Welcome to my personal blog. My name is Mohammed Ashik. I am an IT Consultant by profession, a British-born Bangladeshi Muslim. I am married with one daughter. I am based in London, UK. I hope to use this blog to write my thoughts and experiences and share the learning of my Deen (i.e. Islam) with anyone, be they seekers. travellers, ‘accidental tourists’, who may pass by these pages. Although I am born Muslim and have been taught the basics of my religion and how to read the Qur’an in Arabic in my formative years. After many years of practising “on and off”, alHamdulillah I have now been practising my faith on a regular basis since Ramadan 1426 AH (2005).
- Books & Islamic Media: websites, newspapers/magazines, audio/video
- Charity: dawah, promotion, mosques & school projects
- Courses & Events: conferences
- Finance: Islamic banking, zakat, wassiyya (Islamic wills) & inheritance
- Spirituality: Salaat & prayer experience, Hajj experience
- Travel & holidays
- Links to useful & favourite sites
InshaAllah! 
The main theme of these pages though, have been inspired by what Allah (swt) tells us in the Qu’ran:
“keep up the prayer, pay the prescribed alms, command what is right, and forbid what is wrong” [22:41]
‘When returning from the Hunayn expedition, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had declared: “We are back from the lesser jihad [effort, resistance, struggle for reform] to the greater jihad.” A Companion asked: “What is the greater jihad, Messenger of God?” He (pbuh) answered: “It is fighting the self [the ego].” {Hadith reported by al-Bayhaqi}
For the Muslims, as for all human beings, this inner struggle was the most difficult, the most noble, and the one that required the most understanding, forgiveness, and of course, sincerity to oneself. War and its lesser jihad had shown how difficult is was to die for God; daily life and its greater jihad now showed Muslims that is is even more difficult to live for God, in light, transparence, coherence, spiritual demand, patience, and peace’.
Quoted from The Messenger, Tariq Ramadan.
For more information on this topic, you can read The Greater Struggle by Abu Aaliyah.
“[Believers], you are the best community singled out for people: you order what is right, forbid what is wrong, and you believe in God…” [3:110]
When it comes to religion, I am a layman and therefore the pages in this blog are from a layman’s perspective. Please follow up any information from a reliable source and make sure you check the references . For errors, misquotes, and downright mistakes, please email me and I will do my best to correct and rectify them. Wasalam.
