We often get into situations which are overwhelming such as losing a job, being diagnosed with a serious illness or struggling to pay debt etc. Now, all of us react differently to such situations. One's initial reaction maybe 'oh no, what am I going to do now', 'why has this happened to me?!'. It, then, seems like there is no way out with a lot of anxiety. However, we may make the situation worst by such reactions. On the other hand, there are some of us who may react to such situations calmly. It'll be interesting to investigate the strategies used for those people who have control of their emotions.

Even so, during these moments of anxiety, we tend to feel better when a family member or a friend is reassuring with comments such as: 'don't worry, I have got your back' or 'we're in this together'. May الله عزوجل  bless us with supportive family and friends. Although, these phrases give you temporary relief, deep inside you know that you may have to deal with this situation on your own. This is because support may not be feasible to go beyond kind words. 

Let's look at this situation again, but this time with the consideration that 'الله عزوجل  has got you'. Accept whatever situation you are in as a decree of الله عزوجل. Have a glass of water, a cup of tea/coffee and analyse your situation and think if you really have 'anyone' beside الله عزوجل who can bring you out of this situation? There is literally no one! Now, let's read the words of الله عزوجل to put our minds and hearts at ease.

Indeed, with every hardship is ease.' (94:6)

Perhaps you hate something and it’s good for you, and perhaps you love something and it’s bad for you. Allah knows, while you don’t know.' (2:216)

No doubt, in the remembrance of Allah hearts find comfort.' (13:28).

Whenever My servants ask about Me, indeed, I am near. I respond to the call of the supplicant whenever he calls upon Me.' (2:186)

Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home.' (13:24)

The dua of our beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH: O الله, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for a blink of an eye. Correct all of my affairs for me. There is none worthy of worship except You.

Beautifully shared 🧡 jazakallah khair 

Have you ever felt hurt or offended when someone you care about has seemingly forgotten about you? Perhaps you didn't get a reply to a phone call or a text and you feel hurt or sad. 

I read something the other day that made me reflect on this ayah in a new light: 

'Remember me; I will remember you'

This ayah also reminded me of the words in Hadith Qudsi: 'If you come to me walking, I will come to you running.'

Human beings will never be capable of immediately remembering us when we remember them. And sometimes they will forget us altogether. 

Even if the whole world forgets you and no human replies when you call out to them -

Know that Lord of the Heavens and the Earth will always remember you when you remember Him. If you go to Him walking, He will come to you at speed.

You are never alone and you have a Lord and Cherisher who sees you, hears you, and knows your heart, body, and mind better than you know your own self.

Make their forgetfulness of you remind you of Him, and thereby transform that hurt into healing and turn that pain into peace. 'Surely in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find comfort'

May all those who are hurting because they feel forgotten have their hearts healed through the remembrance of Allah. Ameen. 

(This reflection was inspired by a post that referenced the work of Ust.Taimiyyah Zubair)

kendimi yalnız hissettiğim.. etrafımda allahı ahireti anan çok insan olmaması.... beni duymamaları, uyarmamaları hakkında düşünüyor ve dua ediyorum.... ve sonra subhanallah karşıma b u yazı çıktı..... 

'Bütün dünya seni unutsa ve sen onlara seslendiğinde hiçbir insan karşılık vermese bile -
Bil ki, göklerin ve yerin Rabbi, sen O'nu andığında seni her zaman anacaktır. Eğer sen O'na yürüyerek gidersen, O sana hızla gelir.
Hiçbir zaman yalnız değilsiniz ve sizi gören, duyan, kalbinizi, bedeninizi ve zihninizi sizden daha iyi bilen bir Rabbiniz ve Koruyucunuz var.' 


böyle anlarda anasının kucağında sarılıp ağlayan bir bebek gibi rabbime sarılmak istiyorum... allah mekandan ve zamandan münezzeh biliyorum... ama bu his beni benden alıyor.... kavuşmak istiyor ama kavuşamıyor gibiyim... dünya ayaklarıma takılmış beni bırakmıyor gibi.... 

kendini böyle yalnız hisseden nice kardeşlerimize rabbim sakinlik ve huzur versin... 

allah sizden razı olsun ve sizi hayırla mükafatlandırsın.... 
efendimize komşu olmanızı nasip eylesin....


Ibn Al Qayim says:

'Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him. And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness.'

I witnessed this in action today subhanallah when I was a part of a Quran Tafseer class Alhamdullilah with sisters from around the world with Ustatha Samia Mubarak Samia Mubarak.  As she explained the Quran is a source of light and guidance and the beauty of connecting with Allah's words, I saw the question come up again and again as sisters were moved to tears:

'How do we stay close to the light of the Quran ? How do we stay close to Allah ?'

