ثم قست قلوبكم من بعد ذلك فهي كالحجارة او اشد قسوة وان من الحجارة لما يتفجر منه الانهار وان منها لما يشقق فيخرج منه الماء وان منها لما يهبط من خشية الله وما الله بغافل عما تعملون

ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآءُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

A reminder to myself to always check my heart condition.
Recently I've just been so focused on working in this dunya to achieve the best result, and in that moment I went into survival mode. 
I overdo my task without remembering to stop and rest to remember Allah.
Then... my heart became dry and empty...
Just every time I make du'a, I say: Ya Allah help me finish this task and grant me the best.
But at the same time I'm abandoning the condition of my own heart.
And I wonder... why it felt like my heart was tight? 
I felt kind of numb. And that's what I didn't realize at that time.
Then...
Allah granted me a physical illness to make me realize that emptiness.
I just cannot do any work at that time. I was questioning everything. My intention, my deeds...
And... at that time of illness, Allah gave me a reminder about how to soften a hardened heart. 
In that moment I realized that one of the signs of a hard heart is dry eyes because you lack crying out of fear of Allah... So I started remembering and tried to cry, Alhamdulillah. I remembered what was my purpose again. I remembered where I belong and where I will go. I believe Allah wants to cure my heart.
This situation reminded me of this verse: there are many types of heart. One of them is like splitting rock, bursting water out of fear of Allah. Alhamdulillah, I learned how to take care of my heart often now... May Allah make it easy for me to maintain my heart to be soft. Aameen...

Let us ponder the lesson of the mountains.

The people of Thamud carved magnificent homes into mountains, feeling secure in their strength, until they were destroyed by their arrogance.

When Musa (A.S.) asked to see Allah, he was told to look at a mountain. When Allah revealed Himself to it, the mountain crumbled to dust.

When the Flood came, Nuh’s disbelieving son sought refuge on a mountain, believing it could save him. Yet he drowned, while Nuh sailed upon waves as high as mountains.

Allah reminds us throughout the Qur’an that He placed mountains as stabilizers for the earth, allowing us to live, travel, and build upon it in safety.

Yet despite their immense power, Allah says that if there were a recitation capable of moving mountains, it would be the Qur’an (13:31). And if this Qur’an had been sent down upon a mountain, it would have split apart in awe and fear of Allah (59:21).

Mountains appear immovable. They tower above us, provide stability beneath us, and can crush us in an instant. Yet before Allah, they are humble.

And on That Day:

“The mountains will be blown away, becoming like a mirage.” (78:20)

A reminder that even what seems permanent is fleeting. Even what seems solid will vanish.

So ask yourself:

Is your heart harder than a mountain?

Allah says:

“Even then your hearts became hardened like a rock or even harder, for some rocks gush rivers; others split, spilling water; while others are humbled in awe of Allah. And Allah is never unaware of what you do.” (2:74)

The mountains submit.

The rocks are humbled.

What about you?

There are moments when the heart feels heavy yet strangely silent, when tears no longer flow and emotions seem locked away. This numbness is not the absence of feeling but the weight of too much: too many disappointments, too many sins, too many wounds carried without release. A numb heart is a heart that has grown tired of pain, but it is also a heart that desperately needs to be revived.  

Allah describes hearts that harden and lose their softness: “Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some that split open and water comes out, and there are some that fall down for fear of Allah” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:74). Even stones can tremble before Allah, yet sometimes our hearts remain unmoved.  

But numbness is not the end. It is a sign that the heart is calling out for renewal. Allah reminds us: “Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its lifelessness. We have made clear to you the signs so that you may understand” (Surah Al-Hadid 57:17). Just as barren land can bloom again, a numb heart can be softened with remembrance, dua, the Qur'an, and sincere repentance.  

When the heart is numb, do not despair. Sit with the Qur’an even if you feel nothing. Raise your hands even if your duas feel empty. Keep whispering *Astaghfirullah* even if your tongue feels dry. The act itself is medicine, and slowly, Allah will breathe life back into the heart.  

