Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Some of us are forgetting our Lord
In the large variety of experiences that we have gone through in our work for Islam, amongst both Muslims and non-Muslims, perhaps one of the startling facts that stands out for me is the reluctance of Muslims to praise their Lord. I do not only find this surprising,...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Trauma in our lives
If our lives were one steady line of contentment, life would be so easy. But that is not the way that Allah (ﷻ) decreed it for us. Many of us will speak of major periods of intense sadness for whatever the case might be, in our lives. Many people have been fortunate...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: A lady and her two children
On Sunday 17th April 2011, we attended a congregational dhikr in Burundi. The mosque consists of two containers, which we placed together and altered and upgraded. In fact, it looks very nice from the inside. Midway through the dhikr, I was told that somebody wanted...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Cooking the books
A few days ago [2011] I heard something in our offices here, which disturbed me. On many previous occasions, I have heard about people talking about how they “diddled” SARS (South African Revenue Services), and I have also heard and seen how people divert electricity...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: The Du’a ul-Istiftah
On the many occasions that I have listened to very pious people, the one matter that stands out for me is the extent to which the word “Allah (ﷻ)” is on their tongues. If one operates in a mainly secular environment, as is the case with many of us, then the word Allah...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Knowing thy Lord
During my travels overseas, especially Lefke, and also some personal experiences I had with people, it is one of the most amazing facts that the banner of Islam today is being raised high by those whom we call reverts. It is quite true that these people have reverted...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Weeds or Flowers
On Sunday afternoon, 1st May 2011, I listened to four of our ladies delivering small talks on Islam. I could hardly believe the display of capability that I witnessed. I was a lecturer in Didactics at the university and so I understand a little bit about delivering...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: This is how we must be
One of the most striking statements made by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is: “I have come to perfect human behaviour.” An examination of his (ﷺ) life, and of his (ﷺ) teachings, indicate that he (ﷺ) was referring to all forms of human behaviour. It must be understood...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Are we faithful husbands?
Many of us, if not all of us, came into this Tariqah with major baggage of sins and indiscretion that we had generated over the years. In many cases, there has not been consistent sincere repentance for all our bad deeds, and there were also no sincere apologies to...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: There are serious concerns
There is deep gratitude in many of us for the fact that Allah (ﷻ) has turned us in His direction. Although we say, as we understand, that we have turned in His direction, it is not so. The understanding is that every single event and every single movement in all of...