Nottingham’s Goose Fair: When The Lights Go Out 🎡 By Prof. Dr Musharraf Hussain This week’s blog is a light-hearted read. However, it may seem to cast a shadow over life’s pleasures. It’s for a serious reason; it is an example of the fleeting, passing and temporary nature of worldly life. The annual Goose Fair comes for ten days, and on day 11 it’s gone; the ground is empty. I find that a reminder, Nasihah. Pleasure, Popularity and Possessions Nottingham is a proud and ambitious city,...
6 days ago • 3 min read
Is Your Halal Meat also Tayyib? By Prof. Dr Musharraf Hussain Earlier this month, I invited Dr Gemma Ali to speak about an issue close to my heart: meat consumption and the question of Halal and Tayyib. The Majestic Quran commands, “People, eat of what is lawful and wholesome on Earth…” (2:168). As an expert in animal husbandry and Halal and Tayyib meat, she delivered an amazingly powerful speech. Below is a summary of her speech; you can also watch the full video HERE on Karimia’s YouTube...
13 days ago • 4 min read
Open the Doors of Allah’s House By Prof. Dr Musharraf Hussain Imagine growing up as a Muslim girl and gradually discovering that the most sacred place in your community is not really meant for you. Your father goes to the Masjid. Your brothers go. The Imam teaches there. Community decisions are made there. Spiritual friendships develop there. Yet you are expected to remain outside its life. We should ask a simple question: Did the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) intend this? The Masjid...
20 days ago • 4 min read
Make Congregational Prayer Part of Your Day By Prof Dr Musharraf Hussain We are Allah’s servants and representatives on earth, Khalifat-ullah. So, our hearts need to remain connected to Him. That connection is renewed five times every day through Salah. Prayer is the food of the soul, the flavour of faith and a source of peace of mind. Prayer is not entirely private; it should be done together. There is something profoundly beautiful about congregational prayer. People of different ages,...
27 days ago • 4 min read
Sparse Living: The Forgotten Wisdom of Using Less 💧 By Prof Dr Musharraf Hussain The recent drought in Britain should have made us stop and think. When reservoir water levels fell, rivers ran low, hosepipe bans were enforced, and water companies were asking Muslims to use less water when doing wudu. We are reminded of something we have forgotten: the earth’s resources are limited. Consume Less, Live Better You might have expected such warnings to inspire a national drive towards simplicity:...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
“Future Followers Will Truly Love Me” 💚 By Prof Dr Musharraf Hussain We think that being far away in time from the Prophet (peace be upon him) makes us less significant. Well, here is great news from the beloved Messenger (peace be upon him) about you; he loves you. Here is a bouquet of Prophetic sayings that will stir your feelings and enliven love. These Ahadith demonstrate the continuous worldwide influence of the beloved Messenger (peace be upon him) and how His prophecies are fulfilled....
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Loving the Prophet ﷺ Means Following Him Assalamu Alaikum Reader, As we pass through the blessed days in which Muslims across the world remember and celebrate the birth of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, it is an opportunity to ask ourselves a simple but important question: What does it truly mean to love the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? Our gatherings, nasheeds, salawat and expressions of joy are beautiful ways of showing our love. But the greatest expression of love for the Prophet ﷺ is to follow...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Don’t Let Their Bad Behaviour Change You By Prof Dr Musharraf Hussain This week’s blog is highly emotive since we had an unfortunate incident at my community centre in Nottingham earlier this week. The local Labour Party organised a private meeting for its members, to be attended by a government minister. I was asked to come and meet the minister. So, I took the opportunity to ask him some hard questions about our government’s role in the Gaza genocide. Alas, a small group of protesters...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Work-Worship Balance: Are We Getting It Right? By Prof Dr Musharraf Hussain Recently, Japanese PM Takaichi posted that she often gets “zero to three hours of sleep” and spent a recent holiday catching up on ironing and policy work. This sparked a national debate about work-life balance in Japan. Critics said her boasting about long hours boosts an unhealthy, overwork culture. She should know better and prioritise rest and learn to delegate tasks. Could this be me? The episode drew attention...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read