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by Muhammad Javed

{Excerpt from the book, Emotional Intelligence: Reflecting On The Prophetic Way}

The process of purification consists of multiple steps as is outlined in the picture above. In this article, we will be focusing on repenting and staying away from sins.

Stay away from sins (especially habitual sins that accumulate like backbiting / gossip, smoking cigarettes, forbidden gaze (porn / staring at woman etc.)), etc. as they add up and can have a chaotic impact on own spirituality and performance as time also get wasted and we slip into worse things.

Repent constantly for slipping into sins

We should constantly repent for falling into sins as all human are prone to error. Allah(swt) loves when his slaves turn to Him, admits his sins and repents through tawba and istigfar.

The negative situations and states we find ourselves in is because of our mistakes, sins and transgression as the Almighty states:

وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو...

By Muhammad Javed

8 rakah vs 20 rakahs. This is a common debate that bombards from masajid across the globe, all the way from Alaska to Makkah and down to Sydney. Come Ramadan time and it is not farfetched to find even family members disputing about the correct number of rakahs to offer for Taraweeh prayers, the superogatory prayers after Isha during the month of Ramadan. It looks like almost everyone has a different opinion on this matter, ranging from top scholars in Saudi Arabia, where the imams in the grand masajid of the holy cities, Makkah and Madinah, offer 20 units, while most imams in most of the other masajid in Saudi offer  8 units; to different Islamic centers in USA and Europe. This conflict of opinion has also promulgated hatred and division of communities and religious organizations in some areas. Is this issue really worth dividing homes and communities over? How would the sahabas deal with conflicting opinions? What is the prophetic proof on this matter? What...