Ramadan – Islamwise

Today’s blog is written by a very special friend of mine. She is a White British revert and has been a Muslim for over 14 years. Sarah inspires me in every single conversation I have with her. It is her sincerity for wanting to be better and her genuine gratitude for being a Muslim that I love. She is a quiet, reflective, inner peace and calm type, whilst I’m a reflect then talk and talk and get over-excited type!

Sarah has overcome many tests mashaAllah by keeping close to Allah swt, and to her husband. She is doing an incredible job of raising amazing children; so when you read this know that it comes from a place of wisdom.

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As salaamu Alaikum…

Ramadaan for me I think has always been a little difficult. Since becoming a Muslim many years ago…that feeling of being incredibly hungry but wanting to feel a sense of peace and connection…and not always achieving it…not until my own children started to want to fast.

The past few years have been incredible for me, watching my children have a desire to fast the month with us, watching them grow, taking them to taraweh was when I really felt Ramadaan. Not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally.

Having little family traditions that will live within them forever, praying together, abstaining from food and water together, learning together, growing together was the real highlight for me.

Last year my eldest daughter said to me that she had her best ever Ramadaan, she felt that she had attained a real connection with Allah and really benefited from her fasting and all of the ebadah that she had done – may Allah accept it from her and from all of us aameen.

Of all the struggles that we go through as reverts these moments of connection with Allah and our children are the things that I’m eternally grateful for.

May Allah allow us to reach Ramadaan and make it our best yet!!!

Sarah

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Once you experience that connection with Allah swt and that sweetness, you will find that He gives you so much strength in continuing through all of life’s struggles. Allah swt is surely the giver of ease, the most gentle, loving and most powerful. That sweet moment will keep you going just to taste that sweetness all over again. You will have the strength to get through everything because you know Allah swt is with you in every moment. Nothing else matters.

May Allah swt bless Sarah and all her family, Ameen.

RAMADAN 2022

WHAT DOES RAMADAN MEAN TO MUSLIMS?

The month of Ramadan is upon us. The Islamic lunar year consists of 12 months, of which four of these months are considered sacred, making sinning in them greater, in addition to, multiplying rewards of righteous deeds during them. Ramadan is the ninth month in the calendar and is one of the sacred months from the four sacred months in Islam. It is recognised as the month that the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed, as stated in the Quran itself: “The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an as guidance for mankind” – Qur’an (2:185) It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would announce the good news of the arrival of the month of Ramadan to his companions, and would say to them: “The month of Ramadan has come to you. It is the month of blessing. During this month, Allah sends down mercy, ones mistakes are forgiven, supplications are answered and Allah praises you in the presence of His angels, so show Allah your virtues. For certainly the unfortunate individual is he who is prohibited from the mercy of Allah.” He (pbuh) also said: “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” Fasting was not made obligatory until the second year after the migration (hijrah) of the prophet (pbuh) to the city of Medina, where he established the Islamic state and resided for the last 13 years of his life. Fasting the month of Ramadan is considered obligatory for every sane Muslim adult and that means each and every sane adult is obliged to fast the whole month, whether it is 29 or 30 days. The evidence for this is found in the Qur’an, where it states: “So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan), he must fast that month.” Qur’an (2:184)

The Arabic word for fasting is sawm. In Arabic, it literally means to abstain from something. And in Islamic Law, it refers to the abstinence from those things that break the fast, starting from Fajr (just before dawn) and ending at Maghrib (just before dusk), having first made the intention to do so. But certain people are exempt if they have a legitimate excuse (travelling, sickness, pregnancy etc). However, they must make up the days, if possible. Such rulings are explicitly detailed in the Qur’an to avoid any difficulty for people: “…and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number (of days which one did not observe saum (fasts) must be made up) from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.” Qur’an (2:184) Therefore even if one is travelling or is ill, Muslims are still obligated to make up the days from later months outside of Ramadan. Except in the case of continuous medical conditions or illnesses which prevent a person from fasting. In such a condition, a person is required to expiate for not fasting by feeding a poor person for each day that they are unable to fast – but only if they have the money to do so, again avoiding any undue difficulty. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) further emphasized the importance of Ramadan when he said: “Islam is built on five (pillars): To testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah (God – alone) and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; To offer salat (prayer); To pay Zakat (obligatory charity); To observe saum (fasts during the month of Ramadan) and; To perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the house (the great mosque in Mecca).” Sahih Al-Bukhari In another narration, it is reported that he (pbuh) said: “He who deliberately fails to fast a day of Ramadan – even if he were to fast forever it would not make up for it.” So fasting is one of the great pillars of Islam. It is one of the acts from the principal acts of being a Muslim.

