During my days at college, I befriended a classmate who was well-mannered and a great guy. As someone who often brought up religion throughout my discussions, little did I realise I was being too pushy towards this friend, seeking for him to consider Islam. A mutual friend then spoke to me, reprimanding me that I had been too imposing, although at the time I didn't feel as though this was the case. Disheartened with this news, I remained cautious not to come across as proselytising, and I came to realise that, ultimately guidance is in Allah's hands alone, regardless of our attachment or admiration for anyone- be it a family member or friend. 

I left for France and our paths took different turns. After some years when I returned, I learned that this brother had embraced Islam after attending a one-off inspirational event. SubhanAllah I thought, after all the discussions and attempts, Allah guided him finally, albeit through a different channel. I came to realise, there is no set formula nor a secret recipe for guidance. The matter rests in Allah's will and His will alone. 

Often we seek results, and almost frequently we want to see the labour behind our dawah efforts come to fruition. The reality is, upon us is the duty of Dawah, and in Allah's hand is guidance. Do the first, and leave the outcome in the Hands of the All-Knowing.  وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ (He knows best who are ˹fit to be˺ guided).

Once the fiercest enemy of the Prophet (peace be upon him), ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) became one of the greatest exemplars of Islam, justice, and leadership for the world.

Remember to reflect, reflect to remember. I would love to read your reflections on this topic!

Something quite similar happened to me during my time at Kashmir University, where I recently completed my master’s. I often found myself advising a few friends who seemed more liberal in their approach to life and were not practicing Islam in the way it’s expected of a believer. I made repeated efforts to give them dawah, sincerely trying to remind them of faith. However, they looked down on me, seeing me as someone average, perhaps even backward, for holding onto religion in today’s age. One friend even told me in the face that they don't respect me and consider me very low because of mentioning Quran over and over. It was a deeply disheartening experience. But with time, I learned to stay calm and patient. Alhamdulillah, today those same friends respect me.



People forget that 99 percent of the Companions of Prophet Muhammad (RA) were converts to Islam. Most had a sinful past.  They came at different times, each with a different "final straw" that convinced them to submit to God.

Some of them had fought wars against the Prophet (S). 
Others had imprisoned and even tortured believers. 
Others ran propaganda campaigns spreading hate against Islam with no justification. 

Sometimes the Muslims really doubted a person's potential, due to his negative traits or history. And frankly, after all the bad blood, one can be excused for almost wishing that the aggressor never becomes a brother.

But Allah guides whom He wills. And when they embraced Islam, they proved their commitment to changing their ways and amending their mistakes in such a mighty way that we consider them our greatest heroes today. 

And the same will happen in our era inshaAllah. 

May Allah be pleased with them all.

When Allah’s guidance comes, nothing can stop it.

Sometimes, the people closest to you can do things that are wrong. No matter how much you try to warn them, they brush it off, thinking you're too young or inexperienced to understand. And there’s nothing worse than the utter helplessness  of watching them carve their own path to destruction, knowing you can't do anything to stop it. You keep trying, keep reaching out, but it feels like your words don’t have any impact. It’s like you're just standing by, watching  them doom themselves. 

It’s a painful, frustrating feeling that no matter what you do, it doesn’t seem to change anything. You can see them heading toward something harmful, and no matter how hard you try, they just keep brushing it off. That sense of powerlessness is hard to shake. But even then, you know you can’t give up. You keep trying, keep praying, even if it feels like nothing works. Because at the end of the day, guidance is in the hands of Allah, and you can only do so much.

