لقد خلقنا الانسان في كبد

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ

Bismillah -

Allah SWT says in the Qur'an, 

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ٤

Indeed, We have created humankind in ˹constant˺ struggle.
(Surah Balad: 4) 

Though social media has made our lives more difficult with the idea of perfectionism and 'having it all together', with everyone showing the best side of their lives (be it even just 5% of their whole life); but if we look outside this bubble of this fake perfection which has become more of a performance at this point, and even in case of genuinely bright side of their lives (which is again, just one piece of their life puzzles); we can truly see this ayah revolving all around us. 

From birth till death, there's constant struggle. 

Look at the process of birth, it's without a doubt, one of the greatest struggles human goes through - both the mother and child, though Allah makes it easy by dilations, contractions, labour pains and so much more that happens naturally at the time of birth to entail ease, still it's horrifyingly difficult. 

Death is yet, another struggle. The process of rooh (soul) leaving the body; each of our trillions of cells losing life, the fear, the pain as you start witnessing your last moments - is utterly painful. Then you are put through the whole process of burial. Then the soul is put back in our bodies, in the grave, and we hear the footsteps of our loved ones leaving us in that soil, and then the squeezes of grave, and the hisaab, and then the fate afterwards... constant struggle; until we reunite to our Raheem Rabb. (Ameen)

Between life and death, there is a whole life, which again is a "constant struggle". Maybe a lot more for the common man who doesn't have the "apparent" luxuries, (although I don't find this view much convincing because if someone struggled so much the entire day, but came home to a family that loves him, praises him; the one-room home he has is the best of houses to be in, and he sleeps the most peaceful of sleeps - and on the other side, there is this man who walked whole day in an attire worth that poor man's entire fortune, managed mansions the poor man could only dream of, and had all the luxuries, but goes home to a place he cannot call home, has a partner who sleeps beside but has never connected to, has children who never praise, appreciate or love him, and he takes 4 pills to sleep - is also struggling), but still he isn't immune to the hardships of this world. 

Sometimes the struggle is physical, you feel it while walking on the road at 2 in the noon, with the sun at its peak, heat slapping at your face, your throat dry and itchy, you're counting the steps yet the bus stop is still so far away; so you drag your feet on the road and say just few more steps and then I'll reach it. Even when you reach, there are countless more faces like you, you cannot even think of those who are sitting on the bus stop's bench, being in a better state than you, because you know they aren't any better. So you keep your eyes fixated on the end of the road to catch a sight of the bus, drench your throat with the last few sips of (boiling hot) water you have (due to 2 pm heat). After years long minutes pass and you somehow get into the bus, not even getting a chance to let out a sigh of relief, because the whole ride you are struggling to breath under your niqab, to keep your balance and not fall, to shut your ears from the loud voices of tens of people standing your left, right, ahead and behind. 

And sometimes, the struggle is sitting on the floor for eight hours straight, with your back hurting as if it would break any moment you straighten it up, and you suddenly see there is a queue of empty cups resting alongside your laptop, and you realise you didn't even know you had this much tea today, and even then the exhaustion is enveloping you like a dark cloud, the stress grows and grows and you suddenly realise your hands are sweaty because of it, which too btw you only realised when the touchpad/mouse felt wet. Though the heat outside was stopped by the air conditioner's barrier, but you couldn't enjoy it for a moment and wanted to scream at the top of your lungs that I want to leave this and be at peace for a freaking minute. 

Sometimes the struggle is physical, sometimes mental, sometimes emotional, sometimes spiritual, sometimes it's in being completely numb - but even when you are numb, your brain is awake. Your peripheral nervous system is set on fight and flight mode. Your brain is alert, all motor neurons are doing a surveillance in your body, while you think you are numb and devoid of any emotions. But even the guilt of that, and how that eats you up, presenting you as the criminal in everyone's lives, is also a struggle. 

Every man who is walking on earth, whose struggle is seen or unseen, who is either even at this hour (1:57 am) standing at the roadside with balloons in his hands, because he hasn't earned enough to feed his children, or the one who can't sleep even after 4 sleeping pills, or the one rushing in blood banks and hospitals to find that rare blood group - just a few millilitres, or the one crying in tahajud right now feeling like he'll pass out if this construction in his lungs stays with him any longer, or the one lying in bed dying in pain due to his spiritual dissonance - are all struggling, aren't they? 

When I think about all this, more or less, I often say to Allah I don't like this world of yours, I hate it so much, and I hate the suffering it brings to everyone - but then I realise, Allah doesn't like it either, that's why He made 'jannah' as a home for you, me, the old man at roadside unable to sell his balloons, and the one in his luxurious mansions - if we fear Allah. The loveliest part is, He didn't make a nicer version of 'this' dunia, He made an 'entire realm' for us, which is beyond perfection - well who we are to even say this because we don't even know what perfection looks like, until we'll go see it with our eyes, in Allah, His beloved ﷺ, and the home He swt created for us - and this is why, we'll be granted new eyes to see all that because these eyes, they cannot grasp the true perfection, because of there limitations, because they are created for this duniya. 