For those who have become Muslim during the year, it will be their first time experiencing Ramadan. Some of them may be filled with excitement, whilst others may be nervous and concerned about fulfilling their obligations. All these feelings are natural and Muslims who have experienced Ramadan will tell you that there is nothing to fear and that these anxieties fall away after you’ve experienced your first fast. Clear and decisive verses in the Qur’an encourage sawm/fasting as a means of seeking nearness to God: “Oh you who believe, Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you (early Christians and Jews), so that you may attain taqwa (become God conscious).” (Quran 2:183) Fasting is seen as a means to attain the quality of taqwa – to become God conscious, pious and righteous. So fasting isn’t simply considered by Muslims as abstinence from food and drink, it’s developing the concept of taqwa. This is why the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “It may be that a fasting person attains nothing but hunger and thirst from his fast.” And: “One who does not abandon evil talk and actions, then Allah is not in need of him abandoning his food and drink.” It is a month for Muslims to be the most virtuous that they can be. That is why the prophet’s companions are quoted to have said: “Let not the day that you fast and the day that you do not fast be equal”. Muslims will be striving during this month to perfect their manners and bring them in line with the character (and practice) of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Muslims will be using their time to get closer to God, so many may witness a noticeable difference in the character of a fasting person, as they try to do things that are pleasing to God. Muslims will be exhibiting a higher level of patience and restraint this month, not only from eating and drinking. It will be a month for them to practice this patience and increase their level of faith/eeman. For many, patience is inseparable from the purpose of Ramadan. Islamic scholars mention four areas where patience is required: fulfilling acts of obedience to God; refraining from prohibitions; bearing trials and tribulations, and preserving one’s heart and intellect from misguidance. Fasting allows Muslims to exercise and develop all of these various forms of patience. This is why the reward of this month is considered so great. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever fasts during the month of Ramadan, out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s (God’s) rewards, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” And to mention one final prophetic narration (hadeeth) on the rewards of this month: “..For the fasting person there are two times of joy; when he breaks his fast he is happy and when he (eventually) meets his Lord he is happy due to his fasting.”

The virtues and rewards of fasting are many, as can be seen by the many verses of the Quran and narrations from the prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

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Ramadan is over, now what?

With Ramadan now a distant memory, it is extremely important we do not undo the efforts we made during this month. We found how much more we could do once we put our minds to it and really exerted our efforts into worshipping Allah. Don’t leave off good actions Imagine there was a person who exerted so much effort into doing something and then all of sudden un-done all this hard work. Imagine a person finishing the Quran numerous times during Ramadan then not picking it up after Ramadan. Alternatively, a person who would stand the night in prayer and then left if after Ramadan. This was a warning given by the Prophet SAW as he said to Abdullah ibn Amr: “يا عبد الله، لا تكن مثل فلان، كان يقوم من الليل ثم ترك قيام الليل” متفق عليه “Oh Abdullah, don’t be like such and such, he used to stand part of the night in prayer but then he left the night prayer” (Agreed upon) Allah blessed us with being able to pray the night prayers during this month. To avoid falling into what the Prophet SAW warned against, the least we can do is to keep up two optional units of prayer after Isha, and pray witr before we sleep. We can then work on things gradually to pray more and pray later in the night, because the most virtuous prayer, after the obligations, is the night prayer. Continue fasting! A person, just as he can continue with night prayers outside the month of Ramadan, can also continue with optional fast outside the month. There are many opportunities for this including: – 6 days of Shawwal Abu Ayyoob Al-Ansaari, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, , said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six (fasts) of Shawwal, it would be as if he fasted for the whole year.” [Muslim] – The month of Muharram Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, , said: “The best fast after Ramadan is the fast in the month of Allah Al-Muharram [Muslim] – Fasting Monday and Thursday The Prophet Muhammad SAW said that deeds are raised to Allah on Monday and Thursday, I want my deeds to be raised and I am fasting (collected by Ahmad) – Fasting the day of Arafah “Fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah absolves the sins for two years: the previous year and the coming year, and fasting on ‘Ashura, (the tenth day of Muharram) atones for the sins of previous years.” Reported by all except Al-Bukhari and At-Tirmidhi