I was leading a life of a passive Muslim. The perpetuity of my day-to-day logistics was based on earning money for my sustinence and pleasing الله سبحانه وتعا لی. Unfortunately, the former has such an intensity from adolscent conditioning and worldly desires - it overpowers your resilence to what truly matters. Pleasing your Lord becomes secondary - how abhorrent to be gradually overtaken by such philosophy. I had fallen victim in becoming a passive Muslim - my instrinsic nature was withering away with each day. Why was I depleted of energy when it came to الصلاة? Why was I reluctant to remain in سجود to call upon الله سبحانه وتعا لی? And why did I not feel like praying? The simple answer to these questions is  الشيطان has an overwhelming influence which renders you into a docile state. However, I also was accountable for my actions - the lack of durability to thwart the الشيطان became a comfort. The attributes of lazyines, self-destructiveness and procrastination were my comfort zone. The perpetual routine of work, entertainment (TV) and passive prayer was a luxury the الشيطان and I thoroughly enjoyed. I could no longer fathom or find the valour to seek knowledge to have a correlation with my Lord. Yet my فطرة was yearning to remove the shackles which had imprisoned me. الله سبحانة وتعا لی heard my vociferous فطرة and the unexpected happened. For approximately two years, I was blessed with ill health with multiple surgeries. I perceived this as an expiation of my state of being. Within this period, I sought refuge in my Lord - HE الله سبحانة وتعا لی answered my call. I was on a path of enlightenment which impeded الشيطان and my preexisting mindset - الحمد الله ربالعلمين. Subsequently, I have transitioned from a passive Muslim to a proactive and meaningful Muslim ان شاء الله. The purpose of life is to be subservient to HIM - this heartfelt epiphany is my highest achievement to date. This is because it leads to a pathway of sincerity and removes the seeds of this دنيا. 

May الله سبحانة وتعا لی guide us all to the righteous path and reflect upon what truly matters. امين.

Yesterday my daughter resisted taking her medication and it seemed she aspirated. My wife became emotional, but I stayed calm—not from indifference, but because in my heart I kept saying 'Yā Rabb.' I was reminding myself: Allah, the Rabb, preserves life with more care than any parent ever could.

In the past, I would have tried to explain this to my wife. But I’ve come to realize: words don’t create realization. The heart only awakens when Allah opens it.

Allah says:
 'Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.' (28:56)

This verse reminds me that even the Prophet (s), with all his eloquence and sincerity, could not force realization into hearts. Guidance is Allah’s domain alone. Words, lessons, reflections—they are like rain falling on different soils. Some ground absorbs and flourishes, while others remain hard and dry.

when a truth dawns upon your heart, do not expect that, merely explaining it will cause the same realization in another. For realization is not an intellectual transfer—it is a divine opening. Allah guides through many doors: sometimes through a word, sometimes through a moment of fear, sometimes through silence, and often through the unseen whisper of the heart.

May Allah opens our heart to the deeper realities of the Quran and our lives !

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The life of Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ was a mirror of the Prophets before him.
It was as if their paths, their trials, their victories and griefs —
were gathered into his single journey.
For he is Khatam an-Nabiyyīn — the Seal of Prophets.

Mūsā عليه السلام once stood trapped — the sea before him, an army behind.
His people cried: 'We are overtaken for sure!' (26:61)
But he said with unshakable yaqīn:
'Absolutely not! My Lord is certainly with me — He will guide me.' (26:62)

And so did Muḥammad ﷺ,
as arrows rained like a storm,
as his companions scattered in fear.
He pressed forward, never retreating, never yielding —
for his Lord was with him.

Ya‘qūb عليه السلام lost two sons,
his eyes whitened from grief,
yet his patience shone like a lantern in the dark.

And Muḥammad ﷺ —
he buried six of his children with his own hands,
yet his heart remained steadfast,
always holding good thoughts of Allah.

‘Īsā عليه السلام never knew the warmth of a father’s embrace.
And so too, Muḥammad ﷺ was born an orphan,
never once cradled by his father’s arms.

Nūḥ عليه السلام preached for 950 years,
yet watched the waves swallow his son,
realizing that guidance is only in Allah’s Hand.

And so too, Muḥammad ﷺ
watched his beloved uncle — his guardian —
die upon disbelief,
pressured by the chiefs of Quraysh.

Then Allah revealed:
'Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.' (28:56)

Ibrāhīm عليه السلام was rejected by his father,
cast into fire,
and exiled from his people.

And Muḥammad ﷺ was mocked by his tribe,
stoned in Ṭāʾif until his sandals filled with blood,
and finally left Makkah for Madīnah.

He was one man — yet a reflection of all Prophets.
A seal of greatness,
a vessel of every trial,
a guide for every generation.

So many tests,
so many wounds,
so many nights of grief.
Yet never once did he act from anger or despair.

He was a teacher of patience,
a mentor of hope,
a messenger showing us how to be human again.

'Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example, for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day,  and remembers Allah often.' (33:21)

May Allah grant our Prophet ﷺ al-Wasīlah and al-Faḍīlah,
raise him to the highest station on the Day of Judgement,
and reward him beyond measure.

May Allah make us true followers of his Sunnah,
fill our hearts with love and longing for him,
and unite his Ummah under the banner of truth.

