In this Ayat, Allah is telling us what happens if we do not use His gifts appropriately. For example, Allah gave us legs to walk. If we choose to sit for long periods without walking, Allah may allow our legs to lose their ability to walk. Similarly, if we do not use our heart, hearing, and sight to contemplate and reflect upon the Quran, Allah may allow these faculties to lose their ability to understand the Quran. Allah did not intentionally take away this understanding from the disbelievers; rather, He allowed it to happen as the consequence of their choices.

This is a simple yet powerful reminder to reflect on the Qur'an using the faculties that Allah blessed us with and to show gratitude to Him for blessing us with the faculties to begin with. 
We ask Allah to protect us from losing the ability to use our faculties and to keep us in a constant state of gratitude to Him.
Keep up the good work and continue to ponder over the Quranic teachings. Jazak Allah Khair for your contribution to the community.

In the Quranic concept, the heart is located in the chest, as Allah described the hearts by saying: 'the hearts within the breasts' (Al-Hajj 46). However, the heart is not limited to the known muscle; the piece of flesh mentioned by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is only a representation of the heart at the physical level. From divine revelation, starting with this noble ayah, 'Allah has sealed their hearts,' we learn that the heart has a reality beyond its physical dimension, with qualities that can be described, actions attributed to it, things that may be in it, and things that may be on it.

People's hearts may resemble one another in good or evil, across time and place. The healthy heart is alive, illuminated, and repentant. However, the diseased heart can become as hard as stone or even harder or be described as sinful, harsh, or in delusion. The heart may experience distress, becoming empty, and on the Day of Judgment, the core of the heart (the 'fu'ad') may become like air in terror—Allah forbid. Hearts may differ and be divided, needing reconciliation to become united. It is also the nature of the heart that Allah has made each human have only one heart, and Allah can come between a human and his heart.

Good and evil may come to the heart. The highest level of good occurs when Allah reveals the Quran to the heart of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and when Allah strengthens the hearts and brings tranquility to them so that faith is realized and steadfastness in jihad is achieved.

As for the evil that may afflict the heart, Allah may shield it from good with a covering, a seal, locks, rust, or layers and may seal the heart, as mentioned in this ayah from Surah Al-Baqarah, resulting in complete isolation. Good or evil may enter the heart: Allah may adorn the heart with the beauty of faith, bringing down tranquility, piety, compassion, or mercy into it. On the other hand, the heart may develop a disease such as obsessive love of this worldly life, worship of wealth, or following one's desires. It may harbor hostility toward truth and its people, the worst being obstinate opposition. It may contain avarice, deviation, terror, regret, harshness, severity, hypocrisy, rage, doubt, ignorance, or grudges—may Allah protect us. 

The heart has actions attributed to it by Allah in the Quran. If we expand our understanding beyond the materialistic limits of secular methodologies using a maqasid (objectives-based) approach, we won't be inclined to interpret the heart's actions as merely 'figurative.' Rather, we believe that the heart is indeed an active organ with willpower, part of human will, even if its actions are not observable or measurable by material tools. These actions include the heart's ability to understand, reason, earn, find tranquility, deviate, undergo trials, believe, sin, listen, tremble, reject, doubt, turn away, deny, neglect, entertain, submit, fluctuate, intend, reach the throat, panic, soften, shudder, repent, humble, incline, be frightened, be hardened, be strengthened, and be blinded. These actions can be good or bad; the heart may earn a good deed or a sin, find tranquility in the remembrance of Allah or in worldly pleasures, soften at the mention of Allah or turn away and shudder, love Allah and good and righteousness, or love desires and evil and corruption, and so forth.

And then their hearts became more brittle than stones rather even more harder than them because from some stones rivers begin to flow... 2-74

Three lessons from Juz 1:
1. Remembering the favor of Allah in times of both ease and hardship.

2. Constantly checking our hearts, purifying our souls, and intentions.

3. Submitting Allah wholeheartedly 


#3lessonsJuz1 

P.S. Let me know your short three lessons from each Juz daily. As our recitations of Qur'an are long and constant during the month of Ramadan , let's derive short lessons for each and every Juz for a meaningful relationship with Qur'an.

