A man once went to an elder teacher and informed him that he will be going for a pilgrimage (Hajj) this year. The teacher asked the man: "Did you not go to Hajj last year?" The man replied: "Yes, but I want to go again." To this, the teacher stated: "Your first Hajj was conducted for the sake of God. However, this time you will be going for the sake of your SELF. This is a form of Shirk." The Greatest Sin a Man Can Commit It has been made clear to us through revelations that the greatest and the only unforgivable sin in the eyes of God is Shirk. Shirk can be loosely defined as associating...

Anxiety is a naturally-occurring state of mind that involves one’s body as well. In fact, it would be considered abnormal if one did not feel any anxiety at all. Things that are anxiety-provoking and wrong should make us feel anxious. However, anxiety can be detrimental to one’s health and well-being. It can lead to other severe psychological disorders. In order to deal with one’s anxiety, therapists often introduce relaxation techniques to their clients. Here is one of three major techniques you can use to relax yourself. You don’t have to suffer from anxiety to use it; it would...

Depression is an illness that involves the mind and body and affects how you feel, think and behave. Depression is not a form of weakness, rather can occur naturally in everyone. In Psychology, a major depressive episode is diagnosed after a person meets the following criteria: The person must have a total of 5 symptoms for at least 2 weeks where one of the symptoms must be depressed mood or loss of interest. Depressed mood Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities. Significant (>5% body weight) weight loss or gain, or increase or decrease in appetite. Insomnia...

Addictions are a widely-researched area of study among psychologists. There are many theories as to why addictions develop, how they emerge, the different neurological aspects related to addictions, and how they can be treated. Personally, I am a believer of my own theory based on my experiences with addicts since 2006. First, let's get one thing out of the way: EVERY ONE OF US HAS ADDICTIONS. Most people will deny this and therefore are in the state of denial. Whether it is consuming a substance on a daily basis (caffeine), checking your emails regularly, or watching basketball games on television,...

A friend of mine recently emailed me about an incident that occurred in our local mosque; this isn't something new to the Muslim community. Children were being loud and disruptive and people became angry. So the question at hand is whether children should be brought to the mosques or not? My opinion is... PLEASE DO IT. The Empty Mosque Phenomenon Goto your local mosque one day and take a look around. If you have a paper and a pen, write down the estimated ages of people that regularly attend the congregation. More than likely, the congregation will consist almost entirely of older adults....

THE NEED FOR AN EFFECTIVE YOUTH PROGRAM Muslim youth have been suffering from an identity crisis. It has been shown through research that identity is critical to the psychological development of youth, especially those from minority groups. Erik Erickson (1968) stated that youth who are members of minority groups which have been either oppressed or exploited are likely to develop a negative identity and even self-hatred by internalizing the negative views of the dominant society. In other words, a psychological conflict emerges in youth that are members of a degraded minority group forcing them...

Also known as Social Anxiety Disorder, it is characterized by strong feelings of being judged by others and being embarrassed. Wait… I have these feelings all the time. Do I have this disorder? Having feelings of being judged or being embarrassed is normal to everyone, especially Muslims. Every time we go out in public, or in specific areas (airports), we feel as if we are constantly being judged and we feel embarrassed. However, it is considered a disorder when these feelings become disruptive to our daily functioning and are caused by uncommon issues. For example, if you are afraid...

Since the introduction of the Feminist Movement, this has become a key area of debate among all socioeconomic groups. I am attempting to highlight differences between genders so that readers can familiarize themselves with the idea that we are all equal in the eyes of God and should be equal in each other's eyes as well. However, there are many differences between the two genders and these differences do not make one gender any better or worse than the other. Physical Differences Breasts vs chests Greater laryngeal prominence (Adam's apple) in men Greater presence of hair in men Muscle...

The human being has a very intricate structure and design. Every variable such as an event, a memory, a relationship, items of consumption, time spent etc all play a vital role is building this structure. Imagine the way you feel about a certain issue (political or social). Say that you support a certain political candidate. Now ask yourself “Why do I support this issue/person?” The answer may not come to you easily but there almost always is a reason behind it; an event or a personal issue that changed your mind. Why is this important and how does this relate to stages of human development?...

While studying Fiqh under the guidance of Shaykh Amir Saeed (may Allah preserve him), we came across the topics of Adhaan and Salat. We learned two very interesting concepts in these topics. 1) There are two occasions recorded in the sunnah when Jibril (AS) led the Prophet (PBUH) in Dhuhr and Asr prayers. Although these traditions were used to support the difference in opinion on Asr timings, my thoughts were elsewhere. More on this in a minute. 2) The sahabah had recognized a problem in gathering everyone for prayers, so the concept of Adhaan was introduced to the sahabah through their...