A numb heart is not dead; it is waiting. Waiting for you to turn back, waiting for Allah’s mercy to pour in, waiting for the moment when tears finally fall and the soul feels alive again. ❤️   

#وقفة_تدبرية    #Reflection   #توجيهات   #sabr  

This is a thoughtful and moving reflection. Jazakallahu khayran for sharing something so relatable.

Harder Than Stone
Reading Al-Baqarah (2:74) through the Hadith

After the covenant, the signs, 
and even the miracle that exposed what had been hidden, 
the Qur’an says:

﴿ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً﴾ 
“Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder.” -2:74

What gives the verse such weight, for me,  is the phrase:  “after that.”

Not before the signs.
 Not before clarity. 
But after witnessing all of it.

The Qur’an then turns toward an image that feels almost unexpected:
﴿وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآءُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ﴾ 
“And indeed, among stones are those from which rivers burst forth, and others split open and water comes out from them, and others fall down in awe of Allah.” —  2:74

Even stone retains the capacity to yield.

The Prophet ﷺ said:
«تُعْرَضُ الْفِتَنُ عَلَى الْقُلُوبِ كَالْحَصِيرِ عُودًا عُودًا...»
“Trials are presented to the hearts like a woven mat, strand by strand...” 
— Sahih Muslim

The hadith describes how hearts are gradually affected by what they continue to absorb,  until some lose their sensitivity to truth itself.

The danger is not only sin, 
or weakness, 
or moments of distance from Allah.

The deeper danger is becoming inwardly unmoved —
 hearing reminders without responding,
 witnessing signs without softening, 
repeating truth until the heart no longer trembles before it.

And among stones are those from which rivers burst forth,
 those that split open, 
and those that fall in awe of Allah.

The verse leaves behind an unsettling question: 
what happens when stone responds more readily than the human heart?

#SurahAlBaqarah    #Tadabbur#HardnessOfHeart   #SpiritualReflection   #InnerStruggle   #TrialsOfTheHeart   #FaithAndSincerity   #QuranAndHadith    #SelfAccountability   #SeekingAllah   #SignsOfAllah   #GuardingTheHeart   #تدبر  #القرآن   #قسوة_القلب   #محاسبة_النفس   #تزكية_النفس  

Noor hassan JazakAllahu khayran for your sincere reflection and du‘a. The verses really do leave a person thinking about how dangerous it is when hearts become unmoved in front of suffering, reminders, or clear signs.

At the same time, I think the ayah also turns the question back toward all of us individually before we look outward — because hardness of heart can appear in many forms, sometimes very quietly.

May Allah soften our hearts, keep them alive with truth and mercy, and ease the suffering of our brothers and sisters everywhere, especially in Palestine. Ameen.

If even stones can respond to Allah with khashyah,
what about my heart?

Khasyah is a kind of خوف, but not just fear. It is fear mixed with knowing. A deep awareness of who Allah is, His greatness, His power, His حق over us. Because of that awareness, something inside responds. 

Even stones, which we think are lifeless, have a kind of response to Allah. They “fall” out of khashyah. Of course, not like humans do, but in a way that fits their creation. They are still in full submission.
Then what about us?

We have understanding, عقل, emotions, revelation. If khashyah is present, it should naturally lead to khushu’. 

Khushu’ feels hard in salah when the khashyah is weak outside salah.

Excellent reflection. Jazak Allah khayran 

Sometimes we get stuck in bad habits and tell ourselves that it's too difficult to overcome and feel hopeless and hardened.
Allah is giving us the example of stones as a comparison. Even stones that are hard and lifeless can break and release pure life giving water then what about us? We human beings have hearts and most importantly have the ability to select, reflect and try.
So it's possible to turn back and overcome bad habits that weigh our souls down. Similar to those stones that break and release water, there’s light inside us too just waiting to come out.


There are 3 types of rocks that are mentioned here:
🪨 An example of abundant good, similar to a believer who benefits others around him. He keeps gaining knowledge and rivers of khair gush forth from him.

🪨 The second is that of extremely hard rocks, those that have reached the extent of being hard.
It absorbs water but it remains deep-seated and doesn’t flow. Until a calamity or misfortune occurs and then goodness - all that has been absorbed - gushes forth.