Close the door to evil!

So how can we preserve these good deeds? How can we keep them up after Ramadan?

Something important the scholars say is:

ليس المهم أن تَفتَح بابَ الخير فقط، المهم أن تُغلِق باب الشر

“It is not only important to open the door to good, but it’s also important to close the door to evil”

This is because if the door to evil is open, it’ll take over your good deeds. Just as we find people doing good deeds, they may at the same time be indulging in evil actions, this may be causing deficiencies in their good deeds.

Some doors of evil we can close are:

Safeguarding our tongue – maybe one word we utter may harm a person, this could be a cause for our good deeds to be taken away and becoming null and void.

We learn from the Prophet Muhammad SAW who when it was said to him about a particular lady, she prays at night, fasts during the day and gives charity but she harms her neighbour with her tongue, the Prophet said, there is no good in her, she is from the people of the fire. He was then told about a lady who prays her obligatory prayers but never harmed anyone, the Prophet said, she is from the people of paradise. If you want to preserve your good deeds, preserve your tongue and be mindful of what you say.

Not being envious of others

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْحَسَدَ فَإِنَّ الْحَسَدَ يَأْكُلُ الْحَسَنَاتِ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ النَّارُ الْحَطَبَ أَوْ قَالَ الْعُشْبَ

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Beware of envy, for it devours good deeds just as fire devours wood or grass.

Allah also says:

أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ

“Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty”

When we aren’t happy and pleased with what Allah has given us, we’ll envy other people for what Allah has blessed them with, but we forget what we have.

Allah has blessed us with health, wealth and family, what else can we ask for? Yet we look around us and see our neighbour has more than us, they have a better car and here the envy starts! We’ll look at what’s in the hands of others, yet we won’t look at what we have! Allah says

وَفِي أَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ

…and in yourselves. Then will you not see?

Allah tells us:

لقد خلقننا الانسان في أحسن تقويم

“We have certainly created man in the best of stature”

Allah has created us in the best of stature, we have many blessings; our sight, being able to touch, smell, listen and walk, we’ve been given everything yet we’re still envious of others.

The Prophet SAW told us when it comes to the dunya to look at those below you and not above you.

انْظُرْ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ دُونَكَ وَلا تَنْظُرْ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ فَوْقَكَ

Only then, will truly realise and appreciate the blessings Allah has bestowed us with.

We ask Allah to accept our fasting and good deeds during the month of Ramadan, to make us continue with the good deeds and habits we strived to perfect and to make it a means for us to enter through the gate of Ar-Rayyan (one of the gates of heaven).

During Ramadan, we found out how much more we can do, so let’s try to keep up with those extra actions even if they are only “small”. Whether it was making sure you prayed every prayer on time, praying at the masjid at least once a day, giving a small amount of charity every day or being kind and gentle with your family; remember the words of our Messenger, peace be upon him:

“Take up good deeds only as much as you are able, for the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few.”

Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 4240

Assalaam’alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatahu

Today’s blog is at the end of Ramadhan, at the end of the striving and when the heart pleads with sincere duas to Allah swt.

I would like you to read sister Sumaya’s (name changed) story. Read about her duas during Ramadhan, were they fulfilled? How did she react?

