These days, emoticons are everywhere — in social media, messages, and even casual conversations.
Texts without them feel flat and formal.
They express moods and emotions, sometimes even more than words do.
At times, though, they don’t reflect the actual feeling, but what the writer wants to convey, or perhaps pretend to feel.

Recently, I came across a video that claimed it is shirk to use emojis.
That statement caught my attention — not because I agreed, but because it made me look closer.

When I really observed these emoticons, I noticed something subtle.
They all look almost the same — just slight changes of expression.
It felt like copy-paste, or cloned faces.
That thought led me to think about digital avatars too. They seem similar, despite all the variations.

And from there, something clicked: How different is the creation of Allah.
How distinct is every face, every being, every design that comes from Him — the True Fashioner.

When I looked at insects like mosquitoes or cockroaches, most looked identical, as if cloned.
But moving upward in creation — cats, dogs — they look similar, not same.

Among classes of species there exist similarities yet there is a distinction, that can't be overlooked.

And among humans, the distinction is unmatched.
No two faces are identical; each carries a unique trace of divine craftsmanship.

Each face, feature, and fingerprint is a trace of His will — distinct, deliberate, and beyond duplication.
Perhaps this is why drawing living beings is viewed seriously in our tradition — because it involves imitating, in some form, the creative act that belongs only to Allah, Al-Khaliq, The Creator, Al-Muṣawwir, The Fashioner, and Al-Jameel, The One of Perfect Beauty. It attempts to capture the distinctiveness that belongs only to Him — the uniqueness of a face, the harmony of form — yet it can never breathe a soul into what is drawn. It can only copy the outer shape, never the living spark within.

It reflects the essence of Allah’s attributes — Al-Khaliq, The Creator; Al-Muṣawwir, The Fashioner; Al-Bari’, The Designer of forms.
Only He can create true uniqueness.
No human design can capture that.

How magnificent is Allah.
He shows that He can create similarity, distinction, and sameness,
and through all of them, He reminds us that only He is the Lord,
the Creator, the Fashioner, the One who designs every soul with purpose.


#HisSigns

SubhanaAllah, jzkaAllah Khair for sharing this beautiful and insightful reflection.  This is so true , this provides an opportunity to ponder and be in awe of Allah SWTs creativity and majesty.

Bismillah 

There are days when I watch my daughter —
when the world feels too fast for her,
when people don’t understand,
and I ask quietly in my heart:
Ya Allah… why this path? Why her struggles? 

And then I remember the Names You gave us —
Al-Khaliq, Al-Bari’, Al-Musawwar.
The Creator. The Maker. The Fashioner.

📌 Al-Khaliq — The Creator
You chose her soul before I ever met her.
You wrote her into my womb with Your perfect knowledge.
You didn’t forget her.
You didn’t make a mistake.
You measured every detail of her being —
her abilities, her delays, her beauty, her needs.
And You created me, too, as her mother —
with the strength, the softness, the love to hold her.

None of it is random.
You planned it all.

📌 Al- Bari’’ — The One Who Brings into Being with Distinction
You didn’t just create her — You brought her forth with a purpose that this world may not always see,
but You do.
You gave her something different, something rare —
a gentleness, a sincerity, a soul that teaches patience without speaking it.
She’s not broken.
She’s just different, and that difference is by Your design.
You made her as she was meant to be.

And You made me for her.

📌 Al- Musawwar — The Fashioner
You shaped her features — her eyes, her smile, her voice —
and You shaped the unseen parts too:
her way of thinking, feeling, expressing.
You even fashioned her struggles — not as punishment,
but as a path to You, for both of us.
She was made with beauty,
even when the world doesn’t recognize it.

🤲 Ya Khaliq
You created my daughter with Your wisdom,
and me with the heart to love her.
Remind me that neither of us is missing anything in Your eyes.

🤲 Ya Bari’
You brought her into this world with purpose.
Let me never doubt the value of her soul, or mine.