1. Watch my heart and actions, lest they fall into the characteristics of the kafirun or the munafiqun
2. Always make Tawbah; from story of Adam (as)
3. Do not ask too many questions when given a task, esp a religious one; the story of Bani Israil n the cow.
JAK. Thank you for making me think.  :-)

Sometimes when you tell the truth, you can literally see the seal over someone’s heart.

You explain it clearly.
You explain it gently.
You explain it again in a different way.

And still… it does not enter.

Allah says in the Quran:

“Allah has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and their sight is covered. They will suffer a tremendous punishment.” (2:7)

Not every heart is open. And that is something we have to accept.

There is a hadith where the Prophet ﷺ sent a letter to the ruler of Persia, Chosroes. Instead of receiving it with humility, he tore it into pieces. He did not reflect. He did not consider. He ripped the words apart.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered the truth with dignity. It was rejected anyway.

In another narration, when the Prophet ﷺ was told that rulers would not read letters unless they were sealed, he had a silver ring made engraved with “Muhammad, Messenger of Allah.” He adapted. He continued. He did not become bitter.

That is powerful.

Even the best of creation was rejected. So who are we to expect universal acceptance?

Sometimes people do not misunderstand the truth. They resist it. Because accepting it would require humility. It would require change. It would require surrender.

And guidance is not in our hands.

Our responsibility is to convey with sincerity.
To speak with wisdom.
To keep our character intact.

If someone tears your words apart, that is between them and Allah.

Do not let someone else’s sealed heart harden yours.

Do not measure the value of truth by how it is received.

Allah sees. Allah knows. Allah guides whom He wills.

May Allah keep our hearts soft and receptive. May He protect us from arrogance when we are right and from despair when we are rejected. And may He allow us to carry the truth with dignity, just as His Messenger ﷺ did.

Hadith Reflection: Reference :
(1) USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 1, Book 3, Hadith 64
(2) USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 1, Book 3, Hadith 65

Allah’s Rahmah is so vast and at the same time, there is a dangerous 'tipping point.'
 
If someone is constantly and arrogantly going against Allah and harming His creation, they risk their hearts being sealed.

As we see in Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah can place a seal on the hearts of those who persist in transgression. It’s a scary reminder that while the door to tawbah is open, we shouldn’t take it for granted, because constant oppression can eventually blind a person to the light of guidance entirely.

It really puts things into perspective when we look at oppressors throughout history and even today. It explains why their actions and ways of thinking seem so deprived of honesty or compassion. It’s like they’ve become desensitized to human mercy—almost robotic. You can actually sense that evil, cold aura around them because they’ve lost that connection to the Rahmah of Allah.

May Allah protect our hearts from ever becoming hardened and keep us among those who are soft and compassionate! 🤍
#ReflectinginCrisis

To seal something prevents anything from  coming in and anything from coming out. A sealed heart means no good comes in, and no evil leaves , may Allah protect us.

الذنوب إذا تتابعت على القلوب أغلقتها، وإذا أغلقتها أتاها حينئذ الختم من قبل الله تعالى والطبع؛ فلا يكون للإيمان إليها مسلك، ولا للكفر عنها مخلص، فذلك هو الختم والطبع الذي ذكره في قوله تعالى: (ختم الله على قلوبهم وعلى سمعهم). ابن كثير: 1/45.
السؤال: كيف يحصل الختم على القلب؟

ثم ذكر الموانع المانعة لهم من الإيمان، فقال: (ختم الله على قلوبهم وعلى سمعهم) أي: طبع عليها بطابع لا يدخلها الإيمان، ولا ينفذ فيها، فلا يعون ما ينفعهم، ولا يسمعون ما يفيدهم، (وعلى أبصارهم غشاوة)؛ أي: غشاء وغطاء وأكِنَّة تمنعها عن النظر الذي ينفعهم. وهذه طرق العلم والخير قد سدت عليهم؛ فلا مطمع فيهم، ولا خير يرجى عندهم، وإنَّما منعوا ذلك وسدت عنهم أبواب الإيمان بسبب كفرهم وجحودهم. السعدي: 42. 
السؤال: لماذا خُصَّت هذه الأعضاء بالختم والتغشية؟

