Why do we have stories about struggle and strife in the Quran ?  Stories of Prophets' and important figures' pain, loss, and suffering?
 
 We have verses that speak of darkness literally and darkness figuratively when they narrate to us the deep sadness of Prophet Jacob over his separation from Prophet Yusuf, the suffering of Maryam as she gives birth to Prophet Jesus all on her own, scared and lonely, the grief of the mother of Musa as she lets go of him into a river, the loss of Prophet Noah of his son who did not believe, all the struggles of Prophet Muhammad, including when he is forced to leave His beloved city Mecca, peace be upon them all.
 
So much pain and suffering, why ?

The stories of struggle, pain and loss in the Quran are not only there to help us cope with our own struggles but to also help us understand and acknowledge the pain of others so we can develop empathy and nurture compassion for others, in their times of darkness.  

I found this connected to a quote I heard recently in a podcast by Dr. Brene Brown on compassion:

'Compassion is not a relationship between the wounded and the healed, it’s knowing our darkness enough to sit in the darkness with others'.

Not only do we know Allah as The Most Compassionate and Most Merciful all throughout the Quran, but we also know that He sent the Prophet peace be upon him as a source of mercy and compassion for the entire world - not just for Muslims, but for all of humanity and all creation.

In turn, compassion is at the very root of our faith, of how our Creator wants us to know Him and the foundation of the Prophet's legacy.

Verse 17 in Surat Al Balad reassures us of our need to urge each other to compassion.

In fact, some sources cite there are over 200 verses about compassionate living in the Quran. 

So I believe we as Muslims need to be at the forefront of cultivating compassion.

Karen Armstrong, in her book ‘12 Steps to Compassionate Living’,  in which she chose the Prophet(SAW) as a role model says 'The root of all religion is compassion'' and 'Compassion is the true test of spirituality.'

In the Qur’an, Allah tells us again and again about 'Those who believe and do good.'  Engaging in goodness many times entails doing good for our society. Helping the economically disadvantaged, the orphans, the widows, etc. 

I believe compassion is essentially 'ihsan' in action. It is beautiful, morals and excellent character. Karen Armstrong writes 'Compassion compels you to work tirelessly to elevate the suffering of other people and to treat everyone with absolute justice, equity, and respect’. Is that not ihsan ? 

May we be of those who cultivate compassion in our hearts, homes and communities. Ameen.

Allah's mercy, which is abounding and unfathomable in every way, has as an effect on all levels of existence - from the micro to the macro, from seen to the unseen, from the balance of the entire cosmos to the social and human affairs.


Allah tells us to see how the effects of His mercy causes the earth to come to life after it has been barren and dead:


فَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِ رَحْمَتِ ٱللَّهِ كَيْفَ يُحْىِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَآ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ


'See then the effect of the mercy of Allah - how He gives life to the earth after its death. Indeed, that (same one) can give life to the dead. For He is Most Capable of everything' (30:50).


Likewise, therefore, when Allah revealed that he sent the Messenger (peace be upon him) as a 'mercy to the worlds' (rahmatan lil alameen), this means that the world of humanity can also blossom into life from its dead and barren state just as the earth was brought to life, if they believe and submit to his message.


And Allah didn't say that he was sent as a mercy to just the Companions, his tribe, his family members, or those who lived during his time. He was sent as a mercy for everyone without any discrimination, towards those people whose hearts have humbled themselves to Allah and they truly love Allah and His Messenger more than anything or anyone else.


Everything about the Prophet was a mercy from Allah. The Quran is a mercy from Allah, and even the excellent traits and characteristics of the Prophet were a mercy from Allah, as Allah says, 'It is out of Allah's mercy that you are gentle with them. Had you been cruel or hard-hearted, they would have certainly abandoned you' (3:159).


The description of being a 'mercy to all the worlds' is most probably the greatest description that has been ever given to anyone.


There are so many rich, famous, talented people and big shots who are recognized for their achievements towards humanity, but none of that comes even remotely close to being known as 'rahmatan lil alameen.'


#Peacebeuponhim ​ ​ ​

Jazakallah khair shaykh for your feedback on this.

