ان الذي فرض عليك القران لرادك الى معاد قل ربي اعلم من جاء بالهدى ومن هو في ضلال مبين

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِى فَرَضَ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لَرَآدُّكَ إِلَىٰ مَعَادٍ ۚ قُل رَّبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَن جَآءَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَمَنْ هُوَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ

﷽

What a moment it must have been—when the Prophet ﷺ stood at the fork in the road during his migration, one path leading to Madinah and the other back to Makkah. A scene filled with the pain of separation yet illuminated by the certainty of Allah’s promise. Here was the most beloved of Allah, forced to leave his birthplace, the Sacred City of Makkah, yet reassured by the divine words in Surah Al-Qasas:

'Indeed, He who has made the Qur'an obligatory upon you will return you to a place of return.'
(Surah Al-Qasas 28:85)

The phrase 'made the Qur’an obligatory' strikes a chord. The word 'farz' is familiar, often tied to acts like prayer, fasting, and charity. But here, Allah declares the Qur’an itself as an obligation upon the Prophet ﷺ and, by extension, upon us. This obligation is not confined to mere recitation. It extends to reading, understanding, reflecting, living by its teachings, and spreading its message. How often have I approached the Qur’an with detachment, treating it as a ritual rather than a guide for life? SubhanAllah, this ayah calls me to reexamine my relationship with the Qur’an.

The Prophet ﷺ said:
'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it.'
(Sahih al-Bukhari 5027)

This Hadith reflects the weight of this responsibility. It’s not just about personal engagement with the Qur’an but also about sharing its light with others. The Prophet ﷺ, as described by Aisha (RA), embodied the Qur’an in every aspect of his life:
'His character was the Qur'an.'
(Sahih Muslim 746)

How often do I reflect on whether my character reflects even a fraction of the Qur’an’s teachings? Have I truly internalized its words, or am I content with surface-level familiarity?

The Qur’an is farz upon us in the most comprehensive sense. It is our guide, our source of comfort, and the key to success in both worlds. To neglect it is not just a loss but a betrayal of the trust Allah has placed in us.

May Allah grant me the strength to fulfill this obligation—to read, understand, and live by His words, and to spread their light to others. Ameen.

Hope in Times of Crisis

In Surah Al-Qasas, Allah reveals the arrogance, torture, and horror inflicted by Pharaoh upon the Bani Israil, including the slaughter of innocent babies while sparing the women. This depiction of Pharaoh as a baby killer evokes a sense of despair and grief, making the prospect of the oppressed becoming leaders seem far-fetched.

However, amidst this backdrop, the Quran unveils Allah's plan: 'But it was Our Will to favour those who were oppressed in the land, making them models ˹of faith˺ as well as successors; (5) and to establish them in the land; and through them show Pharaoh, Hamân, and their soldiers ˹the fulfilment of˺ what they feared..' As the story unfolds, we witness Allah's plans in action, with His divine hand of providence overshadowing all other schemes. We catch a glimpse of Allah's wisdom at work when Musa (AS) is separated from his mother as a vulnerable baby, yet he is promised to be returned to her, and indeed, he is. This small victory serves as a prelude to the greater victory to come, symbolising Allah's ability to restore the displaced, disenfranchised, and oppressed to their rightful positions of freedom and power.

In the same Surah, Allah assures the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) of a similar promise (28:85)- just as he was driven out of Makkah, Allah will return him to it. 'Most certainly, the One Who has ordained the Quran for you will ˹ultimately˺ bring you back home ˹to Mecca'.  It is crucial to remember that, despite the atrocities and savagery unfolding around us, we must not lose sight of the bigger picture and the ultimate victory that Allah will grant to the believers. His divine wisdom unfolds each day, leading us towards a manifest victory that will be clear before our eyes.

During times of crisis, it is this hope and trust in Allah's plan that sustains us. Let us hold onto the assurance that no matter how dire the situation may seem, Allah's wisdom and ultimate victory will prevail. May we find solace and strength in this truth.

JazakAllah for citing this important verse in this context. Indeed the future belongs to those who are mindful of God.(11:49)

The concept of home and its importance to us is emphasized throughout the Quran. 