🤲 Ya Musawwar
You shaped her with care —
let me see her the way You do,
and give me the strength to carry her with patience and hope.

🤲 Make our home a place of barakah.
Make our struggles a path to closeness with You.
And on the days it feels heavy —
remind me that You, the One who fashioned us,
are still guiding our every step.

Ameen.

Ameen sister Nadia. Jazakillah khyr. 
Same dua to you. May Allah bless you and your family. May Allah guide us and strengthen our hearts through each other. Ameen

God is the Fashioner [musawwir] inasmuch as He arranges the forms of things invented in the finest way. After that we were produced from nothing, and then we were fashioned—all of us with our physical differences, our unique fingerprints, and our characters and personalities. And this is simply on a human realm. Imagine every single plant, river and mountain.

Learn more: http://www.the99names.com/names/14.html

The 99 Names of Allah

Al-Bari is the one who initiates existence from nothing. As humans, we are able to make and invent things. Our inventions, however, can only be made with things that already exist. Al-Bari, however, intiaties existence. There is nothing before, and He says 'Be' and it is.

Learn more: http://www.the99names.com/names/13.html

God is the Creator, and He creates according to His planning. None of this is haphazard, but rather, according to what God has planned and measured before. When God creates, it is absolutely proportioned and created with a certain measure. When we look around in nature or at the human body, we see how God has perfectly proportioned everything - because He is Al-Khāliq.

Learn more: http://www.the99names.com/names/12.html

We love Allah so, so much, above all creation, for He is our creator. Our Lord, he is merciful, he loves to pardon, and he is ever-knowing and wise. He has 99 beautiful names just for him. Let us explore a few of these names:
Ar-Rahman: The most merciful
Al-Ghaffar: The constant forgiver
Ash-Shakur: The most appreciative
Al-Kareem: The most generous/noble
Al-Wadud: The most loving

Some names are traits that, even though they cannot be attained at the level of Allah, can be practiced in our daily lives. Allah is the most merciful, so we should show mercy to others. Allah is the constant forgiver, so forgive others. Allah is the most loving, so love others. 

These are traits Allah flawlessly possessed, which are reasons for his perfection. They are the reasons we love him. Though we, as his creation, cannot ever achieve perfection, we can imitate some of his qualities to the best of our ability to become as close as possible to it.

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ٨ ٨
Allah—there is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. He hathe mostst beautifunames.s.
[Surah Taha, 8]

Notice how Allah immediately mentions that he has the beautiful names after reminding us of the most important concept iIslam, Tawhid. d.d. The belief that there is no God worthy of worship except Allah is what makes us MuslimsAn Allah,ah directlafter it,it reminded us of his names. That is how beautiful they are. That is how important they are to study, reflect, and be influenced by. Wshould liveve remembering Allah's names.

(If I made any mistakes, they are from me, so please do notify me. May Allah forgivme (ifid I made any)

🌸 Reflection: #WhenAllahMakesYouFeelSpecial

A few months ago, I experienced something deeply moving—a series of subtle, yet profound moments that made me realize how Allah ﷻ, in His wisdom and mercy, can make a person feel truly seen, loved, and special.

It began one evening while I was having a conversation with my father. He was reciting from Surah Al-Hashr, particularly the final verses that beautifully list the Names of Allah ﷻ. As he recited, we began to reflect on the meanings of those majestic Names. He explained to me how these verses are incredibly powerful and advised that we should make a habit of reciting them daily. We discussed the significance behind the Names and how they reflect the attributes of our Creator. Although I wasn’t reciting them daily at that time, I had read those verses on several occasions, especially when I happened to come across Surah Al-Hashr during my Qur’an readings.

The next morning, something astonishing happened. As part of my regular routine, I picked up the Qur’an for recitation. Without planning it or even thinking about it, I opened the Qur’an—and to my amazement, it opened exactly to the same page containing the same three final verses of Surah Al-Hashr. It was completely unintentional. The moment I saw those ayahs, I was overwhelmed—not in shock, but in awe. I immediately recalled my father’s words from the previous night. The memory was fresh, and now these same ayahs were right in front of me once again, as if they were gently placed there by divine arrangement.

