Raef

الرزق بيد الله 'Rizq is in the hands of God' I missed an easy 25yard shot on a big buck the other day. I was really upset at myself, constantly replaying in my head what I should or could have done differently, even lost sleep over it! My mom reminded me, as she often does : وَفِي السَّمَاءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ 'Your provision is in heaven – and what you are promised.' [51:22] That big buck was simply not meant for me, it was written for another person (or animal!) to harvest. I’m trying my best to internalize this understanding: That my ‘cut’ of this world has already been set, and what I will earn is already promised. Nothing quite forces me to accept this reality

The last time I reflected on this ayah was nearly 6 years ago when I read some of the reactions to

's murder by a New York Police officer. Some argued that it was Eric's fault for breaking state law by selling loose cigarets, others criticized the protests that ensued. I find myself returning to this Ayah once again...sadly after the death of

just a few days ago. Here, Allah swt, reminds us to be upright, even in moments when we have hatred in our hearts towards someone or a group of people...'BE JUST!' is a direct command, no ambiguity about it. If this is a command from Allah with regards to people WE HATE, how then, should we be with people that we love...o

So every Ramadan, and even more so with

, I am overwhelmed by the abundance of Ramadan programs, seminars, series, 'gems', fundraisers, reflections, diet programs, exercise programs, dhikr programs, charity programs, advice, and calls to do good. Im really just tired of it. This ayah, for me, cuts through the noise. It's simple : 'Good wipes out the bad' No analysis, no deep tafsir or 10-part course on how to get closer to Allah - no notes to take, not even much thinking required. Allah here gently reminds us, that 'Good deeds wipe out the bad ones' - a simple cure for those who have piled up sins. A tangible hope for those who are drowning, like I am, in this

and

'How can some have so much, and I have so little...?' Or 'How is it that an I have this...and others are suffering because they lack basics?' Allah swt is specifically saying that He knows us better than we know ourselves (He is truly All-aware, and All-seeing of His servants). And because He knows this, he knows who to give, what to give, and how much. Perhaps too much of one thing will be beyond what we can handle? The money / food / time I had didnt belong to me in the first place, and Allah swt is simply using me as a means of delivery. It his He who divides the riqz however He wills in PERFECT measure...what you get is not more nor less than what has been ordained for yo

My reflection is specifically on the 'creation of the heavens and earth and ALL in between in 6 days'. By any measure this is an unfathomably ginormous feat…done by the All-Mighty…and yet it was done in 6 days. Not 1 day, or a second….Done by the One who when He says 'Be' , it is. Once again Allah swt challenges our notion of time…and perhaps is forcing us to see that the only reason He created it in 6 days is because He wanted to…and that’s it. Often times I find myself spinning in circles of reason while reflecting, when the sign is simple and direct. Allah could have created all of this in 1 day, and it will still leave some of us wondering 'Wait, why 1 day?' Sometimes the ans

This reflection is specifically on the sentence 'And He is with you wherever you are' I am reminded here to contrast the modes of beliving IN Allah swt vs WITH Allah swt The latter highlights a relationship. When I truly internalize the thought that He is WITH me, a stronger sense of responsibility and respect is realized. When we start something new, we say 'Bismillah' , often translated to 'IN the name of Allah' when a more accuate translation is 'WITH the name of Allah'

It's December... and if you're from where I'm from (Maryland), the days get really short and cold. The weeks leading into the new orbit are a time of reflection- and the older we get, the more we have to reflect on, and the less significant the years seem to be. It’s as if the longer we live, the faster we feel we are going. Maybe it’s because we become increasingly aware that we are closer to our end?…Or perhaps it’s a physics thing and closer we inch towards the end, the more ‘still’ things become and the past just look like a blur. Perhaps there’s some truth to the phrase 'Life flashes before your eyes before you die' Ask anyone a older than yourself about the passing of time and

Ive always been really interested in string theory and attempting to understand multiple dimensions. We are 3 dimensional creatures so understanding that is easy : there’s length, width, and depth to everything around us. The 4th dimension can be tricky to understand : it’s basically something that is 3D moving thru time. So if you were to imageine yourself NOW, yourself 10minutes ago, 2 hours from now, 15 years from now etc…all those instances of you connected (thru time) is the 4th dimension. Almost like how a film-strip has clips : instant images of a film from beginning to end, with each frame representing a moment in time. So in short : the 4th dimension is a timeline and the ch

It can be frustrating at times when working with a group of people on a project that is ultimately for Allah swt's sake...sometimes to the point where you don't even feel like working with them at all. The start of this Ayah has always grounded, and reminded me to be patient with those who are doing good work. That part of doing something for His sake is to 'ista7mil' , and be patient with those folks who have good intentions. This I belive apply's to the community at large - that sometimes our communities are frustrating to deal with, but we still have to treat and ultimately work with them. TBH i'm still struggling with the question of 'How much slack do we cut them?' At what point do

I'm always attracted to simple ayahs like this one. True love is obedience, young kids do it, and we are reminded here to do the same...to follow Rasool Allah as a sign of our love for Allah. But the best part is, there's a 100% guarantee that Allah, the creater of the Heavens and Earth will love us back AND forgive us - just amazing.