Every time I try to imagine what I would do without my mother, it scares me, but the truth is that the mother is just one manifestation of the Mercy of Allah. When the mother dies , the mercy of Allah does not die nor does it decrease. It still exists. 
You’re still in engulfed in it , you just have to realize it and appreciate it. Be thankful for it. 

The Prophet  Muhammad صلى الله عليه  وسلم was the greatest mercy that Allah sent, when he died the mercy wasn’t cut off , we still benefit from that mercy till today.  

اللهم صلى على محمد

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

As my husband was driving we were discussing the state of the ummah comparing it to the ‘Golden Age’ of Islam that had righteous leaders and society generally had fewer trials due to their greater morality and justice. 

Then, I contemplated the leadership of our beloved Messenger peace and blessings be upon him. It was a leadership to teach every single person and it was a leadership that should serve as an example for every leader and his companions should serve as examples of how to treat a leader.

Today, we don't have much of an established leadership or a head of state. Unfortunately, we are an ummah which stands often undivided. When a society, family, business or group is strong it is because it has strong, caring, nurturing, firm and fair leadership who has supporters who seek to follow that leadership. The members of the group are keen and united in their goals and aims which ultimately should be to please Allah with the Guidance He has sent; the Qur'an and sunnah. 

Take, the cornerstone of society 'the family' if the husband and wife are a team and possess strengths this is likely to follow onto their children. However, it is essential that this family is led by a fair and just husband and father who is willing to listen to his family members and who is encouraging and sets an example of fairness and positivity. The role of the mothers is huge and that she shows she is able to follow guidance and make decisions with love and tenderness. Of course, this is even more of a role to play in single parent families! 

Now, if we look at the oppressors, though they are without any doubt evil they are United in their evil, they care deeply about their ethnic group and they help one another with their wealth. Yet, we have the greatest wealth and that is the Qur’an and sunnah but our ummah lacks unity, leadership and supporting each other in doing good works. 

May Allah bring us a leadership in our homes and societies like that of Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him and may we revive that golden age once more. Allahumma Ameen.

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

O reflectors of the Qur’an, o those who love the Qur’an and o those who contemplate the Qur’an deeply and understand that they have received the rope of Allah! 

Recent, events have brought us to remember certain verses, certain passages and certain events from the Holy and Noble Qur’an. Much has changed in the world, but nevertheless the behaviour of mankind is still the same. Some are conscious of Allah and thus they behave uprightly, some are treacherous and their hearts are harder than stone reminding you of people like fir’aun and nimrod and some are shaky in their belief; attached to this temporary and deceptive world, knowing the truth but neither there or here.  Thus, the categories of people have not changed.

Whilst reflecting upon the Qur’an we remember whom the revelation was sent to, our beloved prophet Muhammad ﷺ . Whose character makes one to feel they have someone greater than their mother and father, someone who loves you even more than them and the One who sent you him loves you most of all.

Our fight against evil, bloodshed and injustice is through the Qur’an and sunnah. Being as much as we can just like Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.  This is how we defeat evil and we uphold the most humane way of life. The kindness to the orphan, the gratitude and compassion towards parents, teachers and righteous leaders, charity towards the needy, checking in upon our neighbour regardless of their faith and religion, the overlooking and patience, the firmness and steadfastness, the upholding of Allah’s commands and fighting for the sake of Allah and speaking for the truth.  
 
We are his ummah, and through our conduct we are all ambassadors of the true religion - Al Islam.

#ReflectinginCrisis
#ProphetMuhammadpeacebeuponhim

It is always a pleasure to hear from you sis, I enjoy your reflections. Please do post more!

I very much appreciate your Dua. Truly Allah sends His messages through whomsoever He chooses. I have been in receipt of the same feeling through yours and also others. Allah is Great and very Merciful! 

May Allah keep us all steadfast this is what we need the most. Your Dua touched me deeply. Duas are huge gifts. May Allah grant you and your family jannah and you see all your good actions manifest into Allah’s pleasure Allahumma Ameen ❤️

Bismillah

The siege didn’t end in a day.