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My first Ramadhan, I was studying at Uni and working part time. The days were hot and long! Everyone around me was munching and drinking.

But Allah swt made it easy for me. Like a mental transition. Like something washes over, maybe the rules of Islam (so many as a new revert!) I knew I just had to obey, and I think that’s why Allah swt gave me the sabr.

So, I coped with the not eating. Work and Uni was fine. I remember my friends at Uni, very innocently say “Eat a bit, I won’t tell anyone!”

My mum knew I was Muslim, but my dad didn’t. It was very hidden; it was agonising that my mum knew but dad didn’t.

My mum the detective (I did purposely leave clues in the house like a pray mat), found out I was fasting through a closed milk bottle when I claimed I had cereal! I was afraid and anxious of dad finding out, my stomach was in knots, but mum made it a little easier. Alhamdulilah she was my mercy at the time even though I knew there was a thunder on its way.

My dad was the ‘big cookie’. Mum was soft. I couldn’t tell dad, I was too afraid. I wanted to know more about the deen ready to answer his questions, but also emotionally ready. When dad did find out he strangled me, on a day I was fasting, til I passed out on the ground. I refused to be thrown out my house as he demanded.

Every time I opened my fast, I made dua that my dad wouldn’t blow up. Yet he did. But I felt like I was under Allah’s wing. It is not what I prayed for or hoped for, but I still had enough trust in Allah that it would still work, and this is part of the bigger picture. My duas where so thorough but what happened was the opposite of what I prayed for, I knew it had to be Allah’s mercy, His plan would be better than mine.

Later due to the reaction of my dad finding out and subsequent events I was forced to move out, I happily married and had children. My mum left my abusive dad and became Muslim herself, just over ten years later.

I learnt to submit to the will of Allah. Even though it looked like Allah gave me the opposite of what I made dua especially during Ramadhan, I learnt to ride it out and trust that this was is better. Years down the line you will realise the benefits of why it played out the way it did.

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Often we say from the lips “Allah swt is the best of planners”, then when we feel our duas are not answered or we are tested in the thing we made dua for; we crumble and say “Allah swt is punishing me”, “I am a bad Muslim”, “Why me?”, “I am not good enough”.

Sumaya is an inspiration to me. She put her trust in Allah swt when making dua, she maintained her sabr and repeated her dua. When the unexpected happened, she had the emaan to turn words into action, to enact “this is how Allah swt wanted it and He is the best of planners”. She did not complain, falter or question rather she believed in Allah’s wisdom being greater than hers, she believed in Allah’s foresight of her future, she believed in Allah’s LOVE.

As Ramadhan comes to an end and you remember the duas you pleaded for, as life continues and trials continue; remember that the duas you made are heard by your Lord, they will be answered by His infinite wisdom, you only need to put your trust in His plan. Duas are answered in 3 ways, I will give a very brief summary, but I strongly advise you learn in more depth inshaAllah;

1. You ask for something and Allah gives it to you immediately. Be grateful.

2. You ask for something and Allah delays in giving it. Be patient. Allah swt may do this to bring you closer to Him. Be sincere and reflective.

3. Allah will withhold giving you what you ask for if it is bad for you, but you don’t realise, or He will give you something better on the day of Judgement. Don’t panic. Like Sumaya, look at the situation from a different perspective and know Allah swt is the best of planners.

Be positive about your Lord, ‘I am what my servant thinks of me.’ (Qudsi hadith). Remember the story of our sister Sumaya, who was only in her first months of being Muslim SubhaanAllah. Her knowledge of who Allah swt is, allowed her to overcome a test many reverts and non-reverts face. I ask you keep struggling reverts in your duas, I ask this Eid you open your homes to those Muslims that are on their own and I ask you make dua for the ummah. On that note (another essay instead of short blog!) have an amazing Eid, don’t forget the sunnah – the best gatherings and feasts are where the poor are also fed! Wasalaam.

