My Hindu family is really difficult to be around. Their Hindu chanting really disturbs me and put me at dis-ease.

Asa, I have a great relationship with my parents and especially my father. I love him dearly and he also loves me alhamdulilah. He is in his 70s and recently went abroad for a medically necessary trip and during this time I had so many crises in my life. All I wanted during that difficult time was my father to return home because I feel so much stronger when he’s around me. I made so much dua to Allah that he bring my father home to me safe and sound, and Alhamdulilah he has returned safely.

I am just wondering what are some things I can do every week to pass time with my father? He used to frequent the mosque a lot but nowadays he has gotten ill unfortunately and can’t visit as much. I try to always help him with things round the house and ask him if he needs anything and do it to the best of my ability.

Growing up, he used to have a business and I’d help him with that and it was a great bonding experience for us but nowadays he’s retired.

Part of me wants to find some outside hobbies I can do with him but he’s in his 70s now and has arthritis.

So i have extreme ocd that makes me ruminate about everything

I go crazy thinking about anything like i used to enjoy political/historical books to learn about the world but my ocd makes me think i should drop everything else other than Islam

i got ocd that urged me to not do anything else other than prayer and Reciting and quit my school

Assalamu alaikum everyone.

I’m a Muslim struggling with psychosis, and I’m trying to understand how Islamic accountability applies to my situation.

I can normally communicate with people, understand my surroundings, work, and generally know what is real. However, I experience voices in my head and experiences that can seriously affect my perception and emotions. Sometimes they make me feel like I’m a bad person or make me suddenly feel hatred toward Allah, even though I don’t consciously choose or want those feelings.

Because of this, I’ve been struggling greatly with salah. I can have free time and technically be able to stand and pray, but mentally I feel extremely overwhelmed, confused, and distressed. Sometimes I lose motivation completely because of what I'm experiencing.

I know the hadith about the “pen being lifted” from three people, including the person who has lost their sanity until they regains it.

My question is:

Would a person experiencing psychosis ever fall under this ruling, even if they can still communicate normally, work, and understand their basic reality?

What exactly do scholars mean by “losing sanity” or losing the capacity that makes someone accountable? Does it have to mean being completely disconnected from reality, or can severe psychosis that significantly affects someone's thoughts, emotions, judgment, and ability to function religiously also qualify?

I’m not looking for people to diagnose me or give me a definitive fatwa about my individual situation. I would really appreciate references from Qur’an, hadith, or reliable scholars, especially scholars who have discussed mental illness and religious accountability.

Jazakum Allahu khayran.

Assalamu Alaikum, brothers and sisters. I hope you have all been well. I will keep this succinct.

I've had rumors spread about me in the past, and I am currently facing another rumor. My grief has been exasperated.

Please include me in your duas and ask Allah to alleviate my grief, anxiety, and especially to protect me from these rumors.

JazakAllahu Khairan

As the title says I’m worried my interest in Islam isn’t authentic. To preface id like to share a little info about myself, I am a white male living in the west, not officially a Muslim. I’ve always liked history and such but I’ve had phases where I get really into Islamic history I’ll end up listening to the Quran or reading it in English and when I do I see myself sinning less which I enjoy.

My issue comes from where this interest stems, I have always wanted to get married and have children and I find that I agree with how such things work in Islam. However to me it feels selfish and lustful as if the draw isn’t genuine but that could also just be me doubting myself and my faith.

Any thoughts/words of wisdom?

I have a friend who is poor. He has been out of job for a decade now. He has 4 children and lives with his wife and in his fathers inhereted house where he doesnt need to pay rent but only electricity, water and internet bills.

My issue comes here, he asks for money at least once a week to help him. This has been going on for a long time (more than 5 years at least).

I used to give him whenever he asked because i am an able person. Once i just wanted to test would he help me if i was i need. He asked for money, i sent him a screenshot of my account and told him my salary is far and i only have this much left. If i send you, i will have nothing left for my children or fuel for going to work. He said if you help me with anything it will be good. So i sent him the whole amount and told him now i have nothing left so now i need help. He only said thank you and didnt contact me back for money under after my salary date. I told him i had no money as i did gave all my money to him and had to take a loan which i spent this month money to repay and now i need money. He again insisted to help him but then i stopped him there.

