وابتغ فيما اتاك الله الدار الاخرة ولا تنس نصيبك من الدنيا واحسن كما احسن الله اليك ولا تبغ الفساد في الارض ان الله لا يحب المفسدين

وَٱبْتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَىٰكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَأَحْسِن كَمَآ أَحْسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَلَا تَبْغِ ٱلْفَسَادَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

Reflection on Surah Al-Qasas 28:77

This ayah reminds me to pause and reorient my heart. Everything I hold in my hands, my time, my abilities, my resources, even my struggles, has been granted by Allah (swt), not owned by me. I am taught to look beyond the temporary and to use what I have as a means toward the Hereafter. My life is not meant to revolve around accumulation, but around intention, where is this taking me in my relationship with Allah (swt)?

At the same time, Allah (swt) gently reminds me not to neglect my share of this world. He does not ask me to be harsh with myself or to deny the blessings He allows. Instead, I am taught balance, to live, to enjoy what is halal, and to move through this dunya without letting it take over my heart.

The verse also turns me inward in how I treat others. Allah (swt) has been patient with me, generous to me, and kind to me in ways I often do not notice until later. His blessings upon me are not meant to end with me, but to soften me, humble me, and make me a source of goodness. This makes me reflect on how I show up for the people around me and whether I am extending the same gentleness and mercy that Allah (swt) continues to show me.

Finally, this ayah is a quiet warning to my heart. It reminds me to be careful not to let pain, ego, or attachment turn into harm or corruption, even in subtle ways. I am responsible not only for what I do, but for the impact I leave behind. Allah (swt) does not love corruption, and I pray that what He gives me never becomes a reason for distance from Him.

This ayah calls me to live with purpose, balance, and responsibility, to walk through the dunya with awareness, to seek the Hereafter with intention, and to ensure that whatever Allah (swt) has given me becomes a means of goodness.

Ya Allah, guide us to use what You have entrusted to us in ways that please You. Keep our hearts focused on the Hereafter, grant us balance in this dunya, and make us a source of goodness and mercy for all. Allah humma Ameen 🤲🏼


Ameen ya Rabb! JazakAllahu khayran for sharing this reflection. The way you framed everything as an amanah rather than ownership beautifully captures the spirit of this verse and makes it very relatable.

May Allah accept your تدبر, increase you in clarity and balance. Allahumma ameen.

* QuranReflect Review Team Member


'Service to others is the rent you pay for the room here on earth.' - Muhammad Ali


So, this wise, playful, and a metaphorical quote by the boxer and an inspirational man Muhammad Ali (may Allah have mercy on him) reminded me of a statement in the Quran where Allah SWT said:


‎وَأَحْسِن كَمَآ أَحْسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ


'... And do good to others as Allah has done good to you.' (28:77)


The logic or the connection behind this idea is quite interesting, because Allah didn't say, 'Do good to others as others have done good to you,' which sounds like a more common and an easier advice to give someone.


Rather, He tells us, 'Do good to others as ALLAH has done good to you,' which makes you think a little more, because the connection being made over here is a little more indirect but deeper.


One reflection that I had from this is that remembering Allah's favors and His generosity upon us - and moreover, being truly grateful - is something that should automatically increase our desire to do good to others (not just with charity but in other ways as well, such as with kindness or even just having a peaceful and a positive facial expression when you meet someone).


If the generosity and the favors of Allah SWT are internalized fully, then this should more or less cause our own selves to be generous, kind, and merciful towards others as well, first starting from our parents, family members, and then to the needy. As Ibn Qayyim also expounded on this idea beautifully:


'Allah loves those from His creation who have these characteristics that are found in His attributes. He is generous and loves the one who is generous from His creation. He is all knowledgeable and loves the scholars. He is all powerful and He loves the brave. He is beautiful and loves beauty.'


So, pay the rent for our room on this earth, but also remember to keep it clean at the same time, because Allah also told us in the same verse to not create any 'fassad' or corruption on this earth, which should reflect our gratitude for His blessings.


#GoodtoOthers

Well said and a good point. Jazakallah khair for sharing those thoughtful words.

