Whenever one goes to mosques around the world, one expects to see Islamic architectural designs containing minarets with geometrical sequences and a dash of Arabic calligraphy, whether it be in Andalusia Spain, Turkey, or even the outskirts of Africa. However, in China this is not necessarily the case. We do see traces of Arabic calligraphy yet coupled with Chinese calligraphy …

“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” This is a quote made famous by America's top leadership guru, Dr. John C. Maxwell, in his bestselling book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. The first time I read this quote was in 2002, when I was a rookie teacher at an Islamic school. I remember staring at that statement and thinking, “what …

Sri Lanka now has another distinction to its credit. It has produced the youngest holder of the Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ) offered by Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments (CISI) – Majid Ikram Thowfeek, at only 16 years.  Majid is now an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments (CISI), UK. His success in IFQ has inspired other young people …

Seeing a scene of impeccable beauty, we often hear the term “Heaven on Earth!” But there is only one place that literally has the right to proclaim itself heaven on Earth. There, deep in the mosque of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) (masjid Nabawi), covered by green carpets and the tears …

Methi contains protein, fibre, vitamin C, niacin, potassium, iron and alkaloids. It also contains a compound diosgenin which has oestrogen-like properties, as well as steroidal saponins.  The seeds and leaves of methi (fenugreek) are readily available and widely used in Indian kitchen. They have a strong aroma and a bitter taste. But when used in small quantities they impart flavour …

Coffee About 1,600,000,000 cups of coffee are consumed every day around the world. Billions of people rely on it as part of their daily routines. And yet, very few people are aware of the Muslim origins of this ubiquitous drink. According to the historical record, in the 1400s coffee became a very popular drink among Muslims in Yemen, in the …