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December 22, 2025

Chapter 5: The Waning Dusk (Series)

Myth: Taraweeh marathon is the way to do it You stifle a yawn and shift your weight from one foot to the next, as you make plans for your taraweeh-free nights after you’re done with your super-six days of intense standing sessions. And so, you motivate yourself to stand long and hard. *The imaam recites somewhere in the background.* Your plans unravel undisturbed save for the frequent hiccups, and you savor the after-taste of your iftaar as the prayers go on till morning. And on the night of the seventh—boy, do you feel exempted from all night prayers! Allah (swt) says, “And when they stand up for As-Salât (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allâh but little.” (04:142) This couldn’t have been put any better. You see two kinds of people in Ramadan. Ones who sign up for the taraweeh marathon (6-rozah, 10-rozah taraweeh), and the others who waltz out of the mosque in the middle of the prayers singing 8 is Sunnah. You must be a special kind of lazy if you can put yourself to a crash-Quran in taraweeh just to be rid of it for the remaining nights. The imaam recites on a 3x clock-speed and you space in and out of your thoughts. Sorry excuse of a taraweeh that starts with a bang, flickers in the second rakah and prematurely dies after a week. Like a soft-drink shaken open—frothing one moment and flat the
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December 22, 2025

Chapter 3: The Waning Dusk (series)

Myth: Can’t handle it. Take this– if you have been whining about your growling stomach or super-conscious about your dry throat. “Allâh burdens not a person beyond his scope.” (02:286) The verse is deep even in its literal translation with many implications. Every nafs (self) has its own capacity and every nafs will be burdened and judged according to its aptitude. There is a reason why you were born into the family you did, why you have the education you do, why you are exceptionally good at some things and why you are the person that you are now. Allah has given you all your life experiences for a reason- so you can wield your Excalibur and put yourself to good use in His way; that you exhaust yourself in His cause in every way that you can. There is no perfect time for it nor is there a stage where you attain some sort of an elusive perfection to start. Contribute your bit in your capacity whatever it may be– intellectual, artistic, analytical, vocal or a bit of everything. Suffice it to say, you can’t back out of your obligations thinking they’re beyond your “capacity”. The verse demands you keep the drama to yourself. If you find any commandment hard to carry out, you can’t opt out of it. Allah knew you could handle it and hence He ordained it. This is the other implication of this verse. So it’s either you weaseling out of tight spots or there’s
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December 22, 2025

My Ramadan Diary: Do Yourself a Favour, Please?

  By Umm Ibrahim We’re funny people, aren’t we? We get lost in rituals and forget the rationales. We get lost in words and ignore the meanings. Ramadan has embraced us once again. Suhoor, Iftaar, Taraweeh. Eat, Drink, Sleep. Different people have different intentions, and they will, accordingly, reach different levels. Some are planning to sleep through the long days and surf through the short nights. Some are planning their menus and parties. And some are planning to milk this month of mercy and forgiveness! To make the most of every moment. And to emerge as winners in the sight of Allah. What’s so special about Ramadan anyway? Is it special because we fast in it? No! Rather, we fast in it because it is special! Think about that. It is special because: “Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Quran, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting..” (Surah al-Baqarah: 185) So, if you have one goal this month, let it be this: Connect with the Quran like never before. It is the Speech of Allah addressed to YOU. Recite. Read the translation. Learn. Teach. Extract gems. Put into practice. Feed your soul. Let your heart be cured. And if you can join a Quran study circle, please do it. Chuck all your excuses in the bin this year. (Ultram)
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December 22, 2025

Chapter 2: The Waning Dusk (series)

Myth: The ban is lifted at iftaar Allah (swt) says, “O, you who believe! Fasting has been made obligatory upon you as it was made upon those before you so that you become fearful of God.” (02:183) Maleficent. Captain America- Winter Soldier. X-men. TV series returning after a mid-season break. New episodes airing tonight. And it’s Nigeria vs France today! So much to watch, so little time, damn- you’re fasting and too bad you can’t binge-eat while you’re at it. But you’ll be watching anyway, or maybe you decide to wait till iftaar. So you load your stuff to stream while you sleep the day away. For smokers and music devotees, it is a different story. You can’t wait to get high again. And sometimes, both of you think it is okay to take a whiff while you’re fasting. It is common knowledge that Quran was revealed in the month of Ramadan and Ramadan is the month of the Quran. The common denominator, that many people miss here, is “taqwa”. Quran guides the Muttaqun (as mentioned in the opening verses of Al-Baqarah) and fasting helps you attain that taqwa (piety). So fasting does not merely encompass starving yourself from dawn to dusk—it is a concept that includes, but is not restricted to refraining from everything that warrants an “Astaghfirullah” from anyone who catches you doing your stuff. So if you fail to achieve even a speck of piety, then you have not fulfilled what was required of you through
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December 22, 2025

To starve or not to starve- Ramadan 2014!

