صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا الضَّالِّينَ (7)
طريق الذين أنعمت عليهم من النبيين والصدِّيقين والشهداء والصالحين, فهم أهل الهداية والاستقامة, ولا تجعلنا ممن سلك طريق المغضوب عليهم, الذين عرفوا الحق ولم يعملوا به, وهم اليهود, ومن كان على شاكلتهم, والضالين, وهم الذين لم يهتدوا, فضلوا الطريق, وهم النصارى, ومن اتبع سنتهم. وفي هذا الدعاء شفاء لقلب المسلم من مرض الجحود والجهل والضلال, ودلالة على أن أعظم نعمة على الإطلاق هي نعمة الإسلام, فمن كان أعرف للحق وأتبع له, كان أولى بالصراط المستقيم, ولا ريب أن أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم هم أولى الناس بذلك بعد الأنبياء عليهم السلام, فدلت الآية على فضلهم, وعظيم منزلتهم, رضي الله عنهم. ويستحب للقارئ أن يقول في الصلاة بعد قراءة الفاتحة: (آمين), ومعناها: اللهم استجب, وليست آية من سورة الفاتحة باتفاق العلماء; ولهذا أجمعوا على عدم كتابتها في المصاحف.

الذي لفت انتباهي في الآيتين: 'اهدنا الصراط المستقيم' و 'غير المغضوب عليهم ولا الضالين' هو أن الآية الأخيرة تدل على أن طرق الضلال كثيرة ومتنوعة، بينما الطريق المستقيم هو طريق واحد ومعلوم. وفي هذا التدبر، تذكرت كثرة الشبهات والتضليل الذي يُلقى على ما ورد في الدين من أوامر، لتُضاف إلى طرق الضلال وتلائم أهواءنا. لكن الإنسان في الحقيقة بفطرته يميز بين ما هو مضلل وما هو صحيح، وهو على نفسه بصير. فهل يختار ما تشتهي نفسه ويُبدي أعذاراً ليفعل ما يشتهيه قلبه؟ أم يختار ما أراد الله له أن يفعل؟ وهنا فعلاً يختبر الإنسان إيمانه وصدقه مع نفسه.

يجب ألّا ننسى أن الجنة غالية، وفعلاً كما قال ابن القيم: 'لا تغتر بكثرة الهالكين ولا تستوحش بقلة السالكين.

مرحباً بك في منصتنا! سعداء جداً بانضمامك إلينا، وتدبرك الأول مميز حقاً. لقد لامس نقاطاً عميقة ومهمة حول الآيتين الكريمتين، وذكَّرنا بأهمية السير على الطريق المستقيم رغم كثرة الشبهات وطرق الضلال. أسلوبك في الطرح والتأمل رائع، ونشجعك على الاستمرار في مشاركة هذه التدبرات التي تحفزنا جميعاً على التفكير والتدبر في كلام الله. نسأل الله أن يثبتك على الحق ويزيدك علماً وبصيرة. جزاك الله خيراً، ونتطلع إلى المزيد من تدبراتك القيمة.












When I was younger, this verse was explained to me in a very simple way. It was translated as: “not of those who incurred Your anger i.e the Jews nor of those who went astray i.e the Christians.” At that age, the verse felt like it was speaking about other people, other communities, other histories.

But as I grew older and returned to the verse again and again, I realized that the verse was not pointing outward nearly as much as it was pointing inward.

The more deeply I sat with “not of those who incurred anger nor of those who went astray,” the more it felt like a mirror held up to the soul. It was not simply describing groups of people in history. It was describing states of the human heart, states that exist within every one of us.

There is a part of the nafs that knows the truth but resists it. The part that clings to pride, that quietly justifies its own desires, that hears guidance yet finds reasons to delay obedience. This is the arrogance that leads to anger.

And there is another part of the nafs that drifts. The part that wants goodness but does not struggle enough to seek the truth properly. The part that follows habit, culture or convenience instead of knowledge. This is the laziness that leads to misguidance. Between these two states, the human heart moves constantly.

Suddenly the verse becomes deeply personal.
Each time we recite this verse, the question is no longer about others. The question is about ourselves.

When we say these words in our Salah, are we quietly thinking of someone else as an example? Or are we allowing the verse to confront our own soul?

Have we truly laid down our arrogance and accepted every word from our Lord even when it challenges our comfort, our desires, our assumptions?
And on the other side: have we truly spent our lives seeking the truth?

