Ramadan Challenge: Why Start With Bismillah?

By Fatima Asad Do you take “Bismillah” for granted? You are not alone if you do. There are many types of Bismillahs that we say throughout the day.  The kind you say before eating or drinking.  Then there’s the kind you say before reading the Quran or at the start of wudu.  Then there’s the...

Ramadan Challenge: It’s All About Intentions!

By Umm Ibrahim Yesterday was not a good day. I had started the day with the intention of spending the whole day in worship - reading the Quran and nawafil (non-obligatory prayers) mostly. Yet, I was interrupted ever so often by a demanding husband, a cranky baby, relatives on the phone, never-ending chores and even...

Chapter 16: The Waning Dusk (series)

Myth: Counting your good deeds before the Judgment Day That's half of Ramadan gone. Calls for an official half-time evaluation which we should be doing every waking minute anyway. Here's the question- Say, “Shall We tell you about the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds?" (18:103) When I first read this, my immediate response was: "Kaafir...