Silentium est aureum – often translated as silence is golden, or perhaps more aptly as silence is gold; is a phrase laden with ancient wisdom in a world severely in need of timeless assistance. Gold is that which is eternally valuable, eternally sought after, so how strange is it today that silence, the finest manifestation […]
At the Islamic Unity Society (IUS), we agree that “In unity there is strength” and as such one of the means for us, as people of faith, is to come together and do interfaith work. This is especially true living in a diverse society where we encounter people of different faiths or none. We asked […]
The fifth verse of the first chapter of the Holy Qur’an emphasises that the exclusivity of worship and seeking help belongs to Allah (swt) as it is stated: “It is You we worship and You we ask for help” (1:5). The tone of this verse changes compared to the previous ones, as where verses 1 […]
On 25th March I visited Istanbul for the first time and was overwhelmed with the beauty of this city. I was taking a group of 30 pupils on a school trip abroad, a trip that was planned six months ago. We had a guided tour that was enriched with historical commentary of the Ottoman Empire. […]
I was recently on a weekend camping trip in the Lake District with a group of friends, hiking, barbeques and staying up late into the night. On one of the nights we sat camped around a medium-sized camp fire, admiring the bright embers and burning wood. We began sharing reflections and stories and one of […]
Continuing our discussion about the infinite general and specific mercy of Allah (swt) and how we should also exhibit such compassion to those around us, the following verse places the human being between fear and hope (Khawf wa Raja’). Up to this verse the individual becomes hopeful in the mercy of Allah (swt); but before […]
1 Gnarled branches of trees, dry, cold, sharp Frost tipped, barren Fill them! Fill them! With deep green leaves Thick green leaves, with deep veins Branches and leaves, cradling nests Containing large, healthy eggs 2 They turn to each other Heads lowered, muttering About the woman they think can’t conceive Leave her alone! She is […]
Halfway up a mountain and in desperate need of a sugar boost, I discovered the sweets in my rucksack pocket were ‘haram’ – the word used by Muslims to describe that which is forbidden by God. I decided not to eat them, as 12 out of 13 of my companions could not have shared them […]
Afsheen’s Mother Afsheen’s Father My sweet, dear little Afsheen, since you departed from me Everything is quiet now, and so lonely is my knee On which you would sit and play, free of any cares and stress I would comb your hair gently, and so lovingly caress When I watched my princess play, in […]
There is nothing worse than applying for a job that you know you are perfect for, only to receive a generic rejection email. “Thank you for your interest but on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful ….” “We regret to inform you that ….” “After carefully reviewing your application ….” “We would like to […]
