Articles

The Revival's Guide to Ramadan

By Alveena Salim & Sajid Iqbal

You mean you can’t eat ANYTHING? Not even drink water? Isn’t that like bad for you?”

Yep, when Muslims fast for the 30 days in the month of Ramadan from dawn till dusk they can’t eat or drink anything throughout Ramadan.
Fasting is not bad for your health, even Celebs occasionally fast (they call it “detox”), abstaining from food and drink cleans out your insides, gives your digestive system a rest and causes harmful chemicals to be flushed out of your system.(1)

30 whole days?! You’d die!

Ermm… No you wouldn’t. Muslims are required to fast from dawn to dusk. The fast begins just before dawn when Muslims eat a light meal (suhoor) and confirm their intention to fast for the day; the fast ends at sunset.

Q. Some people say women are not allowed to work? Is that true?

By Shaykh Muhammad Salim Ghisa

A.

In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent and Merciful.

Allah has defined roles for men and women by looking at their strengths and weaknesses and assigning them with certain responsibilities. However, there is no where in the Shariah where there is a point blank refusal for women to work or for men not to do the household chores.
Both these duties are permissible and sometimes recommended depending on each of the situations.

What does Islam say about washing the body of the dead person?

Author: 
Shaykh Muhammad Salim Ghisa

In the name of Allah the most beneficent and Merciful.

There are some acts in Islam which are known as Fard e Kifaaya meaning it is a communal obligation. Therefore if no one from the Muslim community did this then all would be major sinners and if some did do this then all would be relieved of that duty. Washing, shrouding and praying (Janaza prayer) is a communal obligation for a deceased Muslim man or woman.

It is obligatory upon Muslim men to wash the deceased Muslim man and it is obligatory upon Muslim women to wash a deceased Muslim woman.

Nutrition Advice for Fasting During Ramadan

Author: 
Lauren Evans

*Lauren Evans is a nutritionist with BSc (Hons) in Human Nutrition and MSc in Exercise & Nutrition Science

Fasting during Ramadan is already a challenge within itself; however fasting during one of the warmest months of the year not only intensifies this challenge but also requires a true commitment that can only be marvelled. With an average of 14 hours fasting between Suhoor (Sunrise) and Iftar meals (Sunset), nutrition and hydration during meal time are both highly important.

Metabolism

THE KINGS SPEECH

If you stammer or stutter then only YOU know what life is like and what struggles and challenges you have to face. The Revival has spoken to a couple of people who stammer and talk about what life is like.

Jamal Ali, 35, Birmingham:

Here are my words of wisdom for everyone as I am an expert on stammering.

Basically stammerers are a section of society that are totally abandoned and left to suffer without any support and help. What they do not need are useless speech therapists who only serve the purpose of cementing the idea into the stammerers head that they have a problem.

ISLAM: PUBLIC ENEMY NO.1?

Author: 
By Shamim Miah

Islamophobia, or anti-Muslim prejudice, is increasingly becoming a dominant feature of public discourse and the Muslim collective experience in the UK and the rest of Europe.

In Europe Islamophobia is channelled through draconian policies which have resulted in restrictions on the public display of Islam; as in the case of France with the hijab and veil ban and the banning of building of minarets in Switzerland.

There have also been a number of populist far-right groups such as Geert Wilders Party of Freedom in the Netherlands. This party has called for the banning of the Quran. In the UK, demonisation of Islam and Muslims has led to the emergence of the English Defence League.

Q&A: Halal Meat

Author: 
Shaykh Salim Ghisa

How do I know my meat I eat or buy is halal? And who are HFA/HMC? As one says stunning animals is allowed and other says it isn’t so what is the correct process of slaughtering animals in Islam?

Answer

In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent and Merciful.

Eating meat which has been slaughtered in a Halal way is obligatory upon every Muslim. The slaughtering of an animal (which is permissible to eat) has to be done in a prescribed method.

Allah Almighty says:

Masturbation in Islam

Author: 
Shaykh Salim Ghisa

A few of my mates have confessed to me that they masturbate as its the only way they can stay away from entering in to haram relationships; they're too young or not financially stable to get married and some of them are even married- what does Islam say about masturbation and what advice can you offer?

A.

In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent and Merciful

Masturbation by one’s own hand or self is not permissible in Islam.

Allah (The Exalted) says: “Those who guard their sexual organs except with their spouses or those whom their right hands possess, for (with regard to them) they are without blame. But those who crave something beyond that are transgressors.” (23:5-7)

A Death In The Family

Author: 
By An older brother

It is like a bad dream which won’t go away. How do you contemplate losing a brother? How do you get on with your life when you’ve lost a piece of it? How?

Every day I miss my little, baby brother. Just looking at the doors in the house remind me of him, thinking he’s going to walk through them any moment or just take a peek inside (he used to do that a lot, he used to stick his head in a room just to see who was in there and whether to enter or not). Or when I’m standing outside my house I think I’ll see him walking up from the park with his friends. How do I even try to describe the pain of losing the youngest member of my family? The only thing that gives me comfort is knowing that he’s in a better place, that he’s with our Prophet Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa aalihii wasallam, that’s what gives me comfort.

The Ruling of First Cousin Marriages: A Balanced Perspective

Author: 
Dr. Asim Yusuf

Question:

My question relates to marrying first cousins. Although it's permissible in Islam, I was wondering as regards to arguments against this as many people cite health issues and high rates of disabilities among children. I’m struggling to get my head around a ruling in Islam that potentially puts people or children at risk. I am in no way saying the Islamic ruling is wrong as I would never oppose anything in Islam but rather I would like clarification so as to have a better understanding as non-Muslims often ask why we would have this ruling and always cite particular studies.

Answer:

Thank you for your question and your concern for supporting the religion.

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