وفي تقديم السمع على البصر في مواقعه من القرآن دليل على أنه أفضل فائدة لصاحبه من البصر؛ فإن التقديم مؤذن بأهمية المقدم؛ وذلك لأن السمع آلة لتلقي المعارف التي بها كمال العقل، وهو وسيلة بلوغ دعوة الأنبياء إلى أفهام الأمم على وجه أكمل من بلوغها بواسطة البصر لو فقد السمع. ابن عاشور: 1/258.
السؤال: الوسائل السمعية والوسائل البصرية أيهما أكثر أثرًا في البشر؟

* يمكنك وضع إجابتك عن الأسئلة في التعليقات حتى تعمّ الفائدة

* للمزيد عن هذه الآية في مصحف تدبر وعمل: https://altadabbur.com/#aya=2_7

#وقفة_تدبرية

#FridayReminders 38: The Subtlety in Allah's Words (2:7)
#QuranReflections by Imam Tom Facchine & Talha Ghannam

Video: https://youtu.be/CnQdgd2_vr4 
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/quranclub 
App: www.quranclub.org 
Website: www.otpok.com 

---

Before reading this, make sure you watch the video!

A wonderful reflection on the subtlety in meaning between two very similar descriptions given in the Quran. Two words so similar in meaning but carry a noticeable difference when understood fully. This is the perfection within the Quran.

I often get asked how can one begin their own reflection within the Quran. How do they uncover such 'aha' moments like the one in this video. It’s true that we should be cautious about our limitations, but the Quran itself calls us to reflect on it ourselves in order to uncover and connect with its meaning. 

One of the most effective ways to do this is to use tools to guide you on what to do. One of the most powerful of these is 'Words chosen'; a tool which points you to pause and think why a specific word has been used in a Quranic verse by Allah ﷻ. Much like the analysis in this video, every word has a specific usage for a specific reason. To change it would bring a deficiency to the Quran, and it is with that we approach the words of Allah ﷻ to understand why this word has been chosen.


(1) OBSERVE THE WORD
As a simple starting point, start by analysing the word itself, understanding everything there is to know about it and the context it is used. For example, the word apple is seemingly clear in its meaning with no explanation required, and many will read the word and never pause to reflect on it. Yet, to truly understand the word, we would want to describe it with as much detail as possible, such as its:

• Shape: the roundness of it with its peculiar, thin stem that connects it to the tree, so easily broken when plucked and brittle enough to let go when ripe
• Colour: it comes in 3 variances, yellow, green or red, but each are as sweet as each other
• Structure: the apple is made up of a thin peel which protects it and is also its most healthy part, a sweet and juicy middle which carries the flavour, and its core 
• Interactions: The first bite sounds a crunch that is so distinct, it is instantly recognisable.

As you can see, the above gives much more vivid detail of an apple which can be used to understand the choice of the word. For example, if a metaphor is given to describe a relationship as an apple, an analogy can be drawn to how the thin protective surface hides the sweetness of the middle, how its grown on the tree of its parents only to let go when the time is right etc.

There are countless other ways to describe an object, but the table attached lists some of the more obvious ones to consider (see table attached):


(2) COMPARE THE WORD
Next, after understanding the word itself, we can swap the word used for a different word and see the impact it has on the sentence. By replacing the word for another, we can see more clearly what impact the original word had in the sentence, and what meaning Allah ﷻ wished to convey. As with anything, there are layer to how deep this can be done, but everyone can relate to it at some level. As a start, there are 5 broad ways you can do this, illustrated in the following diagram:
 

1. Synonym / Similarities
Whilst commonly understood to be the 'same', synonyms are words which carry similar meaning by sharing most of the aspect of the original word. Here, we broaden out its usage to look at 'similar' words, considering alternative words which share similarities with the originals even if not exactly the same. This is particularly useful when considering nouns which do not have an obvious synonym .