Āmeen.

#peacebeuponhim

Jazak Allah such a beautiful reflection, May Allah reward you for sharing this 💕


All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.' 
(Anonymous)

I was reading this when someone near to me was a bit frustrated when I'm sharing some knowledge of Quran or sharing verses.
At times you are loosing hope when people call you orthodox .

The Da’i (caller) is a tool of Allah’s Light
As a da’i, you are not the light—you’re a means for the light to reach others. You simply carry and share the message. The light is from Allah, and He is the One who opens hearts.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
'Convey from me, even if it is one verse.' (Bukhari)

Even a small reminder—an ayah, a kind word, a smile—can ignite light in a dark heart. People don’t always change instantly. But your reminder may be the spark that leads them out of darkness.

The Qur’an, a lamp in every storm,
Its verses heal, its words transform.
And even one ayah, held so tight,
Can guide the soul back to the Light.

So turn to Him, in dusk or day,
And He will never turn away.
For in the darkest, silent night,
Allah sends down the smallest light
( Anonymous)

بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم 
میری ایک دوست ویتنام میں رہتی ہے جہاں مسلم آبادی تقریبا 0.2 فیصد ہے، جس کی اکثریت بھی کچھ مخصوص علاقوں میں رہتی ہے۔ میں نے اس سے پوچھا 'آپ کو اسلام کے بارے میں کیسے پتہ لگا؟ ' 
انھوں نے بتایا کہ ان کے ملک میں اسلام کے بارے میں دو ہی چیزیں بتائی جاتی ہیں۔ 

1. کچھ حرام حلال ہوتا ہے۔
2. عورتوں کے حقوق سلب کیے جاتے ہیں۔ 

 اسلام کے بارے میں ان کی بھی یہی رائے تھی۔ انھیں ویڈیو گیمز کھیلنے کا شوق تھا اور کچھ مسلمان انٹرنیشنل پلیئرز ان کے دوست بنے۔ سلویٰ (دوست کا نام) ان کے اخلاق سے متاثر ہوئی کہ یہ لوگ تو خطرناک نہیں لگتے بلکہ کافی خوش مزاج ہیں تو اس نے اسلام کے بارے میں ریسرچ شروع کردی۔ اور ایک نتیجے پر پہنچی جو کوئی بھی سچا دل انسان پہنچے گا کہ اسلام ہی سچا دین ہے، اللہ ایک ہے، قرآن اس کی کتاب ہے، رسول اللہ کے نبی، آخرت ہے اور ہم نے اللہ کی طرف لوٹنا ہے۔ بڑی ہمت کرکے اس نے کلمہ پڑھا اور  اپنے والدین کو بتایا۔

اس نے قرآن پڑھنا سیکھا، نماز سیکھ رہی ہے، حجاب کرتی ہے، اس سال اس نے روزے بھی رکھے۔  اس کے خاندان، دوستوں، محلے، کام کی جگہ، کہیں پر مسلمان نہیں ہے۔  اس نے مجھے کہا تھا کے اس کے ملک میں کسی کا مسلمان ہونا تقریبا نا ممکن ہی بات ہے۔ 

کبھی کبھار میرا دل بھرتا ہے کہ اس کے اردگرد  تو سلام کہنے والا بھی کوئی نہیں، عیدی دینے والا کوئی نہیں، حجاب کرنے والا بھی کوئی نہیں۔ میں اسے تسلی دینے کی کوشش کرتی ہوں لیکن وہ بچی جب جواب دیتی ہے تو میرا ایمان تازہ ہو جاتا ہے۔ وہ کہتی ہے کہ اللہ نے اسے چنا ہے اور اسلام سب سے بڑی نعمت ہے اس کی زندگی میں اور اس کی اللہ سے محبت - میرے پاس الفاظ نہیں ہیں۔ 

میں حیران ہوتی ہوں کہ اللہ پاک کس طرح کسی کو ایک بت پرست معاشرے میں دین کی طرف لے کر آتا ہے اور اس کا دل مضبوط کرتا ہے۔   ہم مسلم کمیونٹی میں رہ کر دین کے مطابق زندگی نہیں گزارتے اور وہ اکیلی اپنی پوری جان مارتی ہے۔ اللہ تعالیٰ اسے استقامت نصیب فرمائے اس کے اہل و عیال کو بھی ہدایت نصیب ہو۔ اللہ تعالیٰ اس کو اپنی لا محدود رحمت سے نوازے اور جب میں اللہ کی رحمت کی بات کرتی ہوں تو انعام کا تصور میرے الفاظ میں قید نہیں ہوتا۔ 