Faith is not only a statement that we pronounce once. It is a journey that requires constant seeking, constant humility, constant returning.

This is why this verse is recited over and over again, every day, every prayer. Because guidance is not something we obtain once and then possess forever. The heart can drift. Pride can grow quietly. Laziness can creep into the search for truth.

And so we return to this prayer again and again.

"Guide us to the path… not the path of arrogance and not the path of heedless wandering."

What amazes me most is that I have recited these words my entire life, yet every time I pause and reflect on them, something new opens. A deeper meaning reveals itself as if the words contain layers that unfold slowly with time.

The more honestly we confront ourselves, the more the verse begins to speak. And the more it speaks, the more we realize how desperately we need the guidance we are asking for.

Perhaps this is part of the miracle of the Qur’an, that a single verse can accompany a person for an entire lifetime and yet never become exhausted.
Every time we return to it sincerely, it returns to us with something new.

Do not make wrong translation of Aya 7. 
What are you saying that's not what Allah 
saying in this Aya so correct yourself? 

In order to avoid earning divine anger or going astray, it is vital to seek knowledge first about the ones who earned the anger of Allah and those who went astray because this cannot be done without knowing:

 what earns the wrath of Allah, 
who earned it in the past?
What were their traits, qualities, attributes, deeds and actions that we need to avoid? 
What were their personality, mindset, thought process, intentions and desires like?

It requires a deep dive into history through the lens of the Quran in order to study people of the past that angered Allah, like the Children of Israel and Nasara, Firon, People of Aad and Thamud etc. 

It's only after knowing them that we can avoid them and their likes. 

And there are many such examples laid out in the Quran about 'what not to do' and sometimes it is more important to know what not to do than to know what to do. 

Don't be arrogant
don't be selfish 
don't be self-deluding and boastful.

One can derive what to do through opposites.

Be humble, 
Be giving and sacrificing,
Be realistic and grateful.

May Allah make us amongst those whom He loves and not of those who anger Him. Ameen.

Surat Al Fatiha unlocks the keys to understanding the Quran’s main messages. It is known in various hadiths as the ‘Mother of the Quran’, the ‘healer’, the ‘7 oft repeated verses’, the ‘greatest surah in the Quran’ and a ‘light’. It is a form of prayer (supplication) to Allah where we ask and we are answered by His Grace. 

Surat Al-Fatiha establishes our relationship with Allah and outlines the three main components of love, hope, and fear or reverence.  Allah knows the nature of the human being - that we are primarily motivated by fear of pain and pursuit of pleasure. However beyond those two primary motivators is the original and highest motive which is love. 'All praise to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds' establishes our relationship first and foremost based on love with Allah (SwT). Allah comes from ‘illah’ - which means 'The One worshiped, The refuge, The One loved with an intense love, and The One that minds cannot fully comprehend' (cited from Dr. Jinan Yousef’s class on Names of Allah). We are reminded of the importance of gratitude to Allah and that one of the reasons that we are increased in blessings is gratitude: '... ‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more…' (Quran 14:7). We are also told about the significance of gratitude in the hadith : 'Verily, the best servants of Allah on the Day of Resurrection are those who constantly praised Him.' (Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr lil-Ṭabarānī 18/124) and  'The best remembrance is to declare there is no God but Allah. The best supplication is to declare all praise is due to Allah.' (Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3383).

Next we are introduced to Allah as 'Rab' - which according to an article by Dr. Zainab Alwani, means the ‘Sustainer, Cherisher of the worlds, and caretaker’ connected to tarbiyya which means to 'to raise and nourish at every stage until the goal is attained.' Allah is The Caretaker, Sustainer and Nourisher of our hearts, bodies, minds and souls. How could we not love Allah (SwT)? 

Next we are introduced to the concept of hope in Allah (SwT) through His attributes Arrahman, Arraheem (The Most Merciful, The Most Compassionate).  Allah’s mercy surrounds us in every single aspect of our existence, from the time we are protected in layer upon layer in three veils of darkness as fetuses as explained in 39:6, to the time we live on earth with the sky raised over us without pillars with His permission as explained in 22:55, to how Allah sent us the Prophet (peace be upon him) as a form of mercy to the worlds (21:107), to how the Quran continues to be there for us as a mercy (31:1-3).  His mercy is all encompassing (7:156) and beyond the mercy of a mother with her own child.

