Like others, my soul, the human nature within it, wants peace, comfort, bliss and joy. I sometimes even seek it in this world, knowing well this search is an empty one - because this life wasn’t created to serve me perfection. And even though, there are glimpses of comfort, my heart knows well they are not the permanent kind. 

But You promise, my Rabb, You promise of tuba - to those who have believed and work towards uprightness, those take steps towards goodness - You assure them, with tuba. 

With a heart filled with remorse, this soul wants tuba - so what might it be? This word that lifts up my spirits and hopes has been described as: 

Happiness and comfort
Refreshments of the eye
An excellent earning 
A joy 
Something Better 
To have earned a good thing 
Something excellent 

Now I desire it more, I dream of tuba, but like all dreams of want, achieving tuba requires much work - am I ready for such devotion? Me, the one suffocating in sin, drowning in this world and its false glitter? Am I ready to reach for something that doesn’t have one single definition, but is made up of a collection of meaning, describing what every human soul longs for. 

My desire for tuba increases when I learn that our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) said to a man: 

'Tuba is for he who saw me and believed in me. Tuba, and another tuba, and another tuba for he who believed in me, but did not see me.' 

I desire it more, and more and more now. 

Guide us, Ya Rabb, Yours is everything we see and cannot see, guide us to achieve tuba and Your pleasure. 

———
Reflections after reciting verse 29 from surah Ar Rad where Allah talks about طُوبَىٰ

Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad, narrated by Abu Sa’id al Khudri 

Noted in Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Very beautiful! Allahuma Barik! May Allah Grant us all Tuubah!

Gems of Jannah Series

The word Tūbā comes from the root ط ي ب (ṭ–y–b), a root that begins with softness, purity, and the gentle arrival of something upon the senses that brings ease. It is the touch of what is wholesome, the fragrance that soothes, the water that refreshes, the soul that feels content and untroubled.

From it comes ṭayyib: pure, pleasant, good, free of harshness, free of impurity, free of harm. It is a word that moves through creation: the ṭayyib scent, the ṭayyib speech, the ṭayyib food, the ṭayyib land, and - most beautifully - the ṭayyib soul.

So when the Qur’an says “Tūbā lahum”, it is not merely promising a tree in Jannah - though the Prophetic description tells us of its vastness and shade - it is promising a state beyond corruption, beyond fatigue, beyond ache. It is the declaration that all which is ṭayyib in this life, every act of patience, every intention purified for His sake, every moment you stayed soft when harshness tempted you, will gather and bloom there, untouched by decay.

Tūbā is Jannah as lived by the heart that once struggled to remain pure. It is the scent of sincerity made eternal; the coolness after the long striving; the calm that finally arrives when everything around you has become only good.

Because ṭayyib never dies - it ascends, as Allah says: “إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ” - “To Him ascends the good word.” And so all that was good within you rises back to its Source, until He gathers it for you in the form of everlasting ṭūbā: the goodness you yearned for, now endless.

Perhaps that is why the hearts of the righteous tremble at this verse. They do not only read a promise, they sense a home being described: the home their fitrah always recognized, where everything is ṭayyib, and where at last, they, too, will be.

#GemsofJannah  #ArabicGems  #Ramadan2026    

Subhan'Allah! This ayah resonates deeply with me, especially whenever I seek change in my life and within myself. Recently, I had the privilege of attending MAS CON LA for the first time, Alhamdulillah! During the event, one of the speakers highlighted this verse, reminding me of my journey when I first converted to Islam. Back then, I worked to build new habits and let go of old ones. Of course, these changes didn’t happen overnight—it took many mistakes, persistence, and self-agency to believe in myself.

This ayah serves as a powerful reminder: while the outcomes are always in Allah’s سبحانه وتعالى hands, we are also called to believe in ourselves, in each other, and in the strength of the ummah. This belief is crucial for building the resilience we need to navigate this life and prepare for the hereafter, insha'Allah.

Today, as I reflect, I am reminded that tomorrow offers another chance to do more—to find clarity, rally courage, and take collective action to stand for what we believe in. It is our responsibility to strive for meaningful change, including seeking positions of influence to mobilize policies that benefit our ummah. Most importantly, it's not about how we start but how we end—with hope in the mercy and guidance that Allah سبحانه وتعالى has given us. 
#surah #Ar-Rad #Thunder #change #MondayReflections #ReflectingWithHope #CollectiveAction #Empower

Day 13, Question 13, #AyahLookup ​ Challenge:

A very interesting observation, and a very different challenge from previous days:
Surat Al Raa'd is the 'Surah of pairs and opposites'.
What does that mean? 

The Surah mentions many pairs, that are opposites to each other, (e.g. the day and the night)
and last time I counted, there was around 34 of them! 
34 pairs in a relatively short surah... 
There should be some amazing clues and gems that are hidden for us, 
What are the Ayahs that mention such pairs?
What is a reflection you can share on these ayahs?
What are bigger lessons and implications that we can learn from these pairs about Allah? about this dunia? and about ourselves? 

PS:
1. To learn about the challenge: please check: https://quranreflect.com/posts/22122 
2. Please search for all the related Ayah in Surah 13,  
3. Please type your answer as a hidden comment to help others participate in the challenge

Thunder strikes fear in the heart of people. Its deep rumbling wakes up sleepers and makes children cry. 
Yet this verse teaches us that there is a difference between perception and reality. It may be a terrifying sound, but it is truly tasbeeh, praise of God, something beautiful and heavenly.  
Similarly, the sky may be clear and things appear safe, but something strikes suddenly from the sky, shattering the normalcy. 
Like many things on earth, things are not always as we perceive.