For nearly a month, the Muslims surrounded the fortress of Banu Qurayzah. Worn out from the Battle of the Trench, hungry, cold, and emotionally exhausted— the betrayal of Banu Qurayzah had cut deep. These were not strangers—they were neighbours. Bound by treaty. Trusted. But they opened the gates to destruction. Had the Confederate forces breached the city, the Muslims would’ve been annihilated from within.

And yet… when the siege ended, when the fortress doors finally opened, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) didn’t lash out. There was no parade of celebration. Only silence. Restraint. Dignity.

He (peace be upon him) then delegated judgment to Sa’d ibn Mu’adh, a respected ally of the tribe, to ensure justice without bias. The ruling aligned with the legal norms of that time—even those upheld in the Torah. But even then, not everyone was punished. Those who hadn’t participated in treachery, those who sought protection, those vouched for by the Muslims—they were spared. The judgment was not fueled by vengeance but by necessity. And throughout it all, the Prophet's mercy remained intact.

This was not a man looking to break people. He was a man who had spent years inviting them, warning them, weeping for them. The Prophet’s mercy wasn’t just softness—it was strength wrapped in empathy.

And in that moment— I see the reflection of another heart: Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

A man who stood alone against a nation of idolaters, who was cast into fire for his belief—yet never cursed his people. He pleaded for them. He prayed for his father. And when angels came to announce the destruction of the people of Lut, Ibrahim—Khalilullah, the Friend of Allah—argued with them, hoping for mercy to delay the decree. 

What connects these two prophets—across centuries and missions—is that they never gave up on hearts. Even when those hearts turned away.

And I wonder, in my small trials, do I have even a fraction of that mercy?

Can I show compassion when I’m wronged? 
Can I spare when I have the power to punish? 
Can I hold firm to the truth without letting it harden my heart?

Because if the Prophet (peace be upon him) could be mercy in the face of betrayal…
If Ibrahim (peace be upon him) could pray in the face of rejection…
Then surely, I can try to forgive, to restrain, to feel—like they did.

Maybe the greatest sunnah I can carry… is a merciful heart.

The brother at my college campus reflected on these verses after maghrib salah, 

*Paraphrased*

'Allah says something in this ayah which is very severe, that the Prophet  
صلى الله عليه وسلم
was created as a mercy for not just us but for the whole universe. For everyone. And the prophet's mercy
صلى الله عليه و سلم 
should be reflected from us now that he's gone.' 

One practical advice he gave us was to send as much salawaat (اللهم صلى على محمد) on the prophet 
صلى الله عليه وسلم  
as we can. That will show how much we love the prophet
 صلى الله عليه و سلم. 

I know we hear this a lot , but it's hard to implement this. 
Smiling at people, greeting them, being kind to parents, siblings, friends, random people whether we have anything to gain from them or not 
or removing obstacles from the road, cleaning after yourself properly after using public bathrooms, holding the door for people. The list goes on and on. 
It's simple things that can change a persons day, it can make a person whose having a tough day to feel a little better. 
These are some of the things I think of when I think of relfecting mercy for the world, while obviously The Prophet's mercy
 صلى الله  عليه وسلم
and what he brought for the world is much much deeper than this. 

اللهم صلي على محمد

Muslim Student Organization & Women in Islam  CCNY

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent as a loving mercy for the entire world -- humans, animals, trees, rivers,...

...the followers of Prophet Muhmmad (peace be upon him) must also play the same role, individually and collectively, wherever they may be. Of course, this implies standing-up against oppression and injustice when appropriate.

#mercy #animals #nature #environment #islam #humanity

You are right… we must educate ourselves about this deen to follow him (pbuh)

We should be like a tree, when people throw stones at us, give them fruits! 
Our beloved Prophet ﷺ was stoned by the people of tai'f when he went to call them to Islam. The angels came and asked the  Prophet ﷺ to give a command and they will crush the people of Ta'if in between the mountains. But Prophet ﷺ refused.
It is said  الجزاء من جنس العمل. 
The act or crime of the people of Ta'if was that they had hurt the Prophet ﷺ so much that the only punishment fit for them was crushing them. The punishment makes me feel the depth of scars they had caused to our Prophet's ﷺ heart. It is the level of his ﷺ mercy that he still let them go because he is خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ (man of outstanding character). We should do our best to live upto our role model Muhammad ﷺ.