Then, after the introduction of the relationship with Allah based on love and mercy, we are reminded of Allah as 'The Master of The Day of Judgement' and of our return to Him on that day.  We are reminded to be cautious of having committed oppression towards ourselves or towards others. This should not be a debilitating fear but a type of awareness and accountability that justice will be served that day and there will be no oppression.  Understanding that Allah is the ‘Malik' - Ruler and Owner of that day and all that lies in the heavens and the earth awakens us to the reality that we do not own anything. Understanding that we do not own anything also enables us to have immense gratitude for these blessings and liberates us from becoming too attached to them, so we recognize that if the blessing is taken away or removed, we do not feel alone or are in despair because we recognize Allah is enough for us, that to Him we belong, and to Him we will return. 

We do not even own our own bodies, minds, hearts and souls - they are gifts entrusted to us for a time and they will be returned to their Creator and Owner.  This pushes us to ponder on how we want to use and return this trust we were given for a time - how do we want to use and treat the blessing of our bodies, hearts, minds and souls?  How will we nourish them, and in which way will we use them ? 

We are told in a hadith:

'The son of Adam will not pass away from Allah until he is asked about five things: 

How he lived his life
How he utilized his youth
With what means did he earn his wealth
How did he spend his wealth
What did he do with his knowledge.' (Tirmidhi)

So let us ask ourselves how do we want our return to Allah to be? How do we want to be able to answer these questions?

Next, if we understand that Allah is The One whom we love most, The Ultimate Refuge, Our Caretaker and Sustainer (Rabb), The All-Merciful (Arrahman), The All-Compassionate (Arraheem), The Owner and Master of the Day of Judgement (Al-Malik) and temper our over-attachments to fleeting temporary pleasures, we can truly embody 'You alone do we worship, You alone do we seek help' because He is The Only One worthy of worship, The One we will return to, and The One who can ultimately help us. 

This verse brings together two of the most important matters of the heart which are sincerity in ‘You alone do we worship’ and tawakul (reliance on Allah) in ‘You alone do we seek help’. Sincerity is connected to the truth of understanding we will return to Allah, and that our intentions are for His sake and ultimate help comes from Him.  Muslim psychologist, Dr. Marwa Assar, explains having sincerity allows us to declutter mentally, emotionally, and internally from many attachments which can create inner conflict and attachment to outcomes that are beyond our control. When our intentions are for the sake of Allah, we trust in the outcomes that Allah holds for us. This verse, coming in the plural form, also reminds us of the importance of belonging to a community and supporting one another in worship and seeking help from Allah.

Finally, we arrive at the dua we make - 17 times a day, and the dua is for guidance, which is greater than any other blessing because guidance gives us direction, clarity, purpose, knowledge about God, nearness to Him and in sha Allah success in this world and in the next. Guidance protects us when we are bombarded with messages about who we should be and what we should be doing from society. We ask for guidance, once again as a collective, in plural form, emphasizing the importance of community to support us with guidance to stay on the straight path.  Staying on the straight path entails istiqamah - consistency and steadfastness and anything of value requires consistency. The prophet (peace be upon him said): 'The most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are most consistent, even if it is small.' (Bukhari). Dr. Assar shares that Istiqamah requires showing up and dedicating ourselves to the path of guidance we have chosen, even when we don’t ‘feel’ like it. Just like we go to school, work, or commit to anything even when we don’t ‘feel’ like it, committing to a path of faith and devotion to God cannot be dependent only on when we ‘feel’ like it or experience instant gratification because emotions are states which will fluctuate. Our submission to Allah helps us to stay the course and reminds us that we do not surrender to anything, including our feelings, or anyone but Him. 

Finally we are reminded about the importance of having a good support system through friendships and a community which supports our journey to Allah when we are told ‘the path of those whom you have blessed’. May we be of them. May Surat Al-Fatiha open our hearts to the beauty of the Quran, the beauty of faith, and the beauty of continuing to seek closeness to Allah.

#alfatiha
#Divinebookclub
#mercy
#guidance

Hammad Fahim  i agree they did a rrly wonderful job

It's never been so important to be particularly requesting guidance AWAY from the path of those both earning His displeasure and those who go astray.  Those are two separate categories of disbelief that, in surah Fatihah, we are imploring protection from. The first, displeasure of Allah,  is sort of a textbook understanding of what it means to be a disbeliever. In this category, we're actively sinning and calling people to sin, especially major sins. 