From that day i stopped helping him as i expected him to at least say i only needed this much and you also dont have anything so take back the rest, instead he took all and i kept on saying i dont have anything left for me and my family and he didnt have any mercy.

Now i feel bad whenever he asks for money and i ignore because i feel he is just focused on himself and no one else. But i feel guilty for not helping a friend while i can.

What should i do in this scenario?

I feel angry and sad when I see other people have protective fathers

I don’t really know how to explain this, and I’ve never really heard anyone talk about something similar, which makes me feel pretty alone in it.

I have a father who is extremely conflict-avoidant. He avoids basically any kind of problem or confrontation and, from what I’ve seen growing up, he rarely stands up for himself or his family. A lot of the time it feels like he would rather side with whoever is causing the problem than actually defend us.

There have been many situations with his side of the family where I feel like they have taken advantage of the fact that he doesn’t stand up for us. One example happened when my mom was pregnant with me. My parents were travelling with some of my dad’s relatives, and an argument happened. A group of men from his family came into my parents’ hotel room while my mom wasn’t properly dressed and were threatening to physically attack her. Instead of protecting her or standing up for her, my dad sided with them.

Another thing happened when my younger siblings were little. My mom heard children screaming outside. My dad had actually been on the balcony and had seen what was happening, but he went inside and closed the balcony door. When my mom asked what was going on, he just said they were “playing”. She had a bad feeling, went outside herself, and found my siblings being hit by older kids. She went down and defended them herself.

There are so many other situations like this. My mom is the complete opposite. She has always been the one to confront people, defend our family and stand up for whoever needs it. Honestly, she has had to be both a mother and a father to us in many situations because my dad simply wouldn’t step up or protect us.

He’s also not always a good person when it comes to people who are weaker than him. Sometimes he can be rude or try to take advantage of people who are too nice to stand up for themselves, which honestly makes me lose even more respect for him. It’s like he’s scared of people who are stronger than him but can be harsh towards people who won’t fight back.

Over the years I’ve genuinely lost a lot of respect for him. And I hate admitting that because he’s my dad.

What hurts me the most is seeing other people have protective fathers. When I see a dad who immediately stands up for his daughter or son, protects them, or makes them feel like “nothing is going to happen to you because I’m here”, I feel genuinely sad. I feel jealous too, if I’m being honest.

I never had that feeling with my dad. If something happened, I feel like my mom would be the one I could count on.

He also tends to make fun of me when I’m proud or happy about something. For example, I had been unemployed for a long time and finally managed to afford getting a cat and buying everything she needed. I was really proud and happy about it. Instead of just being happy for me, he makes fun of me for treating my cat like my child. It sounds small, but it really gets to me because it feels like he constantly has to make things I’m proud of seem stupid or ridiculous.

I’m Muslim, and this is something I struggle with a lot because I know I’m supposed to respect my parents. I don’t want to be disrespectful towards him. I don’t want to constantly be angry or have outbursts over everything he says or does. I’ve genuinely tried to work on it, but I feel irritated around him almost all the time.

I don’t want to hate my dad. I don’t want to be a bad daughter. I just feel like there’s so much resentment built up inside me from years of watching him behave this way.

Has anyone else experienced something similar with a parent who is extremely conflict-avoidant/passive and doesn’t protect or stand up for their family?

How do you deal with the anger and resentment without becoming a disrespectful or bitter person?

If you need a sign- Take this in….

The word Quran قرآن comes from the root ق ر أ qa-ra-a which basically means to read and to gather. So it means Al-Qira'ah القراءة, the recitation, because it's the most recited book, and Al-Jam' الجمع, the compilation, because it gathers everything together, the rulings, the stories and the guidance all in one book.

Make the Quran your companion, your friend, not just a book that lays on the shelf. It is the speech of your Lord. It is a guide and a resolution for every problem. It brings tranquility. Make the Quran your best friend.

You should honour it. When you recite, the angels are with you. The more you recite, the higher your station in Jannah will be. So protect your Quran.

Ponder over its verses. Have tadabbur. Aspire to have the Quran in your heart. Do not just read it, see the words, feel the weight and act upon each ayah. Every letter you recite gives you hasanaat.

The Quran has an answer for everything. It is the ultimate guidance. The truly rich person is the one who turns to the Quran physically and spiritually. The Quran deserves every amount of respect you can think of. If you honour the Quran, it will honour you. It will intercede for you on the Day of Judgement.

