Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Human Rights’ Day
Today (21 March 2012) is what is called Human Rights Day in South Africa. It is difficult to define what those in authority mean by this, because the vast majority of people in this country do not have the implementation in their lives of rights covering their...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: The Pronouns “I” and “Me”, and Spirituality
The story of creation as we find in the Qur’an and the Prophetic Traditions, provides us with so many lessons about ourselves. After Allah Almighty had created Nabi Adam (a.s.), He instructed the angels to perform a prostration of respect for this new creation. Iblis,...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Women, do not silence yourselves
Once a month, we get the ladies together for them to give a short talk on one or other aspect of Islam. Most of the ladies have responded wonderfully on the matter and to see their growth, especially the handling of religious ideas, is really fantastic. I’ve never...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Muslims in Tariqah
Today (08 March 2012) a teacher in one of the local primary schools told me that it appears that only one or two of the children in her class go to church. Because they’ve been kept away from religion, they will most probably grow up without religion. In the majority...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Being for Allah
Our Lord has granted us, and by this I mean all of humanity, special graces through certain individuals on whom He has placed exclusive blessings. Here and there amongst all of humanity a special light shines on through the hearts of certain people, of both genders....
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Where should our eyes be?
Religion can be a very lucrative occupation. We have countless modern examples of how the commercialisation of religion fills the pockets of people. One of the writers in America, Upton Sinclair, called one of his books on the subject, The Profits of Religion. And so...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Those with many-sided faces
Allah Almighty has not created us with dual or multiple faces. He gave our original forefather one face, a face that always gave expression to how his heart felt. He did not give his face one appearance for some people and another appearance for other people. It was...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: The Imam in Driftsands
On Sunday (19 February 2012) our organisation had a Mawlud programme in Driftsands, not too far from Cape Town. This is not the first time that we’ve had a Mawlud there, but I mention this because our organisation has regular Mawluds in the townships. This is new in...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Reciting Salawat
The month of Rabi-ul-Awwal is, of course, the month in which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was born on the twelfth; so throughout the world people have been celebrating his birth. There were many heavenly signs associated with his birth but that is not what I want to...
Shaykh Yusuf da Costa: Daily hammerings
On many occasions, especially when our movement goes through unnecessary trauma, I think of the spiritual development of each one of us. Wanting spiritual development was the reason for us coming together originally, and such development was the goal that each one of...