Mufti Hussain Kamani reminds us of how we need to inculcate the thought and remembrance of Allah in our daily lives and to be aware of our words and actions in relation to Allah.

As believers, our journey towards faith always begins with nurturing our hearts and souls. We need to invest in our inner selves and build a strong connection with Allah (SWT), using the principles laid out in the Quran and the Sunnah.

What does it really mean to us that the devils are chained? How can reflect on our own desires during Ramadan.

Every person possesses a passion or something unique that makes them special. Discovering what makes you special can help with finding your career path, creating a passion project or a healthy hobby. However, many people struggle with figuring out what that is for them, specifically. Thankfully, there are certain steps that can be taken to help you navigate through this journey.

The unique fragrance of the ummah of Muhammad ﷺ – named in various Hadith as habibullah – is the modality of love. Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad shows us that in this month of Ramadan our hearts, normally muddy and malfunctioning from worldly pleasures, begin to function again, learning to love what Allah and His Beloved Prophet ﷺ love, starting with worship.

Have you ever said “I want to kill myself. I am tired of living. I just want to die.” Listen to Mufti Menk’s advice.

There is only one real love that matters the most and from that love is where our love for everything else in life will come to play.

Allah never tests his servants with something that they cannot bear. He is the most just and the most merciful. is this a punishment from Allah?

We ask for your peace and security O Allah!

In this khutba, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus focuses on one of the five most important devotions for spiritual development: cutting back on food. In today’s world, where desires are celebrated and obeyed, we need to be reminded of this profound act of devotion. Shaykh Yahya also lists the ten benefits of hunger, as mentioned by Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him).

Ustadh Nouman discusses what Allah says in the Qur’an regarding controlling our needs and wants.

The very first sin recorded ever was the sin of Iblis. Allah mentions in the Qur’an that he was arrogant. There are many dangers of being arrogant. In this Khutbah, Shaykh Yasir explains and also talks about the blessings of humility!

The only trait that can save us from a prolonged standing on the Day of Judgement is taking ourselves to account while we are still in this world. In this talk, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus reminds us that part of spiritual chivalry is the virtue of taking oneself to account.

Allah has given us different senses and different ways in which we perceive things, and odor has a persuasion that is stronger than our other senses. Sh. Omar Suleiman talks about the spiritual and physical implications of smell.

Shaykh Tahir Wyatt talks about the importance of looking at our words and actions within our own lives on a talk show.

Why do the hearts find peace and tranquillity in the remembrance of Allah?

Al-Ghazali was one of the most prominent and influential philosophers, theologians, jurists, and mystics of Sunni Islam. He was of Persian origin.

Islamic tradition considers him to be a Mujaddid, a renewer of the faith who, according to the prophetic hadith, appears once every century to restore the faith of the ummah (“the Islamic Community”).His works were so highly acclaimed by his contemporaries that al-Ghazali was awarded the honorific title “Proof of Islam” (Hujjat al-Islam).

Al-Ghazali believed that the Islamic spiritual tradition had become moribund and that the spiritual sciences taught by the first generation of Muslims had been forgotten. That resulted in his writing his magnum opus entitled Ihya ‘ulum al-din (“The Revival of the Religious Sciences”).Among his other works, the Tahāfut al-Falāsifa (“Incoherence of the Philosophers”) is a significant landmark in the history of philosophy, as it advances the critique of Aristotelian science developed later in 14th-century Europe.

How can a heart be diseased? What are the ways to tell that the heart is sick? How can one find the cure to it? Can all hearts be cured?

The Prophet ﷺ told us that within the body, there’s a morsel of flesh that if it was sound, the rest of the body would be sound as well, and that is the Heart. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) knew this, when he made the dua’a to Allah ﷻ

(وَلَا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ * يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ * إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ (سورة الشعراء 87 – 89
And do not disgrace me on the day they are resurrected. The day that wealth and offspring are of no benefit, except those that meet Allah with a sound heart. (Surat Ashuara, Ayah 87-89). How can I guarantee that I meet Allah ﷻ with a sound heart? The distractions and attacks directed towards our hearts are increasing all the time, how can I safeguard myself? What if I feel like my heart turned to stone, and it’s never been the same? (Qaf, ayah 37, and Shuara 89)

What is the spiritual loss for that individual obsessed with their worldly, egotistic, lowly desires and what is its underlining cause?

How can we improve ourselves and our inner-self in the Blessed month of Ramadan?

Do we think before we speak? Do we take advantage of our health, young age, wealth, our free time and our life before Allah takes it all away?

n this talk, Shaykh Sulaiman Moola discusses society’s need to address the ailments of the heart. He also imparts some useful advice for common struggles.

Shaykh Kamal El Mekki delivers a khutbah on lying. He discusses why people lie, and how to overcome lying. He also discusses how we teach our children to lie and how to prevent this.