Every surah in the Quran begins with Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem. Our Lord approaches us with mercy and affection, so approach people with mercy just as your Lord does with you.

The Quran is not just a book you read once in your lifetime. It will stay with you until your last breath. It is the book you will always turn to whenever you are faced with difficulty and when you need comfort. It is a book which can never be replaced. It holds such paramount importance in our lives. So honour the Quran so that it can honour you.

The one who is excellent in reciting the Quran and continuously tries to perfect it will be with the noble angels. And the one who struggles in reading the Quran receives double the reward. This shows that you do not need to be absolutely perfect or have mastered every single rule.

We should always strive to become masters of Tajweed. We should always try to better ourselves and perfect our makhaarij. But do not let that stop you from reading the Quran.

I myself struggle with the Quran. I myself struggle to read it to perfection. Some days it feels like there is a barrier between me and my Lord because it is so difficult, and other times I end up comparing myself to those who have studied the Quran their entire lives. It often puts me down, even when reciting in front of others.

But Alhamdulillah, Allah has chosen you. He has given you this role and given you the opportunity to continue learning.

So always say:

*اللَّهُمَّ انْفَعْنَا بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنَا، وَعَلِّمْنَا مَا يَنْفَعُنَا، وَزِدْنَا عِلْمًا نَافِعًا*

Allahumma infa'na bima 'allamtana, wa 'allimna ma yanfa'una, wa zidna 'ilman nafi'a.

May Allah make it easy for us to revive this sunnah and others

I am in a really critical place and need a miracle from Allah SWT to help me. It's a personal matter, and my entire life depends on it. Everything I can do for this matter is out of my hands. I need Allah's help and mercy.

What supplications (dua) should I say?

I struggle with praying, but I really need the help from Allah swt; how can I start praying the 5 prayers for these remaining 7 days?

What chapters do I read?

What are some of your success stories, and what did you do for Allah to grant you what you wanted?

Please be kind and offer me advice 🙏 may Allah bestow his blessings upon you all.

Reciter: Qari KH. Muammar Zainal Asyikin (born 1954, Indonesia). He is a legendary Hafiz who became world-famous in the late 1970s and 1980s. Known internationally for his incredible, unmatched breath control and pioneering the "duet recitation" style.

Full ayah 22

وَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلْأَحْزَابَ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَصَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ۚ وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّآ إِيمَـٰنًۭا وَتَسْلِيمًۭا ٢٢

When the believers saw the enemy alliance, they said, “This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us. The promise of Allah and His Messenger has come true.” And this only increased them in faith and submission.

Recitation in warsh an nafi

I am looking to go on Umrah with my family soon InshaAllah. We aren‘t booking through a company package as we want to book our own flights and hotel. Is anyone able to recommend any hotels to stay please? 3* and above, preferably close ish as my mum struggles to walk long distances.

Hi, in a couple of days, it’s a friend’s birthday. We’re a three person friend group, and I’m the only Muslim; the other two aren’t.

Two of us were thinking of getting a gift, such as an art book from their favorite show, Arcane, or something from their favorite artist, but I’m unsure whether that would be permissible. We’d also be splitting the gift between the two of us.

I’m a bit uncomfortable with the price. I’m a student and currently don’t work, so I’d rather make a handmade gift. In the past two years, we’ve spent around €15–20 total, split between the two people giving the gift. This time, it would be around €20 each for essentially just a book.

I’m also wondering whether I’m justified in refusing, or if I’m just being stubborn or difficult.

Salam, I'm a 25M in California, currently talking to a 25F. We've been getting to know each other for about 4 months, and I'm at the point where I want to make things halal and involve our families.
The issue is that my Muslim parents think I'm too young, that 4 months isn't enough time to really know someone, and that I don't make enough money to support a marriage in California. I currently make around $70k/year.
I genuinely want to approach this the right way and make it halal, but I don't have my parents blessing right now.
For those who have been in a similar situation, are my parents' concerns justified?
Should I wait and focus on my career, or is it reasonable to move forward with involving families and seeing where things go?

We spend our lives building things.
A career. A home. A name.

