﷽ Lately, I’ve been noticing how heavy it feels when I try to study in this strict, step-by-step way. Like when I sit down with the Quran, telling myself I must go verse by verse, tafsir after tafsir, without drifting. It’s as if the more I force the process, the more my mind starts to resist. I lose energy, and what started as something beautiful begins to feel like a chore. But when I give myself permission to move more freely — to pause on one verse because it really touched me, or to skip ahead to a surah I’m craving, or even pause to memorize a few ayat that felt special — the weight lifts. The enthusiasm comes back. It’s like my mind and heart are asking for that space to breathe

It is often that we may no longer have the required willpower to do what we’re obliged to as servants of The Most Merciful. In such moments, we must remember that Jannah is reserved for those who strive and apply themselves in life. As for those who want comfort and ease, they are driven by the desire of immediate pleasures. The underlying motive is pleasure first and total disregard to any consequence.  Allah says: 'Whoever desires the immediate - We hasten for him from it what We will to whom We intend. Then We have made for him Hell, which he will enter to burn, censured and banished'. (17:18) Such mindset are of those who are so shortsighted their gaze does not extend to the afterl

I have been struggling with this reflection for weeks—like a broken tune stuck in my head or a great story whose end I don't know. But I have decided that reflecting on the Qur`an is not about perfection but rather about connection. So here is my imperfect attempt at stringing together a thought that may or may not relate to you, but it is a means for me and hopefully for you to connect with Allah—and that suffices. Lately, my thoughts have been consumed by the quality of my prayers—or, more accurately, lack thereof. Ramadan draws near, and I seem to lack the drive to prepare for it. The month of taraweeh and tahajjud is upon us and I am not ready. The Salah, which is meant to be a connec

The word azm (firm resolve) in the Qur’an appears in describing the Prophets Adam, Nuh, Musa, Esa and Ibrahim AS, all of who had higher levels of determination and willpower. By their standards of determination and high resolve, we are also commanded to follow in their footsteps. So what can we learn from their lives that can inspire us to have firm resolve? Let us take just the one example of Nuh AS (1) He lived for 950 years calling people to Allah. He employed every possible tactic in his dawah efforts despite the backlash, and did not give up until Allah alerted him to the fact that his people would not believe. If one avenue was shut down, he found other means to convey Allah’s me

Willpower and Faith The magicians, as commissioned by Pharaoh, gathered to display their magic. Eager to please Pharaoh and impress their audience, they put on display their cutting-edge magic in all of its forms. They were convinced they were in for the win. Why would they not be? They had been practicing and perfecting the art and polishing their props in readiness for this momentous occasion. Musa (AS), seeing this, would have naturally become worried as he witnesses the extravagant display and orchestration of various illusions and magic by these master magicians. Now the camera would turn towards him, and he would be at the center of the stage under the spotlight. Unlike his oppo

This advice is for myself first and foremost! One must follow up their willpower with the right means to achieve what they want. That is true willpower.  If actions are according to intentions, one must go beyond wishful thinking to actualising what they want to achieve, and that can only happen by following through with the most effective course of action. In other words, WILLPOWER is intention (will ) followed by actions (power).  If tahajjud is something you wish to commit to, the action must be in line with this intention.For instance, set up your alarm like your life depends on it. One brother said, 'I drink gallons of water so I am compelled to wake up'! Similarly, If righteou

Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them - so worship Him and have patience for His worship. Do you know of any similarity to Him? (19:65) Research suggests that there are three necessary components for achieving any set objectives:  First, is the need to establish the motivation for change and to set a clear goal.  Second, you need to keep track of your habits and progress towards that goal. The third element is willpower.  Whether your goal is health related, foregoing a bad habit, studying more Quran, willpower is a critical step to achieving that outcome. I often come across many who have experienced the ‘honeymoon learning Arabic frenzy’, where many stude

It's not easy trying to do good things, trying to be a good muslim. The effort it takes? To wake up early in the winters and perform wudu in the cold? The mental struggle of battling forgetfulness and distraction during prayer? And trying so hard to make more time for the Quran?

It's a battle. And some days I win, some days I lose. We try again. We stay hopeful. We try to keep giving effort.

But that effort comes and goes, it rises and falls sometimes. The will to keep at it when it feels so hard to hold on, it can be such a fragile thing. Distractions are everywhere, whispers from shaytan sometimes sneak in... What's my defence?

Surat Ar Rahman.

When I listen to it, it heals something

Achieving righteousness Gaining pleasure of our Rabb These verses are so beautiful, reminding us to do good in the best of manner. Allah will see our intentions, our efforts And our sincerity and love towards him The word ' الْبِرَّ ' righteousness is to spend in the way of Allah. The top most is love for wealth and in today's world, everybody is running towards making money. Sadly, our Muslim ummah is no different, being engaged in this fitnah. Cars, houses, high rise buildings are the symbol of development and growth. We need to limit our desires and control ourselves by leading a simple life and be the trendsetter in our families and by helping our poor relatives and neighbo

The verse from Surah At-Talaq (65:3) beautifully teaches us about trusting Allah’s plan and understanding that life operates under a divine process. Everything in life has a process. A sequence of determined steps is to be followed to achieve a specific outcome. This is how things work. Whether it's a seed transforming into a tree or coal enduring immense pressure to become a diamond, nothing happens overnight.  We can't sow a seed at night and in the morning wish for a tree. We can't get demotivated when it's still not a tree in the morning.  Although the time has passed, as I said, a set process has to be followed. A fixed time, patience during the process, and persistence are re