The equality of all human beings, races and nations before Allah is highlighted in verse 11 of Surat Al-Hujurat, where Allah says that no race should look down on any other race and that the only thing that places one person above another is, taqwa (consciousness of Allah) and good deeds. This unseen quality that is only known to Allah is what makes you superior before Him. As Nouman Ali Khan explains, the verse singles out women who mock other women and treat them as inferior. Such a societal attitude betrays a spiritual crisis and can even breed hatred, animosity and even war, between nations.

Silence is golden. Islam encourages us to speak what is good and beneficial; at the same time cautioning us to be careful in what we say, lest we say something that is harmful or false. Shaykh Kamal El Mekki talks about this further in this video.

As Muslims in this age how do we make sense of what is happening around us? There are various movements in the Muslim in the last two hundred years that have struggled to do that. Imam Suhaib Webb explains.

Love is extremely powerful. Love can transform people. Love can destroy people, communities and societies. Love is the the single greatest motivator. What exactly is it and how can we use it to please Allah alone?

Sometimes we outwardly appear to be happy and successful but deep down inside we are lost and depressed. We do not know what to do. We find ourselves worrying all the time. How can we reclaim our heart?

Imam Joe Bradford reminds us on how to be cautious of our tongue and not to worry about those who insult us with their words.

What is ego? Is it bad? What is our perception of what the ego is?

Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan explains how the Qur’an can heal your heart. This lecture tooke place on Friday January 27th, 2017 in London, UK.

A talk on how the Quran nourishes our hearts and souls delivered by Shaykh Tahir Wyatt (PhD) at Masjid Wali New Jersey.

Ibn Ali Miller reminds the youth to look at what they have and be grateful. He reminds us about family and the sacrifice those who came before had to make to make it easier for the next generation.

Imam Siraj Wahhaj talks about the human nature to always compare and compete with one another and how this affects our hearts.

Arrogance is a blameworthy characteristic which is the feature of Iblees and his cohorts in this world, those on whose hearts Allah has placed a seal.

Have you seen him who takes his low desires for his god? (Surah Furqan, 25:43)

And know that Allah knows what is within yourselves, so beware of Him. (Surah Baqarah, 2:235)

Balance holds a very significant place in every phase of life, and yet the phenomenon of social media creates an inner world for us to become so self-focused that it can lead to narcissism. It is a self-love, a need for attention to keep the fragile inner ego convinced it is liked. A recent study has found that students who posted more often on Facebook and Twitter scored higher in specific measures of different types of narcissism, including personality traits such as being exhibitionists, exploitative, and feeling superior. This may result in over-evaluating the importance of our own opinions. How do we center ourselves to the consciousness that every individual should pursue life with firm balance and composure? The goal sought in the remembrance of God is the attainment of balance and being centered as one submits to the consciousness of the Divine.

Mufti Menk reminds us of the power of our speech and how it can affect our taqwa.

We sometimes focus on our physical bodies when injured but what about our spiritual bodies? Where is the aid when our spiritual bodies are injured? Ustadha Yasmin Mogahed discusses this.

Ustadha Yasmin Mogahed discusses how we can maintain our spiritual lives while living in this world every day.

Shaykh Yahya Rhodus – Al-Maqasid – presents on the topic of “Sins of the Heart” with excerpts from Imam Al-Ghazali’s The Beginning of Guidance (بداية الهداية).

Shaykha Ieasha Prime discusses how to protect our spiritual bodies.

Ustadha Yasmin Mogahed discusses how the word of Allah is a cure for our hearts.

Depression is something that is around us all the time. Does it mean that if I suffer from depression, my Iman is weak?

It is a commentary on Mathnavi II, 1878-1930. Rumi tells the comic story of a man who swallows a snake, which turns out to be a symbol of our ignorance of the poisonous dangers of our lower selves.

Br. Mohamed Hoblos discusses how to protect our heart.

Anse Tamara Gray takes you on her personal journey and the lessons she learned and gives us the keys to success, joy and happiness. Exercises For A Happy Heart with Anse Tamara Gray on 21st January 2017 at The Lighthouse, Plaza Damas, Kuala Lumpur

What does it mean to have a pure heart? Why is it important to a have a pure heart? Shaykh Yasir Qadhi explains.

What are we doing with our lives? Mufti Menk reminds us of our purpose.

In this two part lecture Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui discusses that the only success in this world is with a pure and clean heart. Everything else will not matter in our life. How do we clean and purify our hearts?

Temptation is all around us in this world. How do we go about controlling our emotions? Sr. Haleh Banani discusses solutions.

Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf reminds us of the benefits and blessings in remembering Allah in our lives.

The Importance of the Heart by Dr Abdullah Hakim Quick

Celebrities, influential people and the fantasies that they create have always shaped the world views of civilizations. However, idols of the present time tend to be more influential due to their visibility compared to those of the past. Idols of the present time will be compared to those of the past in an effort to critically evaluate their influence to capture the hearts of society and hence their true worthiness of the status of “idol”.