'And be good to others as Allah has been good to you' 

In this week's reading, this specific part of the ayah caught my eye. We may have heard phrases such as, 'Protect your peace' or 'Cut off what does not serve you', these sayings are used to distance oneself from 'toxic' people and are often used in various social media platforms.  These sayings and slogans are used to create this image of the person- a rather black and white image of who they are. It places one person as the victim and the other is the 'toxic' or 'narcissistic' one.  

Of course, Allah created us with multiple layers and the way we behave cannot simply be reduced to black or white. This isn't to say that harmful or manipulative behavior is excusable, it isn't, but I find often in today's world, everyone wants to see themselves as the victim. When you see yourself as the victim, you are not able to move past and thus are unable to grow as a person. You will constantly see yourself in light of what happened to you. 

Allah gives us ways to deal with difficulty and trauma in healthy ways, and as a future mental health practitioner, insha'Allah, I do advocate for people to seek help. Firstly by communicating,  with Allah (a heartfelt dua)  but also speaking to those who you trust and know they have your best interest at heart. Like earlier in this surah, Musa (AS) relayed his entire life story to date with his future father in law, which would allow him to release some of that tension he may have felt at the time. 


What I find beautiful about this part of the ayah, is that Allah is changing how we should act with others. Be good to others, not because of them but because of Allah. When you do this, your mindset changes into a much more positive and grateful one. You are saying, 'Ya Allah because of the goodness you have shown me, I want to be good to others' It motivates you to do better, when you remind yourself of Allah's favours and blessings on you. 

Allah extends His provision for whoever He pleases and so some of us have more than others but at the end of the day, there isn't a single creature on this earth, who Allah has not shown any goodness to, whether that is in the material or spiritual sense. 

May Allah make it easy for us to treat others with kindness, especially when we feel we have been wronged and allow us to admit when we have hurt someone, seek His forgiveness and that of the one we harmed,  ameen. 

#DivineBookClub
#Week32

Iraj Marjan me too, it’s so easy to fall into! 

﷽

I keep on telling myself that:
'Don't indulge too much into the world but also don't give up on life'

This phrase teaches me a balanced approach to life. It suggests that while one shouldn't become overly absorbed in worldly pursuits or materialism, it's equally important not to withdraw completely or give up on living a fulfilling life. Striking a balance between engaging with the world and maintaining inner peace or perspective can lead to a more meaningful existence. 

In the Quran and Hadith, balance and moderation in life are recurring themes. 

In Surah Al-Qasas, verse 77, Allah SWT says:

 'But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and yet, do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.'

This verse calls for a delicate balance. It encourages me to aspire for the eternal rewards of the Hereafter without neglecting the responsibilities and blessings of this worldly life. It’s a reminder that my existence here is not to be shunned, but embraced with a sense of duty and gratitude.

When I reflect on this verse, it becomes clear that my journey is not just a spiritual one, but also a practical and grounded one. The Hereafter, with all its promises of eternal peace and fulfillment, is my ultimate destination. Yet, the path to that destination winds through the hills and valleys of this worldly life. To seek the Hereafter is to set my sights on the highest goal but in doing so, I must not neglect the life I lead here and now.

This world, with all its beauty and challenges, is a gift from Allah. It’s a place where I am meant to grow, to learn, and to act. Neglecting my share of the world would be to ignore the very tools and opportunities Allah has provided for my development. It’s in this world that I can do good, as Allah has done good to me. 

The verse also warns against desiring corruption in the land. This is a powerful reminder that my actions have consequences. So I should be mindful of what I do and what I choose. It gives me a deep sense of duty, a commitment to justice, and a dedication to spreading goodness.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also emphasized this principle of moderation. In Sahih Bukhari, he taught, 

'The best of affairs are the moderate ones.'

Embracing this balance is not always easy. 

There are moments when the allure of worldly pleasures might seem overwhelming, tempting me to forget my higher purpose. 

Conversely, there are times when the trials of life might make me yearn to retreat into spiritual seclusion, neglecting my worldly duties. 

But it is in these moments that the wisdom of this verse shines the brightest, guiding me back to the middle path. My health, my wealth, my abilities—these are all means through which I can do good. By using them wisely and ethically, I honour the trust Allah has placed in me.

Ya Allah, guide me towards the path of balance and moderation. 

Grant me the wisdom to seek the eternal rewards of the Hereafter while fulfilling my duties in this world. Protect me from the temptations of excess and the pitfalls of neglect. 

