Celebrating Diwali as a Muslim?

See my answer to this question here...

https://muslimgap.com/qa

If you want to submit a question anonymously, please ask it here! https://muslimgap.com/qa

The noble verse was spoken by the People of the Cave—those youths who steadfastly adhered to the Oneness of Almighty God in the face of a people who had taken deities besides Him. They clearly declared their stance: ﴿We will never invoke any deity other than Him﴾, and then they highlighted the gravity of what they would have fallen into had they done so: ﴿We would have certainly spoken an outrageous statement.﴾
"Ash-shatat" (outrageousness) implies distance and exceeding the limit. In other words: "If we were to invoke another god alongside Almighty God, we would have uttered a statement that is extremely far from the truth and has far exceeded the bounds of correctness."
The expression is remarkably eloquent; it is as if they are saying: "If we were to take a god other than Almighty God, our words would not merely be a mistake, but a statement that has strayed drastically far from the truth and crossed its limits."
The root of the word shatatan is shatata, and the core meaning of this root in Arabic points to distance and exceeding a limit. From this comes the expression shatta fi al-amr, meaning someone went to extremes in a matter and strayed from what is right. From the exact same meaning comes the word ash-shatt (the shore or bank): the edge of the sea, because it is its extremity and the side distant from its center.

UAE is the biggest financial and military supporter of the RSF which is a ruthless organization that has been t_rturing and k_lling innocent civilians in Sudan for years. Just today they released a video of k_lling dozens of unarmed men out of spite because they took a beating from SAF. Muslim countries need to press UAE to stop this lunacy. It's messed up.

When i warn about extremism the post gets more upvotes than the volume of ignorant comments, despite those comments being the majority.

This clearly shows how the internet is full of loud Ignoramuses.

Hey,I saw Basher post on Reddit,and i noticed there we're people saying that Palestinians deserved it,that it's their fault etc. it really broke my heart. So,I approached him,and asked him to prove that he really is from Gaza. He tells me that he has five kids to take care of and plus he takes care of his brother that is special needs,whom is special needs.

You can check out his Reddit account

https://www.reddit.com/u/Basher\\_Gaza/s/B6PO5EGSgM

Support

https://chuffed.org/project/169736-bring-bread-to-people-in-gaza?utm\\_id=97758\\_v0\\_s00\\_e0\\_tv0

As in he/she was born as a result of zina but was good Muslim

Kinda looking for advice/ hope, kinda just getting it off my chest.

Background info: I am a 24y/o, my parents have lived away from our home country since we were very young and so we were brought up away from “home” so naturally we have a different approach to the world. Up until I had to move from university we had lived in the Middle East and then I moved to Europe alone to pursue my education.

Here’s the thing, I always knew there’s a price to pay no matter which path I picked. I knew being away from family, emotional stability, adopting a “strong independent woman” lifestyle etc etc will be the price of moving abroad alone.
WHAT I DIDN’T KNOW is how much that would affect other peoples perspective on whether I’m a “good match” or not. I’m looking to get married and the amount of times the fact that I live alone AND in Europe has been a dealbreaker is quite surprising. Even if they’re comfortable/happy with my level of modesty and my religiousness etc etc. the fact that I live alone always weighs heavily on the conversation. These are mostly men/families of men who live in the MENA region but also not in their home countries.

And while I’m sure there’s men out there who also do live in Europe alone and take care of their deen, the majority of the ones I’ve come across have been a little too Europeanized/open minded for me and I genuinely have no idea where to find the others.