Shaykh Yahya Ibrahim discusses how to cure the diseases of the heart.

Shaykh Abdur-Raheem McCarthy discusses the dangers that lead to a corrupt heart and soul, steps to the purification of the heart and soul, how to attain true success and happiness, dealing with difficulties and calamities and attaining a peaceful heart.

Imam Zaid Shakir delivers a Jumu’ah Khutbah encouraging us to think well of others because maintaining a good opinion of our fellow believers brings goodness to our worship.

True wealth is not what is in your bank account or in your wallet but what is in your heart. Shaykh Mokhtar explains.

In Surah An-Nisaa Nouman Ali Khan teaches us about how Allah warns against jealousy and envy. It is what drove iblis out of His grace and what led Cain to kill Abel. When this feeling rests in the heart, it affects all aspects of life and make it hard to be grateful for all of Allah’s gifts. Yet in this ayah, Allah also provides the perfect solution: we must stop comparing ourselves to others and focus on asking Him directly for what you want. This will open the doors to internal peace and security, and is proof of our complete trust in Allah’s grace.

How can we be aware of Allah and Allah’s beauty at all times everywhere. Shaykh Mokhtar explains in this lecture.

Shaykh Omar Suleiman gives advice regarding gearing up in anticipation for Ramadan in this lecture titled “Let the Hearts Submit.”

Shaykh Yahya Rhodus discusses internal dimension of the human being. He explains the spiritual parts that we do not see.

Imam Omar Suleiman reminds us in this khutbah on the importance to be in a state of remembrance of Allah.

The Book of Assistance, authored by Imam al-Haddad, is widely considered the greatest summary of Islamic spirituality ever written. It summarizes the foundations of Islamic spirituality into 32 succinct, practical chapters covering topics such as certainty, vigilance, knowledge, reflection, prayer, adherence to the sunnah, and much more. The book serves as a comprehensive, practical manual for traveling the path to Allah (swt) and is taught to the present-day by teachers of Islamic spirituality throughout the world. Soundly based on the Qur’an and Hadith, this book is invaluable to all who love the Prophet (saw) and his way.

In this monthly class, Shaykh Abdul Karim Yahya will guide attendees through the Book of Assistance, covering each lesson with a special focus on what we can do now to apply the Imam’s teachings, improve our spiritual states, and strengthen our relationship with Allah (swt).

Jummah Khutbah by Mufti Menk on purification of the heart.

There are several reasons for weakness of faith. Brother Yusha Evens goes through some common weaknesses among Muslims and talks about its cures.

All of our personal and social problems are rooted in the states of our hearts. Just as the body has ailments that force us to the doctor, the heart also has ailments that should force us to the doctor. Traditionally, purification of the heart was a central focus of Muslim civilization. Manuals, texts, glosses, and commentaries fill our libraries with the strategies, techniques, and methods for purifying hearts. Many Muslims don’t have access to this rich tradition of spiritual healing that could, if rediscovered and used, heal our persons and societies from many of the destructive forces impacting us. This lecture will discuss some of the dominant ailments of the heart and the strategies the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and our tradition provide us with to address them.

A great reminder on the importance and benefits of Ramadan by Shaykh Omar Suleiman.

Breaking the two desires and the rememberance of death by Sh. Abdal Hakim Murad. This is a 4-part series.

Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf talks about the diseases of the heart and the power of the dunya. We need to purify it and Islam has the science behind the heart.

In this lecture Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al Kawthari discusses purifying our hearts as well as the recent events of the London Riots in 2011.

The USC MSU was very honored to host our beloved guest, Ustadha Yasmin Mogahed, on November 7th, 2011 to discuss the very relevant and poignant topic of keeping our hearts alive while facing the struggles of this life. Alhamdulilah, an excellent lecture that is both practical and relevant.

Mankind is lost and confused. Islam has the answers and solutions but yet we stray from it. We do not reflect upon the Quran. Our hearts yearn for Allah and want to be purified. In this lecture Shaykh Hamza discusses ways to improve our souls and get closer to Allah.

Courtesy of Qurtaba Institute

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

He who has no one has Allah
By Navaid Aziz:

I want to dedicate it to every individual who is struggling with life and doesn’t know what to do. I want to dedicate it to every individual who may have been abandoned by a father. I want to dedicate it to every individual who may have a love that was not reciprocated. I want to dedicate it to every individual who lost someone to death and found their own selves lost. I want to dedicate to everyone that just wants to be reminded. I want to dedicate this lecture to you.

Sidi Khalil Moore discusses the spiritual influence on the physical heart.

Hamza Yusuf implores the audience to consider the major crisis of our time: the disillusion of the human soul itself. He then presents a program based on a hadith in which the Prophet (P) said, “I was sent to perfect noble character.” In this context, he outlines the two primary concerns of the Muslim, the heart and the limbs, and the need to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (P) by utilizing his divinely-inspired methodology to guard them.

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