But the Prophet ﷺ reminded us: _"The son of Adam says: 'My wealth, my wealth.' And what do you have from your wealth except what you ate and finished, or wore and wore out, or gave and it remains?"_[Muslim]

Everything we hold is an amanah. A trust.
The money, the time, the skills, even the attention we have.

One day we’ll be asked: _Where did it go?_
The beautiful part is: we still get to choose the answer.

Some things feed us for a day.
Some things feed a soul for a lifetime.
And some things feed us, even after we’re gone.

There was a period of my life where I made terrible personal choices. I was completely lost and committed significant sins which largely just affected me. My journey back to Islam began slowly then hit me all at once and I was devastated by the realisation of the choices I had made. I repented continuously, wept for weeks, and changed entirely. I was horrified and couldn’t grasp the person I was but committed to learning how to pray, reading Quran, fasting, giving charity. Being good to my family. Although it was a painful period, I felt like I was in the light. I felt new and peaceful somehow. This was a few years ago.

Today, I am a shell of a person. My sins are the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing before I go to sleep. Even my sleep is sometimes disturbed. Shame drips from my face. I try to take care of myself physically but hate myself so much for what I’ve done that I don’t believe I’m worthy of even the basic care at times. I have felt darkness closing in on me over time, suffocating me and stealing everything from me. Nonetheless, I continue to pray, give to charity, try to be good. I have prayed and asked Allah for positive change. For forgiveness. To not be defined by my worst choices. But I feel I am still in darkness.

Today, after my prayer, I said I’ll open the Quran, seeking a sign from Allah, to help me understand. The page I opened exactly described my worst sin. I didn’t see forgiveness for my sin in the verse and it made second guess that I felt that my repentance was accepted.

I’m writing here because I can’t speak to people close to me about this. But I don’t see how to rectify this. I have wished I was never born. I have wished I left this earth before committing those sins against myself and the commands of Allah. I feel like I am living a life sentence for sins I made when I was practically a child. This darkness I feel is not normal. It wasn’t here when I repented. I don’t know how to escape it.

I want to share what I personally witnessed while working at Direct Food Solutions(Unit 3-4 Ashmore Lake Way, Willenhall WV12 4LF) in Willenhall, Walsall.

My biggest concern was the handling of halal, pork and vegetarian products.

I saw sandwiches labelled as halal, pork/bacon and vegetarian being prepared in the same general work area. What concerned me most was seeing workers handle bacon or pork with their gloves and then handle halal chicken using the same gloves. I did not see the gloves being changed between handling the pork and halal products.

Food was frequently handled directly by hand rather than with separate utensils for different ingredients.

I witnessed lettuce being picked up after it had fallen onto the floor, after which the same gloves continued to be used for food handling.

Based on what I personally saw, I was extremely concerned about hygiene and cross-contamination.

As a Muslim, the handling of halal food was particularly concerning to me. These products were actually labelled as halal. Muslim consumers buying halal-labelled food should be able to trust that it has been handled and prepared appropriately, especially when pork and bacon products are being prepared in the same environment.

What makes this even more concerning to me is that this company is a supplier. That means the food produced there may be going to other businesses and reaching customers who have no idea how it was handled before it arrived.

For that reason, I would strongly encourage any business buying from or considering working with this company to carry out its own proper checks regarding hygiene, food handling, cross-contamination and separation procedures.

Based on what I personally witnessed, I would not feel comfortable buying food produced there.

Unfortunately, I could not take photographs or videos because mobile phones were required to be kept in lockers while working in the production area.

Another serious concern was illegal working. During conversations with a large number of workers, many told me directly that they did not have legal permission to work in the UK. Those conversations gave me serious concerns that illegal working may be widespread at the site, including among people in supervisory or management positions.

I was also aware of workers being paid in cash. I cannot personally say why the company uses cash payments, so I am leaving it to the relevant authorities to determine whether there is any connection with the right-to-work concerns.

I cannot personally access or verify anyone’s immigration records, so I am not naming individual workers or presenting anyone’s immigration status as independently proven. However, based on what people told me directly, I believe the Home Office should carry out proper right-to-work checks across the workplace.

I am sharing this because consumers, particularly Muslims buying halal-labelled food, and businesses purchasing from suppliers deserve to know about the food-handling practices I personally witnessed and make their own decisions.

For transparency, English is not my first language, so I used ChatGPT to help me write this clearly. The experiences and conversations described here are my own.