Allah unhyn Deen p isteqamat or iska fehm ata kryn. Beshak Allah hi jisy Chahta hai, hidayat deta hai. Kitni khushnseeb hngi wo, I'm just wondering 🤌🏻✨💕

It can be deeply painful to witness our loved ones engaging in sin, whether knowingly or unknowingly. We want the best for them, and we've tried everything—love, care, verbal reminders, non-verbal gestures—to inspire them to turn towards what is right. Yet, sometimes they reject the truth and sink deeper into their wrongdoings. With heavy hearts, we watch them drift further from the path of righteousness. Then, we come across this ayah and realize that our duty isn't to change them, but to serve as a warner or a bearer of glad tidings, a caller to the truth. Ultimately, guidance is from Allah alone, and the heart is held between His fingers.

Verily, the hearts of all the sons of Adam are between the two fingers out of the fingers of the Compassionate Lord as one heart. He turns that to any (direction) He likes. Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: 0 Allah, the Turner of the hearts, turn our hearts to Thine obedience.

Sahih muslim# 2655

 It serves as a reminder that while we may put in great effort to influence or help others, and even ourselves, to follow the path of righteousness, the ultimate ability to transform and direct hearts belongs to Allah alone.

#Friday Reminders 12: Sound Bites
#QuranReflections by Talha Ghannam

Video: https://youtu.be/oJJplJONOsg 
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/quranclub 
App: www.quranclub.org 
Website: www.otpok.com 

---

If you have ever given a speech, taught a class or just had a conversation with someone, one of the most remarkable things to observe is which of your words stick with your listeners. Which bit did you say changed their heart?

I can think of numerous examples where I thought the audience would take one particular message away, but in fact benefited from something completely different. Over longer periods of time, the events you had often forgotten as insignificant are the ones which turned the hearts of the listeners.

Just today, I had a friend who recalled how I had offered him a place to stay with me when we first met. I had considered this as a common courtesy and gave little thought about it, yet he was so moved by it that it still lived with him today.

Another friend once told me he started practising his faith after we warmly welcomed him into the prayer room at university. As a non-student, he thought he would be shunned as an imposter. We just shared the #Bromance, welcomed him one of our own, and never even thought to turn away someone coming to a sacred space. Till this day he remembered that incident.

When I lived in Egypt, a near complete stranger was adamant to help me upon my arrival because, 10 years earlier, my father had helped his father when they first arrived in the UK. When I asked my father about it, he couldn’t even remember what he did!

On the flip side; how often do we speak with our children at length about one thing, only for them to pick up something entirely different to what you intended? How many couples seek mediation for their problems, only for them to hear and quote the things they like and ignore all the rest? How many teachers spend hours refining a lesson, only to realise their students forget the key parts of the message they had emphasised?

In the age of soundbites and social media, we search for the perfect words to say. We want to go viral. We want to have an impact. We want people to benefit through the work we do.

But the truth is guidance does not come from us, it comes from God. Even our Beloved Prophet ﷺ, the greatest guide to have walked this earth, was told:
إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
'You surely cannot guide whomever you like ˹O Prophet˺, but it is Allah Who guides whoever He wills, and He knows best who are ˹fit to be˺ guided.' [28:56]

The words you speak and work you do are yours, but which of them transform the heart is down to Allah ﷻ. He honours us by allowing us to take the credit for them, but in reality, it is Allah ﷻ who is turning the hearts of those who seek.

---

As-salaam Alaykum Wa-Rahmat Allah
This is Talha from Quran Club. 

Have a think about the conversations you have with family and friends. It's a really common experience for people to see that what they say isn't actually what people take away, but it's more often what you do or things you didn't even notice that transforms people. This really shows that Allah ﷻ that's doing the work here. And it really humbles you to realise that none of what you do in reality means anything unless Allah ﷻ gives it that tawfiq. 

Share some experiences you've been through with us. It would be nice to hear some more examples. I'm sure it's a common experience. Remember to share this podcast with family and friends as well. Perhaps some of the words in it might change their hearts. 

Jazakallah Khair! 
As-salaamu Alaykum Warahmat Allah!