In Quran 16:80, Allah tells us: 'And Allah has made your homes a place to rest...'. Our homes and our sense of home, whether they are the dwellings we live in or the lands and people we identify with by culture or heritage, are important to us. Home is intended to be the place of rest, comfort, stability, familiarity and when we are away from home or need to leave home, we feel uncomfortable, we feel homesick, and we miss 'home'. This is especially if it's under difficult and oppressive circumstances as described in Quran 22:40: ˹They are˺ those who have been expelled from their homes for no reason other than proclaiming: 'Our Lord is Allah.'
 
God, in His Infinite Mercy,  recognizes these emotions of longing for home and in the Quran 28:85, He acknowledges the Prophet's (peace be upon him) longing for his home, Mecca, and promises him, that he will return: 'Most certainly, the One Who has ordained the Quran for you will ˹ultimately˺ bring you back home ˹to Mecca˺'.

Now think of how much we appreciate our homes here, knowing that our time here is temporary, God describes heaven in the Quran as 'the home of peace' (6:127) and the home of the 'mutaqeen' (those who are mindful of God) (16:30). That is our real, ultimate and eternal home in sha Allah in heaven. That is where our father Adam, peace be upon him, was created and that is where we hope to return home to. 

And perhaps that's why, even  if we are incredibly privileged to live in our homes in peace and safety, when there are millions who are struggling for this basic right and whom we pray will find peace, safety and be showered with God's mercy, we ultimately crave and long for a greater, more eternal home. A home of peace, where there is no fear, sadness,  separation, expulsion, or oppression. May we be among the inhabitants of the home of peace eternally.

#reflectingincrisis

Masha'Allah, a very beautiful and touching reflection that compares the solace found in our homes with the peace and deep longing for a home in the hereafter. I've also just shared some other relevant thoughts using some other verses that mention the eternal home in the hereafter:
https://quranreflect.com/posts/20653


Jazakallahu khair for sharing this.

When you need to let go of or can't be near the people or places you love, remember you will return to Al Wadood, The Source of Love.

In a class I completed Alhamdullilah with Ustatha Samia Mubarak from Quranic Ocean, we learned about letting go for God, just as the mother of Musa had to let go of Him in order to save him as an infant and as Prophet Muhammad had to let go of his beloved city Mecca.  Yet in both cases, God promised to return what they let go of.  He returned Musa to his mother and he enabled the Prophet to return to Mecca.

In these verses we see how when we miss or need to let go of people we love for God (like Musa's mother and Musa) or places we love (like Mecca for the prophet Muhammad), God can return them to you and have you return to them.

And in the final verse, were reminded, ultimately, when we can't be near or return to people and places we love now because everything perishes except God, we will  return to Him, The Source of Love.  

And that is a comfort for our hearts and a source of joy for us as the surah describes these concepts of strengthening the heart and coolness for our eyes in verse 9 and 10. 

May we always draw nearer to The Ultimate Source of Love.

#juz20
#day20

Subhan'Allah, what a beautiful reflection!

I imagine the Prophet (SAW) receiving these verses and I imagine how hearing the story of Musa and Musa AS's confidence and strength in standing before Firawn (a terrifying feat) must've been so comforting to the nabi SAW. I can imagine the sense of comradery to know this is his companion in prophethood who struggled too. Some scholars attribute verse 85 as a promise to the Prophet SAW during hijra that he would return to Mecca.

pray for me I am losing my steadfastness in my faith depression losing control over worldy affairs and religion pray that Allah guides me pls I may be of those who are a hypocrite and blinded by the truth by Allah it may be my only hope if you pray for me

An interesting similarity between how the Surah starts and ends. It starts with the story of Moses, where Allah swt promises in verse 7 to return him to his mother, and later after killing the soldier, Moses promises Allah that by the virtue of the blessings he gave him, he wont be an assailant to the criminals. Moses then proceeds to leave Egypt, his home, out of fear for his life.

The surah ends by Allah swt promising the Prophet Mohammad SAW that he will return to his land, Mecca , after having left it for the same reason Moses left egypt, for the threat against his life.  That was the same way he promised the mother of Moses earlier in the surah he will be returned to her, and interestingly  the same verbal noun راد is used in both instances. In addition,   Allah reminds the Prophet saw of the blessing of the Quran and warns him against being an assailant to the disbelivers, as Moses did earlier in the story.

The way the story lessons as summed up for the prophets Mohammad saw at the end is truly amazing.

And lets not forget the promise in the old testament , Deuteonomy 18:18,  that God will send a Prophet who will be like Moses AS.

Reflections: Al-Qasas 28:85