Reflections

A collection of 421 posts

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Friday reflection: Rectifying the remaining chapters of our life

By Muneeb Nasir A man once approached Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, inquiring about the Day of Judgment, asking, "When will the Hour be?" The Prophet responded with a thought-provoking question of his own, saying, "What have you prepared for it?" He redirected the

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Friday reflection: In search of sanctuary: The enduring quest for refuge

By Muneeb Nasir The migration (hijrah) of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his companions from Mecca to Medina stands as one of the most significant events in Islamic history. Faced with persecution, these early believers were compelled to leave their homes behind. The hijrah holds significant historical

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Friday reflection: Journey Towards the Eternal - Navigating challenges and strengthening Faith

By Muneeb Nasir During the early days of Prophet Muhammad's, peace be upon him, messengership, Muslims faced constant pressure, threats, and abuse. Allah's early revelations aimed to fortify the early believers with eternal principles of faith. These revelations taught them and teach us that the power

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Friday reflection: Building blocks for a flourishing Muslim presence

By Muneeb Nasir When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sought refuge in the city of Madina, having migrated from his hometown of Makkah, it was predominantly populated by non-Muslims. However, the atmosphere in Madina was filled with anticipation and excitement as the residents eagerly awaited the arrival of

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Friday reflection: 'My Lord! Let me go back'

By Muneeb Nasir We perceive time passing swiftly, reminding us that one day we will face God on the Day of Judgment. On that day, it will feel as if we have lived, dreamed, and aspired for merely a fleeting moment. Our worship of the Creator will appear incomplete and

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Friday reflection: What leads to happiness?

By Muneeb Nasir What leads to happiness? Is it by acquiring wealth and having many luxury possessions? Today it seems as if there is no stop to the excessive greed and reckless living of people in societies around the world. One of the signs of these conditions is the relative

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Ethical concerns arise over Canadian Muslim relief agencies' voluntourism practices

By Muneeb Nasir and Irshad Osman Muslim Relief organizations are in overdrive, aggressively marketing to the Canadian Muslim community, and a new form of fundraising practice is cropping up among the larger charities - voluntourism, which combines tourism and volunteering. As a background on the extent of Muslim donations in Canada

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Friday reflection: We all have a defined benefit plan

By Muneeb Nasir Good deeds are our investment for the everlasting future and the returns are defined – it is our defined benefit plan. All of us should be looking to live, not just ‘a good life’, but a life of goodness. ‘A good life’ is generally understood as having a

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Friday reflection: Turn to God - He is Loving and Merciful

By Muneeb Nasir Among the main purposes of religion is to heal the brokenness in our relationship with God as well as with fellow human beings and other creations of God. Indeed, the purpose of fasting in Ramadan is to restore consciousness, awareness and mindfulness of God leading to such

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Friday reflection: The Muslim community’s beautiful traits - generosity, compassion and hospitality

By Muneeb Nasir Generosity, compassion and hospitality are defining features of the Muslim community and they are on full display during the month of Ramadan. In homes, neighborhoods, and mosques, Muslims are engaged in hosting friends and neighbors for iftar (fast breaking meals), giving to the less fortunate and those

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Friday reflection: Ramadan - a wellspring for the spiritually dry

By Muneeb Nasir Ramadan is a sacred time - it is the ‘anniversary of anniversaries’, a time that the One God, Allah, singles out sincere believers for rewards. God's Apostle, peace be upon him said, "God said, 'All the deeds of sons of Adam (people) are for

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Friday reflection: In today’s world people could all do with a dose of Ramadan

By Muneeb Nasir There is great anticipation in the air - families are making plans, children are getting excited, homes are being cleaned and spruced up, special foods and ingredients are being purchased to welcome a most noble guest, Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, set to begin next week. In

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Friday reflection: ‘The real House of God - where those who have lost God will find Him’

By Muneeb Nasir Outside the sacred sanctuary of houses of worship, hospitals and health institutions are among places where the most sincere prayers are offered. They are places where many people seek God for solace and comfort, and where they may rediscover and reconnect with God. Many years ago, I

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Friday reflection: Let's change our way of relating to each other

By Muneeb Nasir A successful life is one in which we develop, maintain and nurture meaningful relationships with the One Transcendent God, Allah, with our fellow humans and other creations. We are a growing and beautifully diverse Muslim community in this city. However, one of the greatest challenges we face

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Türkiye and Syria Earthquake - Which charities to support?

By Muneeb Nasir and Irshad Osman Two devastating earthquakes hit southern and central Türkiye in the early hours of February 6, 2023, and it also affected regions of north-western Syria. This is the fourth costliest earthquake in world history. The property damages and the financial loss are estimated at

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Friday reflection: Those who walk on the earth ever so lightly

By Muneeb Nasir The world is full of self-important, self-absorbed, self-promoting, brash, egotistical and arrogant people. These are the people who lead the news. Look at the recent headlines – it is all about political leaders who are arrogant and brash; who proudly display their character flaws and

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Friday reflection: These words will change your life

By Muneeb Nasir Say, “Bismillah Hir Rahman Nir Raheem - In The Name of God, the All Merciful, the Mercy-Giving before you do anything,” was the first lesson that our parents taught us. “If you say ‘Bismillah’ you would not do anything wrong,” they reasoned with us. These words, ‘In

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Friday reflection: Who are the Muslims next door?

By Muneeb Nasir Canadian Muslims truly stand out as being among the most enthusiastic group of Canadians - 83 percent of Muslims feel very proud to be Canadian. However, because Muslims have a religious and cultural background unfamiliar to most other Canadians they face questions about their commitment to becoming part

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Friday reflection - Can we be at home in different places?

By Muneeb Nasir Where are you from? This is the question that I am frequently asked by people and they are expecting me to say India or Pakistan or from Asia. They're absolutely right insofar as 100 percent of my blood and ancestry does come from that region

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Friday Reflection - The days of our lives

By Muneeb Nasir First lesson as we go through the days of our lives: Appreciate that each day is a gift and live each day purposefully. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is reported to have said: “Purity is half of the faith. The praise of God fills the

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Friday reflection: God loves those who are steadfast

By Muneeb Nasir The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is reported to have said: “How wonderful is the case of the believer; there is good in everything and this is not the case with anyone except a believer. If good attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah (One God)

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Is the CRA targeting Muslim-led charities in Canada?

Alex Neve and Leilani Farha recently published an op-ed in the Globe and Mail, "If the CRA is targeting Muslim-led charities, Canadians deserve to know," about the Canada Revenue Agency's suspected targeting of Muslim-led charities, noting a pattern that started under Harper and

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Sen. Murray Sinclair: Pope Francis’s apology failed to acknowledge the Church’s full role in residential schools

WINNIPEG — The Honourable Murray Sinclair, former senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), issued the following statement on July 26, 2022: “I want to recognize the importance of the Pope’s apology to Survivors, their families, and communities. For many Survivors, I know that hearing

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Friday reflection: Finding your why

By Muneeb Nasir The companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) transformed themselves and their societies in a short period of time. We cannot be but amazed at what they achieved. These women and men were from among the most deprived lot in their society - many came from

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Encountering Islamophobia in the medical profession

By Dr. Aliya A. Khan After a recent lecture I delivered at a national conference of Canadian physicians, I reviewed the evaluations received from the attendees. While many commented on what they had learned from my talk on metabolic bone disease, one comment stood out, which had no bearing on