I’ve been really enjoying my salat recently. 

So me being me, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about why this has been happening. 

During my reflections, it occurred to me that, over the last three decades, I must have prayed every kind of prayer. 

Some of my prayers have been truly profound, me...

Have you ever noticed how the story of Jonah – the last major prophet before the era of Zachariah, John and Jesus – is so unique?

No other prophet abandoned his mission in frustration and reached such a low point, both literally and metaphorically, and achieved such notable success in the end. 

I’...

Just after 'Eid, I gave some thought to resuming the INsights newsletter this week. I wasn't really feeling it.

But this morning, my mind was running with some thoughts to the point of bursting... so I knew it was time to write about them.

Carpe diem!

An incredible sensation

I love momentum. 

F...

When it all falls away, what remains?

Beyond your title, reputation and public persona, who are you?

Beyond your material possessions, what do you have?

Beyond your human relationships, what connection is left?

Beyond your external words and statements, what is your internal conversation?

Beyon...

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"You who believe, respond to God and His messenger when He invites you to that which gives you life..."
(Chapter 8, Battle Gains, Verse 24)

Just because you are breathing doesn’t mean you are alive...

Is there a link between underestimating ourselves and underestimating God Himself?

Is there a link between these underestimations and a lack of urgency or clarity with respect to one’s vision?

I believe so. 

How will everything work out?

Many people don’t construct a clear, God-centred vision be...

Some of my favourite examples of vision statements come from a page on the World Economic Forum (WEF) website. I’ve often shared them as examples when I’ve taught the Last Day Leader programme. 

In 2019, the WEF canvassed members of its Global Future Councils to come up with visions for 2030. They ...

If you read last week’s edition on the importance of developing your vision, it’s quite possible that you haven’t made much progress since then or that you concluded, “I don’t need a vision!”

So why have a vision? Is it really necessary?

Here are some reasons to encourage you to dedicate some time...

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If the end state that we all desire – a prosperous, harmonious, equitable society built on a foundation of monotheism – were to be represented as a complex but beautiful scene on a large jigsaw puzzl...

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Something very different this week.

In the last few days, I found myself thinking a lot about solitude. 

As I did so, a poem started forming in my mind. 

So, I thought, why not share it with you an...

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If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard the Jewish community being cited as one whose example we need to follow or whose standard we need to emulate, I wouldn’t be a rich man, but I’d certainly hav...

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Do we really believe in God?

Do we really believe that He created all human beings to worship Him, to serve Him, to know Him?

Do we really believe that being in a state of prosperity and harmony,...

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Is it good enough for us to advocate against injustice and immorality without simultaneously inviting people to God and forewarning them about the Day of Judgement?

Is it necessary or even accepta...

 
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I’ve had a splitting headache for the last couple of days. As a result, I haven’t been able to cobble together a fresh piece for this week’s INsights. Sorry! 

In the circumstances, I thought it m...

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Your tone is one of the most critical elements of the way you communicate. 

It has a huge role to play in how you get your thoughts and feelings across to others. 

It is a prime indicator of what...

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I was very much encouraged by the amount of positive feedback I received after last week’s edition of INsights in which I made some observations on our usage of the phrase insha’Allah.

So this wee...

    
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Imagine you’re exchanging messages on WhatsApp with a good friend, a fellow believer, and you finish by arranging to meet them in person for dinner the following week. 

You end the chat by say...

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Just a quick reminder on the overall context of this piece.

We’ve embarked on a mini-series on the topic of language and how we might improve our linguistic perception and practice as believers, ...

    
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This is the first edition of a mini-series on the topic of language and how we might resolve the many oddities and errors in our linguistic perception and practice as believers, both in privat...

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Whatever is going on in your life or all around you, never ever lose sight of the overall vision towards which you have a duty to strive and contribute: a prosperous and harmonious society built o...