Reflection No. 227 on Q 49:11 – Mocking Others

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِنْ قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰ أَنْ يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ Yā-ayyuhlladhīna āmanū lā yaskhar qawmun min qawmin ‘asā an yakūnū khayran minhum O believers, let no group make fun of another, for they may be better than them. (Sūratul Hujurāt, No. 49, Āyat 11) In this verse Almighty Allah warns people … Read more

Reflection No. 5:33 on Q 25:47 – Purpose of Night and Day

وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا وَالنَّوْمَ سُبَاتًا وَجَعَلَ النَّهَارَ نُشُورًا Huwal-ladhī ja‘ala lakumul-layla libāsan wan-nawma subātan wa ja‘alan-nahāra nushūrā And He it is Who made the night a covering for you, and the sleep a rest, and He made the day to rise up again. (Sūratul Furqān, No.25, Āyat 47) This verse talks about … Read more

Reflection No. 225 on Q 22:11 – Conditional Worshipping

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْ‌فٍ ۖ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ‌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ ۖ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ‌ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَ‌ةَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَ‌انُ الْمُبِينُ Waminan-nāsi man ya‘budul-lāha ‘alā ḥarfin fa-in aṣābahu khayruni-ṭma’anna bihi, wa-in aṣābathu fitnatunin-qalaba ‘alā wajhihi khasirad-dunyā wal-ākhirah. Dhālika huwa khusrānul mubīn And among people are those who worship … Read more

Reflection No. 224 on Q 33:39 – Fear only Allah

الَّذِينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَخْشَوْنَهُ وَلَا يَخْشَوْنَ أَحَدًا إِلَّا اللَّهَ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ حَسِيبًا Alladhīna yuballighūna risālātil-lāhi wayakhshawnahu walā yakhshawna aḥadan illal-lāha; wakafā billāhi ḥasībā Those who deliver the messages of Allah and fear Him, and do not fear anyone but Allah; and Allah is sufficient to take account. (Sūratul Ahzāb, No. 33, Āyat 39) … Read more

Reflection No. 223 on Q 16:97 – A good spiritual life

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ Man ‘amila ṣāliḥan min dhakarin aw unthā wa huwa mu’minun falanuḥyiyannahu ḥayātan ṭayyiba, walanujziyannahum ajarahum biaḥsani mā kānū ya‘amalūn Whoever acts righteously, [whether] male or female, should he be faithful, – We shall revive him with … Read more

Reflection No. 222 on Q 2:185 – Exalting God at the end of Ramadan

وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ Walitukabbiru-llāha ‘alā mā hadākum wala‘allakum tashkurūn That you exalt the greatness of Allah for guiding you and that you may give thanks. (Sūratul Baqarah, No. 2, Āyat 185) Commentary These words come at the end of a verse which talks about the holy month of Ramadan in which … Read more

Reflection No. 221 on Q 66:8 – Perfection of Spiritual Light

رَبَّنَا أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا Rabbanā atmim lanā nūranā waghfirlanā Our Lord! Perfect our Light for us and forgive us (Sūratu Tahrīm, No. 66, Āyat 8) The above verse is the supplication of the believers on the Day of Judgement. When they have already been forgiven and are being taken to Heaven, their light … Read more

Reflection No. 220 on Q 51:18 – The sahr: time of seeking forgiveness

وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ And in the early part of the morning they asked forgiveness. (Sūratuz Zāriyāt, No. 51, Āyat 18) One of the qualities of the true believers as described in the verse above is seeking forgiveness in the very early hours of the morning. This refers to the Salātul Layl, the prayer recited after … Read more

Reflection No. 219 on Q 17:82 – The Quran as healing & mercy

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ Wa-nunazzilu minal-qur’āni mā huwa shifā’un waraHmatun lil-mu’minin We send down from the Quran what is a cure and a mercy to the faithful. (Sūratul Isrā’ No. 17, Āyat 82) Almighty Allah has revealed the Holy Quran as a healing and a mercy for believers. These two qualities … Read more

Reflection No. 218 on Q 2:186 – Closeness to God

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ Wa-idhā sa’alaka ‘ibādī ‘annī fa-innī qarīb If My worshippers ask you about Me, I am near (Sūratul Baqarah, No. 2, Āyat 186) The aim of every act of worship is to seek nearness to Almighty Allah. The above verse is part of the passage on fasting and Allah brings … Read more