🪨 The last is the example of some people that are like hard rocks, but when the fear of Allah enters the heart and the recognise His Greatness, they repent and turn back to Allah and humble themselves. 

✨ Lessons: 
1. Never be judgemental. Some people may seem really hard like rock but with a setback, they break and so much goodness comes from them. 
2. Never lose hope. Don’t despair. It may seem like the tarbiya you impart has no benefit, it may seem like you’re pouring water on a stone with no effect, but a time will come when all that khair absorbed will come forth. Because every good deed is rewarded and does not go to waste.
{ هَلۡ جَزَآءُ ٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنِ إِلَّا ٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنُ }
Is the reward for good [anything] but good? (55:60)
4. Some people may seem harder than stone but their hearts are in Allah's Hands and only He can soften it. All we can do is ask Him.

💖 Heart softeners:
1. Reflecting and pondering on the signs of Allah around us 
2. Looking after orphans
3. Visiting the sick and elderly

Lessons from Fahm Al Quran 

#lessons #rocks #Allah
#Day1 #Alhudadiary #alhuda #Quran #juzz1 #Ramadan2022

Salmah & Sarah

It trembles me to the core when the ayah says, 'Has the time not yet come for believers’ hearts to be humbled at the remembrance of Allah'. The word of Allah humble and turn mountain into dusts (خَٰشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ) if it were revealed on them, yet my heart isn't moved when these word are recited. This forces me to think, 'has my heart become harder then a rock? (كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً).' 
When the word of Allah is not given superiority in life, then the hearts become hard because you are fulfilling contentment and love from wrong things/beings. 
The book of Allah is full of hope! Even if our heart are stones it calls us back that #itsabouttime that we get back on the road to Allah. And in surah Baqarah He describes the three states of the hearts that turn to Him,that are:
يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْه .1
يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآء.2
3.مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ

ECG is a test known to detect heart problems, and this helps doctors to determine the best course of action for any abnormalities detected during the inspection. The patient will follow all the necessary precautions advised by his doctor, and the patient will take any prescribed medicine on-time. This is because it is clear the patient wants to have a healthy heart — the patient wants to live and be functional. As such, the patient may need to leave his love for certain type of food which can be considered as a poison / harmful for a healthy heart.

Have you ever thought of doing a spiritual ECG for the heart? Ibn Qayyim RA said : 'A real man is one who fears the death of his heart, not of his body.'

Let's do a spiritual ECG of our hearts and check the status of it. Ibn Al-Qayyim categorised the heart into the three types:

The sound and healthy heart (in complete submission of الله عزوجل, and this heart will do everything purely for الله عزوجل).

A Dead heart ( it's completely opposite of the sound heart. A heart which only follow its own desires). 

A sick heart (it fluctuates between the sound and the dead heart which means it does good deeds, but also follows its desires).

The poisons of a spiritual heart are: unnecessary talking, unrestrained glances, too much food and keeping bad company. 

If our hearts were dead, we would not be on the Qur'an Reflect platform sharing our love for the Qur'an. الحمد الله. We need to seek الله عزوجل help to eradicate poisons from our hearts to have a sound and healthy heart on our spiritual ECG.

Further reading on the types of hearts (no affiliation): https://blog.islamiconlineuniversity.com/type-heart-one/ 

Wa iyyakum Br Amir - JazakAllah Khair  for reading and sharing your thoughts. May الله عزوجل aid us to purify our hearts. Ameen.

A short quote from Ibn 3ata' and a small addition of mine

'How would a heart brighten while the images of the world cover its mirror? How can it travel to Allah while chained by its desires? How can it ever stand before the presence of Allah without getting purified from its heedlessness? How would it understand the hidden secrets while it has not repented from its faults?' Ibn 3aTa’ - translated.

I add 'How would it even try while being like this for a very very long time?' Well, Allah says 'Know that Allah gives life to the land after its death …' He also says, '… indeed there are some rocks from which streams burst forth, some of them split asunder so water issues out of them, …'

Tafakari: Al-Baqarah 2:74