Bismillāh. إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ Indeed, Allah enjoins justice and kindness. (Sūrat al-Nahl, No.16, Āyat 90) This verse, known as the Āyat al-Ihsān, outlines qualities required for the well-being of a community. The first two qualities that Allah ‘azza wajall orders believers to have justice and kindness. Both are required for smooth relationships and for settling the differences … Read more
Bismillāh. وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَأَنسَاهُمْ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. (Surat al-Hashr, No.59, Āyat 19) When a person forgets Allah ‘azza wajall and distances himself from his Creator, he forgets the entire purpose of being on this earth. All his efforts, hopes and desires revolve … Read more
وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ And they did not wrong Us, but they wronged [only] themselves. (Sūrat al-Baqarah, No.2, Āyat 57) In many places the Quran talks about human beings wronging or oppressing themselves. Zulm is defined as putting things in the wrong place, or not fulfilling the right of someone or something. It is the opposite of justice. The … Read more
إنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا وَرَضُوا بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَاطْمَأَنُّوا بِهَا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا غَافِلُونَ Indeed, those who do not expect to meet Us, being pleased and content with this worldly life, and who are heedless of Our signs. (Surat Yūnus, No.10, Āyat 7) This verse describes the qualities of people whose actions will result in loss and suffering … Read more
ٱلتَّـٰئِبُونَ ٱلْعَـٰبِدُونَ ٱلْحَـٰمِدُونَ ٱلسَّـٰئِحُونَ ٱلرَّٰكِعُونَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدُونَ ٱلْـَامِرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱلنَّاهُونَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْحَـٰفِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ [The faithful are] penitent, devout, celebrators of Allah’s praise, wayfarers, who bow and prostrate [in prayer], bid what is right and forbid what is wrong, and keep Allah’s bounds —and give good news to the faithful. (Sūrat al-Tawbah, … Read more
فَلْيَضْحَكُوا قَلِيلًا وَلْيَبْكُوا كَثِيرًا جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ So let them laugh a little; much will they weep as a requital for what they used to earn. (Sūrat al-Tawbah, No 9, Āyāt 82) The above verse is preceded by an account of how some Muslims shirked their duty and chose this temporary world over sacrifice and danger … Read more
A‘zamallāhu ujūranā bimusābinā bil-husayni ‘alayhis-salām. May Allah magnify our reward for our grieving at the tragedy of al-Husayn, peace be on him. يَا أيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواكُونُوا أنْصَارَ اللَّهِ كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ لِلْحَوَارِيِّينَ مَنْ أنْصَارِي إلَى اللَّهِۖ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أنْصَارُ اللَّهِ O you who believe! be helpers in the cause of Allah, as ‘Isā … Read more
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ Did you suppose that We created you aimlessly, and that you will not be brought back to Us?’ (Sūrat al-Mu’minūn, No. 23, Āyat 115) The above noble verse is an indication of the intellectual proof put forward in Islamic theology for the necessity of the hereafter, known … Read more
قَالُوا يَا نُوحُ قَدْ جَادَلْتَنَا فَأَكْثَرْتَ جِدَالَنَا فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَا إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ They said, ‘O Nuh, you have disputed with us already, and you have disputed with us a lot. Now bring us what you threaten us with if you are truthful. (Sūrat Hūd, No.11, Āyat 32) When people do not want to accept the truth, they … Read more
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ Indeed, We have sent down the Reminder, and indeed We will preserve it. (Sūrat al-Hijr, No. 15, Āyat 9) Those who have studied the history of the compilation of the Quran will appreciate that from the onset of Islam, Muslims gave a lot of importance to recording and … Read more