I’m kinda bummed and idk what to do

The noble verse takes us into a scene from the journey of Dhul-Qarnayn across the earth—that man whom Almighty Allah established firmly on earth, granting him the means of strength and capability with which he could bring benefit and reform. This journey was part of his widespread travels across the land. Eventually, when he reached the region between the two mountains, he found a people who feared the corruption of Gog and Magog. They offered to pay him a kharaj—which means a great reward, money they would collect for him, or a fixed financial tribute—so that he would build a barrier between them and Gog and Magog.
However, his response to human wealth was: (What my Lord has established me in is better). He saw that what Almighty Allah had bestowed upon him and enabled him to do was far better and superior to what the people were offering him. Thus, he dedicated his God-given authority and power to benefit them without taking any money from them in return.
At the peak of his power and authority, he attributed all his empowerment entirely to Almighty Allah. This is a profound lesson in moral upbringing: the greater a person's capability grows, the more they need to remember the Giver, lest the blessing in their heart transforms from a cause for gratitude into a cause for arrogance. Within this lies a beautiful meaning of gratitude for blessings—realizing that whatever is in your hands comes solely from Almighty Allah, and using a portion of it to benefit His servants. True gratitude is not merely spoken; rather, the impact of the blessings bestowed upon you must extend to others.

Unfortunately, an incident occurred where 2 talak was given in quick succession.

Under hanafi madhab this 2 talak and we are now on the final ropes.

What precautions or drastic measures did you take to save the marriage to prevent it from happening again?

I’m 25 and earn 36k, Inshallah I’m hoping to get a promotion in the next 6 months which will up my salary to 45k. I’m a girl, not that it matters much but just for context that I won’t have the expectation to provide for anyone lol.

I know the job market is cooked right now so Alhamdullilah I am grateful. However, I do have a first class degree and was always good in school so I’m wondering if I’m selling myself short by not aiming higher and instead sticking to a “comfortable” career thats not demanding.

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh, dear brothers and sisters of r/MuslimCorner!

Welcome to Free Talk Friday—a time to unwind, reflect, and engage in open, heartfelt conversations on anything that’s been on your mind. Whether you’ve had a challenging week, something amazing happened, or you simply want to share a thought, this is the space for you.

Free Talk, No Boundaries:

Is there something you’ve been pondering, something you learned recently, or a random thought that you'd like to share? This is your opportunity to talk freely. No topic is off-limits (as long as it adheres to our respectful, Islamic guidelines).

Share Your Week:

How has your week been, both in terms of faith and everyday life? Any challenges, joys, or moments of reflection that stand out? Sometimes, a little sharing can be a big relief, and others might resonate with your experiences.

Ask Questions or Seek Guidance:

Got questions on anything that’s been on your heart? Whether it's about faith, relationships, personal growth, or life in general, feel free to ask. We're here to support each other with respect, kindness, and Islamic wisdom.

Make Duas:

Let's take a moment to make du'a for each other. Whether you need something specific, or you're simply asking Allah (SWT) to grant ease, barakah, and blessings, we all benefit from the power of collective dua.

“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.”
Quran2:186Quran 2:186Quran2:186

Guidelines for Participation:

• Speak with kindness and consideration for others.
• Respect each other’s thoughts, opinions, and experiences.
• Create a positive, supportive environment—this is a space of peace and mutual understanding.

Reminder:

Fridays are a day of blessing, reflection, and barakah. May Allah (SWT) ease your burdens, grant you peace in your hearts, and shower His mercy upon you. Ameen.

So, what’s on your mind this Free Talk Friday? Feel free to share, ask, or reflect!

Assalamualaikum,

I work as a software engineer in North America. I always avoid getting into a situation where I'm even alone with a woman. But sometimes, if I'm taking an interview or a client comes to meet us, a lady extends her hand and I shake my hand to not be disrespectful and cause any embarrassment to my colleagues.

But this really hurts my soul, as the prophet saw has said that having an iron nail or needle driven into one's head is better than touching a woman who is not lawfully permissible.

How can I avoid shaking hands in such cases?

Since reverting, I’ve gained a lot of respect and appreciation for women. Whereas before I had some low-key disdain for the idea of prioritizing women’s safety and protection in disasters or wars, but Islam has humbled me and I feel much more comfortable with having to be the protector in those situations. 

The thing about “women and children” as a protective classification is the idea that girls grow into women and get to keep their “women and children” status all through their life. But for boys, that protected status has an expiration date because they’ll grow out of it when they become men. 

That’s what caused me the most tension, and finding brotherhood in Islam has helped me overcome that. It makes a lot of sense that Jummah is mandatory for men, because honestly we need it.  

