Al Araf Who are the people of Al Araf? In Surat Hadid (57:13), Allah mentions there is a barrier partitioning the believers and disbelievers. In Surat al Araf, Allah mentions people who are positioned in a high place, Al Araf. This can be imagined as a plain or watchtower above the border that allows the…
The Bridge (Sirat) After the judgment, everyone will have to cross the Bridge (Sirat), which is placed over the top of Hellfire. The Prophet ﷺ described it as: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ الْجِسْرَ أَدَقُّ مِنْ الشَّعْرَةِ وَأَحَدُّ مِنْ السَّيْفِ It is thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword. (Muslim) Every person will cross according to…
The Scales (Al-Mizan) When judgment begins, Allah will set up the scales of justice so that every deed is weighed with complete fairness. The mizan (scales) of the Day of Resurrection are real and physical, not metaphorical. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told us that they will have two pans (kiffatan), just like ordinary scales, but their…
Reckoning begins Finally, the great judgment begins. Every person will be shown their deeds, nothing will be forgotten or hidden. Allah says: يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَدۡحٗا فَمُلَٰقِيهِ فَأَمَّا مَنۡ أُوتِيَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ بِيَمِينِهِۦ فَسَوۡفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابٗا يَسِيرٗا وَيَنقَلِبُ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِۦ مَسۡرُورٗا وَأَمَّا مَنۡ أُوتِيَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ وَرَآءَ ظَهۡرِهِۦ فَسَوۡفَ يَدۡعُواْ ثُبُورٗا وَيَصۡلَىٰ سَعِيرًا إِنَّهُۥ…
The second blast of the trumpet The second blast of trumpet will be the beginning of the creation of each new body for each soul. After we die, our bodies decay and turn to dust, but one small part of our body never disappears, no matter what happens. The Prophet ﷺ said: كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مِنَ…
Names of the Final Day The Day of Resurrection is known in the Qur’an by many names, each showing a different stage of that great event. Yawm al-Qiyamah (the Day of Rising) refers to when all people are brought back to life from their graves and stand before Allah for judgment, while Yawm al-Hashr (the…
The unity that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ achieved among his people stands as one of the most extraordinary social transformations in human history. Before Islam, Arabia was a land scarred by vengeance, tribal wars, and moral decay. Entire generations perished in feuds that began over pride or pastures. Class, lineage, and bloodline determined worth; women…
The impossible In Surat Maryam, Allah Almighty talks about Zakariya and his request for a child. In the first story, Allah Almighty highlights the status of Zakariya and describes his supplication. He said: قال رب انى يكون لي غلام وكانت امرأتي عاقرا وقد بلغت من الكبر عتيا He said, “My Lord, how can I…
Istisnaʿ is a sale contract where a buyer (the mustasniʿ) requests a manufacturer or seller (saniʿ) to produce or construct a specific item according to agreed specifications, for an agreed price and delivery time. In the previous session, we mentioned that the salam contract originally began in an agricultural society. Farmers usually lacked cash…
When the Muslims were besieged in Madinah by a confederation of tribes, their faith was tested to its limits. The Qur’an describes that terrifying moment: إِذْ جَاءُوكُم مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ وَمِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ وَإِذْ زَاغَتِ الْأَبْصَارُ وَبَلَغَتِ الْقُلُوبُ الْحَنَاجِرَ وَتَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ الظُّنُونَا “When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when…
We recite this surah every Friday, because it brings the light of guidance. One of the ways it guides us is by showing us the different types of people we come across in daily life. Surat al-Kahf as a Mirror of Society This surah speaks not only of four trials but shows us an array…
Trials in Surat al Kahf Allah says in Surat al-Kahf: أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ آيَاتِنَا عَجَبًا “Or did you think that the companions of the cave and the inscription were among Our wondrous signs?” (18:9) إِذْ أَوَى الْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا…
Seeking halal earnings (part 6) – The Salam contract As part of our series on finance, we will look at one of the forms of contracts. In this, I am following Imam al-Ghazali, in his book Iḥyaʾ ʿUlum al-Din. He has a section that speaks about halal earnings, and under that he mentioned the common…
Why the Qur’an could not have been written by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Throughout history, sceptics have attempted to claim that the Qur’an was authored by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. This argument collapses under scrutiny, both from within Islamic tradition and from rational literary analysis. The Qur’an is unique in its coherence, structure, and impact, and it…
One of the accusations repeated by Orientalists and modern critics, is that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ suffered from mental illness, even schizophrenia. Muslim scholars across the ages have consistently exposed this claim as baseless, irrational, and contradictory to both historical evidence and the lived reality of the Prophet’s ﷺ life. The Qur’anic response The Qur’an…