E.g. Chocolate
 Candy Bar (same word used in America to refer to chocolate)
 Sweet (as they are both sweets)


2.	Antonym / Opposites
Antonyms considers words which have the opposite meaning to what has been used. However, like synonyms, we broaden the meaning to words which have an opposite meaning in some regard to the word which has been used. 

E.g. Chocolate
 Fruit (as chocolate is unhealthy), 
 Car Part (as it is not edible), 
 Protein Bar (as it is not tasty)


3. General
Words which are in category above the word. This would make the word more generic than the one used. This can vary in level, with some being more general than others.

E.g. Chocolate 
 Snack
 Food (more general)


4. Specific
Words in a category beneath the word. This would make the word use more specific, and can vary in the level of specificity

e.g. Chocolate:
 Milk Chocolate
 Dairy Milk (more specific)


5. Alternative
A replacement word which has no direct similarity, but shares some relationship with the original word. The easiest way to do this is to consider the word within the sentence, then see what word you can put instead that would fit in well but is not related to the existing one

e.g. Chocolate
 Crisps (its something that can be eaten instead, but not related)
 Vegetable (more general; its can also be eaten, but is a more general category)
 Biryani (even broader relation, related in that they are both food, but otherwise dissimilar)


This is an opening to help you reflect on the Quran. There are countless other tools you can use yourself, one I will expand on in future episodes. Let us know your thoughts, and share any reflections you make using the tool we outlined.

#Week1 #QuranicCalendar #Yaqeen #Certainty #Iman #Faith  #Hajj #Tilawat #Recitation #Reverts #Arabic #Tafsir #Commentaries #QuranInAYear 

One of our reflection prompts this week (Week One of Qur'an in a Year) is 'How do we believe in Allah SWT without seeing Him?'

As a recent revert (March 2022) who was coming from a position of near-atheism, I worried greatly for a while about how it would ever be possible to truly believe in God. But little by slow, Allah SWT, the Gentle and All-Aware, has manifested His presence and care in my life, time and time again. 

There are so many examples. I'll write here about two of them. God wiling:

Help during Hajj
******
I made Hajj last year, Alhamdulillah. I didn't sleep much and I got sick too. Not uncommon! But I could often sense that, even though I was often too tired to think straight, Allah SWT was physically guiding me to what I needed most at the time, whether it be a seat on the ground that allowed me some back support, or whether it be medical care or even a local brother who helped me with a wheelchair for tawaf! I was able to complete everything I needed to do for Hajj, Alhamdulillah, but that's because my Rabb gave me everything I needed just as I needed it.

A Ramadan Stretch Goal: Reciting a Juz a Day
*****************
Learning to read the Arabic script has been an ongoing challenge. As of late last year I still could recite only a few ayat at a time before I would get mentally tired. 

Around that time I began making a du'a that Allah SWT make the Qur'an the spring of my heart and the light of my chest. I recited the du'a for a few weeks and then forgot about it.  

Then I found some learning materials online that improved my ability to read the script and to understand some of the grammatical structures and vocabulary in the Qur'an. And as of Sha'ban, I found myself making an intention to recite a juz a day during Ramadan. And Alhamdulillah, Allah SWT opened the way for me to be able to do just that. Was it tough at times? Yes! Was my tajwid good? No. Did it take me a long time to recite one juz a day? Yes, but the time I needed got shorter each day. Did I connect with the Qur'an in a way I never had before? Absolutely. 

Long story short, a lot of that 'impostor syndrome' feeling is gone now. I still need good English translations to be able to understand the meanings of the ayat and each surah as a whole, and I have a few favorite tafasir (commentaries) that I rely on as well. But I see this recent Ramadan experience as nothing short of miraculous. 

I just remembered the other day that I had been making that du'a, and even though I eventually forgot to keep making it, Allah SWT answered it.

