In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

Again, I’m here.

When you were in receipt of Allah’s blessings you exclaimed through joy that you love Allah. Perhaps that might have been when you passed your exams, on the birth of your child, when you got the job you wanted, perhaps the house you purchased or the person whom you married. Life is indeed filled with all sorts of blessings.

But, who you really are and what you have understood about Islam is determined through difficult situations.

In difficult situations:

- Do you become angry?

- Do you run somewhere else other than Allah?

- Do you see everything in a hopeless manner?

- Do you become incredib ...continue reading

Surah Al Dhuha ( personal reflection )

And then there’s the part where Allah reminds the Prophet (PBUH):

“Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?”

Every time I read this, it feels personal.

Because I, too, have known what it means to be left behind.

My father — it’s been 27 years since he left this world.

And my son — it’s been nearly 10.

Two anchors of my life… gone.

I know what it means to grow in the absence of a father’s guidance, to become someone he never got to see.

And I know what it feels like to bury a part of your own soul — a child — and still wake up the next day, somehow breathing.

This verse… it doesn’t just acknowledge grief.

It honors it. ...continue reading

There is a kind of love that kills—the love of wealth that makes the hand tremble, the heart hardened, the soul restless. We gather, we hoard, as if we can outlast time. But all of it—every coin, every possession—will one day slip through our fingers like dust. The earth will one day return its trust; graves will open, and what we buried—bodies and secrets alike—will rise. The thoughts we never voiced, the desires we tucked away in silence, the truths we dared not confront—they will stand beside us, known and seen. On that Day, nothing will be hidden from the One who knows the folds of our hearts better than we do. It humbles me to remember: the real measure will not be what I owned, but wha ...continue reading

This surah mentions the pair of contrasting emotions twice – first under the divine will and the second time under human free will. While there are various interpretations of the first verse(43), I recently discovered a medical interpretation when my mother faced a challenge. As a chronic patient with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, she experienced a condition known as Sjögren's(SHOW-gren’s) syndrome, where the glands responsible for moisture production in the body are affected.

When this condition attacked her tear-producing glands, her eyes became dry, irritated, and sensitive to light. I remember feeling deeply connected to the verse every time I put artificial tears in her ...continue reading

This is not poetry

This is not prose

It is the word of God

Able to shake man to his core

Full of Powerful imagery with words so pure

That can render the sickness of heart cure

It has examples for us and  account of what's coming

To make us take heed and leave the lure

We are so worried chasing the worldly quest

Though the word of God are revealed to comfort and guide us and prepare us for this test

The message of quran withstood the vicissitudes of times,

To attribute it to a human is a moral crime

What I took away from this verse is that we are all responsible for our actions, and the best legacy we can leave behind for our children is to ensure they continue to worship Allah alone.

I grew up in a community with prominent Islamic teachers, people of dawah, but unfortunately, many of their children couldn't follow this path. Many of their girls are not observing the hijab, and their lifestyles seems far from the lives their fathers lived and preached 🥹

Yet, I know a family where the father, who came from a non-practicing background and grew up in a society filled with dark vices, managed to learn how to recite the Qur'an and worship Allah due to his self-determination. He went on to ...continue reading

I have been thinking about this for a while, and I finally decided to write a reflection about it.

I am majoring in psychology with the hopes of becoming a counsellor one day, insha'Allah. Some time ago, I came across a novel that related quite well to my studies called, "The Body Keeps the Score", by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk.

The book itself was fascinating. It covered many topics that I had learned, but it was also heartbreaking. There were numerous stories regarding the horrendous kinds of child abuse that had taken place right where children should feel the most safe- with their caregivers. The author, reflecting on his experiences of helping trauma patients stated,

“Children ...continue reading

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

I am here again. Perhaps, because we step from one trial to another trial and this is the nature of this worldly life which is only a place of examination.

The Qur’an and the sunnah allow us to conclude that the Examiner is our Lord who is the Most Merciful. His Mercy is beyond the mercy of even the mother with her child.

Having good thoughts and understanding the Examiner will help us in exercising patience and trust upon Him. For those who exercise patience are always victorious. Part of the victory is that you come even closer to Your Lord and it He who has turned you into a more beautiful slave than before. Res ...continue reading

Have you ever found yourself in an argument, feeling like no one stands with you the way you stand for others? Even when you take a stand, there's no one to encourage you to stay firm—just that deep, indescribable feeling of loneliness. And then come the discouraging comments: "Why did you even say anything? You should’ve stayed quiet. Now look what happened."

I remember Ustadh Nouman once said that true sabr is when you stop someone from doing something wrong, and when they retaliate, you stay patient. That’s where real sabr shows. So do not blame the person who spoke up, but comfort and supporting them.

May Allah grant us people like that—who don’t dismiss a situation just because i ...continue reading

I was working late one night last week and when I switched off the lights in the lab on my way out, I was struck by how very different it felt to the bright and busy place it is during the day.

The sparkling glassware, colourful containers and expensive equipment were blanketed by darkness and it felt a little eerie.

The tools for discovering knowledge were there but they were not in use. There was just the dark and the hum of the resting machines.

For a perceptive believer, the lights are on. Their connection with revelation and observation of Allah's ubiquitous signs directs them to Him. They may be able to appreciate even subtle realities.