By Umme Aisha It’s almost Ramadan! Just a few hours to go, inshaAllah. This is the one time of the year where most Muslims readily sacrifice both food and the immediate gratification of their desires. It’s a month that when it leaves, it leaves us feeling sad and gloomy. Despite it being the favorite month of every believer, a logical mind may wonder: Why does Allah want us to starve throughout the day? What good is our starving ourselves, for Him? In the Quran, Allah encourages people to consume His blessings: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. [Quran; 2:168] Especially since Allah addresses His believing slaves in particular and commands them to eat from His given Rizq (provision)and be thankful about it: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship. [Quran; 2:172] There remains no doubt about the fact that Allah has created all these blessings for His slaves to consume and to take benefit from, and that He doesn’t need us to starve all day long, because Allah is free from
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December 22, 2025

Chapter 1: The Waning Dusk (series)

Myth: Reading the translation is enough Amr bin Al-Aas (ra), before he became a Muslim, rode out to meet Musaylimah the Liar who was proclaiming Prophethood. Upon his arrival, Musaylimah said to Amr, “What has been revealed to your friend (Muhammad) during his time? Amr replied, “A short and concise surah.” And then he recited surah Al-Asr. So Musaylimah thought for a while. Then he said, “Indeed something similar has also been revealed to me.” Amr asked him, “What is it?” He replied, “O Wabr (a small, furry mammal; hyrax), O Wabr! You are only two ears and a chest, and the rest of you is digging and burrowing.” Then he said, “What do you think, O Amr?” So Amr said to him, “By Allah! Verily, you know that I know you are lying.” Allah (swt) has said in the Quran, “And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah of the like thereof, and call your witness beside Allah if ye are truthful.” (02:23) Musaylimah the Liar failed to convince even a non-Muslim with his nonsensical string of babble- his only superpower being that he could narrate his “revelations” with a straight face. Fast forward- You read something that strikes a chord, words expertly woven that they resonate with your thoughts, and in that moment you know the writer had said everything that you wanted to say but couldn’t. It is like someone else discovering the long-lost novel
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December 22, 2025

12 Reasons I’m Excited About Ramadan

By Umm Ibrahim          1- The Honourable Mention Ramadan is the only month mentioned in the Quran by its name. Reading through this verse at any time of the year brings to me a rush of beautiful memories, as well as anticipation for the next Ramadan. “Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Quran, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting..” (Surah al-Baqarah: 185) And when Ramadan does come, it feels like an old friend is visiting, with its customary warmth, laden with gifts and goodies! 2- Enemy Locked Up Enemy # 1, Shaytan, is locked up for one whole month. Of course, it feels good. So now I can free myself from one frontier and concentrate my energies on straightening up my own Nafs. “When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.” (Bukhari, Muslim) 3- Sinners, Rejoice! As stated in the above hadith, the gates of Paradise are opened up, and the gates of Hellfire are closed. Allah, Exalted is He, saves people from Hellfire every single day! “At every breaking of the fast, Allah has people whom He redeems.” (Ahmad, Saheeh at-Targheeb) For sinners like myself, this is a moment to heave a sigh of relief, a time to renew my hope,
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December 22, 2025

Who sets the Standards, anyway?

By Umme Aisha So I know this girl who happens to be a very close relative of mine, and she is “a bit on the fat side” if judged by the standards the society has set. Everyone has made her believe that she is unfit for society and that there is no one who wants to marry a ‘fat’ girl. And this has made her so conscious of her diet that she is not eating what she wants to eat and what she needs to eat for her health, instead exercising day in and day out. And I also know a girl who, on the other hand, is a bit slimmer than the standards people have set. Everyone around her tells her that she needs to put on some weight because soon her age to marry will pass, and then she’ll have to spend the rest of her life alone. They are not telling her these things so that she might improve her health, but only trying to fit her into an ideal shape for some prince to marry! She is continuously eating and eating just to meet the standards of some ‘aunty’ who, if the girl is lucky enough, will go and recommend her to a rich bachelor somewhere. Both situations have made me think that while not all fingers are of the same size, we are bent upon stretching the shortest finger; after all, it has to be similar to the rest- doesn’t it? In the process,
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December 22, 2025

