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

Bismillah.

Last night, As I was praying beside my bed.
My body was tired, but Alhamdulillah, I managed to pray my sunnah.

Then a whisper crept in:
'Is this really anything great? Just you, in your room, something so simple — does it even matter?'

But Alhamdulillah, the answer came to me.
This deen was never meant to break us.
Allah Himself said:

'He has chosen you, and laid upon you no hardship in the religion.' (22:78)

I thought… imagine if every Salah required something extreme —
like plunging into an ice bath before standing in prayer.
Instead, Allah made it easy.
He put barakah in what is simple.

So who am I to belittle what He has honored?
Who am I to demand something heavier,
when simplicity itself is a mercy?

The pagans once did the same —
they turned away from the Qur’an,
demanding louder, grander signs,
as if truth must come wrapped in thunder.

'We will never believe in you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us.' (17:90)

But maybe this is the secret:
that divinity shines clearest in what is simple.

And so I reminded myself —
accept the ease, be grateful for it,
and never underestimate the quiet weight of Salah,
even when prayed alone in the stillness of a room.

Alhamdulillah.

Have you ever given someone advice and watched them resist it?
Then they complain about not knowing what to do.
You’re offering help, hoping they’ll take it, but for some reason they stay stuck.
Stuck in a fixed mentality.
Unable to move past their limitations or their justifications of them.

And then you realize… you do the same with Allah ﷻ.

When I read these ayat, I can’t help but think of those moments:

'Allah intends to lighten your burden. For mankind was created weak.' (4:28)
'This [Qur’an] is enlightenment for mankind and guidance and mercy for a people who are certain [in faith].' (45:20)

Allah ﷻ doesn’t intend hardship for us.
That’s why He gave us the Qur’an, the Prophet ﷺ, the angels, His guidance, and a guaranteed rizq.

'Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.' (2:185)
'He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty.' (22:78)

More often than not, the answers we’re looking for (or avoiding) are already in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
And they’re simpler than we care to admit.
Allah ﷻ gives us guidance through His Book and within ourselves. (51:20-21)

Yet we still spin in confusion, doubt, and insecurity about which way to go. 
Or what to do.
Not because Allah ﷻ hasn’t guided us but because the fear of making an irreversible decision keeps us rooted in place, second guessing each step.

So Allah ﷻ reminds us:
'When you’ve made a decision, put your trust in Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely upon Him.' (3:159)

We forget that even we can’t mess up Allah’s plan for us. 
There’s no mistake too big for Him to help us fix.

When you truly understand that, you begin to see tawakkul as a flexible surrender. 
A heart that flows with the unknown, not one that forces or controls.

The ability to receive advice depends on how many limiting beliefs you’re willing to let go of.
The ability to trust Allah’s guidance depends on how much good you believe He wants for you.
And the ability to act on truth depends on your readiness to surrender.

Sometimes what looks like a tawakkul problem is actually an adaptability issue.

You see reroutes as walls and closed doors.
Walls that must be torn down and doors that must be pushed through.
You start forcing your own plan instead of flowing with Allah’s.

But think of a fish in water.
When it encounters a rock, it doesn’t try to move it.
Nor does it stay still, waiting for it to be removed.
It simply goes around.

Because when the focus is on the rock, that’s all you’ll see.
But the fish stays focused on moving forward.
It adapts.
It flows.
It trusts that it’ll find an alternate route, as long as it keeps swimming.

'And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth gently…' (25:63)

There’s wisdom in moving lightly.
In not letting down roots where you’re not meant to stay long.

There’s ease in not forcing things, and in holding your plans loosely.
In not getting so fixated on an outcome or how you want it to look.

Even Prophet Musa عليه السلام didn’t give Allah ﷻ specifics when he said:
'My Lord, indeed I am in need of whatever good You send down to me.' (28:24)

As if to say:
'My Lord, I’ll take whatever good You send.
Whatever that looks like.
However You see fit. 
I’m not picky. 
I trust You.
You know what’s best for me and what’s next for me. 
You are the best of planners and Your plans have no limits or errors.'

We don’t have to micromanage Allah ﷻ. 
Make the dua and leave it with Him. 
Trusting Him with your future because Allah ﷻ has already planned the work. 
Now we just need to work the plan.
His plan.

Because there’s barakah in flowing with the current Allah ﷻ has set. 
In going around the rock instead of trying to remove it or hopelessly waiting for it to move when the path around it has already been cleared for you—if you’re willing to pay enough attention to notice.

Wa jazakallah khayr. You’re right, it’s always a matter of trust and trusting is one of the hardest parts but once you do, it becomes very easy alhamdulillah 

In the Name of Allah. the most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

It was Jummah and we were outside the gates of Masjid Al Haram. I decided to venture out early from our hotel with my son. I knew it was going to be very hot, but I figured it will be hard to get a place close unless I go early.

