Inilah Masanya

منْ شَبَّ على شيءٍ شابَ عليه What a person grows up with, he will usually grow old with ﴿وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى﴾ “Dan orang-orang yang menerima petunjuk, Allah menambahkan petunjuk kepada mereka.” (47:17)

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik (RA): Whenever the Prophet ﷺ returned from a journey and saw the walls of Madīnah, he would say: آيبون، تائبون، عابدون، لربنا حامدون Ā’ibūn, tā’ibūn, ‘ābidūn, li-rabbinā ḥāmidūn “Returning, repenting, worshipping, and praising our Lord.” (Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (1345), Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (3085)

Eid al-Fitr is often understood as the celebration of returning to fitrah, our natural state. فَأَقِمۡ وَجۡهَكَ لِلدِّینِ حَنِیفࣰاۚ فِطۡرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِی فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَیۡهَاۚ لَا تَبۡدِیلَ لِخَلۡقِ ٱللَّهِۚ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ ٱلدِّینُ ٱلۡقَیِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ﴿ ٣٠ ﴾ So direct your face [i.e., self] toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fiṭrah of Allāh upon which He…

Should the Youth Lead? Why not? It was one of the final commands of the Prophet ﷺ. Usama ibn Zayd (ra), only 17–18 years old, was chosen to lead an army to confront the powerful Byzantine Empire. Ibn Saʿd mentioned in al Tabaqat al Kubra that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ appointed Usama while he was only eighteen years old. Al Dhahabi also records in Siyar A‘lam al Nubala that he was about eighteen, though some reports…

How Long Should I Commit with the Ummah? If one generation spans about 30 years, then truly building a generation requires at least 60 years. The first 30 years are spent shaping the parents — equipping them with values, vision, and strength. The next 30 years are for raising their children within that prepared foundation. Only through this two-cycle process can change be sustainable and enduring. And if this effor…

[ Youth and Responsibility for the Ummah ] Question: “If you were in our position now, at 18 years old, doing our preparatory classes, would you have the same concerns about the Ummah? And why?” This was actually a question I received directly from one of the youth in California, while I was speaking with students there. Answer: “Yes, we must have this concern, and we must act starting now. One of the strategies o…

نعمة الدعوة إلى الله تعالى «من فضائل الدعوة إلى الله؛ أنها تنقلنا من دائرة السكون والعجز إلى ميدان الحركة والبذل، ومن حالة اليأس والسلبية إلى آفاق الأمل والإيجابية، ومن ساحة الخمول والكسل إلى ميدان النشاط والعمل، ومن ديابير الأثرة والانزواء إلى أنوار العطاء والفداء. فما أعظمها من نعمة، وما أشرفها من رسالة، فقد بارك الله بها الأعمال والأوقات، ورفع بها الشأن والدرجات، كما أعطى بها الأجر وأحسن بها الذكر، من هنا جاء الا…

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The more Islamic a person’s character is, the more likely it is that leadership will be of benefit; and thus having this trait (dominant Islamic character) is a condition for leadership’s fruitfulness. These technical skills in the field of preparing leaders are of great weight and serious impact. They are founded upon knowledge, understanding, and both general culture and specialized culture. We can point to severa…

A brother’s right over his brother in the field of preparing leaders Preparing leaders to work for Islam is a task of great weight and importance. Work that lacks leadership loses direction, has no mapped plan, and individuals and groups fail to reach the intended goal. A leader, a chief, an amir—these are necessary. The Islamic order itself has ruled that if three people set out on a journey, one of them must be a…

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Tazkirah: The Test of Distraction, Even with the Prophet ﷺ Present Allah says in Surah Al-Jumuʿah (62:11): وَإِذَا رَأَوْا۟ تِجَـٰرَةً أَوْ لَهْوًا ٱنفَضُّوٓا۟ إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَآئِمًۭا ۚ قُلْ مَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهْوِ وَمِنَ ٱلتِّجَـٰرَةِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلرَّٰزِقِينَ “But when they saw a transaction or a diversion, they rushed to it and left you standing. Say, ‘What is with Allah is bet…