Size bu yazıyı yazdıran ve bizlere ulaştıran Rabbimize hamdolsun. 
Taif olayından sonra efendimiz sallallahu aleyhi vessellem mina çadırlarına gidiyor. 26. Çadırda 6 Medineli genç ile karşılaşıyor. Onlara İslam'ı anlatıyor ve onlar müslüman oluyorlar. Lakin asıl mesele şu ki... Tarifte taşlandı çok üzüldü. 1. Çadıra girdi kovuldu 2 de kovuldu 3 de yine kovuldu amcası arkasından kötü konuştu başka çadırlara girdi yine İslam'ı anlatmak için... 
Bu hikaye de benim öğrendiğim şey şudur ki DEVAM ETMEK SÜNNETTİR. 
EFENDİMIZ SALLALLAHU ALEYHİ VESSELLEM PES ETMEMİŞTİR. 
Ne kadar üzülsede kendisine verilen görev için durmamış. Sabretmiş ve devam etmiştir. 
Elhamdülillah subhanallah. Rabbim bizleri İslam yolunda ayakları sabit olan ve devam eden kullarından eylesin. 

Surat Al Fatiha unlocks the keys to understanding the Quran’s main messages. It is known in various hadiths as the ‘Mother of the Quran’, the ‘healer’, the ‘7 oft repeated verses’, the ‘greatest surah in the Quran’ and a ‘light’. It is a form of prayer (supplication) to Allah where we ask and we are answered by His Grace. 

Surat Al-Fatiha establishes our relationship with Allah and outlines the three main components of love, hope, and fear or reverence.  Allah knows the nature of the human being - that we are primarily motivated by fear of pain and pursuit of pleasure. However beyond those two primary motivators is the original and highest motive which is love. 'All praise to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds' establishes our relationship first and foremost based on love with Allah (SwT). Allah comes from ‘illah’ - which means 'The One worshiped, The refuge, The One loved with an intense love, and The One that minds cannot fully comprehend' (cited from Dr. Jinan Yousef’s class on Names of Allah). We are reminded of the importance of gratitude to Allah and that one of the reasons that we are increased in blessings is gratitude: '... ‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more…' (Quran 14:7). We are also told about the significance of gratitude in the hadith : 'Verily, the best servants of Allah on the Day of Resurrection are those who constantly praised Him.' (Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr lil-Ṭabarānī 18/124) and  'The best remembrance is to declare there is no God but Allah. The best supplication is to declare all praise is due to Allah.' (Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3383).

Next we are introduced to Allah as 'Rab' - which according to an article by Dr. Zainab Alwani, means the ‘Sustainer, Cherisher of the worlds, and caretaker’ connected to tarbiyya which means to 'to raise and nourish at every stage until the goal is attained.' Allah is The Caretaker, Sustainer and Nourisher of our hearts, bodies, minds and souls. How could we not love Allah (SwT)? 

Next we are introduced to the concept of hope in Allah (SwT) through His attributes Arrahman, Arraheem (The Most Merciful, The Most Compassionate).  Allah’s mercy surrounds us in every single aspect of our existence, from the time we are protected in layer upon layer in three veils of darkness as fetuses as explained in 39:6, to the time we live on earth with the sky raised over us without pillars with His permission as explained in 22:55, to how Allah sent us the Prophet (peace be upon him) as a form of mercy to the worlds (21:107), to how the Quran continues to be there for us as a mercy (31:1-3).  His mercy is all encompassing (7:156) and beyond the mercy of a mother with her own child.

