Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Rajab (d. 795 AH) said: “In the ḥadīth of Muʿādh ibn Jabal [raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu], [the Prophet (ﷺ)] said that at the head of this matter is Islām. It is supported by ṣalāh. Jihād [struggling in the way of Allāh] is the apex of the climb. That is, the highest and most lofty position in it [is to struggle in the way of Allāh]. Considering this, jihād is not mentioned as one of [Islam’s] supports or pillars upon which it is built. There are two reasons for this: The first is that jihād is farḍ kifāyah [obligatory on the community as a whole] according to the consensus of the schol…

Fasting in the month of Ramaḍān and attending the Friday prayers continuously does not possess the strength to expiate all minor sins except if one also refrains from engaging in major transgressions. Thus, both actions together are able to expiate minor sin. How can the voluntary fasting of a single day expiate every single major sin perpetrated by a slave [of Allāh], and he continuously engages in this major sin, refusing to repent from it? This is impossible. This does not mean that fasting the day of ʿArafah or ʿĀshūraʾ does not expiate the sins of the entire year in general. Rather, thes…

Whoever does not give us false speech and acting upon it, and give up ignorant behaviour, then Allāh has no need for him to abstain from food and drink. Bukhārī, no. 6057

Amīr al-Muʾminīn ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb said: ‘I do not carry the worry of the answer [to my invocations]. Rather, it is the worry of the duʿāʾ itself that plagues me. For if I am guided to make an invocation [in the right way], then the answer to it will surely follow.’ It is the intention of the slave and his meticulousness, want, and desire [that goes in to his duʿāʾ] that correlates directly with the tawfīq and help of Allāh for him. For help from Allāh descends on His slaves depending on the attention they pay to their duʿāʾ, as well as their steadfastness, desire, and fearfulness. Conv…