As We Wrap Up The Blessed Month Of Ramadan, We May Be Feeling A Mix Of Emotions: A Tinge Of Sadness At The Ending Of The Month Of Blessings, Mercy And Forgiveness, A Sense Of Relief That We Were Able To Fast And Pray [And That We Can Eat Again!] And Maybe Some Regret That We Did Not Or Could Not Do More During The Blessed Minutes And Hours Of This Sacred Month Of Allah [Swt] When We Were His Guests. Many of us have been deeply impacted by the news from Palestine and our sense of helplessness to stop the atrocities. Please let us remind ourselves that we have the huge weapon of Dua at our dispo ..read more

  Today’s reflection is from Sura Balad where Allah [swt] says: Certainly We have created man to be in distress. [90:4]   In this verse, Allah [swt] uses the word kabad for distress. Scholars explain that the word kabad which originally means intensity, also signifies 'a disease in the liver of a person’ and is used for any trouble and misery.   This verse spells out a truth about the human experience during this plane of existence: from the time the human embryo is conceived it will go through difficult stages with pain and toil until the time it is born, and even from then on ..read more

Yesterday we reflected on a truth about this life from the Quran: that life is full of challenges. Today, let us look at a promise of Allah [swt] that gives us confidence that we have what it takes to succeed in these challenges and find our way through these distresses.  At the end of Chapter 2, Sura Al-Baqara the Quran tells us: Allah does not task any soul [impose a duty on, place a burden on] beyond its capacity. [2:286]  This brief selection from a longer verse suggests many important points of reflection: The word Quran uses for soul is “Nafs”, the struggling part of ourself. T ..read more

In Verse 39 of Sura Najm, Allah says: And that man shall have nothing but what he strives for. (Holy Quran 53:39) For today’s verse, I could not find a better title than the Urdu phrase: Harkat mein barkat, meaning there is blessing in movement/striving. One of the principles of life, taught by experience and by Divinity, is that human beings get what they strive towards. It is important to note that what the Quran is telling us is that our outcome will be in accordance with our striving. The Arabic word sa’ā which is used literally means to walk fast, to run almost, to walk with effort. It is ..read more

Today’s reflection is verse 9 from Chapter 62, Sura Juma, when Allah [swt] addresses the believers and says:   O you who believe! when the call is made for prayer on Friday, then hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trading; that is better for you, if you know. [62:9]   4 important points are made in this verse: 1.    When the call for the Friday congregational prayers is made, rush to attend to it  In other words, answer the call and join the congregation as soon as possible. 2.    Leave trading and other worldly distractions at this time Trading ..read more

Continuing with this verse from Sura Ale Imran:  So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in [some of] the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. (Quran 3:159) The final part of the verse advises the Holy Prophet [saw] that once you have decided on a matter, have tawwakul or trust in Allah and ends by saying that Allah loves those who rely upo ..read more

Continuing with this verse from Sura Ale Imran:  So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in [some of] the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. (Quran 3:159) After appreciating the Prophet [saw] for being lenient with his companions who disobeyed him, the Holy Prophet [saw] is advised to consult his companions.  Scholars explain that in ..read more

For the next couple of days, we will inshallah explore the following verse from Sura Ale Imran:  So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. (Quran 3:159) There is so much to discuss and learn from in this verse. Today, let us give a bit of background and discuss the segment: So by mercy from Allah ..read more

Here is today's reflection from the Quran: In Sura Maida, the Quran whilst talking about whom to take as a Wali, says: Your Wali is only Allah, His Apsotle, and the faithful of those who keep up prayers and give alms while they bow. [Quran 5:55] As we commemorate the occasion of the martyrdom of Imam Ali (as), let us reflect on this verse to remind us of his position as various scholars from all schools of Islamic thought concur that this verse was revealed in response to an act of Imam Ali [as]. Before we begin reflecting on the verse, let us examine a key word in this verse which is Wali: Th ..read more

The verses we have been considering the last few days lay out the qualities of His special servants or the Ibad ur Rahman, some of which are the following:   They are those who: Are humble in their demeanour [25:63] Do not engage with the ignorant [25:63] Worship at night [25:64] Seek forgiveness continuously [25:65] Avoid falsehood and vanity [25:72] Attend to His communication [27:73] Adopt balance in your spending [25:67] Pray for family and future generations [25:74] Verse 76 of Sura Furqan goes on to say: It is they who shall be rewarded with the lofty abode for having been patient/c ..read more