To begin in the name of Allah is to elevate whatever you do because Ash-Shakur will ensure that nothing goes you do goes to waste and that every matter is supported with His help.

To say alhamdulillahi rabbil-alameen is to live this, to acknowledge that whatever you come with—whatever you're at your lowest moment or at your highest, in moments of ease and of hardship, when you're at your busiest or most free—Allah can guide every example and replace any given situation with something better, "And they do not come to you with an example except that We bring you the truth and the best explanation" (Qur'an, 25:33)

To then accompany alhamdulillah with Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim is to elevate even

Surah Al-Fatihah is this one surah that is recited in every single unit of every single salah that we pray, and that alone shows the central and unique place this surah holds. The fact that we recite it in every single unit of prayer teaches us that its lessons are not things we learn once and then move on from. They are lessons that need to be deeply ingrained in our hearts and continuously rehearsed throughout our lives, because we forget. In the midst of life, we forget our purpose and we forget what truly matters. That's why we need constant reminders. And the lessons contained in this surah are so important that we don't recite it just once or twice a day. We recite it in every single s

قال رسول الله ﷺ: «أكثروا ذكر هادم اللذات». "Remember often the destroyer of pleasures... death."

Just a few minutes before Maghrib, my brother and I were about to leave for the mosque when his phone rang. I noticed his face change almost instantly. I asked what happened, and he quietly said that the grandmother of a distant neighbor had passed away. "إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ." The Janazah would be right after Maghrib. For a second I just stood there... then it hit me how little time we had. It was a matter of farḍ kifāyah, and somehow that made every passing minute feel heavier. We didn't really say much after that. We just trusted Allahﷻ and left, walking fast... then f

The Power of الحمد لله (Alhamdulilah), All praise and thanks belong to Allah.

Do you know the true greatness behind this beautiful word? - It was the first word spoken by Adam عليه السلام. - It’s the first word in the Quran. - It’s the best form of Dua. - On the Day of Judgement, the best people will be those who praised Allah often. - Every time you say it, a tree is planted for you in Paradise. - It’s a word for every moment, grief or joy, ease or hardship. - It fills your scales with good deeds. - And most beautifully, Allah praised Himself with it.

Always say Alhamdulillah, because Allah promises, وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ …If you are grateful, I wil

The final two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah teach us the complete journey of the believer.

He begins with faith, آمَنَ He receives revelation, بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ He submits, سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا He recognises his shortcomings, غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا He remembers his destination, وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ He trusts Allah’s mercy, لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا He takes responsibility, لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ He asks for pardon, forgiveness and mercy, وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا And finally, he declares that Allah alone is his Protector, أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا

These ayaat remind us that the believer is not perfect. He believes, submit

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

As I wrote this ayah out in Arabic it helped to me ponder and these were my reflections and I could contemplate two small reflections:

1) best in deeds:

The Qur’an chooses to equip us with details of some of the prophets peace be upon them all yet there were more prophets and messengers. Each of their stories are quite different for example Ayyub AS and Suleiman AS; one was a king who had vast wealth and another who had vast wealth but had to see poverty and disease. Then there was Ibrahim AS whose father not only worshipped idols but also made them whereas Yusuf AS his father was a prophet who was Yaqoob AS who came from

This is not one but a few reflections from Surah Fil. They are not all my own and are the fruit of a Quran halaqa. I pen them here because it is a beautiful reminder that when we gather with the Quran at our center the reflections that emerge are diverse.

تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍۢ مِّن سِجِّيلٍۢ - Stones made of baked clay: They were clearly small enough (the size of a chickpea according to some mufassireen) for birds to carry on their paws and beaks and yet caused irreparable damage. This pebble would tare directly into the body of the target entering from one place and exiting from another. The one struck by it would disintegrate into flesh and blood. This was not all. The damage was no

I sat at a train crossing yesterday, waiting to get to my destination. Impatiently waiting. Anxious to get there on time. For whatever came next. And, of course, I had caught a train crossing. I barely looked out the window.

Through the mercy of Ar-Rahmaan, my eyes fell on the man in the car ahead of me, his head stuck out the window, enjoying the moment, making a beautiful video of the sunset at the train crossing. Watching him capture the moment suddenly upended my perspective. It made me realize that my focus was muddied all along. It made me sheepishly realize that THIS was the moment to capture. Not whatever I was waiting to get to next. The train had not slowed me down to cause me in

When we ask Allah for guidance (الهداية), we are asking Him to be our Guide. We are declaring that His guidance is more beloved to us than every other voice, desire, opinion, or path that could lead us astray.

Every time we recite "Guide us to the Straight Path" (Qur'an 1:6), we are echoing the prayers and certainty of Allah's righteous servants throughout history.

We are saying what Ibrahim (ʿalayhi al-salām) declared: "Indeed, it is He who created me, and it is He who guides me." (Qur'an 26:78)

We are asking for the guidance Musa sought when he fled Egypt, alone and uncertain of what lay ahead: "I trust my Lord will guide me to the right way." (Qur'an 28:22)

We are seeking the same cer

Bismillah There are moments which feels unbelievable and unbearable. Random thoughts clouds our clarity. People we love are no more and time keeps moving without asking if we are ready. Our deadlines approachs, exams draw closer and pages left to study seems greater than the time left. Then you look around the world and wonder people are so much more capable and worthy than you. Your mind tries to negotiate the negativity but when your heart is filled with grief nothing really works out. Then you hear an invitation "Allah hu Akbar" which you've heard a million times before salah but hardly moved by it. Just the first two words to begin with. You are reminded that ALLAH IS GREATER , well g