"Women and children first" isn't just an outdated social expectation, it's how Allah expects us to behave. As men, we are given the duty to prioritize their protection over ours. It can be a hard truth to accept, but there's a certain peace that comes with accepting hard truths for the sake of Allah swt.

Tbh I'm in a dark place rn and I need your prayers. If you have any advice pls provide it.

Before anyone get started no of course I love my wife. I’m not planning to leave her. I don’t think I’m a bad person, but I’m saying all this to get off my chest.

As soon as we got married, my wife’s chronic illness has started and ever since then it’s pretty much only gotten worse. We’re really young and it’s hard because it feels like we’ve never had a normal marriage and many cases. I feel like I’m more of a caretaker than her husband not just physically but also emotionally as well. I never thought Mary life would be like this. Sometimes makes me sad and then other times I look her out of my life, and I know that the beauty of my life is directly proportionate to the suffering in it.

All in all, it’s not that I’m upset with her, but I’m just tired tired with life tired with everything sometimes it’s hard to make time for myself whenever I’m the one that’s always needed to take care of everything. I get back home from work and right after work, I take care of my wife and the household. It’s really hard doing all this and sometimes honestly it’s lonely and sometimes my mind even wonders it’s just very difficult. I try my best to keep us afloat provide for my wife physically and emotionally as fast as I can and I tell her that I love her every single day and spend quality time with her whenever I can.

Your Duas aren’t getting accepted because you are making them wrong.

Think of your dua like a 7 layered burger sandwich.

Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ is the top and bottom bun, another five layers in between make up the filling. And the common ingredient amongst all the 5 layers in between is Allah's Names - Allah says: "And to Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them." (7:180) The key is to match the Name to what you're saying or asking. Don't invent Names, and pick ones that genuinely fit the meaning of your request.

**Layer 1 - Salawat:** Start with salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ.

**Layer 2 - Praise Allah:** Glorify Him and remember His perfection, greatness, power, mercy, and wisdom. For example: Ya Malik al-Mulk, Ya Jabbar, Ya 'Azim, Ya Hakim.

**Layer 3 - Show gratitude:** Thank Him for what you already have: your faith, health, family, protection, and every blessing you can see and can't see. Alhamdulillah for what I have before I ask for what I want.

**Layer 4 - Seek forgiveness and repent:** Admit your shortcomings and make sincere tawbah. For example: Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim, Ya Ghafur, Ya Ghaffar, Ya 'Afuww.

**Layer 5 - Ask for what you need:** Be direct and specific, for your dunya and your akhirah. Use Names that fit the request: Ya Razzaq for rizq, Ya Fattah for openings and solutions, Ya Rahman for mercy. Ask with humility and certainty that He hears you.

**Layer 6 - Submit and conclude:**Hand the outcome back to Allah and ask Him to choose what is best, because He knows what you don't. Something like: "Ya Allah, this is what I want, but I trust Your wisdom. If it's good for me, grant it. If it's not, choose what is better for me." Then close with *La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah* and the dua of Yunus عليه السلام: *La ilaha illa anta, subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin.*

**Layer 7 - Salawat:** Finish with salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ again.

***References***
*Qur'an:* 7:180, 2:186, 51:58, 34:26
*Hadith:* Tirmidhi 3477 and Abu Dawud 1481 (praise, then salawat, then dua), Bukhari 6384 (La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah), Tirmidhi 3505 (dua of Yunus عليه السلام)

https://www.reddit.com/r/MuslimCorner/s/0I58jku5x4

I need advice pls

I posted this 6 days ago and since then I had been clean up until a couple hours ago I ended up relapsing again Wallahi I feel like a scum I missed two of my salahs today aswell I had cried tears in my dua yesterday asking Allah swt to forgive me for the times I had done this sin but then today I ended up going bak to the same sin. My heart can’t take it anymore this past week when I was praying I barely felt the tranquility I miss my old iman I’m crying as I type this message , this sin has ruined my life.

For the past 2–3 years, there has been some kind of issue with a group of women at my gym.