The second category -- going astray -- is much easier to slip into. This is more the problem of improper or inaccurate beliefs and twisted, halved, or stretched truths. The seeping of external cultural and ideological trends into our hearts and mindsets falls into this category. Part of maintaining the purity of our faith is to ensure that we question the beliefs and assumptions we take on from the world around us. One of the tricks of shaytaan is to slip little pieces of an ideology that is not 100% consistent with Islam into our hearts.  Staunch individualism is one such ideology that plagues the hearts of believers, often without our own realization, today. Countless others are, perhaps, consistent with some -- but never all  -- of our Islamic values. 

Despite our best and purest efforts, we would not succeed in avoiding straying in little ways from the Path without the mercy of Allah. Thus, we plead with Allah for His guidance and specifically to avoid going astray every day, multiple times a day, in Surah Fatiha. May Allah guide us and never let us be misguided, Ameen.
#guidance #fatiha #astray #belief #disbelief #eman

This verse from Surah Al-Fatihah is a profound reminder of the straight path we ask Allah to guide us to—one filled with His blessings and free from His displeasure or misguidance. It encapsulates the essence of our daily prayers, emphasizing the need for divine guidance to stay on the righteous path. May Allah keep us steadfast and among those He has blessed.

I also encourage the recitation of Dua Manzil daily. It is a powerful compilation of Quranic verses for protection and guidance, helping to safeguard against harm and spiritual afflictions. Regular recitation can enhance your connection with Allah and reinforce your spiritual shield.

May Allah guide us all to the straight path and grant us His blessings. Ameen visit https://surahyaseeenpdf.com/manzil-dua-read-and-listen-manzil-dua/ 

Tracing My Way Through Prayer
Notes from the Way In…

A few moments I found myself holding onto—small points along the way, maybe, for anyone else still finding their first steps on it.

There seems to be a gentle way of entering prayer—not through effort or urgency, not through trying to feel everything at once, but through something quieter, almost like learning how to arrive.

It begins even before standing. 
In the stillness of wuḍū’, where water moves over the skin and, somewhere unseen, something else begins to loosen and fall away. 
Nothing dramatic—just a faint sense of being prepared.

Then a small pause, almost unnoticeable, before Allāhu Akbar. 
Not a break in time, but a subtle stepping away—
from the noise, from whatever was just holding the heart. 
And the words pass, carrying a meaning that may not be fully felt, but is there: something greater has been placed before everything else.

Al-Fātiḥah unfolds slowly, like a conversation remembered rather than recited. 
Each line touching lightly. 
Praise, then mercy, then that distant day that doesn’t feel so distant for a moment. And إياك نعبد—not perfect, not complete—
 said with whatever sincerity happens to be there.

The body bends in rukūʿ, and the words follow: Rabbī. 
A quiet word, but it lingers. Not just “Lord,” but something closer, more personal, even if it still feels a little far.

Then the descent into sujūd, where everything lowers, 
and yet something inside seems to draw nearer. 
Time stretches there, even if only by a second. 
It becomes quieter there—almost as if just being there is enough.

Between the two sujūd, a pause appears. 
A small, almost hidden space where the heart sits in its need. 
Rabbi ighfir lī. Not loudly, not forcefully—
just as a request that has always been there.

And then a return. Not repetition, but return—
as if closeness is something that doesn’t end, only fades and comes back again.

When the prayer closes, the world doesn’t rush back immediately. 
There is a moment where things remain quiet, 
as if something is still settling into place.

Nothing outward seems to have changed. 
And yet, somewhere within, something feels slightly different—
softly, almost unnoticed.

And perhaps that is how one begins to enter the prayer… 
not all at once, not in a moment of intensity, 
but in these small, quiet movements—
where meaning comes and goes, 
and then comes back again, 
a little closer each time.

 #الصلاة  #الخشوع #تدبر #سكينة    الله #Prayer   #Salah   #FaithJourney   #StillLearning   #OnTheWayIn  

Shahid Rao Wa iyyāk—your words are received with gratitude.
Sometimes the gentlest reminders are the ones that stay the longest. May we all be among those who are reminded and return.

The Beginning That Contains Everything

Entering Surah الفاتحة (al-Fātiḥah — The Opening)

There is something almost disarming about beginnings.
They rarely announce their weight.
They don’t tell you, this is where everything starts.

