What is the Quran

The Quran is the book of Allah. It is God’s words revealed to his final prophet between the period of 610-632 AD.

The Quran does not bring a new religion. The oneness of God and to worship him has always been the message since the time of the first man and prophet of God, Adam (peace be upon him)

Watch this youTube short – “If a non-muslim asks what the Quran is…


The Quran is a confirmation and protected scripture of the books that were revealed before it to Moses, Jesus and other prophets which unfortunately over time were corrupted and led people to falsehood.

In this episode of the Learn Islam series, Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim briefly introduces the Quran.


Allah has promised to protect the Quran’s veracity. It is the Final Revelation and the primary source of Islamic theology and jurisprudence.

REVERTS CORNER

So you’re thinking about Islam… or have recently reverted. Alhamdolillah… Praise be to God who guides whoever he wills.

So what exactly is Islam all about and why are people turning to it?


Who is Muhammad

Peace be upon him, he was the last of the prophets sent by the one true God who sent all the prophets before him including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus; peace and blessings be upon them all.

In this wonderful Ramadan series, Imam Omar Suleiman discusses all aspects of the Prophet Muhammad’s character and brings him to life.


He was born in the city of Makkah (Mecca) in the Arabian Peninsular (modern day Saudi Arabia) in the year c. 570 AD into the ruling Quraysh tribe at a time when idol worship was prevalent.

He was illiterate all his life, yet he recited impromptu poetry that mesmerised his contemporaries and continues to do so today; this was the Quran that was revealed to him by the angel Gabriel (Jibreel).

In this episode of the Learn Islam series, Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim briefly introduces us to who Muhammad (PBUH) was.


Prior to his prophethood he was known for his good character and was called Al-Amin (The Trustworthy One) by his people.

His prophethood started at the age of 40 while he was meditating in the cave of Hira in the outskirts of Makkah. The angel Gabriel appeared to him and commanded him to “read out aloud” the revelation.

Born in New York City USA as a Christian, Shaykh Khalid Yasin, featured in the below video, embraced Islam in 1965.


Within the space of 23 years he would bring monotheism to the Arabian Peninsula and unite its numerous tribes under the banner of Islam.

Today Islam is the fastest growing religion with almost 2 billion followers. It is the religion of mankind.

REVERTS CORNER

So you’re thinking about Islam… or have recently reverted. Alhamdolillah… Praise be to God who guides whoever he wills.

So what exactly is Islam all about and why are people turning to it?


Making Du’a in the Rain

Watch Zimbabwean scholar Mufti Menk explain briefly the wisdom behind making dua when it rains.


SubhanAllah during the tribulation of Gaza in 2023, a woman makes dua in the rain that Allah sends down from the heavens.


Narrated in Sahih Muslim by Anas bin Malik:

It rained upon us as we were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) removed his cloth (from a part of his body) till the rain fell on it. We said: Messenger of Allah, why did you do this? He said: It is because it (the rainfall) has just come from the Exalted Lord.


Published by The Daily Reminder, a popular channel on YouTube.


REVERTS CORNER

So you’re thinking about Islam… or have recently reverted. Alhamdolillah… Praise be to God who guides whoever he wills.

So what exactly is Islam all about and why are people turning to it?


The People of the Book in the Quran

Who are the People of the Book mentioned in the Quran?

The title refers to the Jews and Christians who were given scripture beforehand via the prophets Moses and Jesus; peace be upon them both.

The Jews and Christians had previously been gifted original scriptures of divine origin from Allah; the Torah to Moses (PBUH) and the Injeel to Jesus (PBUH), but over centuries they had strayed from the teachings.

Approximately 600 years after Jesus, Allah sent his last messenger Muhammad (PBUH) and revealed to him The Quran which reached out in particular to the People of the Book as they had previously been given scripture.

Watch this Blogging Theology youtube short by Paul Williams, blogger, bibliophile and comparative religion expert based in London.


REVERTS CORNER

So you’re thinking about Islam… or have recently reverted. Alhamdolillah… Praise be to God who guides whoever he wills.

So what exactly is Islam all about and why are people turning to it?


What Is Islam

Islam is the religion. Muslims are its followers.