I sensed this deep thirst, longing and craving to seek closeness to God and it reminded me of the quote for Ibn Al Qayim. We can bring that longing and thirst for wholeness, happiness and love to Him by reflecting on His words. 

In Surat Al Ra'ad verse 28, we are reminded it is in the remembrance of Allah that the hearts find rest and we are repeatedly reminded in Surat Al Qamar that Allah has made the Quran to remember, but are we mindful ? 

The Quran is for all of us Alhamdullilah. Me and you. Young and old and regardless of where we're at in our faith journey.  Allah's words can meet us where we're at when we open our hearts to them and can inspire hope, healing, and joy in Sha Allah.

May Allah Make the Quran the spring of our hearts  and  the banisher of all our sadnesses! Aameen 

For the past few days, alhamdulillah, I've been experiencing a greater level of peace inside me. The peace that I'm referring to is felt at a bodily level, first of all, but I also feel it at a psychological level, and I also feel it silently in my heart.


So, this feeling of peace recently reminded me of the Quranic verses on 'sakinah,' which is a special type of peace that Allah sends down upon some of the believers out of His mercy, as He wills. Allah says:


‎هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوٓا۟ إِيمَٰنًا مَّعَ إِيمَٰنِهِمْ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا


'It is He Who sent down serenity upon the hearts of the believers so that they may increase even more in their faith. To Allah alone belong the forces of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.' (48:4)


However, the sakinah (peace) oftentimes comes after going through a period of stress, difficulty, or some kind of a disturbance in one's life, like the way that the believers experienced such a peace in the midst of trials and battles.


And that tells you that this is something that is coming from Allah the Most High, who is, indeed, the source of all peace.


Another point is that Allah uses the word 'anzala,' which means to send down or reveal something (like the verses of the Quran), to denote the sending down of the peace upon the believers. This word further strengthens the idea that the peace or sakinah is something special and it is coming down from Allah SWT.


What's more beautiful is that Allah says that the peace that He gives to the believers increases them in faith, in addition to the faith that they already have. And this again highlights the unique and special quality of such a peace that He grants to some of His servants.


In my opinion, I think that the peace also gives you more resilience and inner strength, because if the peace increases you in faith, then that also means that your sincerity with Allah increases, and when your sincerity with Allah increases, you are less disturbed by the negative judgements and criticisms of others who don't know you too well.


I think that the peace (sakinah) also inspires you to be more compassionate and gentle with others, in addition to the toughness that I mentioned above. It clothes you with good manners and people who are close to you might also get positively influenced just by the peace that you carry on the inside.


Even the way that you walk might be different, because the peace that Allah has put into your heart will outwardly project itself in your movements and the way that you interact with others. As Allah says in another verse:


‎وَعِبَادُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ ٱلْجَٰهِلُونَ قَالُوا۟ سَلَٰمًا


'And the Servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk gently upon the earth, and when the ignorant ones address them, they say: Peace.' (25:63)


The sakinah may also manifest within you by leaving a nice and soft glow on your face, even if you have a dark skin, because the light from Allah SWT can brighten up anything and anyone.


I feel that the sakinah that I've been feeling also gives me a more positive and optimistic thinking about my life; it's been giving me better thoughts about my future and also about the things that happened to me in the past. It brings more contentment into one's heart about all his affairs.


And such sakinah, however, is not the type of peace that an ascetic or a Buddhist monk can try to get by isolating themselves in a cave and meditating, because that has nothing to do with increasing their faith.


It's also not a peace that someone can get by becoming a king or living in a palace. That is why Imam Junaid al-Baghdadi said, 'We had such experiences of pleasure that, had the kings known about it, they would fight us with swords to try to get it from us.'


Rather, it is a peace that is granted only to the true believers and from and by Allah alone. And it is only in the remembrance of Allah that hearts find peace, as Allah says:


‎أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ


'Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.' (13:28)


The fasting, waking up early, and not getting enough sleep can be a little difficult, of course. But ultimately, this can all lead to a renewed sense of inner peace and consequently increase your faith as well, if you are always sincere and truly God-conscious, even if it's not Ramadan anymore.


#ThePeace

During cold winters and lockdowns or closures of schools, shopping centers, restaurants, and remote working arrangements, the thought of nowhere to go but home comes to mind.
 
Alhamdullilah for the blessing of our homes and the blessing of shelter.
 
This reminded me ultimately, there's nowhere to go but home with Allah. 
 
He is Our Ultimate Source of safety, comfort and peace - all aspects we look for in our homes. 
 
Home is where the heart is. And when our heart is with God, we are home. 
 
With Him, we’re sheltered from the storms of life. 
 
With Him, we’re comforted, protected and loved.
 
With Him, we’re open to receiving hope and healing. 
 