The question is, we are in struggle by default, right - so is it worth letting it all go in vain? if we just revise our intentions and dedicate them to be in Allah's cause, isn't this such a great blessing of Allah? or are we God forbid, choosing struggling in this world and then struggling in Hellfire for an eternity? It's such a beautiful concept in our deen, that if we make our intentions, our 'why's right for all that we do, even the basic most things in life, it all becomes ibadah! Subhan Allah.  

A life here for a few years, and a jannah for an eternity - a bliss which knows no end. Subhan Allah. How unfortunate of us to not ask it enough from Allah, to not pray for it enough, to not ask Allah for His and His beloved's ﷺ companionship enough -

اللهم انى اسٔلك الجنة الفردوس الأعلٰى 

اللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ إِيمَانًا لاَ يَرْتَدُّ، وَنَعِيمًا لاَ يَنْفَدُ، وَمُرَافَقَةَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلى الله عَلَيه وسَلم فِي أَعْلَى جَنَّةِ الْخُلْدِ

Allahumma inni as-aluka Imanan la yartad wa na’iman la yanfad wa murafaqata Muhammadin sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam fi a’ala Jannatil khuld

O Allah! I ask you for Iman that does not retrogress, bounties that do not deplete and the companionship of Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in the highest levels of the eternal Jannah.”

(Sahih Ibn Hibban; Al Ihsan, Hadith: 1970)

MashaAllah, a heartfelt reflection that stays rooted in al-Balad (90:4) from start to finish. You take the single word كبد and let it open onto the whole span of human life. Jazak Allah khayr for sharing it.

These verse reminds me that we all made an effort for something—whether it's our deen, occupation, education, health, or anything—but sometimes here, in this dunya, we didn't get the results we wanted.
This dunya never looks to your effort.  It looks to the end result.
Was it successful? Was it a failure?
Well done, you've failed. That's all.
But the efforts....where do they go? Unnoticed from people, yes. But never unnoticed by Allah.
Here, from these verse: we have two groups. They both strived hard. But the end result are different. 
One is exhausted with their efforts.
The other is pleased with their efforts.
What makes them different is: how did they make effort? With sincerity? faith? tawakkul? patience?
Or... With the desire to fulfill ego? wanting only this world's success and achivements?

We are all constantly struggling. What makes us different is which path we're all heading to?
And often times, the path to goodness isn't easy at all. But it's worth it. For getting the pleasure of Allah and seeing Allah, is the best thing you can imagine.

This verses reminds me to keep purifying my intentions when I'm striving for something, and to stay in the path goodness while hoping of Allah's mercy and pleasure.

Ali Ali Wa jazakallah khair! May Allah bless you.

Allah in this ayah describes the path of good as a “difficult pass.”
Doing good isn’t easy. It requires sacrifices.
Oftentimes, it’s easier to not do it at all. It’d be easier to sleep in rather than struggle to wake up for fajr, it’d be easier to withhold your wealth rather than watch it decrease.

And yet, Allah says that He created us in hardship. No matter what, we’ll be toiling away at something. So let it be something worthwhile. Even if you try to take an easy road, this world will never become Jannah; there will always still be slips and bumps along the way.

The biggest sacrifices reap the greatest rewards. Even though the path may be steep and difficult, the destination will be higher than you ever imagined. May Allah make us of those who strive in His sake, no matter how difficult the path may get.

#SubmissionAndSacrifice 

One of my avocado trees has fruited quite fruitfully (pun intended). Alhamdulillah. And if you know me, you know I love my avocados, so I am already salivating. But as I stood there admiring this tree, naturally, I started thinking about harvesting it. I started thinking about the kind of effort it would require my team to harvest these fruits – they were quite up there in the tree. The tools they would have to use. The time they would have to spend. The possible danger of falling or hurting themselves. The energy it might require. All of a sudden, it felt like a lot of work. Just harvesting one fruit felt like a day's work. This reminded me of Ayah 90:4
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ
Such toil and struggle we have to face in this world. Just to put a morsel in our mouths. A morsel that we need to survive. Which in turn reminded me of the effortless ease in Jannah. 
Picture the scene with me. You're just chilling there with your mates in your lofty garden, adorned in your finest silks, feeling good and looking really cool, reclining on these luxurious, shaded couches underneath this lush fruit tree, and the fruits are so low that they almost drop into your mouth—such effortless ease! This kind of convenience is out of this world. 
Speaking of this world, for most of us, we don't get our fruits directly from trees; we get them from stores. Which, unfortunately, has made the whole process of acquiring fruits quite effortless, so much so that we start to live in an illusion of ease. We start to develop the mentality that this world is some kind of Jannah. 
I am not saying you should not buy fruits from stores, but perhaps next time you buy a fruit, just ponder over the process of how it got to you, and don't fall into the trap of convenience. True ease and convenience can only be found in Jannah, and whatever this world has to offer is an inferior illusion of what will come. 
May Allah make us among those who appreciate His endless blessings upon us and grant us the ease He promises us in Jannatul Firdaws. Ameen 
#FarmReflections 

Such a delight to read this reflection, mashaAllah. Jazaki Allah Khair, Sister! 