It is a way of life. It is submission to the one true God – Allah.

It is for all mankind. It is the key to success in this world and the afterlife.

In this video Dr Musharraf Hussain introduces the basic beliefs of Islam.


REVERTS CORNER

So you’re thinking about Islam… or have recently reverted. Alhamdolillah… Praise be to God who guides whoever he wills.

So what exactly is Islam all about and why are people turning to it?


Jorem Van Klaveren: Far-Right Politician Reverts

Joram Van Klaveren, a former far-right Dutch politician, converted to Islam in 2019.

How did Joram Van Klaveren became a Muslim? In this video he tells Towards Eternity his journey to becoming muslim. How was his life previously in regards to faith? All these questions and more answered.

In his own words, from extreme nationalism and far-right politics to compassion and empathy, watch the incredible transformation story of Joram van Klaveren, a former Dutch parliamentarian.


Allah Guides Whomever He Wills

Zimbabwean scholar Mufti Ismail ibn Musa Menk briefly explains how Allah guides whom he wills, in his characteristic soothing and charismatic manner.


Joram Van Klaveren, a former far-right Dutch politician reverted to Islam in 2019. His journey to the truth started while he was writing an anti-Islamic book. He realized in his research that the right path was Islam.


Based in the US, Shaykh Dr Yasir Qadhi is a pragmatic scholar of our times. In this short clip he explains how guidance only comes from Allah.


Do I Pay Zakat for Children ?

Shaykh Abu Eesa of AlMaghrib Institute gives a concise answer to whether zakat is payable for children.

Summary

It is quite possible that children have funds saved for them whether it be government welfare systems that contribute to a fund or parental donations.

Normally in the acts of worship the conditions are that one is baligh, mature, can be held accountable etc. Zakat however according to the sahaba and the majority of scholars is not held by these conditions. In other words zakat is payable on assets that are held by children even if they do not have ‘aql’ or the power of reasoning / mental capacity.

Imam Abu Hanifa however held the opinion that zakat is not taken from children or the mentally incapacitated because intention is a key component of an act of worship. Therefore such individuals are not required to pay zakat as they cannot understand the intention of giving zakat.

The vast majority of other Imams and Madhahib however hold that zakat is an exception to that logic and that the right of zakat applies to wherever the wealth is found as opposed to the person.

Please watch the video for Shaykh Abu Eesa‘s exact words.

And Allah knows best

How is The End of Suhoor Calculated?

In general the average muslim does not need to make this calculation. They should simply follow their local masjid and the majority of the muslims in their area/ land. Unity of muslims is better than discord over the differences of opinion.

It is for those who need to make this decision to consider the differences of opinion and come to a judgement for their locality/ communities. The differences are primarily an issue when the land in question approaches the polar regions and is far from the equator. In such regions it is possible to have differences of a whole hour or so between the different calculations.

The time in question is the beginning of fajr as this denotes the time at which suhoor must end. The Quran clearly states that one may eat until the white thread of dawn is distinguished from the black thread of the night. However this phenomenon is not purely dependent on the sun. It can be dependent of one’s location, how observable the horizon is, one’s own eyesight and other such factors.

The astronomical dawn i.e. the point at which the night ends and the twilight of dawn begins is considered when the sun is 18 degrees below the horizon. For this reason traditionally and many Islamic apps today use 18 degrees as the basis as the time of imsak i.e. the point at which the suhoor meal must be completed.

However the astronomical dawn does not strictly meet the criterion of the Quranic imsak. There are too many variables that determine when exactly the whitishness of the true dawn occurs on a given day.

Some may say that one should be safe and make imsak a bit early, but for those who do not have much time to eat, we need to consider their needs. Furthermore, it is a sunnah to eat until the adhan is given.

In fact many studies into this have concluded that imsak occurs after 18 degrees and when the sun is more in the region of 15 degrees below the horizon and even upto 13 degrees depending on one’s location.

Therefore in conclusion, the calculation of suhoor can vary for legitimate reasons and because the Earth is not one uniform globe. And the best advice is to follow your community and the majority.

Those who wish to understand further should watch the video for Shaykh Yasir Qadhi‘s exact words.

And Allah knows best.