Reflection No. 80 on Q 49:11 – Judging Others

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِنْ قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰ أَنْ يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ O you who believe! Let not some people among you laugh at others, perhaps they may be better than them. Sura al-Hujurat, verse 11 Human beings tend to judge others. They deride differences and are quick to look down on those … Read more

Reflection No. 79 on Q 17:79 – Worship at Night

وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَكَ عَسَىٰ أَنْ يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا And during a part of the night, say the night prayer beyond what is incumbent on you; perhaps your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy position. Sura al-Israa, verse 79 In the human being’s journey towards Allah, the fastest means of transportation … Read more

Reflection No. 78 on Q 7:26 – Clothing of Taqwa

وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ And the clothing of Taqwa, that is the best. Sura al- A’raf, verse 26 Clothing gives human beings an identity. It covers that which needs to be concealed, and is a source of beauty and adornment. Humans have always used attractive clothes to make themselves look good, to stand out at … Read more

Reflection No. 77 on Q 59:21 – Reciting the Holy Quran

لَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ لَرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُتَصَدِّعًا مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would certainly have seen it falling down, splitting asunder because of the fear of Allah. Sura al-Hashr, verse 21 The effect of the Holy Quran on the human heart can be amazingly powerful. … Read more

Reflection No. 78 on Q 33:41 – Remembering Allah

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا O you who believe! Remember Allah, a frequent remembrance. Sura al-Ahzab, verse 41 Life in this world has many distractions. Distractions that distance you from God, create Ghaflat or heedlessness, harden the heart, and generally prevent you from reaching the high status that a human being can … Read more

Reflection No. 75 on Q 20:84 – Haste towards meeting your Lord

وَعَجِلْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَبِّ لِتَرْضَى I hastened toward You, my Lord, so that You might be pleased Sura Taha, verse 84 When Nabi Musa (a) goes to get the rules of the Tawrat from Allah, and is accompanied by a group of the Bani Israel, he goes ahead of them and reaches the appointed place while … Read more

Reflection No. 73 on Q 19:4 – Certainty in supplicating to God

وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا I have never been disappointed, my Lord, in my prayers to You. Sura Maryam, verse 4 These are the words of Nabi Zakaria (a) as he prays for a son. I am old and feeble, he says, and my hair has turned white. It seems unlikely that I can now … Read more

Reflection No. 74 on Q 49:10 – Brothers in Faith

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ The believers are indeed brethren, therefore make peace between your brethren. Sura al-Hujurat, verse 10 Faith is a powerful unifying factor. It overcomes boundaries of race and background, of geographical locations and cultural differences. Faith speaks to the heart, and the bond between believers can be felt across many … Read more

Reflection No. 72 on Q 2:269 -Wisdom

يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَنْ يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا He grants wisdom to whom He pleases, and whoever is granted wisdom, he indeed is given a great good Sura al Baqarah, verse 269 Often we confuse knowledge with wisdom. The two are quite different. Knowledge is information, facts, an acquired accumulation which … Read more

Reflection No. 71 on Q 35:6 -Awareness of an enemy

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا Surely the Shaytan is your enemy, so treat him as an enemy Sura al-Fatir, verse 6 Awareness of an enemy means being on the alert. There is no time to be complacent. Especially when the enemy is hidden, when it can enter into your mind and thoughts, and whisper … Read more