And yet, when I first began reading the Qur’an,
it was not its length that unsettled me —
but its opening.

Surah الفاتحة *(al-Fātiḥah) did not feel like an introduction.
It felt… complete.
Like stepping into a room where every object is already in place —
but you don’t yet understand how they are connected.

Only later did I come across the words of
الحسن البصري (al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī — 642–728 CE, early master of spiritual wisdom and ascetic thought):
“Allah placed the knowledge of all previous books in the Qur’an,
and the knowledge of the Qur’an in the مفصل (al-mufaṣṣal — shorter surahs),
and the knowledge of the مفصل in الفاتحة (al-Fātiḥah).”

It reads like a compression of something vast —
as if an entire library had been folded into a single page.
And somehow, that is exactly how it feels.

-A Surah That Does Not Introduce — But Contains-
The names the scholars gave it are not decorative.
They are architectural.
- أمّ القرآن *(Umm al-Qur’ān — Mother of the Qur’an)
- أمّ الكتاب *(Umm al-Kitāb — Mother of the Book)
-الأساس *(al-Asās — the Foundation)

A mother does not simply begin life —
she contains it.
A foundation does not decorate a structure —
it holds it.

-Everything, Before It Expands-
الزمخشري (az-Zamakhsharī — 1075–1144 CE, master of Arabic rhetoric and linguistic precision in tafsīr)** observed that all the major themes of the Qur’an are already present here:
- praise
-worship
-command
- warning

At first, this feels like a claim you are meant to accept.
But then you read more slowly.
And the surah begins to feel less like a sequence of verses —
and more like a carefully arranged composition.

﴿ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴾
*(Al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabb al-ʿālamīn — All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds)*
→ **الفاتحة 1:2**
It begins not with you —
but with orientation.

﴿ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴾
*(Ar-Raḥmān ar-Raḥīm — The Most Merciful, The Most Compassionate)*
→ **1:3**
Before you are asked to do anything —
you are placed inside mercy.

﴿ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ﴾
*(Māliki yawm ad-dīn — Master of the Day of Judgment)*
→ **1:4**
And just as quietly —
you are reminded that everything returns.

It feels almost like walking through a corridor
where each door opens into a larger understanding —
but you don’t yet see the whole building.

-Learning How to Speak-
Then comes the turning point.
Not loud — but decisive.

﴿ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴾
*(Iyyāka naʿbudu wa iyyāka nastaʿīn — You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help)*
→ **1:5**

Up until here, everything has been described.
Now, suddenly, you are speaking.
It is as if the surah has been quietly teaching you *how* to speak
before allowing you to speak at all.

And only then comes the request:
﴿ اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ﴾
*(Ihdinā aṣ-ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm — Guide us to the straight path)*
→ **1:6**

At first, it felt simple.
Now, it feels inevitable.
Because guidance is no longer just something you want.
It becomes something you realize you cannot move without.

-A Map Drawn in a Single Line-
And then, almost at the very end,
the path is not described —
it is *divided*.

﴿ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ ﴾
*(The path of those You have blessed)*
﴿ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ ﴾
*(Not those who earned anger, nor those who went astray)*
→ **1:7**

Three directions.
One chosen.
Two avoided.
It is not a detailed map.
It is something more subtle.
Like being told:
You will recognize the path not only by where it leads —
but by what it is not.

-Everything, Folded Into the Beginning-
فخر الدين الرازي (Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī — theologian and philosopher known for his deeply analytical tafsīr)** wrote that the entire Qur’an revolves around:
-knowing Allah
-understanding the Hereafter
-recognizing revelation
- accepting divine decree

And all of them… are already present here.

الطيبي (al-Ṭībī — 14th century scholar of rhetoric and interpretive structure) described it as containing:
-belief
- practice
-inner transformation
-human history

الغزالي (al-Ghazālī — 1058–1111 CE, master of spirituality and inner sciences) went even further:
"The Qur’an is a journey.
And this surah contains its beginning, its path, and its end."

And suddenly, al-Fātiḥah no longer feels short.
It feels… compressed.
Like something carefully folded —
not to hide it,
but to make it possible to carry.

-Where the Door Opens-
When I first read Surah الفاتحة *(al-Fātiḥah),
I thought I was starting something.
But now, returning to it,
it feels less like a beginning —
and more like a threshold.
Because once you say:
﴿ اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ﴾
(Guide us to the straight path)
you are no longer standing still.