I equipped ourselves with a rechargeable fan and sun umbrellas. We reached the outskirt traditional food stalls. We purchased cool water. When we opened the bottle and I gulped the first mouthful I realised that there is sweetness in the hot sun. Allah is very merciful upon us, and I realised it’s sometimes outside our comfort zones so we find the sweetness of faith. So many people are in much more tense heat, without water to drink. Still they praise and love Allah azza wa jal ardently. 

I further contemplated, that sometimes we should accustom ourselves to some discomfort in order to realise our blessings and also sometimes to develop 'self restraint' if everything is cushioned for us, made easy for us how will we taste the sweetness? 

Thus, from this very small episode I concluded Allah sometimes places  us outside our comfort zones to appreciate Him, to continue and to discover the strength He equips us with. It is the fasting person who appreciates his food more, it is the thirsty who thanks when they are given a drink. 

Lastly, how can a person develop self-restraint and steadfastness when he or she has more than what she needs? 

In the scorching heat, in a jummah packed like sardines but so blessed at the same time. It was the best ever jummah I have experienced and I’m sure it was the heat which helped too!

﷽
In Surah Hajj ayah 75
ٱللَّهُ يَصْطَفِى مِنَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ رُسُلًۭا وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌۢ بَصِيرٌۭ
 'Allah selects messengers from both angels and people, for Allah is truly All-Hearing, All-Seeing.'
The word يَصْطَفِى is used here for 'selection'. It means a choice which is completely  clear , Pure , serene , happiness , refine. There are no external factors affecting the choice. Means that Allah selected His messengers and angles by His own choice. 

Then in ayah 78 He says 'هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍۢ ۚ'
'..... for ˹it is˺ He ˹Who˺ has chosen you, and laid upon you no hardship in the religion......'
Now for choosing us He use 'اجْتَبَىٰكُمْ'. 
This is used when you have to make choice which will be affected by other factors for example you gotta pick up a dress, you'll not wear summer outfit in winter right. So that dress has to perfect for the weather, occasion etc. like there's so many things to look at before making the choice. What it means that when Allah chose us to be Muslims He put all qualities in us. This choice isn't same as choosing messengers and angles.
 BUT HERE'S A CONFUSING THING :
In Surah Faatir Allah says in ayah 32 
ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۖ فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌۭ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌۭ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌۢ بِٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَضْلُ ٱلْكَبِيرُ ٣٢
Then We granted the Book to those We have chosen from Our servants. Some of them wrong themselves, some follow a middle course, and some are foremost in good deeds by Allah’s Will. That is ˹truly˺ the greatest bounty.

Here Allah again used اصْطَفَيْنَا. So does that means that inheritance of book to a nation is clear and pure choice of Allah s.w.t. This ayah is telling that those people who are 'warith' of this book are chosen by Allah alone. Nobody has the control over the inheritance of book.
Just like in the last ayah of surah hadid, He says '˹This is so˺ that the People of the Book ˹who deny the Prophet˺ may know that they do not have any control over Allah’s grace, and that all grace is in Allah’s Hands. He grants it to whoever He wills. For Allah is the Lord of infinite bounty.' That the 'fadl (grace, favor)' is only in Allah hands. Here 'fadl' means Quran. So this is the ultimate favor of Allah s.w.t that He gave us the book, we don't deserve it and its not earned, this is the favor of Allah alone. And if we dont appreciate that favor then Allah have complete control to bring other nation which will not be like us.
May Allah make ourselves among those who internalize His ayahs. Ameen

I noticed a link between the first ayahs of surah Hajj- where Allah tells us to fear Him as the violent quaking of the Hour is sure to come, and the final ayah where Allah says that He has chosen us as muslims and not made this religion hard, and the reminder to hold fast to Allah by establishing prayer, zakat, following the Quran and Sunnah. 

We may feel scared reciting the first ayahs where Allah describes horrifying situation that will occur when the Hour will come, but then he ends the surah in such a comforting way, telling us how to be prepared for it and that He has placed no hardship in this religion. Notice the first word 'strive'. We all struggle with different things, for some it may be putting on the hijab, for others it may be controlling their anger. No matter what your struggle is, keep going for He will surely help you as He is the best protector and helper!

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

For the past 9 months we have been watching our brothers and sisters in Palestine, Sudan and many parts of the ummah suffer incomprehensibly. In the hope that their suffering has halted or decreased we find it has only continued to increase. 

I sat discussing with my husband regarding the solution to this injustice. So my husband replied:

'Those of us who are Muslim and true Muslims, we are the light in this dark world. We do not deal with usury, we do not indulge in alcohol and drugs, we do not engage in pornography, we do not engage in gambling and so on. Our places of worship are still full. We are the biggest threat to shaytaan.'

So, I thought about this and I thought that my husband is right we are a threat to immorality and the Muslims might seem weak but the true Muslim is in fact very strong. We are blessed to have this clear vision which is obscured to evildoers. We are and can be the light for humanity that is in darkness and has lost its moral compass. 