Ya Allah, make my journey one of purpose, clarity, and fulfilment. Ameen.

God's generosity is beyond measure.

He knows the desires buried deep in your heart that you long for,

He knows the type of mending you need to heal the hurting parts of you,

He knows the people you need to meet and the places you need to be at to bring out the best in you,

And so He gives,

And then He gives,

And then He gives more,

Until His giving leaves you in complete awe and gratitude,

You might have taken one step towards God, made one dua, showed some kindness to someone in need,

And in turn God showered you with His blessings,

So 'show goodness to others as Allah has showed goodness to you' (Quran 28:77).

Show goodness and Ihsan even when it's difficult,

Because know without a doubt that,

'Is there any reward for goodness except goodness ?' (Quran 55:60)

And 

'Certainly Allah does not discount the reward of the good doers' (Quran 11:115).

Ma shaa Allah Lahawla walaquwata illa billah 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

I was checking in on a friend and  sister from Turkiye and so I asked about her family and her countrymen. She replied that she felt ‘ashamed’ that she was sleeping in a warm house whilst so many people are suffering and have died. I paused and I thought what can I answer to that? as just like the most of us I have been feeling this sense of ‘guilt’ and I cannot imagine her feelings. Yet, it occurred to me that tests are not only for those who go through hardship (of course these are huge tests) but tests are also for those who are in the period of comfort and ease. We too are being tested!

When we see our ummah and any human suffer what will we do? How will we respond?  Perhaps, us being in a period of ease will allow us to be strong for those who have been broken. 

We are one ummah, we hurt when each other hurt. May even the smile we manage to have on our faces cause warmth and light for others. May Allah help the people of Syria, Turkiye and indeed all our brothers and sisters suffering across the globe. Allahumma Ameen. 

Indeed we are in awe of their resilience and faith.

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'Whoever relieves the hardship of a believer in this world, Allah will relieve his hardship on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever helps ease one in difficulty, Allah will make it easy for him in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and the Hereafter. Allah helps the servant as long as he helps his brother. Whoever travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. People do not gather in the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it together, but that tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will cover them, angels will surround them, and Allah will mention them to those near Him. Whoever is slow to good deeds will not be hastened by his lineage.'

Muslim 2699

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'Whoever supports his brother behind his back in his absence, Allah will support him in the world and in the Hereafter.'

al-Sunan al-Kubrá lil-Bayhaqī 16685

#ummah #ease #hardships #tests

QURANIC MAXIMS DAY 6: 'Do not forget your share of the worldly life' (28:77)

This reminds me of another ayah actually, from Surah Al-Baqarah: 200-201 where there are some who ask only of this world and has no share of the akhirah, while there are those who ask for the goodness from this world and the akhirah.

And this ayah from Al Qasas seems to expand on 2:201 that we are to prioritise the reward of the akhirah without forgetting our worldly share.

While we know that, sometimes it is hard to strike a balance. In the context of a household, parents work to earn halal income. That is more for this wordly life. But parents need to ensure the children are given knowledge of their deen, to raise them loving Allah and the Prophet SAW, to have excellent character, to know the Quran - and all these are for the share of the akhirah. The struggle is real.  I am still struggling.

But I recall a reminder from an 'aalim, that is not always about balance, but also about barakah. We do what we can for as long as our hearts are attached to the akhirah. We can enjoy the pleasure of this world should Allah grant us abundance of rizq but we should share it with others. When there's barakah, the share of this world is counted for the akhirah.

I tell my kids, 'they say, sharing is caring'. I say, 'sharing is rewarding'.

#QuranicMaxims

A hadith that comes to mind when reading the phrase 'without forgetting your share of this world' is the hadith from Hanzalah who felt that he was a hypocrite because he couldn't maintain the same level of God consciousness he usually had when he was in the company of the Prophet when he was engaged in his worldly affairs. The hadith is as follows:

عَنْ حَنْظَلَةَ الأُسَيِّدِيِّ، قَالَ - وَكَانَ مِنْ كُتَّابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ - لَقِيَنِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ يَا حَنْظَلَةُ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَافَقَ حَنْظَلَةُ قَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ مَا تَقُولُ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَكُونُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُذَكِّرُنَا بِالنَّارِ وَالْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّا رَأْىَ عَيْنٍ فَإِذَا خَرَجْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَافَسْنَا الأَزْوَاجَ وَالأَوْلاَدَ وَالضَّيْعَاتِ فَنَسِينَا كَثِيرًا قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَوَاللَّهِ إِنَّا لَنَلْقَى مِثْلَ هَذَا ‏.‏ فَانْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ حَتَّى دَخَلْنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قُلْتُ نَافَقَ حَنْظَلَةُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏'‏ وَمَا ذَاكَ ‏'‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَكُونُ عِنْدَكَ تُذَكِّرُنَا بِالنَّارِ وَالْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّا رَأْىَ عَيْنٍ فَإِذَا خَرَجْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِكَ عَافَسْنَا الأَزْوَاجَ وَالأَوْلاَدَ وَالضَّيْعَاتِ نَسِينَا كَثِيرًا ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏'‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنْ لَوْ تَدُومُونَ عَلَى مَا تَكُونُونَ عِنْدِي وَفِي الذِّكْرِ لَصَافَحَتْكُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عَلَى فُرُشِكُمْ وَفِي طُرُقِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَا حَنْظَلَةُ سَاعَةً وَسَاعَةً ‏'‏ ‏.‏ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ

Hanzala Usayyidi, who was amongst the scribes of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). reported:

I met Abu Bakr. He said: Who are you? He (Hanzala) said: Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. He (Abu Bakr) said: Hallowed be Allah, what are you saying? Thereupon he said: I say that when we are in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) we ponder over Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our very eyes and when we are away from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) we attend to our wives, our children, our business; most of these things (pertaining to After-life) slip out of our minds. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I also experience the same. So I and Abu Bakr went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said to him: Allah's Messenger, Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: What has happened to you? I said: Allah's Messenger, when we are in your company, we are reminded of Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but whenever we go away from you and attend to our wives, children and business, much of these things go out of our minds. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allah), the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzala, time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs) and time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation). He (the Holy Prophet) said this thrice. [Muslim 2750: https://sunnah.com/muslim:2750a]

The phrase in the verse and the hadith teach us how to live with realistic expectations about our spiritual state. We are taught that both our body and spirit have a right over us which we must fulfill in order to live wholesome lives. Neglect of either one of those rights is not the way of Islam for we are the people of the middle path.

#QuranicMaxims

#QuranicMaxims

It is interesting to me to see how people relate to this worldly life; this lowly, passing, ephemeral life. Zuhd (asceticism) was a key component of the early practice of the Salaf. Many died with barely a blanket and a bowl to their name yet they wept for fearing they'd taken too much. Attachment to the dunyaa is a VERY dangerous thing. If you look at the science of Tazkeeyah and the different diseases of the heart, you'll find many of them find their nexus in love of this world! We need to break our desire for this world in the appropriate way. What do I mean by appropriate? Imam Ahmad (may Allaah shower him with mercy) was asked about a rich man and whether he could be considered an ascetic. He replied saying that as long as he doesn't become overjoyed when his money increases, or despondent when it decreases, then he can be a true ascetic. Another principle that is repeated in one form or another is that we should keep the Dunyaa in our hands, NOT in our hearts! This is the essence of it. It's not the having that's the problem, it's the wanting and the lengths we go to to obtain it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned a very powerful lesson about the danger and evil of craving after wealth and status. He said that two hungry wolves set loose in a flock of sheep is not more destructive than the craving after wealth and status is to a persons Deen. SUBHAAN ALLAAH

May Allaah safeguard us from our unrestrained desires, and grant us true richness (which comes from satisfaction).

'Our Lord! Grant us the good of this world and the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.'

Very true, what really counts is the attitude, not the amounts which people possess.

QURANIC MAXIMS DAY 6:
'Do not forget your share of the worldly life' (28:77)

This came to mind. The best strategy is to make this world as the means to get the best of dunia & akhirah. Because s/he is in a committed relationship with the Quran, s/he is committed in building consistency in healthy lifestyle especially in healthy eating. So that it improves the quality of ibadah. There’s a lot of hidden treasures to discover from the Quran & the pioneers who prioritized Allah above all, till the end of their life.

#QuranicMaxims

Yes more sustainable. JazakAllahukhayran Shaykh Sohaib 