Yasir Qadhi

Of the mannerisms of the believer (Episode 20) is that the believer consistently greets others, both friends and strangers, with the greetings of salām. This greeting is a du'ā for your brother, and a declaration that you desire nothing but peace & good for him. It is a mention of the name of Allah and a bringing of barakah into our lives. The Prophet (SAW) was asked, "Whose Islam is the best?" He...

The believer is not satisfied with mediocrity; he doesn't want to just do the bare minimum, either for his faith or in his work. The believer aims highs, makes a firm resolve, strives hard, and excels in all efforts. The believer is not lazy, nor does he give up. We are told to try to be leaders in our fields, and to leave a lasting legacy and impact - both on a spiritual level, and at a civic lev...

The believer defends the honor of others, and doesn't allow them to be slandered or their dignity besmirched. In our latest Episode (Number 18), we discuss the concept of speaking up when others are slandered, and of not allowing false accusations or blatant lies to be left unchallenged. Even backbiting that occurs in a gathering, or evil insinuations based on assumptions, should not tacitly be al...

Of the primary hallmarks of a believer (Episode 17 in our series) is the purity of his speech: the believer avoids lying, slander, backbiting, gossip, vulgarity, and argumentation. Multiple times in the Quran, Allah describes the believers as those who '...turn away from idle talk,' or those who '...when the foolish address them, respond by saying: Peace!'. The Prophet (SAW) said, 'Whoever guarant...

With Special Guest Shaykh Omar Suleiman

(Plus Two Current Events)

Of the characteristics of the believer is that he is kind and merciful to all those around him, even animals and plants! The sīrah of the Prophet ﷺ shows this reality throughout - the default is to be full of compassion for all the creation. The Prophet ﷺ once shortened the prayer by reciting the two smallest Surahs, and then explained, "I heard a baby crying, and I felt that his mother would be g...

In Part 14 of our series, I discuss the defining characteristic of our faith, as per the words of the Prophet (ﷺ) : modesty (ḥayā`).Shyness and modesty is not about being quiet or acting like an introvert! The 'ḥayāi' that is praised is an innate feeling that dissuades a person from undertaking any action that will be blameworthy. It is an internal 'check-and-balances' that acts like a conscience...

Of the characteristics of the believer is that the believer takes pride in the faith of Islam and his identity stemming from that faith. Note that this 'pride' is not at all the type of pride that is forbidden, because that pride is based on the false assumption that somehow you are better than other person because of something you have done. This type of pride is not arrogance, but rather an over...

Of the characteristics of the believer (Part 12 of our series) is that the default is to think the best of people, and to interpret ambiguous phrases and unclear incidents in the most positive manner. A pure heart leads to pure thoughts of others, while a heart full of suspicion leads to suspicious thoughts of others. The Prophet (SAW) said, "I warn you against being suspicious of others, because...

Of the characteristics of the believer is that not only is he an optimist, he exudes a confidence and hope in all those around him so that they too become optimistic. This optimism stems from his strong faith in Allah and the ḥusn al-dhann he has in Him. The believer things the best thoughts of Allah and knows that the plan of Allah will always be for his best. And because of this, the Prophet (SA...

Of the characteristics of the believer is that he is always of cheerful countenance. Abdullah b. al-Ḥārith said, "I never saw anyone smile more than the Prophet (SAW)," and Jarīr b. Abdullah remarked, "I never saw the Prophet (SAW) except that he smiled when he saw me."And our Prophet (SAW) encouraged us to be charitable with our smiles, and said that every smile is counted as an act of worship th...

Of the characteristics of the believer is trustworthiness (amānah).In Episode 7 of my Ramaḍān series, I discuss the importance of fulfilling our trusts, and the types and categories of trust, and how the Quran and Sunnah praises this noble characteristic. It is interesting to note that the word for being trustworthy (amānah) is from the same root as faith (imān), and in fact in a Prophetic hadīth,...