Talut (Saul) lived about 3,000 years ago, and was the first Israelite king. The Quran briefly describes the appointment of Talut as king and narrates how the army of true believers led by Talut defeated the far mightier Philistine army of Jalut (Goliath) that worshiped false deities. The effective leadership of Talut, and later, the…
The Saviour of Israelites
Musa (Moses) is the most frequently mentioned person in the Quran. He was born in Egypt about 3,500 years ago and belonged to the tribe of Israel that had migrated to Egypt from Canaan (Palestine) during the time of Yusuf (Joseph). At the time of Musa’s birth, the ruler of Egypt, known as the…
The Estranged Brother
Yusuf (Joseph) was born in Canaan (Palestine) to Yaqub (Jacob), the son of Ishaq (Isaac), who was the son of Ibrahim (Abraham) – all of whom were prophets. The intriguing life story of Yusuf has been described by Allah as “the best of stories” (12:3) and has been completely narrated in a single chapter. As a…
A Friend of God
Ibrahim (Abraham) was one of the greatest and most influential prophets. Allah bestowed the highest honor upon him by making him a “leader for humanity” (4:125), and taking him as “an intimate friend.” (4:125) Ibrahim was born about four thousand years ago in the thriving city of Ur, in modern-day Iraq. His community was deeply…
The Perished Nations
After the great flood that destroyed the nation of Nuh, many other nations rose to power, and prophets were usually appointed from amongst those nations for their guidance. The reason we analyze together the stories of four prophets – Hud, Salih, Lut (Lot), and Shuayb – is that they all present a common theme. In…
The Great Flood
Nuh (Noah) was the next major prophet after Adam. His people became indulged in worshipping idols named Wadd, Suwa, Yaghuth, Ya'uq, and Nasr – these possibly being the names of righteous individuals from earlier generations whose statues were made to honor them, and were later exalted to divine status. Nuh preached to his people to…
The First of Humanity
Allah created the first human being, Adam, from turaab – translated as dust or soil. He then blew into him through the Spirit, and commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam, which they did. However, one of the jinn known as Iblis (Satan), present among the angels, refused to do so, and Allah expelled him…
Should Women go to Mosques?
Nowadays, most mosques in Muslim societies are exclusively for men, and it is not considered proper for women to be part of the congregational prayers or any other activity in the mosque. Just because the majority takes this view, however, does not mean that it is the correct one. Let us investigate the ruling of…
The Simple Lifestyle of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
The lifestyle of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was remarkably simple and unpretentious. He did not possess any luxuries, and the gifts he used to receive were often distributed among others or given away in charity. Most Muslims in Madinah at the time were not wealthy; however, the Prophet ﷺ lived very humbly even by their standards.…
Twenty Traits of True Believers
A true believer in Allah is someone who is not only convinced of His presence, but also seeks to live in the manner He has prescribed. Such a person is mindful of the guidance Allah has bestowed on humanity through the ages, and summed it up in the form of the Qur’an revealed to Muhammad…
