Imam Subki (Allah have mercy on him) quotes the great Sufi master Sahl ibn Abd Allah al-Tustari (Allah have mercy on him) as mentioning that,
“From the proper manners of the People of the Sunna (Ahl al-Sunna) are four things that are absolutely necessary:
[1] Following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
[2] Complete […]

SunniPath Answers
Be close, but transact as strangers
Answered by Faraz Rabbani
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad, his
folk, companions, and followers
Allah Most High says in the Qur’an
“And obey Allah and His messenger, and dispute not one with
another lest you falter and your strength depart from […]

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
Imam Ghazali’s diagnosis of the problem of heedlessness during prayer has an interesting consequence: anything that distracts us from Allah Most High during our prayer is, in reality, dunya, even if it outwardly appears to be religious. This is a powerful tool that we can use to […]

From the SunniPath Answers (http://qa.sunnipath.com):
Explaining the Four Keys to Success
Shaykh al-Islam Shabbir Usmani said that if 4 matters are present, success is guaranteed:
1) one’s intention must be true;
2) one’s goal must be true;
3) the means one takes must be true; and
4) the way one takes the means must be true.
Explanation of these Four Keys…
Powered by […]

Imam Zaid Shakir writes on the the blessed mawlid in the latest Seasons Journal. Read it at their website.
Jazakum Allahu khayrun to Shaykh Abdullah Ali for emailing about this.

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
Last week, in my Essentials of Islam class, we covered the inner dimensions of prayer from Muhtar Holland’s excellent book, The Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship. I prepared for my weekly live session with the students by reading what Imam Ghazali had to say about presence of […]

Can Citizens Take Law Into Their Own Hands When the Authorities Don’t Do Their Job?
This question has come up from a host of recent events, including the attention-grabbing attack on a brothel by female madrassa students in Islamabad.
Mufti Rafi Usmani talked about this in his Friday prayer sermon, lamenting that this is a manifestation of […]

Excellence in Friendship - What
are some keys to being a good friend?

Imam Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami (Allah have mercy on him),
one of the great sufi masters, wrote in his work The Proper Manners of
Companionship (Adab al-Suhba) that,

Proper companionship with one’s friends is through:
[1] Remaining constantly cheerful
[2] Doing the good
[3] Spreading mention of their virtues
[4] Concealing […]

The Proper Manners of Keeping Allah’s Company
Imam Ghazali states in his work, The Beginnings of Guidance:
The Proper Manners of Keeping Allah’s Company
Know that the companion who never leaves you whether you are resident or travelling, whether asleep or awake, both in your life and after your death is your Lord, Master, Protector, and Creator.
And whenever […]

Yahya ibn Mu`adh (Allah have mercy on him) said,
“Whoever acquires the proper manners (adab) of Allah becomes of the people beloved to Allah.”
Hasan al-Basri was asked about the most beneficial of proper manners (adab). He replied, “Gaining understanding (tafaqquh) in religion; non-attachment to worldly things; and knowing well the rights of Allah upon you.”
May Allah […]