With Him, we bloom when we think we’re breaking.
 
With Him, we grow in gratitude amidst grief.
 
With Him, we live in love amidst loss. 

So flee to Him.


Amir in Mas'üd reported:
The Prophet (#b) said, 'Fasting in the winter is the
easy reward.' [Jami' at-Tirmidhi 797,]

Umar bin al-Khattab (May Alläh be pleased with him)said, 'The winter is the booty (prize) for the worshippers.'
[Hilyat al-Awliyà' 1/511]

Abu Huraira (May Alläh be pleased with him) said,
'Shall I tell you about easy spoils?' They said, 'O Abu Huraira, what are they?' Abu Huraira said, 'Fasting in the winter.'
[Hilyat al-Awliyä' 13561]

Ubayd bin Umayr (May Alläh have mercy on him) used to say when the winter came:
'O people of the Qur'an, the nights are long for your prayers and the days are short for your fasting so takeadvantage of this opportunity.'
[Ibn Abi Shaybah, Al-Musannaf 98361

The beautiful thing about this verse is that it can apply to many of us throughout our day-to-day life. Especially in a world filled with anxiety, stress, depression, sadness and many other things our minds tend to worry about nowadays. The importance of this verse, makes a great reflection where one can be mindful to remember that we are the chosen believers and one must connect their mind with their hearts. Thus, the 'hearts finding comfort' in the remembrance of Allah SWT. At that moment, we choose to slow down, we choose to have tawakkul, (trust in our Lord). As believers, we know that only He will have mercy on us to make sure we are being comforted only by Him. The reason I chose this reflection today is because I've been recently reading the book, 'Meeting Muhammad' by Omar Suleiman. However, in one of Suleiman's chapters mentions how Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) looses his son Ibrahim and describes the messenger's emotional distress caused by his death. As much as the messenger wept, I couldn't help but weep myself knowing that I had also lost my dad in 2017. If there is one thing that we all share is that not only do our hearts find the comfort in Allah SWT, but that we also respond to the mercy that Allah SWT was put in our soul. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said, 'The eyes shed tears, the heart feels sadness, but we do not say anything except that which is pleasing to Allah.' For which is pleasing to say upon remembrance, 'O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon your religion'.  Reflecting on this story and on this verse helped me find the comfort and reassurance that my heart needed during that moment and every other moment I feel the grief of my father's death.  May Allah SWT provide us all with the comfort that we need wether it be within our heart, mind and or body. #FridayReminders #Fridayduas #JummahMubarak #grief #suraharraad #duas #remembrance #reflections

جزاكم الله خيرا على.

May Allah SWT grant your father and all Muslims and Muslimat Maghfira, Rahman, and salvation.

We should all strive to love and hate only for Allah SWT sake,  being His devoted slaves, moved by His commands only. That is truely being appreciative of what immensely Allan has bestowed on us and being grateful to Him only 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

We have passed  almost over a third of Ramadan. It is going very fast.

Ramadan is showing us we can all reconnect back to Allah and despite whatever we are facing in life by remembering Allah there lies a paradise in the heart. The more we remember Allaah, the more we will become happier and find strength to handle life’s trials. Have you also noticed that our worries and anxieties have taken a backseat and worship has increased? We don’t feel alone, we know Allah is with us. The same problems and issues might be there, but they seem secondary in focus. 

Our focus should be Allah and the Hereafter for the trials are temporary and so is this world. What is to come if we hold onto Allah’s Book and His beloved Messenger’s sunnah (peace be upon him) is jannah and we will forget every pain and we will be glad we were patient and were trialed in this short and temporary world. 

There is no one who loves us more than Allah.

#Ramadan #rememberingAllah

Alhumdulillah. Jazakallah khair for sharing this true and beautiful reflection.

Bismillah,

He placed me in a world He knew would test me.
He knew I couldn’t navigate it alone. So He appointed for me
a 'therapist.'

Yet, when your therapist is Al-Wadud, Al-Rahman, Al-Azeez, Al-Lateef, Al-Khabeer,
life’s worries begin to dissolve.
And when you meet this Therapist five times a day,
worries don’t just vanish—they transform into hope, into love.

Ever since last semester began,
time has raced like wildfire.
Before I knew it, I was preparing for bed.

Deadlines piled atop my head,
'side quests' delaying my progress.
Life blurred into monotony. Was I even living?
I felt like a robot on autopilot.

Then, Subhanallah… something shifted.
By the Qudrah of Allah swt,
Salah became a meeting with myself.
A moment to reclaim the parts of me I’d been losing
in the chaos of life.

As I remembered Him, my heart calmed.
My eyes steadied.
Most importantly, I was present—truly present.

Yet, after tasting this sweetness,
part of me longs to be angelic,
forgetting my human side entirely.