Then, after the introduction of the relationship with Allah based on love and mercy, we are reminded of Allah as 'The Master of The Day of Judgement' and of our return to Him on that day.  We are reminded to be cautious of having committed oppression towards ourselves or towards others. This should not be a debilitating fear but a type of awareness and accountability that justice will be served that day and there will be no oppression.  Understanding that Allah is the ‘Malik' - Ruler and Owner of that day and all that lies in the heavens and the earth awakens us to the reality that we do not own anything. Understanding that we do not own anything also enables us to have immense gratitude for these blessings and liberates us from becoming too attached to them, so we recognize that if the blessing is taken away or removed, we do not feel alone or are in despair because we recognize Allah is enough for us, that to Him we belong, and to Him we will return. 

We do not even own our own bodies, minds, hearts and souls - they are gifts entrusted to us for a time and they will be returned to their Creator and Owner.  This pushes us to ponder on how we want to use and return this trust we were given for a time - how do we want to use and treat the blessing of our bodies, hearts, minds and souls?  How will we nourish them, and in which way will we use them ? 

We are told in a hadith:

'The son of Adam will not pass away from Allah until he is asked about five things: 

How he lived his life
How he utilized his youth
With what means did he earn his wealth
How did he spend his wealth
What did he do with his knowledge.' (Tirmidhi)

So let us ask ourselves how do we want our return to Allah to be? How do we want to be able to answer these questions?

Next, if we understand that Allah is The One whom we love most, The Ultimate Refuge, Our Caretaker and Sustainer (Rabb), The All-Merciful (Arrahman), The All-Compassionate (Arraheem), The Owner and Master of the Day of Judgement (Al-Malik) and temper our over-attachments to fleeting temporary pleasures, we can truly embody 'You alone do we worship, You alone do we seek help' because He is The Only One worthy of worship, The One we will return to, and The One who can ultimately help us. 

This verse brings together two of the most important matters of the heart which are sincerity in ‘You alone do we worship’ and tawakul (reliance on Allah) in ‘You alone do we seek help’. Sincerity is connected to the truth of understanding we will return to Allah, and that our intentions are for His sake and ultimate help comes from Him.  Muslim psychologist, Dr. Marwa Assar, explains having sincerity allows us to declutter mentally, emotionally, and internally from many attachments which can create inner conflict and attachment to outcomes that are beyond our control. When our intentions are for the sake of Allah, we trust in the outcomes that Allah holds for us. This verse, coming in the plural form, also reminds us of the importance of belonging to a community and supporting one another in worship and seeking help from Allah.

Finally, we arrive at the dua we make - 17 times a day, and the dua is for guidance, which is greater than any other blessing because guidance gives us direction, clarity, purpose, knowledge about God, nearness to Him and in sha Allah success in this world and in the next. Guidance protects us when we are bombarded with messages about who we should be and what we should be doing from society. We ask for guidance, once again as a collective, in plural form, emphasizing the importance of community to support us with guidance to stay on the straight path.  Staying on the straight path entails istiqamah - consistency and steadfastness and anything of value requires consistency. The prophet (peace be upon him said): 'The most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are most consistent, even if it is small.' (Bukhari). Dr. Assar shares that Istiqamah requires showing up and dedicating ourselves to the path of guidance we have chosen, even when we don’t ‘feel’ like it. Just like we go to school, work, or commit to anything even when we don’t ‘feel’ like it, committing to a path of faith and devotion to God cannot be dependent only on when we ‘feel’ like it or experience instant gratification because emotions are states which will fluctuate. Our submission to Allah helps us to stay the course and reminds us that we do not surrender to anything, including our feelings, or anyone but Him. 

Finally we are reminded about the importance of having a good support system through friendships and a community which supports our journey to Allah when we are told ‘the path of those whom you have blessed’. May we be of them. May Surat Al-Fatiha open our hearts to the beauty of the Quran, the beauty of faith, and the beauty of continuing to seek closeness to Allah.

#alfatiha
#Divinebookclub
#mercy
#guidance



MashaAllah. Your reflection on Surah Al-Fatiha is incredibly insightful and thorough. You have beautifully explained the deep meanings and significance of each verse, connecting them to the essence of our relationship with Allah. Your emphasis on love, hope, and fear in our connection with the Creator, as well as the importance of gratitude and seeking guidance, is truly inspiring. JazakAllah for reflecting with us!


Jazak Allah Khair for sharing such a profound reflection with the community.