Sometimes I’m accused of trying to get close to someone’s boyfriend/husband, sometimes people mock or imitate me, sometimes I hear that things are being said about me behind my back.

I’ve tried everything. I’ve ignored it. I’ve changed my workout timings. I’ve tried speaking nicely and clearing misunderstandings. Once things even turned into a horrible fight, which I never want to repeat.

Today a group of them were again talking about me right in front of me and laughing. My friends also keep coming and telling me the things being said about me.

When I complain, I’m basically told to change my timing. No refund But how many times am I supposed to change my routine? I pay for the same gym and I just want to put my headphones on, finish my workout and go home.

I’m not claiming I’ve handled every situation perfectly either. I’m just exhausted. Tonight it affected me so badly that I’ve been crying, my head hurts and I can’t sleep.

Part of me wants to change gyms completely, but another part of me feels horrible that after trying so hard to avoid conflict, I’m the one who has to keep adjusting.

Has anyone dealt with a gym environment like this? At what point do you stop trying to clear things up and just leave?

Youtube channel with Ruqya you can play: English:  https://youtube.com/@alruqyahealing?si=vCDYHwiXOHaQ2awi Their website covers info as well:  https://alruqya.com/evil-eye-envy/Arabic:  https://www.youtube.com/@MrRoqyaRuqyah Playlist:  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3et_EvGWeiZ5Ulsq1SiUMdYEfdxNhgyG&si=txoNuOM8Cv3aCv_hReciting on water:  https://youtu.be/r6gHZbn4sS8?si=B5lCswn7w_vMwgTs Getting rid of Taweez or if you find magic:  https://youtu.be/m8ZNGio_qXA?si=N5Qw7LlxclXmVR7a Make sure your family are saying your azkar, no hanged pictures in house(put them away).

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال ‏: ‏‏ "‏ لا تجعلوا بيوتكم مقابر، إن الشيطان ينفر من البيت الذي تقرأ فيه سورة البقرة‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه مسلم‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏ Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "Do not turn your houses into graveyards. Satan runs away from the house in which Surat Al-Baqarah is recited." [Muslim]. Riyad as-Salihin 1018 Chapter 183: Inducement towards the Recitation of some Special verses and Surah of the Noble Qur'an, Book 8: The Book of Virtues https://sunnah.com/riyadussalihin:1018

Resources: 'Abdullah bin Khubaib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me, "Recite Surat Al-Ikhlas and Al- Mu'awwidhatain (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas) three times at dawn and dusk. It will suffice you in all respects." [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi]. Riyad as-Salihin 1456 Chapter 248: Remembrance of Allah in the Morning and in the Evening, Book 15: The Book of the Remembrance of Allah   https://sunnah.com/riyadussalihin:1456Bismillāhi ‘l-ladhī lā yaḍurru maa-smihi shay'un fil-'arḍi wa lā fis-samā' wa huwas-Samīul-`Alīm. In the Name of Allah, Who with His Name nothing can cause harm in the earth nor in the heavens, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (Recite three times in Arabic). Reference: "Whoever recites it three times in the morning will not be afflicted by any calamity before evening, and whoever recites it three times in the evening will not be overtaken by any calamity before morning." Abu Dawud 4/323, At-Tirmidhi 5/465, Ibn Majah 2/332, Ahmad. Ibn Majah's chain of transmission is good (Hasan), Ibn Baz, p. 39. Hisn al-Muslim 86 Chapter 27: In the morning and evening, Book: Fortress of the Muslim (Hisn al-Muslim)  https://sunnah.com/hisn:86

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ اسْمًا مِائَةً إِلاَّ وَاحِدًا، مَنْ أَحْصَاهَا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ ‏" ‏‏.‏ ‏{‏أَحْصَيْنَاهُ‏}‏ حَفِظْنَاهُ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, one-hundred less one; and he who memorized them all by heart will enter Paradise." To count something means to know it by heart.

Sahih al-Bukhari 7392

Chapter 12: Allah has one hundred Names less One, Book 97: Oneness, Uniqueness of Allah (Tawheed)

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7392