Later that day, after finishing my prayers and Qur’an recitation, I returned to a book I had been reading—'Reflecting on the Names of Allah' by Dr. Jinan Yousef. I had no idea which Name of Allah I would be reading about that day, but as I opened the book and turned to the chapter, I saw the Name: Al-Muhaimin. And once again, those same three ayahs from Surah Al-Hashr were mentioned. SubhanAllah. I felt a rush of emotion, a sense of being gently enveloped in Allah’s mercy. I had goosebumps. This wasn’t a coincidence—I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in divine will. I knew with certainty that this was from Allah.

That evening, before going to bed, I casually opened YouTube, not searching for anything specific. A video by Mohammed Hijab appeared in my feed, and in it, he was reciting—you guessed it—the exact same three verses from Surah Al-Hashr.

In that moment, I couldn’t hold back my feelings. My heart was filled with gratitude and amazement. It was as if Allah ﷻ was sending me a personal reminder, lovingly repeating His words to me through different means throughout the day. It felt as though He was saying, 'I am here. I see you. I am guiding you.'

That day, I truly felt special. And I realized something very personal: Allah ﷻ has His own beautiful ways of drawing us closer to Him—ways that are subtle, gentle, and deeply personal. And when He chooses to show you His closeness, even in small ways, it becomes one of the most precious feelings a heart can experience.

Love God above all else, Strengthen your connection with Him, Ask Him for everything you need & Heal your Heart

We spend many years seeking love - from family, spouse, children, friends, community, etc. To love and be loved is a beautiful blessing; however remember we were first and foremost created by an All-Loving Creator with signs of His love for us constantly surrounding us. The earth we live on, the sky that covers us, the stars, the moon and the sun that brighten the way for us, the seas which carry the ships, the air we breathe, our human body and mind and their abilities: the depths of our heart and soul and their capacity to enable us to actualize our purpose are all signs of His love for us. 

God created us with love and dignified us as human beings - we are inherently worthy by virtue of being a creation of God. Our worth is not tied to another human being, a title, a job, marital status, the type of house we live in, the number of followers we have on social media, or the amount of assets or money we have in our name. 

While we will hurt and be hurt by the people we love because we are imperfect human beings living in an imperfect world, there is the one type of true love which won’t hurt you, but heal you, which won’t leave you empty handed because it fills your heart, and which will not discourage you but uplift you. That love is the love of God - The Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, The Most-Loving, The All-Compassionate, The Mender of Broken hearts, The All-Knowing, All-Seeing and The Healer. We can strengthen our connection to God by learning the Quran, enhancing our prayers, and understanding His many attributes to call onto Him in any circumstance in our life and ask Him for everything we need. 

If we need provision, we call onto Him, Al-Wahhab, the Giver of gifts, Al-Kareem, The All-Generous. If we feel scared and weak, we call on Him, Al-Muhamymin - The Preserver of safety and Al-Qawi, The All-Strong to protect us and strengthen us. If we feel uncertain, we call onto Him Al-Wakeel, The Trustee and Al-Lateef, The Subtle One. God is with us in every moment, in every circumstance, in every rise and every fall when we are with Him. Call unto God with all of your heart - He is near and knows the inner depths of the callings of your soul that you can’t even articulate. Allah is your closest Guardian, Protecting Friend and ally (Al-Waliy). 

Strengthening our connection with God as well as with others also requires staying humble and keeping a sound heart through a process of self awareness and cleansing or tazkiya of the ills of the heart including arrogance and pride. In the Quran, we are told that wealth and children won’t benefit us unless we come to God with a sound heart or a heart at peace. The world will try to distract, deplete, and distort our hearts; however we need to remember the ultimate goal of healing the heart in order to prepare it for the love of God, and to find peace now and eternally in sha Allah. 