You are, whether you realize it or not,
already stepping forward.
And what comes next…
does not feel like the next chapter.

It feels like an answer.

#الفاتحة   #تدبر_القرآن  #تأملات_قرآنية    #معاني_القرآن
#QuranJourney   #QuranInsights   #DivineGuidance  

Irage Marjan JazakAllah khayr for your thoughtful and sincere words — I truly felt the depth of what you shared about Surah Al-Fatiha, especially the idea that everything which follows in the Qur’an unfolds from it. That perspective really stayed with me.

I also wanted to share, gently, that I’m at the very beginning of my Islamic journey — a new convert, just trying to read, learn, and reflect as honestly as I can. So when you say my reflection feels deep, it humbles me… because in reality, I am only taking first steps.

That’s why exchanges like this feel so important to me. Your reflection didn’t just respond to mine — it expanded it. It reminded me that understanding the Qur’an is something we grow into together, through sharing, listening, and reflecting side by side.

May Allah bless you for sharing your insight, increase us both in understanding, and keep our hearts close to His words!

For a long time, my relationship with the Qur’an felt distant. I moved through its Arabic carefully, sometimes hesitantly, focused on getting the sounds right but not knwong the meaning. Even when I tried to build a rhythm to it and gain familiarity, there was not real connection. Without understanding, there could be no real reflection; without reflection, the words remained outside of me.

It was only later that I developed a yearning to understand His words, to sit with them, to let them shape how I think, how I live, how I respond to the world. I find myself now desperately wishing I had come to this earlier, wishing I had known His words in the way they were revealed, in their depth and clarity.

Surat al-Fatihah now feels less like something I recite, and more like something I ask. Guide us to the straight path. It is a plea that sits at the centre of everything. Because without that guidance, how can welive? How can we know what is right, or recognise when we have gone astray? And then Surat al-Baqarah responds: This is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guidance for those mindful of God.

The connection between the two surahs is so powerful. In one we ask for guidance, and the other reveals the answer: the Quran is the guidance we seek. They form the question and the answer, the plea and the provision. Guidance is given, but not everyone receives it in the same way. Some turn towards it with sincerity; others turn away, or worse, convince themselves they believe when they do not. 

What stays with me most in this section is the emphasis on the heart. A heart that recognises truth, or a heart that becomes hardened. A heart that turns back in repentance, like Adam (AS), or one that persists in denial. It reminds me that guidance is not just something we receive once; it is something we must keep asking for, again and again, protecting it in our hearts, and returning to the source of guidance. 

So I find myself returning again and again to Al-Fatihah, not just at the beginning of prayer, but at the beginning of every dua. Beginning with praise. Beginning with humility. Beginning with the recognition that I cannot find my way without Him. O Allah, Al-Hadi, Guide us to the straight path.

#QuranInAYear  #DivineBookClub  #week1  

Ola Giwa May Allah bless you and continue to open up His book to you. 

{ A man asked the Prophet ﷺ about the Hour, saying, "When will the Hour be?" 
The Prophet ﷺ said, "What have you prepared for it?"
 The man said, "Nothing, except that I love Allah and His Apostle." 
The Prophet ﷺ said, "You will be with those whom you love." } (Sahih Al-Bukhari, 3688)

The people can be spread throughout the land, but we find ourselves gathering nonetheless. There are the more apparent points that we gather through, such as looks and the country of birth. Then there are the deeper senses of belonging that come from the heart, one that yearns to be with those who align with the standards or morals you strive for and those who act in ways you look up to. On a surface level, these associations can tell you so much about a person—it's no secret that data is considered gold in this day and age for a business. On a deeper level though, it's also why when you associate with the right people, they can help bring out the best in you—of course you're going to go out of your way to take advice from a professional swimmer on swimming if you're interested in learning; you're not going to go look up the different names of professional cooks in an attempt to get swimming advice from them.

In this, we can catch a glimpse of how it is we'll be gathered on the Day of Judgement simply by looking to who we'd love to be with and the people we assume the best of. And so we say that, regardless of how we spread through the land, we should look to who we strive to gather with. Regardless of the country you were born in, upon gender, race, age, wealth or status, you'll ultimately find yourself gathering with those who take similar paths as you and diverging away from those who don't, even if it may not seem like that at times, and so to say that we'll be gathered together one day is to remember to take responsibility for the paths we walk.

#RamadanChallenge   