Week 4: Introspection and Acceptance With the end of Ramadan upon us, we must ask ourselves; what have we achieved from this month? Are we the same as when we entered the month or have we changed, have we improved; has our connection with Allah become stronger? We spent the nights praying and reading Qur’an and the day abstaining from food and drink. We would see the Masjid full to the brim, faces you had never seen before and in reality, you probably will not see again until next Ramadan. We need to understand that it does not end here; doing good deeds does not end by the ending of Ramadan. The Lord you worshipped and strived to please in Ramadan is the same Lord you need to strive to worship outside of Ramadan. The same Qur’an you read in Ramadan is the same Qur’an you need to be reading outside of Ramadan. This goes for all the acts of worship you done inside of Ramadan, from giving in charity to performing I’tikaaf in the Masjid, all this can still be done outside of Ramadan. We know the Salaf used to supplicate to Allah for six months asking Him to get them to the month of Ramadan; and then they used to supplicate for six months that Allah accepts their fasting and other worship in Ramaḍan. We ask Allah Almighty to accept our fasting, qiyaam , and righteous deeds and that he blesses us with many more opportunities to witness the month of Ramadan, ameen!

Assalaam’alaykum, One of my favourite blogs… FISH FINGER SANDWICH SAVED ENGLISH REVERTS RAMADAN!!!!!! I am a healthy woman with a healthy diet and attitude towards food, but after 3 Ramadans of what felt like I had an eating disorder coming upon me, I decided to do what felt right and good to me – I had a fish finger sandwich for IFTAAR, yep not a date, not a samosa, not a giant plate of meat and rice. That was it, I could eat, focus and enjoy my Ramadan. Here I am on my 8th Ramadan. I feel no pressure, no anxiety, I just hope for a blessed month for all the ummah Insha’Allah. I have spent all my Ramadans in a small town. I have had iftars alone and helped at charity iftars. I have spent Ramadans as the only Muslim in the house. I have had iftars where I could hardly eat a piece of fruit at iftar as I had gone beyond hunger and where I was nearly sick at the sight of piles of meat and oil on other plates.

The expectations for Ramadan are all around us, what is best to eat, to drink, to read when to sleep etc. etc. But now I know quite simply, I can eat what I want for iftar and a little at suhoor is a sunnah, and what I have been asked to do at Ramadan is FAST. Yes, there are blessings in abundance in this month but if I have done my 30 fasts, I have done what Allah asked of me. Your relationship with Allah is just that YOURS. Know what Allah expects of you and strive to enjoy Ramadan. Allah knows your intentions. Find small Islamic practices to add to your daily routine, to continue with after Ramadan, small and consistent is good. Now I am off to the shops for bread butter and fish fingers. … SubhanAllah, such an upbeat blog by sister Andrea, 56, English living in England; as described. She really has put a smile on my face. A beautiful reminder to not be excessive in Ramadhan. Moderation in Ramadan is a great time to get into a habit that should be practised all year round. The prophet Muhammad peace be upon him has advised the stomach is the worse vessel to overfill, to only eat enough to keep your back straight, that food for one is enough for two and so on. “O Children of Adam…eat and drink, but not excessively: verily, God does not like the excessive” (7:31). As sister Andrea also reminds us, there are several reverts eating alone this Ramadan…please share your food with a person who needs your kindness more than food and may Allah swt reward you for filling a person’s heart this Ramadan. Have an amazing 10 days! Walikumassalaam

Week 3: Analogy between Yusuf عليه السلام and the month of Ramadan Scholars have mentioned many analogies between Yusuf عليه السلام and the month of Ramadan; some of which are:

1) The twelve months of the year are like the twelve sons of Prophet Yaqub. Just as Prophet Yusuf was the most beloved to Yaqub, the month of Ramadan is the most beloved to Allah.

2) Just as Allah forgave the eleven brothers by the du’a of one (Yusuf), He can forgive your eleven months of sins by your du’as in Ramadan.”

3) Just as Yusuf was loving and forgiving and forgave his brothers when he said:

(سورة يوسف 92) لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَNo blame will there be upon you today (Surah Yusuf – 92) Similarly, we find the month of Ramadan full of blessing, love and forgiveness, it saves a person from the hellfire and is a month in which Allah forgives us!

