Surat Anfal is a Madani surah and therefore very different from the Makki surahs which precede it. While Makki surahs are concerned with embedding the concept of tawheed and imaan in the minds of their audience, the Madani surahs contain rulings and details on how to building the community. Surah Anfal is particularly focused on…
In the last two pages of Surat al-A’raf, Allah talks about those who worship idols, or worship anything else other than Allah – whether this is their own whims, wealth, ego, etc. No matter how hard you try to invite them to the truth, they are leading themselves to destruction. أَيُشۡرِكُونَ مَا لَا يَخۡلُقُ شَيۡـٔٗا وَهُمۡ يُخۡلَقُونَ وَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ لَهُمۡ نَصۡرٗا وَلَآ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَنصُرُونَ وَإِن تَدۡعُوهُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡهُدَىٰ لَا يَتَّبِعُوكُمۡۚ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَدَعَوۡتُمُوهُمۡ أَمۡ أَنتُمۡ صَٰمِتُونَ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ …
The beauty and timelessness of the Quran is evident in Surat al Anam, when Allah says: وَذَرُوا۟ ظَـٰهِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَبَاطِنَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْسِبُونَ ٱلْإِثْمَ سَيُجْزَوْنَ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَقْتَرِفُونَ ١٢٠ Shun all sin—open and secret. Indeed, those who commit sin will be punished for what they earn. (6:120) Throughout all generations and nations, the path…
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: عن عبد الله بن عباس رضي الله تعالى عنهما قال كنت رديف رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: يا غلام أو يا بني ألا أعلمك كلمات ينفعك الله بهن، قلت: بلى، فقال احفظ الله يحفظك، احفظ الله تجده…
Dystopia and doom This year has had a distinctly dystopian feel. As the past year flashes through my mind, it’s hard not to feel despondent. With the earth feeling like a train hurtling and careering off the edge of a cliff, one wonders what exactly we should be celebrating and what we have to look…
The story of a tyrant – the symbol of tyranny Allah Almighty repeated the story of Firaun in the Quran more than any other. He is the symbol of tyranny. Before him and after him there have been and will be other tyrants, so Allah wants to warn us against the characteristics of tyranny (tughyan)….
In Surat An-Nur, Allah Almighty reassures us that He never breaks His promises: وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمۡ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَیَسۡتَخۡلِفَنَّهُمۡ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ كَمَا ٱسۡتَخۡلَفَ ٱلَّذِینَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ وَلَیُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمۡ دِینَهُمُ ٱلَّذِی ٱرۡتَضَىٰ لَهُمۡ وَلَیُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ خَوۡفِهِمۡ أَمۡنࣰاۚ یَعۡبُدُونَنِی لَا یُشۡرِكُونَ بِی شَیۡـࣰٔاۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعۡدَ ذَ ٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَـٰسِقُونَ ﴿ ٥٥ ﴾ Allah…
مناجاة إلهِي، لَقَد طَغَى الظُّلمُ وَالقَتلُ وَالتَّشْرِيدُ، وَاشْتَدَّتِ الظُّلماتُ، وَكثُرَ الطُّغَاةُ وَالموبِقَاتُ، وَازْدَادَتِ الفُرْقَةُ وَالخِلَافَاتُ.إلهِي، انقَطَعَ الرَّجَاءُ إِلَّا مِنْكَ، وَسُدَّتِ الطُّرُقُ إِلَّا إِلَيْكَ، أَنتَ الغَنِيُّ وَنَحْنُ الفُقَرَاءُ إِلَيْكَ، لَيْسَ لَنَا رَبٌّ سِوَاكَ نَدْعُوهُ، وَلَا إِلَٰهَ غَيْرُكَ نَرْجُوهُ، اَرْفَعْ عَنِ الأُمَّةِ الهَرْجَ وَالضَّيْمَ، وَالقَهْرَ وَالذُّلَّ، وَالظُّلْمَ وَالمَهَانَةَ الَّتِي نَحْنُ فِيهَا، اجْمَعْ قُلُوبَنَا عَلَيْكَ، وَوَحِّدْ صُفُوفَنَا، وَطَهِّرْهَا…
One of the signs of the Day of Judgement is that time will pass quickly, knowledge will be lifted and there will be a great deal of fitan (trials and tribulations). In the narration, reported by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), he narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, عن أبي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ…
The impermissibility of suicide In the Quran, Allah tells us of the sacredness of human life and the inviolability of the soul. It is a core principle. Allah has explicitly forbidden taking life unjustly, and suicide is considered impermissible in all major religions. Indeed, the unlawful taking of any life is a major sin. Allah…
One should not feel happy if they did not receive punishment when they did something wrong. It is very serious. Istidraj has been mentioned in the Quran twice – it appears in Surat al Araf and also in Surat al Qalam. What is istidraj? It is to receive blessings, wealth, success, or other worldly pleasures…
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say, three days before his death: وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ بِثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ يَقُولُ: «لَا يَمُوتَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَّا وَهُوَ يُحْسِنُ الظَّنَّ بِاللَّه». رَوَاهُ مُسلم ‘None of you should die except…
There are many verses in the Quran that encourage us to be truthful and to stick to our principles and to cling to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and not to compromise, no matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in. Allah is saying you can…
In Arabic, the word nasr (نصر) appears 33 times in the Quran. What does it mean? Nasr is commonly understood as “victory”. However, when you turn to the linguist, Ibn Faris (395 H), in “Mu’jam maqayees Al-Lughah” whose dictionary is a key reference in Arabic, the root word nasara (نصر) means ‘bringing or facilitating goodness….
In Surat al-Imran, Allah Almighty says: وَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُوا۟ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَوۡنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِینَ Don’t be weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will prevail if you are true believers. (3:129) إِن یَمۡسَسۡكُمۡ قَرۡحࣱ فَقَدۡ مَسَّ ٱلۡقَوۡمَ قَرۡحࣱ مِّثۡلُهُۥۚ وَتِلۡكَ ٱلۡأَیَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَیۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلِیَعۡلَمَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَیَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمۡ شُهَدَاۤءَۗ وَٱللَّهُ…