Below is a sample Khutba (Friday Sermon) that Khateebs around the world can use to emphasize the importance of adopting the Hijri calendar for Muslims. It highlights key points that Khateebs can elaborate on and customize according to the local context. Note: The standard openings and closings of a Khutba are not included, assuming that Khateebs are familiar with these elements. Introduction Allah SWT says in the Quran: “God decrees that there are twelve months- ordained in God’s Book on the Day when He created the heavens and earth- four months of which are sacred: this is the correct calcula ..read more

Image Credit: Aneesah Satriya  Six months earlier… “SURPRISEEEEEEEEE” Everyone yelled when Zahra, the bride-to-be walked in. Salma had invited all the girls to celebrate her best friend Supa’s engagement to Ali, the hottest bachelor of the year with the support of adult entertainment services. “Oh my God you know those irritating people who flutter their eye lashes and say ‘I’m so blessed’? Well, I’m one of them now.” Supa giggled. “I really am blessed. AlhamduleAllah”. Salma forced a smile on her face even though she was seething with jealously; she literally thought her envy might emit ..read more

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ  ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ  أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ  We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure—who say, when struck by a disaster, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.” Th ..read more

My dear friend Mohammed Faris poses an excellent thought experiment in his profound new book, The Barakah Effect. “How can we build a company or product that lasts a thousand years and benefits humanity?”    It’s a bold question that invites us to reframe our perspective on entrepreneurship and design.         During the past twenty years, I’ve been developing my creative practice and leading my design consultancy, Gould Studio. At the same time, I’ve been seeking a holistic understanding of how design, entrepreneurship, and creativity can align with my Islam ..read more

You’re sitting at your desk on a Monday morning, looking at your to-do list and trying to figure out which tasks to prioritize for the day/week. Normally, you’d use the classic Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks according to their importance and urgency. Anything important and urgent, you’ll try to get done first and then you’ll focus on important but not urgent before getting to the urgent but not important. While the above tool is useful – however, it has two shortfalls: Most important/urgent tasks are set to you by others (your boss, family, colleagues, etc). So you’re constantly reacti ..read more

I have been a caregiver to my parents for about ten years. During this period, I moved countries, completed my Ph.D., published a book, and recently became a certified trainer with the Productive Muslim company – alhamdulillah!  My friends kept asking me how I stayed focused and productive while juggling hospital appointments, surgeries, and being a full-time carer for my parents. Below are my top 10 tips that I wished I learned when I started this journey, and I’m sharing them with you, hoping they might help you become a better caregiver for your loved ones insha’Allah. 1. Renew your in ..read more

This article is a long one, but it’s for those of you who are serious about living the next best version of yourself post-Ramadan. Strategies, Tips, And Tools To Design Your Next Best Self Post-Ramadan Ramadan ended a few weeks ago, and by now you’re probably starting to settle back to your post-Ramadan routine. You may have been able to keep up with some of your Ramadan resolutions (fasting a bit more, praying some parts of the night, giving charity often), or you may have crashed post-Ramadan and found it really hard to pick yourself up again – spiritually, physically, and socially. If you’r ..read more

The Istikharah Notepad is a practical tool developed by The Productive Muslim Company to help you think through decisions with Barakah. It is inspired by the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He taught his companions to seek istikharah (goodness) from Allah SWT and istisharah (counsel) from people whenever they have a decision to make. The Barakah of making decisions with istikharah & istisharah is the knowledge that despite all the unknowns and potential outcomes of your decision, you can proceed without feeling regret because you did all you could at the time of making a ..read more

“You are destined for greatness. Believe in yourself and go for it.” This should be an inspirational and empowering belief. That’s why you’ll see it plastered around the internet as a motivational quote. Go for it. Not only can you do it, but you are meant to do it. At face value, it sounds healthy, but it can be a recipe for hustle culture. It is true that we are often our own worst enemies. We let negative self-talk become a barrier to moving forward. It is energizing then, to find something reinforcing the idea we most definitely will succeed.  Instead of overcoming self-limiting be ..read more

A few weeks back, a couple of friends and I experimented with having a meeting in the metaverse. If you’re not sure, what the metaverse is, check out the video below: After getting over the initial excitement and novelty about the experience, I had three questions at the back of my mind: Is this the future or just a fad? Is this better than a Zoom video call? How will this affect spirituality and overall well being? I’m still thinking about this, but below are my initial thoughts: Yup, that’s me in the metaverse and I brought along the Barakah Culture Manifesto! 1. Is the Metaverse the futu ..read more