 A similar tradition has been quoted from Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) also, “All the evils have been locked in a room and its key is lying.” 2 Angels curse the liars The Prophet of Islam in another tradition is quoted to have said, “When a believer utters a lie without a...

 F or a generation that has been brought up on risqué offerings from Hollywood and Bollywood, music channels, TV soaps and talk shows, suggestive advertisements and explicit content on the Internet, the Islamic concept of Haya’ might seem like an outdated, impossibly archaic ideal. Increasingly, people see nothing wrong with bragging about illegitimate carnal adventures, using foul language, cracking jokes laden with double entendre, sharing graphic images and videos via Bluetooth and email, and generally participating in and contributing to creating a pervasive atmosphere of permissiveness. While we may blame the media for driving Haya’ from our public and private lives, we must ask ourselves: What can we do to counter this assault and cultivate this all-important value, which is one of the branches of  Imaan  (Faith), and as evident from its root word, is the essence of life ( Hayat ) itself? Understanding the many meanings of Haya’ Haya’ has been variously translated a...

Life of This World, the Hereafter, and Death Introduction The Islamic concept of life (of this world) refers to a temporary state of being, a period of test and trial. It is not meant for indulging in luxuries and excesses. Rather, it is for preparing for an eternal life in the Hereafter. Death is the beginning of the next phase of life, the everlasting life, “the real life.” There are detailed accounts of the life in the Hereafter recorded in the Qur’an and in the sermons of Prophet Muhammad (s). In the following pages, Imam Ali (p) eloquently expounds upon these concepts as a warning and guidance to humanity. His deep knowledge and understanding of the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet are evident here. His understanding of God’s workings is an indicator of his high level of spiritual insight. Transient Nature of This World Surely this world will depart, and the next world will take its place. “Today” is the day of preparation, while “tomorrow” will be the day of the race (to t...

' Riba'  ( Arabic :  ربا ,الربا، الربٰوة ‎  ribā or al-ribā ,  IPA:  [ˈrɪbæː] ) can be roughly translated as " usury ", or unjust, exploitative gains made in trade or business under  Islamic  law.  Riba  is mentioned and condemned in several different verses in the  Qur'an  ( 3:130 ,  4:161 ,  30:39  and perhaps most commonly in  2:275-2:280 ). It is also mentioned in many  hadith  (reports describing the words, actions, or habits of the Islamic prophet  Muhammad ). While Muslims agree that  riba  is prohibited, not all agree on what precisely it is. It is often used as an Islamic term for  interest  charged on loans, and the belief this is based on — that there is a consensus among Muslims that all loan/bank interest is  riba  — forms the basis of a $2 trillion  Islamic banking  industry. However, not all scholars have equated  riba ...