#loveGod #qalbsaleem #loveAllah #love #peace #truelove #tazkiya

Assalaamu Alaikum,

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful reflection on the importance of loving and strengthening our connection with Allah. Your words remind us of the true source of love and the significance of seeking His love above all else. It's inspiring to see how you have emphasized the signs of Allah's love that surround us every day. 

Jazak Allah Khair for being a part of our community.



Reflecting on the genocide in Gaza, and a western Muslim's feeling of paralysis towards the news.
Part of that feeling comes from a sense of entitlement, that 'we are in control'.
The Quran tells us simple: We are NOT in Control, we are NOT changemakers, it is Allah who brings out results!
 

In our God-centered worldview, every discussion about activism starts with Allah! Results come from Him, through Him, with His help, and by His blessings. As servants of the almighty, we are commanded to exert our best effort, plan, and work hard, but ultimately detach from the results. This does not align well with most of the modern self-help advice, which attributes results to grit, willpower, hustle, etc.  

As activists who care about justice and peace in Palestine and the rest of the world, we should renew our faith in God as the Only One who brings the results. Surah Al Hashr (Chapter 59 in the Quran) offers this perspective by repeatedly reminding the believer who Allah is, what His attributes are, and how He alone helped the early Muslims at the time of the messenger (Peace be upon him) in one of their battles:

This is why the instruction in the same chapter is to always keep God at the center of your thought process. If we ignore God, our own sense of identity, impact, and being will be lost [59:19]:

These verses were discussed as part of our Weekly Dose of the Quran series, feel free to check the recording and subscribe (link in comments)

PS: If these reflections resonated with you, there is more at HekmahOS.com, where I provide online courses that explore how Quranic wisdom can shape the way we live and think.

#QuranWeeklyDose ​ ​ 
#ReflectingInCrisis ​ ​

Subhanallah! I was reading the first 7 ayahs of this surah and felt the same way, and quickly hopped on here to see whether other people felt the same! These ayahs and your reflection give me such comfort in light of what’s happening in Gaza. Thank you for this!

A short poem I composed for my students with an approximate meaning and a du'a for each of the Names of Allah mentioned at the end of Surat al-Hashr:

Allāh, the one to whom my heart must attune,
The transcendent, ṣāḥibu kun fayakūn.

Al-Raḥmān, your love and care knows no bounds, 
The unworthy self seeks thy holy grounds.

Al-Raḥīm, perpetual You are in Your Grace, 
Irḥamnā Ya Rabb, we seek your noble face. 

Al-Malik, the King of kings, the Owner of all,
Grant this slave a piece of peace; from wilāyah I don’t fall.

Al-Quddus, the Sacred, the Pristine, the One who purifies,
Bless me with purity, sanctity, and let goodness arise.

Al-Salām, The Flawless, The Perfect, the source of all peace, 
Reassure my heart, strengthen bonds and for ākhirah create ease.

Al-Mu’min, The Refuge, the Granter of bliss,
Without You, awaits the eternal abyss. 

Al-Muhaymin, The One who vows to protect and preserve,
Rectify my affairs and bestow on me the good I don’t deserve.

Al-`Azīz, The Mighty Authority, the One who is obeyed,
Give me another chance for I know I’ve strayed. 

Al-Jabbār, the Forceful, everything must bend to Your Will, 
Force guidance on me with ease, Your awe within me, do instill.

Al-Mutakabbir, The Proud, The One most worthy of Claims, 
Fortify me with humility and keep me away from flames. 

Al-Khāliq, The Creator, the One whose power has no end,
Allow your signature in creation to cause me to ascend.  

Al-Bārī, The Gatherer, the One Whose creation is complex, 
Diversify my good, and allow all of them to reach their apex.

Al-Muṣawwir, the Fashioner, the One to Whom all Glory must swarm,
Beautify my character, like you’ve beautified my outward form.

Al-Ḥakīm, The Wise, Whose decisions are Just, Good and Beneficial, 
Make me al-Farūq, who chooses the best, from the last to the initial.