Surat al-Hujarat is a Madani Surah full of rulings about the social code for a community, setting out boundaries and etiquettes for how to deal with other people in a way that pleases Allah. It has more rulings than it has ayahs – it has only 18 ayahs. Avoid much suspicion One of the most…
Surat al-Fath is one of the very special surahs. Allah starts this surah by saying: ‘Indeed, We have granted you a clear triumph.’ [48:1] The majority of scholars have said that this refers to the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. A minority of scholars of tafseer say it refers to the Conquest of Makkah, but we go…
Surah Muhammad is a Madani surah, so it has different characteristics compared to the previous Makki surahs. Madani surahs are full of rulings – prohibition of this, permissibility of that – and they also address the new phenomenon which cropped up in Madinah, that didn’t exist in Makkah, which was hypocrisy (nifaq). Makki surahs only…
إِن يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِّثْلُهُ ۚ وَتِلْكَ الْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمْ شُهَدَاءَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ If a wound should touch you – there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the…
As long as you are sincere with Allah, He will give you a way out of any difficult situation. The people of Makkah were not interested, so Allah sent the jinn to Rasul Allah (peace be on him) and they believed. Similarly, you might be doing something, and trying everything, but it’s not working; people are not responding. As long as you are sincere, be sure that Allah will open the way for you.
In Surat al-Jathiya, Allah Almighty says: ‘Have you seen him who has taken his desires as his god? Allah has let him go astray knowingly, and has sealed his hearing and his heart, and covered his eyes.’ [45:23] This ayah is addressing the issue of following your whims and desires, and treating them like your…
The earth where you do good deeds will miss you when you pass away. And not just your space in the mosque – at your work, in school, in the hospital, wherever you were active in doing good things. But if you didn’t do good deeds, the earth will not miss you and the heavens and earth will not weep for you.
Be sure to be among those whom the heavens and earth will weep for when you die. Leave a good legacy behind. We ask Allah to make our words and deeds righteous. Ameen.
Allah mentions the story of Musa and Firaun again and again in different surahs throughout the Quran. In Surat az-Zukhruf, we have the part of the story where Allah Almgihty talks about the relationship between Firaun and his people. ‘So he [Firaun] fooled his people, and they followed him. They were truly a sinful people.’…
The Quran is a soul In the last two verses of Surat ash-Shura, Allah describes the Quran: وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ رُوحٗا مِّنۡ أَمۡرِنَاۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدۡرِي مَا ٱلۡكِتَٰبُ وَلَا ٱلۡإِيمَٰنُ وَلَٰكِن جَعَلۡنَٰهُ نُورٗا نَّهۡدِي بِهِۦ مَن نَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَاۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهۡدِيٓ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٖ مُّسۡتَقِيمٖ And thus We have revealed to you a revelation (ruhan) of Our command. You did not know what is the Book or [what is] faith, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom…
Don’t appoint yourself as God Among of the verses of Surat ash-Shura, Allah Almighty says: ‘Or do they have partner gods who have prescribed for them some other religion, which Allah did not permit?’ [42:21] Allah is talking about a common phenomenon in any community – those who are corrupting and changing what has been…
The first ten days of Ramadan have whizzed by and we await the next tens days and then the final ten. Alhamdulillah we have fasted and the most important thing is that Allah has accepted it from us. United Ramadan is a special month which Allah has given us and fasting was prescribed to believers…
Verses of healing Among the verses in Surah Fussilat, Allah Almighty describes the Quran, ‘It is a guidance and a healing for those who believe.’ [41:44] Allah is saying that the Quran is a book of guidance for the heart and mind, as well as a book of shifa – healing and cure. Scholars have…
In Surah Fussilat we have the stories of Ad and Thamud, two Arab tribes who were demolished. This is a Makki surah, and it shows the struggle to penetrate a community as it always entrenched in its existing customs, cultures, and idol worshipping. Allah is telling us this story of previous nation as a reminder….
The widespread exclusion of women from mosques There is a very strong and prevalent view that a woman’s place is in the home, and also by extension that her place to pray is in the home. Consequently, women are barred from entering many mosques in UK and in other parts of the world. Quite often…
What can we do when we are stressed? Four coping mechanisms to dealing with pressure.