So I remembered this ayah in Surah Al Hajj and realised that one should never give up striving in the cause of Allah, no matter how bleak the circumstances are. We have been chosen and honoured as Muslims by no one other than Allah. He has favoured us amongst so many and we must be grateful to be able to understand the clear message for humanity.

We must remain steadfast through everything Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have taught us.  Perhaps God Willing, through our example those confused in a world that is decaying in morality, others may gain clarity through the Guidance and will of Allah.

This felt like an alarm in my troubling mind. Thank you!

ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَٰمَ دِينًا
It was on a day like today some 1400 years ago that Allah declared having chosen for us Islam as our way of life. The same way of life that was epitomized by our father Ibrahim AS who named us Muslimeen. The same man AS we honor in these ten best days and whose footsteps we walk.  And on this witnessed day, as we submerge ourselves in worship and drain our eyes of tears begging Allah in Du`a, I cannot help but think of our brothers and sisters in Palestine and in Gaza especially. They literally and metaphorically walk the paths of the prophets. By choosing to fight for their freedom and survival in a land they hold dear, we see them not only choosing to sacrifice themselves for this cause, but also sacrifice their children and families and everything they love much like our father Ibrahim AS. They are truly living to the Muslim name by submitting to Allah like their father Ibrahim AS. 

And when I see the pictures of our brothers and sisters under rubble in darkness above darkness, I am reminded of Yunus AS in the belly of the whale, in darkness above darkness. And I cannot help but utter the Du`a that rescued him with complete conviction that Allah will undoubtedly rescue my brothers and sisters too. وَكَذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ نُـۨجِی ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ

And when I see their starving emaciated bodies in desperate need to survive, eating whatever they could find, I am reminded of the Prophet S.A.W and the Sahabah during the boycott yet Allah's aid finally came just as it will come for my brothers and sisters too. Just like it came for Hajar RA and Isma`il AS and until today, we drink from that aid. 

We have the power in Du`a and in this special day to unlock the help we seek - individually and as a collective. 

On this day of Du`as, let us also be witnessed as Muslimeen and let's make our Du`as count and be counted among those that count in the sight of the most high.

Holding on to Allah 

'Hold on to Allah, He ˹alone˺ is your Guardian. What an excellent Guardian, and what an excellent Helper! '

We, Human beings are constantly under attack, always fighting one battle or the other, more than anyone else, we damage our own selves, we keep pulling ourselves down, sometimes its guilt, other times it's shame, or a sense of failure. 
Negative self talk has become a part of most of our lives. 
I personally have always struggled with a low sense of self. And today in the evening, it felt like my heart was sinking, and now I knew that guilt and shame are going to eat me up for a few days now. 
But here comes Allah's help. A thought comes to my mind that Islam is not a religion of self pity. We are the people who look in the mirror and say Allah Ta'Allah you've created me beautiful. 
So many Ayaat about Allah's forgiveness, and only Him being perfect, started coming to my mind. And Allah Ta'Allah saved me from sinking into guilt and shame. 

We are the ones who leave His hand. All we have to do is, just hold on to him tightly, and ever so strongly. Because He is our only حفي ' a friend who is constantly checking on us'. And what an excellent guardian and helper He is. 

Help us hold on to You Allah Ta'Allah, in good times and in bad ones. In Peace or sorrow, May You alone remain the center of our life. May we never ever forget that you're the most loyal friend, who holds on to us ever so strongly when we're not doing well, making mistakes, and failing at this race called life. 
Ameen.

what a beautiful reflection Jzk khayr Sis

#QuranWeeklyDose

This week's session rounded up the discussion on Hajj.
The Hajj experience divides people into 4 categories.

1. the ones who ask Allah SWT for only dunya (2:200)
2. the ones who ask for both dunya and akhirah (2:201)
3. the ones whose speech impresses you and calls upon Allah SWT but in their hearts they oppose Islam; the hypocrites (2:204-206)
4. the ones who sacrifice everything for Allah SWT (2:207)

Knowing this reality, what is our action plan after Hajj season?
For the hujjaaj returning to their home countries as well as the rest of us to ensure that we fall into the most blessed category?

Hajj calls us to uphold the oneness of Allah SWT; 
Hajj calls us to align our way of life to Rasulullah SAW; 
Hajj calls upon us to stay true and submit ourselves to the Shahadah.
Hajj puts a longing in our hearts to meet Allah SWT.
When we yearn to meet Him, we strive harder in perfecting our good deeds; 
When we long to be in His presence, we aim for excellence in carrying out our responsibilities.

May Allah make all of us deserving to be included in the most blessed group, aamiin.

-Inspired by Ustadz Fazrul Ismail's reflection and his heartfelt tribute to his mentor Sh Muhammad AlShareef (May Allah SWT grant him Jannatul Firdaus, aamiin)

Sherene May Allah reward you and enlighten the grave of Shiekh Muhammad. 
He planted so many seeds of good! it is upon us to keep watering this seeds and sharing the khair he left with the whole world