Of good company and positive attitudes

This post is an anonymous entry sent in by one of our readers for the theme #Sinless. We pray that Allah keeps the writer steadfast on her own journey. How do people view practicing Muslims these days? Outdated? Orthodox? Old-school? Of course! I mean, just imagine! How can those people live without listening to music? I can’t even picture myself sitting alone and not plugging my earphones into my ears (to listen to the latest beats). And then there’s the whole covering up issue.  Personally I believe that the only modesty is that of the gaze- don’t stare, that’s all. These Abaya-clad girls are usually looked more keenly upon. Obviously they invite more glances. How can they claim to be modest when they stand out like that? How are they even comfortable being inspected so?  You can’t talk, walk, or act like a normal human being in that kind of dress- completely out of the question! There’s so much in this world alone; so much to see, so much to do- so little time (and money). You are obliged to earn by whatever means you can. How can you possibly make time for the daily prayers, and that too 5 times a day, what with your otherwise hectic schedule? Then there’s these Maulvis… Nothing but a bunch of the most deviant people imaginable. All they do is impose a new fatwa every now and then- make life hard for the rest of us.  And then they have the audacity to plead about immodesty in
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December 22, 2025

Calm Down- Its Nothing!

We will try to describe the average young Pakistani in today’s world. (This may apply to all youngsters around the world) + (This could apply to females but for the sake of this article, we will use ‘he’ as most of our interaction on the streets is with the guys!) If you feel you can relate to this, then please read the article till the end. Reflect upon this deeply. Remember, Allah knows us better than we know ourselves- and the first step to correcting ourselves is to realise where we’re going wrong! We have observed that your average youngster will sin so much on a daily level, that we fear, it will come back to bite him later in his life and definitely in the hereafter. No matter how menial it may seem at the time, this is divinely guaranteed to happen. “..And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.” Surat Az-Zalzalah (The Earthquake) – سورة الزلزلة 99.8 The moment you step outside your house, if you see a female dressed in bright clothing, you will crane your neck to see her better. You’ll want to see her face and the whole of her. Just a couple of seconds- that’s all, before you move on.. Is this you? When your parents call you and ask you to do them a ‘favour’, for example, “Betaa, waapsi par thora sa doodh le anaa,” (Get some milk on the way home), you will  most probably mutter “ufff” or “oho” or wear a frown
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December 22, 2025

Five practical steps to be a steadfast Muslim!

Not a single person can deny the fact that human nature is notorious and censurable;  history is one unfortunate witness to this very fact! But human beings are bound to err. They were never designed to be perfect, nor  do they run on pre-defined algorithms for pre-designed results. They are not machines- rather they are driven by their own feelings, challenges, successes and failures. In this fast-paced  technological era, man needs constant guidance through sincere friends and families to help him weave a path of steadfastness. But most of all, man needs his own self. A living conscience that constantly awakens him to the realities of life. An untainted sound heart. Islam came to protect individuals, and to give people a chance at a better future, and a better life in the Hereafter. But to actually benefit from this, one needs to learn how to ‘live the life’ of a Muslim. As  Br. Mohammad Ali [1] says: “No system of life can give you a better purpose than Islam. So follow Islam. Read about it. Understand it. And you have a great life in both worlds” Our halls are filled with awe as different religious scholars and ‘daees’ glitter and glamour the world- when one feels his faith climb even the highest and most impossible of  mountain peaks. But in everyday life the situation of the Muslim community leaves much to be desired. There is a massive gap in our hearts, that yearns for Allah.  The match between Iblis and man still goes on, and Iblis is winning. He is not even letting us come close to the
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December 22, 2025

In Pursuit of Happiness

The writer is a convert sister from the Scandinavian part of Europe who has been following the activities of the Youth Club through the online realm. She has written this piece exclusively for the Youth Club Blog. We welcome her to Islam, and pray that Allah grants her steadfastness.   I’ve been raised watching romantic comedies and all kinds of movies. I’ve also wasted a considerable amount of time playing computer games and PlayStation. I was so much into the games, that they became my world. I was obsessed with thinking about how I would get to the next level or get more points, even when I went to school, met friends or ate dinner. I would always feel energized and excited while playing. Watching movies would make me happy- I would imagine my life becoming similar to what I saw.   But the good feelings always disappeared and I needed more. A new game. A new movie. I could never ever get enough. I was truly seeking contentment and peace of heart through these means. But it was like chasing my shadow. I could never have fulfillment from the movies or games. I was left with an emptiness inside. When I was going to fast my first Ramadan at the age of 19 a short time after my shahada (I’m a convert) I had no idea what to expect. I was just scared and worried, “Will I be able to make it?” In my hometown, there are hardly any Muslims and you can never
Yasha Fatima
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