The pursuit of His pleasure, swt,
is the only thing that truly nourishes the heart.
Having glimpsed the way,
all that remains is the steady, gentle chase.

And then my human side returns—
I stumble, despite wanting to have taqwa of Al-Khabeer.
I rush through Salah, despite wanting to love Al-Wadud.
I distract myself, despite wanting to be with Al-Lateef.

And yet, I rise.
Time and again, I return to the same door—
the door of Tawbah.

My heart carries quiet questions:
Am I enough?

'So ˹proclaim, O Prophet˺: ‘Flee to Allah!’ (51:50)'

Am I worthy?

'for ˹it is˺ He ˹Who˺ has chosen you (22:78)'

How will He receive me?

'Return to your Lord, well-pleased ˹with Him˺ and well-pleasing ˹to Him˺. (89:28)'

And as these thoughts drift through me,
emotion flows gently, quietly—
not in a rush, not in fear.
The remembrance of Allah swt
wraps the heart softly,
as if returning to a home it had always known.

'Surely, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort.' (13:28)

May Allah swt draw us closer to Him, softly,
even when we falter.
May His mercy enfold us like a quiet cloak,
never leaving us, not even for a fleeting moment.
May His presence be the calm we return to,
the gentle peace our hearts recognize,
the home our souls long for.

#Home #Tawba

it is so realistic and heart touching. we want to be with Him, yet fail many times a day, and here our Lord says
والله يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَ يُحِبُّ المُتَطَّهِّرِين
he loves those who return over and over again, and who return again and again? perhaps those who slip again and again? Allah knows the best.....  

Bismillah

When the world is full of chaos &amp; without light then come and recite the words of our Rabb. 

When nothing makes sense remember there is Akhira / Day of Judgment.

When everyone around you is competing for a wing of a mosquito then you aim high and that wing of a mosquito will fall under your feet

Look carefully there are few who are thankful, who are still striving to do good, who inspire you to do best. Make them your intimate friends and you too work hard.

In zikr we can find solace
In Salah we can find solace
In Qalaam of Allah we can find solace
In striving in the way of Allah we can find solace.
In seeking ilm &amp; in teaching ilm we can find our hope.

Hope for better leaders
Hope for bright future
Hope for peace within ourselves and in the world

May Allah guide us towards Haqq, grant us His Noor, and honor us to serve His deen Āmēn

Bismillah 

I think about the way my own brain is made. Hidden deep inside is a small cluster, the nucleus accumbens, the place where reward is felt. Neuroscientists say it lights up with dopamine whenever I taste sweetness, hear praise, win a success, or even check a message on my phone. The brain whispers: this feels good, remember it, chase it again.


And I do chase it again. The world knows this. Industries are built on it. Food, entertainment, recognition, wealth — each pulls at this circuit, keeping me restless, always moving from one desire to another. For a moment I feel full, but soon I am empty again.


The Qur’an already told me this truth:
'Beautified for people is the love of desires… that is the enjoyment of worldly life, but with Allah is the best return.' (3:14)


How perfect that the Book revealed fourteen centuries ago describes what brain scans now prove — that worldly pleasures are beautified, real enough to taste, but shallow, temporary, destined to fade.


And yet, the same brain that chases dunya also bows in sujood. When I stand in prayer, when I whisper the Qur’an, when I raise my hands in dua, that same nucleus accumbens lights up. Dopamine flows again. But this time, the feeling does not slip away so quickly. It settles into calmness. Scientists call it serotonin and oxytocin; the Qur’an calls it sakīnah.


'Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.' (13:28)


In those moments, other parts of the brain shift too. The self-centered chatter of the mind quiets down. The sense of ‘I’ or ‘self’ dissolves and the soul feels more spacious. A feeling of being embraced or held by someone  higher. I feel near. The Qur’an captures this in a single command:


'Prostrate, and draw near.' (96:19)


Science can show me the changes in brain waves and blood flow. Revelation shows me the purpose: closeness to my Lord.


And so I see the two faces of one design. The secular path uses the reward system to make me chase, but never rest. The spiritual path uses the same circuit to bring me peace, to expand my heart, to make me taste the sweetness of faith.

Allah designed me in a way that my very brain would become a sign. If I direct myself to fleeting things, I taste fleeting joy. If I direct myself to Him, I taste a joy that endures.

Perhaps that is the real miracle — that inside the folds of my mind, in circuits of neurons and sparks of chemistry, He has written the path of return.

The reality you describe is related to the 51: 56 too right? 

If we didn't conform to that reality (of we should be 'Abd of Allah), it will be inevitable that we will be slave to something else, and in the same time, we will not be able to satiate our spiritual thirst chasing hollow dopamine hit.