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Altruism, selfless acts done for another’s benefit in spite of oneself, is a humanitarian endeavor praised by all societies.  Practically every nation on earth has stories of great kings, brave warriors and noble men and women who sacrificed their material possessions, status or even themselves for some or other common good.  Yet, it is without […]

In the Islamic world, one rarely finds “old people’s homes.”  The strain of caring for one’s parents in this most difficult time of their lives is considered an honor and a blessing and an opportunity for great spiritual growth.  In Islam, it is not enough that we only pray for our parents, but we should

The rewards for visiting the sick are great in both number and magnitude.  The Prophet Muhammad said: “If a man calls on his sick Muslim brother, it is as if he walks reaping the fruits of Paradise until he sits, and when he sits he is showered in mercy, and if this was in the

Islam invites to all that is good and warns from all that is bad.  From those good and virtuous deeds is the visiting of the ill and afflicted.  When people visit each other in good health, bonds of brotherhood and friendship are strengthened.  How then when people visit each other in times of sickness and

Just as truthfulness is the very cornerstone of the upright person’s character and the springboard for his virtuousness, falsehood, its opposite, is the foundation of a person’s depravity and the launch pad for his wickedness.  Just as the truthfulness of a person starts from within – that is, it is a reflection of a state of

“O you who believe!  Have fear of God, and be among the truthful.” (Quran 9:119) Ask the average person to define truthfulness and the answer will most likely be restricted to something about truthful speech.  Islam, however, teaches that truthfulness is far more than having an honest tongue.  In Islam, truthfulness is the conformity of the

The Meaning of Justice In the Islamic worldview, justice denotes placing things in their rightful place.  It also means giving others equal treatment.  In Islam, justice is also a moral virtue and an attribute of human personality, as it is in the Western tradition.  Justice is close to equality in the sense that it creates

God, the Creator of human beings and animals, has made animals subservient to us.  We depend on animals for the food we eat and the milk we drink.  We bring animals into our homes for love and companionship.  We survive critical illness and live longer because of biomedical research on animals.  We visit to zoos

Muhammad and the Rebuilding of the Kaaba The modesty of the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was the most prominent trait of his personality.  Even from an early age, his sense of shame in an open society of the Arabs prior to Islam was remarkable.  In one instance,

Muhammad and Modesty before God The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said: “Every religion has its characteristic, and the characteristic of Islam is modesty.” (al-Muwatta) Modesty, in the sense of shyly protecting oneself with propriety from the lustful or envious gaze, means one takes care about how to express