4) The brothers of Yusuf came to Yusuf in a state of loss after having committed grave sins, but Yusuf treated them with love and respect; he fed them, was good to them and gave them hope. Likewise, we reach the month of Ramadan with deficiencies, sins and in a state of loss. The month of Ramadan provides us with an opportunity to reconnect with our Lord, self-reflect, and rejuvenate our worship for His sake.

We ask Allah to make the most of what is left of this blessed month, Ameen!

How can one take their worship up a level in this blessed month of Ramadan? Here are 6 things that will help you take your worship up a level:

Just focus

Bring yourself to the present moment and truly experience it all. When you wake up for the pre-dawn meal (suhoor), don’t do it heavily, dragging your weight about while groggily shoving food down to sustain you for the day. Instead, do it with purpose. Plan to wake up simply because it is a sunnah of our Prophet ﷺ, and because you know there are blessings in it.

Learn the words

When you stand for your salah, it has little impact when you don’t know what you’re actually reciting. Start small. Study the meanings of the various phrases said in salah as you transition from one position to another; study the meaning of Al-Fatiha if you don’t know it already. And when you know it, feel every verse. If you’re not sure where to start, why not download our Tell Me How to Pray E-Book.

Talk to Allah

More than anything else, Ramadan should be about building our relationship with Allah. And it only makes sense that part of the reason we feel disconnected and unconscious in our worship is because we don’t know who we’re worshipping, or who we’re talking to. To start to find out more about Allah swt, why not download our Tell Me About Allah E-Book.

You will stumble

You might fall. But the absolute most important thing is that you never stop trying. If you slip up one day and feel like your fast has been empty, void of all consciousness of what you were doing and why don’t use that as the go-ahead for the rest of your month. Use it as a turning point and a reminder of what you should be working for. And when you know it, feel every verse. If you’re not sure where to start, why not download our Tell Me How to Pray E-Book.

Do only as much as you can handle

Don’t become overzealous, planning to do everything that gets reward during this month. Hours of lengthy Qur’an recitation cease to be meaningful when you’re reciting just to get through them but your heart is not connected.

Remember the reward

Our hunger means nothing when it is mindless and unconscious of Allah. we need to remind ourselves of our reward with Allah. Without that, everything is pointless and empty.

Adapted from an article posted by Free Quran Education

Ramadan is still a dream for me I am a convert keeping my Islam secret for 7 years now. Every Ramadan is a hope for me that one day I will do Ramadan and fast in that month ☺️ SubhanAllah from sister Hafeeza, 31, living in India. Sometimes we can take our fasting, ability to pray, to educate ourselves openly for advantage. For many reverts, keeping their Islam a secret is usually out of fear for their lives or of societal rejection. Family culture and traditions can control the structure and relationships of a household. Yet we find these brave souls, by the mercy of Allah swt, discovering Islam amongst such a tight web. Alhamdulilah, Sister Hafeeza has kept her emaan, her love for Allah swt for 7 years, not giving up.

Holding on to that rope of Allah swt whilst facing so much aversion from family, friends etc is extremely hard. It takes so much strength and passion in wanting a different lifestyle for yourself. In honesty, it takes a great amount of love and fear of Allah swt with the aim to please Him, to do the right thing. But it usually comes with insults, threats, being ostracised, loneliness, rejection, being told you are mental and so on. Telling your family is not an easy conversation.

Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:

“There shall come upon the people a time in which the one who is patient upon his religion will be like the one holding onto a burning ember.”

Remember this Ramadhan, do not take your Islam for granted. Your ability to fast and pray openly is a blessing. The blessing is this – you can develop yourself inwardly and outwardly. When you are not being restricted or practising in secret, you can really make huge changes in your life, there is no limit to how much you can advance yourself in faith.

We pray Allah swt protects all our revert brothers and sisters, who from fear, hide their faith. We ask Allah swt the Most-Wise, to grant them the ease to practice their faith openly. Ameen.