Du'aa
****
May Allah SWT grant tawfiq (success) to all of the participants in Qur'an In A Year and may He shower baraka and noor (increase and light) into the lives of the QuranReflect team, Shaykh Saeed, and everyone who's participated in bringing this initiative to us. Barakallahu fikhum.

May Allah bless you and your words. Jazakallah khair for this reflection, and for sharing your story 🤍

> Yes, but the time I needed got shorter each day. Did I connect with the Qur'an in a way I never had before? Absolutely.

This part is comforting as someone who's currently stumbling across the letters of Quran. As I'm still finding my rhythm with tajweed, it reassures me that progress doesn't have to be dramatic to be real.
Day by day, I trust that this small consistency will grow into something deeper. Inshallah, one day I won't just be reciting the words, rather, I'll feel them settle in my heart.

May Allah continue to bless you in your journey and writing ❤️

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

I had read a few translations of the Qur’an several times during my teenage years. I was marvelled by the science of the Qur’an. Yet, I didn’t really contemplate about the Prophets peace be upon them all, the Day of Judgment and death.  I believe I had not ‘experienced’ much about life and especially I had not suffered much loss during my youth. 

Then one day, it was as though the Qur’an was ‘forced upon me’ by Allah through our Qur’an group ‘Quran Crew’; for Muslim women a small but growing group who come from various parts of the world. I realised then Guidance and invitation to the Qur’an only comes from Allah. It is Allah only who can open a person’s heart. 

In my early days of contemplating the Qur’an with our taddabur group, I had forgotten my books (that I habitually carry) whilst travelling. I had my children’s iPad and I felt the urge to read whilst as a passenger in the car. I saw some ‘kindle books’ and decided to look for a book. I found ‘The Book of Aphorisms’ or ‘Kitab Al Hikam’ by Ibn Ata Illah (an esteemed scholar from Egypt and praised by Ibn Taymmiyah). 

The cover was relatively unappealing but something drew me to this book and as I turned the pages I read the following:

'When Allah unfolds a realm of knowledge for you, get rid of the feeling that you are not qualified for that in terms of deeds. He opened up  that for you because He wanted to make Himself known to you. Don’t you know that the knowledge was His presentation for you, while the deeds were yours for Him and, of course, your presentation will be zilch compared to that of Him.'  (Pg 5).

Having read this, I was astounded I had recently had miracle encounter with a sister from another part of the world and together we formed a taddabur group. I struggled against this responsibility. Afterwards, shortly I discovered Quran Reflect. For four years, I have been turning the pages of the Qur’an deeply contemplating on most days. I consider this nothing but a miracle and the Generosity of Allah towards me. I also know there are beautiful stories from mankind of how they discovered the Qur’an. All coming to the conclusion that this is truly the Mercy of Allah. 

Yet, the Qur’an carries responsibility and the responsibility of action, adherence and trust upon Allah. It’s not a gift to be taken without huge gratitude, a gratitude that must be given every single day. 

I was once in my tajweed class and I was struggling and my teacher from Egypt she told me ‘ask Allah for help, ask Allah to make it easy’ so I had this habit to ask Allah to make things easy and I realised I should do the same when applying the Qur’an to make it easy. For often the soul will struggle against the temptations of this world. 

I must contemplate always this gift, this invitation to follow and show my gratitude by implementing the Qur’an and always being in awe of Allah and always remembering He indeed is the Most Gracious and ever so Merciful. Yet, I need His help to follow. 

This ayah in a good way frightens me. I know if I am sincere with Allah, He will be with me. So I ask for His help to guide me with His Blessed Book.

Shauma Hayyu Syakura​ may the Qur’an be our companion in this world, for it to be our companion in the barzakh and on the day of judgment and we are elevated through the quran and we are forgiven because Allah guided us to love His words and to heed them. All praise is due to Allah Lord of the worlds, and I am grateful to Allah that you are striving and keep that striving and may you feel the sweetness of striving that you cannot be without the Qur’an, Allahumma Ameen 🤲🏻♥️