What is Islam

Islam's stance on what is permissible to eat and what is not is clear. There are strict rules when it comes to meat regarding what is allowed and what is forbidden. In Surat Al-Maida (The Table) Allah says: "Forbidden to you (for food) are: AI-Maytatah (the dead animals -cattle-beasts not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and the meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah or has been slaughtered for idols etc, or on which Allah's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering and that which has been killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a headlong fall or by the goring of horns - and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal - unless you are able to slaughter it(before its death) and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on AnNusub (stone altars). [Forbidden] also is to use arrows seeking luck or decision, [all] that is Fisqun (disobedience of Allah and sin). This day, those who disbelieved have given up all...

The global outbreak of  COVID-19 pandemic  has affected over 188 countries economic, educational lives and overall well being.  The Corona virus pandemic affected  Hajj   (pilgrimage), which is the fifth pillar of the  Five Pillars of Islam ,  where millions of Muslims from around the world visit  Mecca  and  Medina  every year during Hajj season for a week.  In March 2020, the minister of Hajj and Umrah encouraged those planning to visit the holy sites of Macca and Medina later in the year to wait before making any bookings.  Due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 in crowded places, flight restriction in many countries, and the unavailability of a vaccine against the virus the ministry of Hajj and Umrah took such serious measures.  However; in June 2020, the ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that people from all nationalities who reside in  Saudi Arabia  are allowed to perform Hajj in a li...

The Importance of Makkah and the Sacred Mosque The Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haraam) is located in Makkah, a city on the western side of the Arabian Peninsula, and has numerous virtues including the following: It houses the Ka‛bah The Ka‛bah is a cube-shaped building located at the centre of the Sacred Mosque in Makkah. It is the direction towards which Muslims turn in prayer as well as during some other acts of worship which Allah ﷻ commands them to do. It was built by Prophet Abraham ﷺ and his son Ishmael ﷺ following Allah’s command to do so, and was rebuilt several times throughout history. As the Qur’an states, “And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka‛bah), [they prayed:] ‘Our Lord, accept this from us, for You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.’”  (Soorat Al-Baqarah, 2:127) Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself took part in laying the Black Stone in its proper place along with the various Makkan tribes whe...