Faith and fiqh – Trials & Tribulations

Seeking aid

Sadaqa — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:36:11 +0000

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ Bismillāhir-rahmānir-rahīm In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. O Allah, You are Al-Basīr, the All-Seeing, and Al-Khabīr, the All-Aware. You know what I have put before You today, and You know it better than I know it myself. You know every hour, day, week, month and year I have spent upon it, every doubt that visited me…

Source

Spiritual refugees

Sadaqa — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 15:37:05 +0000

The morning air is crisp as they gather, the sky painted in the soft hues of dawn. They arrive wrapped in modesty, their long hijabs flowing like quiet devotion made visible, their garments a gentle armour against both wind and the world’s gaze. Beneath their feet lies the damp soil of a trail that promises to lead them through mud, sweat, and self-confrontation. The challenge ahead is daunting…

Source

The beauty of tahajjud

Sadaqa — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 22:06:33 +0000

The room is quiet, softly lit. Outside, the world sleeps whilst here, in this gathered circle, hearts wake. They arrive one by one, these sisters who tomorrow will wade into cold water and climb muddy obstacles and push their bodies past limits many have never tested. But that is tomorrow. Tonight — in these deep hours before dawn — there is only stillness and the turning toward prayer.

Source

Expressions of faith

Sadaqa — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 16:59:00 +0000

There are many ways to speak to Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala. Words whispered in the depths of night. Tears shed in private supplication. The disciplined standing and bowing of formal prayer. Yet there is another language, less often acknowledged but no less sincere: the language the body speaks when it pushes beyond comfort, when it moves through difficulty, when it insists on continuing despite…

Source

Trials that refine

Iman — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 09:14:00 +0000

In the journey of life, trials shape us like fire purifies gold. In Islamic thought, this process is captured by the concept of fitna—trials that separate truth from falsehood, purity from impurity. While deeply personal, this concept powerfully mirrors the experiences of refugees worldwide and those who stand beside them. For millions of refugees, life becomes an unrelenting crucible.

Source

Spiritual reflections from taking part

Sajdah — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 07:51:31 +0000

There is a moment, somewhere between the third obstacle and the fourth, when the body begins to protest. The legs ache with accumulated effort. The lungs burn from cold air drawn too quickly. Mud clings to everything — shoes, clothing, hands that reached down to help a sister over a barrier. And in that moment, when comfort feels impossibly distant and the finish line remains hidden beyond the…

Source

Where hearts incline

Sadaqa — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 08:05:00 +0000

As people of faith, our hearts naturally incline towards justice, towards mercy, towards the easing of another’s suffering. The Qur’an calls us again and again to feel with the oppressed, to stand with the displaced, to remember those who hunger whilst we feast. Yet how often do these inclinations remain abstractions: noble sentiments that live in our minds but never quite reach our bones?

Source

Understanding fitna

Sadaqa — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 08:59:00 +0000

As believers, we frequently encounter the term ‘fitna’ in our daily lives, but do we truly understand its profound significance in our deen? Allah tells us in Surah Al-Ankabut: “Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: ‘We believe,’ and will not be tested?” (29:2) Allah, in His infinite wisdom, uses fitna as a means of distinguishing truth from falsehood in our hearts and…

Source

Ramadan challenges

Sadaqa — Sun, 05 May 2019 18:53:31 +0000

As is known, the Trials & Tribulations challenge has a fasting element, throwing hunger into the mix of physical endurance and emotional forbearance. However, when considering participating during Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons. While some may view it as a chance to simulate the challenges faced by refugees, the combination of fasting…

Source

What Islam says about fitna

Sadaqa — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 09:21:33 +0000

In Islam, trials and tribulations are viewed as an inevitable part of life. They serve as tests from Allah (SWT), meant to strengthen faith, build character, and purify the believer. The Quran and hadith literature provide extensive guidance on how Muslims should approach and respond to difficulties. The Quran explicitly states that trials are a part of life and are decreed by Allah for a…

Source