Islamic Reminders

Austria’s governing coalition announced that it intends to introduce a ban on headscarves in schools for girls under 14, despite criticism from rights groups and the likelihood that the Constitutional Court may strike it down. The conservative-led administration took power in March after the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) won around 29 percent in last year’s parliamentary election but failed to secure a coalition partner to form a government.

🚨 Occupation forces killed a 3 year-old girl, Ahed Tareq Al-Bayouk, whilst she was playing near her family’s tent in Mawasi, Rafah.

A masjid in Türkiye surprised children who attended Fajr prayers regularly ❤️🇹🇷

Footballers from the Palestinian and Syrian National Teams celebrated together after they both qualified for the quarter finals of the FIFA Arab Cup. Both teams played each other, drawing 0-0 to advance to the knockout stages.

Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a militia gang accused of working with the Israeli occupation forces to counter Hamas and of looting humanitarian aid, was killed in Gaza.

Islam is growing in South Korea. Monthly Islamic courses held by the Korea Muslim Federation at Seoul Central Masjid are inspiring many Koreans to embrace Islam and learn its beautiful basics.

Approximately 75 days until Ramaḍān اللهم بلغنا رمضان [Allāhumma baliḡnā Ramaḍān] Oh Allāh, grant us the ability to reach Ramaḍān

Makkah from space! NASA Astronaut Don Petit shared a phot of Makkah from the International Space Station showing how the Masjid al-Ḥarām is visible from space.

Police in Zagreb, Croatia, say a 35-year-old Catholic nun, Sister Marija Tatjana Zrno, stabbed herself and then falsely claimed she had been attacked by a migrant. Reports say she alleged that the attacker shouted “Allāhu Akbar,” which sparked speculation of a religiously motivated assault. After a four-day investigation, authorities concluded that she bought the knife herself and intentionally inflicted the injury before reporting it as a crime. According to the police report, Zrno knowingly filed a false criminal complaint and now faces legal action from the Municipal State Attorney’s office. She belongs to the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Croatia and teaches religion at an elementary school in Zagreb. The Archdiocese of Zagreb and the Episcopal Conference of Croatia have not commented on the case.

Moments of joy amid the rubble as a mass wedding takes place in Khan Younis 🇵🇸

CCTV footage captured a moment where a husband rushed to protect his wife during an earthquake at a busy market in Bangladesh 🫶🏽🇧🇩

🚨 A masjid in France was subject of an attack on Novermber 30th, copies of the Qurʾān were ripped apart and scattered across the floor of Mosquée Ar-Rahma in Le Puy-en-Velay. Attacks on masjids in France has escalated in the past few months.

Narrated by Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه‎: Allāh's Messenger ﷺ said, "The reward of the prayer offered by a person in congregation is twenty five times greater than that of the prayer offered in one's house or in the market (alone). And this is because if he performs ablution and does it perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward and his one sin is taken off (crossed out) from his accounts (of deeds). When he offers his prayer, the angels keep on asking Allāh's Blessings and Allāh's forgiveness for him as long as he is (staying) at his Musalla. They say, 'O Allah! Bestow Your blessings upon him, be Merciful and kind to him.' And one is regarded in prayer as long as one is waiting for the prayer." [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 647]

A Muslim man who stopped an attempted rape in Sunderland has been praised after the attacker was jailed. Ian Hudson, 42, targeted a woman walking through the Monkwearmouth area on December 30, violently attacking and sexually assaulting her. Passing by, 24-year-old Hamzah Albar witnessed the assault and immediately intervened, confronting Hudson and chasing him down before restraining him. During the struggle Hudson punched Hamzah, but Hamzah still managed to detain him and alert others to call police. Hudson was later found guilty at Newcastle Crown Court of attempted rape, sexual assault, non-fatal strangulation and multiple assaults. He was sentenced to nine years in prison, with an additional five years on licence as a dangerous offender.

Two Palestinian brothers, aged 8 and 11, were collecting firewood to help their injured father in Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis when they were killed in a drone strike by the occupation forces. The occupation forces claim the brothers, Fadi and Jum’a Abu Assi, crossed the so-called “yellow line”, a boundary that doesn’t physically exist on the ground, and labelled them as “terrorists,” as it routinely does to Palestinians in order to justify its war crimes.

Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reported Allāh's Messenger ﷺ as saying that Allāh, the Most Blessed and High, said: "O son of Adam, spend. I will spend on you. The right hand of Allāh is full and overflowing and in nothing would diminish it, by overspending day and night." [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 993a]

A Muslim mother of two was attacked by a dog after its owner set the animal on her, ripping off her hijab. The incident occurred at around 2:35 pm on a high street in Wrexham, Wales, when Ms Begum was with her children. She noticed Tomasz Wegner approaching with the dog and asked him to move away because she felt scared. She then ran into a doorway in an attempt to get away from the dog. However, Wegner followed her and shouted aggressively while she hid. The dog grabbed and dragged Ms Begum, removed her hijab, and tried to bite her forehead. Although the bite did not pierce her skin, it left visible marks on her head. At one point, Wegner, who a witness described as “clearly intoxicated,” appeared to fall on top of her. A witness rushed to help after hearing her screams, taking control of the XL Bully by reattaching its muzzle and holding it by its metal chain lead until police arrived.

💫 Sayyid al-Istighfār: The Best Prayer for Seeking Forgiveness Narrated Shaddād ibn Aws رضي الله عنه: The Prophet (ﷺ) said "The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allāh is: اللهم أنت ربي، لا إله إلا أنت ، خلقتني وأنا عبدك، وأنا على عهدك ووعدك ما استطعت أعوذ بك من شر ما صنعت أبوء لك بنعمتك علي، وأبوء بذنبي، فاغفر لي فإنه لا يغفر الذنوب إلا أنت The Prophet (ﷺ) added. "If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise." [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6306] Transliteration: Allāhumma anta rabbī, lā ilāha illā ant, khalaqtanī wa-anā ʿabduk, wa-anā ʿalā ʿahdika wa-waʿdika mā’istaṭaʿt, aʿūdhu bika min sharri mā ṣanaʿt, abūʾu laka bi-niʿmatika ʿalayy, wa-abūʾu laka bidhanbī, fa’ighfir lī, fa-innahu lā yaghfir al-dhunūba illā ant. Translation: O Allāh, You are my Lord, there is no God but You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I abide by Your covenant and promise (to honour it) as best as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil that I have committed. I acknowledge Your favor upon me, and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for surely none can forgive sins but You.

An Israeli author, Tamar Raphael, faced a wave of online abuse including rape and death threats after she spoke at the Frankfurt Book Fair and described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide.” She had attended the fair as part of an Israeli delegation funded by the Culture Ministry and wore a Palestinian flag pin during her talk. Her remarks went viral, prompting far-right figures and influencers in Israel to intensify attacks against her, though some politicians and literary colleagues publicly defended her right to speak. Raphael later clarified that she joined the delegation because she believes writers must use their voice, but she openly opposes Israel’s policies and supports international recognition of a Palestinian state. The incident highlights how polarised public debate has become, especially when Israelis express dissent about Gaza, and it raises broader concerns about freedom of expression and the safety of public figures who criticise state actions.

Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reported Allāh's Messenger ﷺ as saying that Allāh, the Exalted and Glorious, thus stated: “I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2675a]