Someone who rejects the truth, ho ...continue reading

"Assume the best regarding them [i.e., those transmitting religious knowledge], perhaps thinking that none would dare fabricate lies against Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

However, the crucial pedagogical lesson ( ad-dars at-tarbawi) here is the absolute necessity of verification and authentication (at-tathabbut) in matters pertaining to the Religion (ad-Dīn), and the imperative of acquiring knowledge (al-'ilm) exclusively from trustworthy and reliable authorities (ath-thiqāt). These are individuals who derive their understanding directly from the Book of Allah (the Qur'an), the Sunnah (tradition and practice) of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ - ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam - peace and blessings ...continue reading

Subhanallah... another portion of the story of Musa AS. That should teach us a lesson. This ayah has always been emotional for me. It seems desperate yet confident at the same time. I like to identify the two words merged together as tawakkul. Musa, AS, knew how to trust Allah's plans; Allah knows best, but putting ourselves in his shoes, being chased by the most powerful army in the world, having commited an unwanted crime, and no way out anymore.. yet, Musa AS with his complete reliance on Allah, while acknowledging this need, and Allah knows best, said, "My Lord will guide me." He didn't hesitate; he didn't talk about the possibility of it, but rather ensured his people, even if there wer ...continue reading

Subhanallah. Maryam, peace be upon her, has always been such a role model for me. As a Muslimah, seeing a woman endure the worst accusations, dealing alone with her child, and facing humiliation while completely relying on Allah SWT, moves me. One thing that surprised me when I first read the translation of Surah Maryam was Maryam, peace be upon her, seeking refuge in Ar-Rahman as soon as she saw a man—which in this case was Jibrael, peace be upon him, in the form of a man. How much haya does a woman need to have to fear Allah and seek refuge in Him as soon as she sees a man? The man hasn't talked to her, didn't move towards her, nothing. But the first thing that came out of her mouth was t ...continue reading

What does "Sabr" literally mean in Arabic?

To restrain, to bind, to withhold, to control tightly.

Like:

Tying an animal so it doesn't run wild.

So sabr = tying down your impulses when your nafs is about to lose it.

(Staying consistent in doing good, even when you're tired, bored, or nobody's watching).

Here's the breakdown of the ayah:

A divine wake-up call. This phrase is only used when something serious is coming — like Allah is tapping your shoulder saying:

“Hey you — the one who believes — listen carefully.”

ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ (Seek help)

This is not passive help. It means:

“Actively seek backup, don’t just sit ther ...continue reading

In this life it is SO easy to switch between being happy and upset at things.

Maybe I'll wake up on the wrong side of bed and feel moody, then feel much better after a nice breakfast but feel upset again because the weather is too cold but feel happy because I met up with good friends, then feel upset again because I felt socially drained at the end of the day, then feel happy because my bed is comfy.

Even if I just became happy from receiving my salary yesterday, that happiness doesn't last much after a week. There is no eternal happiness here on earth. Everything is fleeting. Even the rich get bored with all they have over time. The only true eternal happiness is with Allah swt in Jann ...continue reading

When we come to the prayer, especially in the congregational prayers, Allah wants us to present ourselves before Him with the best manners, to feel good, and also to look good. That's why Allah says in Surah Al-Araaf:

"O children of Adam, take your beautiful adornments at every masjid. And eat and drink, but do not be excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who transgress." (7:31)

However, I don't think that the purpose of this first command in this verse is to impress Allah by just wearing nice and clean clothes.  If the heart is not prese ...continue reading

When Its Absence Speaks Volumes

During the Quran Reflect Zoom discussion in Ramadan, there was a discussion on the verse ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ. One of the questions asked was why there is no harf, such as الي orعلي, after kalimah اهدنا? I am not an Arabic student and only recently started learning Arabic. I don't know the answer to this. However, it piqued my curiosity, prompting me to consider two types of sentences or requests that bear a striking resemblance to the question at hand. They are as follows:

1. Please teach me how to do a Caesarean section.

2. Please teach me Caesarean section.

When someone asks me HOW to do a Caesarean section, the scope of the reques ...continue reading

At a pivotal moment in my life, when I was struggling to make a definitive decision, this verse suddenly dawned on my heart, and the supplication flowed to my lips. As I recited it, I reflected on its significance and how it could impact my decision-making ability.

Upon reflection, I realized that this verse serves as a guiding beacon for our emotions and decision-making faculties in critical moments. The migration, a defining phase in the Prophet'sﷺ life, was accompanied by this supplication that underscored the paramount importance of the underlying purpose – the pursuit of Islam.

When the Prophetﷺ and his Companions migrated to Medina, they did not pray for material comforts or logistic ...continue reading

I came across a verse that really struck me:

"Boasting of the Sacred House, and babbling nonsense about the Quran by night." (Surah Al-Mu’minun, 23:67)

It made me think deeply about how faith is not just about appearances or affiliations—it’s about sincerity. This verse describes people who take pride in their connection to the Sacred House (Kaaba) but don’t actually embody its teachings. Instead of reflecting on the Quran with humility, they dismiss its guidance, engaging in idle talk rather than truly living by it.

Honestly, I’ve seen this happen in real life. People wear religious attire or symbols, looking incredibly devoted, yet their actions show otherwise. It’s unsettling to ...continue reading

We read about the three types of person in surah al-Baqarah so many times - the believers, the unbelievers and the hypocrites. For many years when I read this I automatically saw myself as one of the believers...but this ayah is a warning to us all - beware of not entering into Islam wholeheartedly because then we will be corrupted by shaytan and risk becoming one of the hypocrites. We are all human - our iman ebbs and flows like the tide, sometimes stronger than other times. That is normal - we all know the saying "to err is to be human". The difference is when we purposely choose to pick and choose the bits of our religion that we want to follow. Shaytan whispers to us that "this isn't re ...continue reading