إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ Inna Ibrāhīma kāna ummatan qānitan lillāhi Hanīfan walam yaku minal-mushrikīn Indeed Ibrahim was a nation, obedient to Allah, upright, and he was not of the polytheists. (Sūratun Nahl, No. 16, Āyat 120) This verse praises Abraham (Nabī Ibrāhīm), the great Prophet of Allah, the … Read more
وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا Remember We made the House a place of assembly for men and a place of safety (Sūratul Baqarah, No. 2, Āyat 125) The holy Kaaba is described in the above verse as: 1) A place of assembly or pilgrimage. The Arabic word used is ‘mathaba’ – a place of … Read more
أَلَا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ Now, surely, sincere devotion is due to Allah (alone) (Sūratul Zumar, No. 39, Āyat 3) Being a true servant of Allah means to be devoted to Him and Him alone. He is the focus of life, and all else revolves around Him. Just as the pilgrims circumbulate around the Ka’ba, the … Read more
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًا مَا بَعُوضَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا ۚ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَيَقُولُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلًا Indeed Allah is not ashamed to set forth a parable whether it is that of a gnat or anything above it. As for those who … Read more
فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنْبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا Fataqabbalahā rabbuhā biqabūlin hasanin wa-ambatahā nabātan hasanā So her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance, and made her grow in a worthy fashion (Sūrat Āli Imrān, No. 3, Āyat 37) When the mother of Bibi Maryam (a) was giving birth she expected a male child whom she … Read more
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ Yā ayyuhaladhīna āmanūj-tanibū kathīran minaz-zanni inna ba‘daz-zanni ithm O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion. Indeed some suspicions are sins. (Sūratul Hujurāt, No. 49, Āyat 12) Suspicions, or negative assumptions, are deadly in relationships. Assumptions, both positive and negative, make up a big … Read more
ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا رَجُلًا فِيهِ شُرَكَاءُ مُتَشَاكِسُونَ وَرَجُلًا سَلَمًا لِرَجُلٍ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًا ۚ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ Dharaba-llāhu mathalan rajulan fīhi shurakā’u mutashākisūna wa rajulan salaman lirajulin hal yastawiyāni mathalan. Alhamdu lillāhi. Bal aktharuhum lā ya‘lamūn. Allah draws and example: a man jointly owned by several contending masters, and a man … Read more
وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ Wabil-walidayni iHsana wabidhil-qurba walyatama walmasakīnī waljari dhilqurba wajaril-junub And do good to parents, the relatives, the orphans, the needy, the near neighbour and the distant neighbor (Sūratun Nisa, No. 4, Ayat 36) An important part of Islam after worship of Allah and fulfilling His … Read more
قَالَ رَبِّي يَعْلَمُ الْقَوْلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ Qālā rabbi ya‘lamul-qawla fis-samā’i wal-ardhi; wa huwas-samī ‘ul-‘alīm He said, ‘My Lord knows every word [spoken] in the sky and the earth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.’ (Sūratul Ambiyā’, Number 21, Āyat 4) In this verse the Holy Prophet (s) reminds people that Allah … Read more
ومَا تَكُونُ فِي شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَتْلُو مِنْهُ مِنْ قُرْآنٍ وَلَا تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلَّا كُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُودًا إِذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ ۚ Wamā takūnu fī sha’nin wamā tatlū minhu min qur’ānin walā ta‘lamūna min ‘amalin illā kunnā ‘alaykum shuhūdān idh tufīdhūna fīh You do not engage in any work, neither do you recite any part of the … Read more