'O mankind! Indeed, you are laboring toward your Lord with great exertion and will meet Him.' — Qur’an 84:6

'Indeed, We have created humankind in ˹constant˺ struggle.' Quran 90:4

Sometimes I pause and realize, we are all struggling toward something in life. Each of us is chasing a dream, a goal, a sense of perfection. But if I look deeply, I see that what I truly yearn for in all my pursuits is not the thing itself, but what lies behind it — peace, love, fulfillment.

Yet, how often do we mistake the shadow for the source? I seek peace, so I chase money! forgetting that Allah is As-Salām, the Source of Peace. I seek honor, so I pursue power!,  unaware that true might belongs to Al-‘Azīz. I crave beauty, knowledge, or love — all of which are but reflections of Al-Jamīl and Al-‘Alīm.

And even when I gain what I thought I wanted, the void within remains. I might accumulate wealth, power, or admiration, yet still feel restless, because the heart cannot find peace in anything less than its Origin. Meanwhile, time quietly passes, carrying me closer to the end.

But when the realization dawns, that my deepest yearning has always been for Him — and I begin to turn my pursuit toward Allah, something within settles. The chase ends. The heart finds tranquility.

So let us pause, reflect, and redirect our energy and focus toward Allah, the True Object of every longing heart. For all else are but fleeting shadows, and only in His nearness do we find lasting peace.

And when the journey of this life concludes, may we be among those greeted with the words:

 'O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, pleased and pleasing. Enter among My servants, and enter My Garden.' (Qur’an 89:27–30)

This was such a blessing to read, Mashallah! Shukran, o servant of Allah.

Various times in the Qur'an, Allah SWT reveals such integral qualities of Al Insaan - Mankind which only Al Khaaliq - The Creator can. Allah SWT describes human beings as ungrateful, hasty, impatient, unfair, stingy. He SWT calls them ignorant, argumentative, wrongful and transgressive. He says mankind has been created weak, in difficulty and constant struggle.

لا ريب فيه
No doubt that Al Musawwir - The Fashioner has spoken the truth about His Creation. At first, I used to feel that Allah is mentioning these qualities to express His disappointment with us humans when it comes to fulfillment of His Rights - Huqooq ullaah. How we fail to display sabr, shukr towards our Rabb and how we constantly fail to fulfill our duties as His slaves. But the more I think about it, the more I realise that it's not limited to Huqooq ullaah, but also extends to Huqooq ul Ibaad - Right of His servants over one another.

From my own experiences and of those around me, I have realised that we humans, especially women, often feel unappreciated. We feel like we do thankless jobs for ungrateful people. It's as if we are surrounded by impatient people, who can't seem to empathise with us. They are ignorant, unfair and how they love to argue! But here's the thing. When Allah SWT describes mankind, He does not mention any exceptions. That means it is ALL humans, including me. 

How often do I think if the other person feels appreciated? Do I not lose my patience and say something I should not have said? If someone has a weak moment and makes a mistake, do I not judge them? Am I always fair in my dealings? Do I never cross boundaries? Do I readily forgive? The people around me have certain rights over me - Huqooq ul Ibaad. Do I make sure that I am fulfilling all those rights? Am I as a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, an in-law, a relative, a friend, a teacher, a student, a neighbour - giving the others their due rights? Or am I only concerned with the rights I have over others? 

When Our Creator says that He has created us with some attributes, there is no way that we can be separated from them. We can manage them sure, but we can never disassociate ourselves from them. We are all in a constant struggle with our Nafs. It's a work in progress. But everyone is trying. And we need to appreciate that effort.

These aayaat teach me this much-required empathy and tolerance towards others and introspection of my own faults. It teaches me to be more accepting - with others, of their struggle and with myself, of my mistakes. And they also teach me to slowly but surely, steer my expectations away from the creation and towards The Creator.

Because...
Man is ungrateful and ignorant, but Allah is Ash-Shakoor, The Most Appreciative and Al-Muhsee, The All-Enumerating.
Man is impatient and hasty, but Allah is Al-Haleem, The Most Forbearing and As-Saboor, The Most Patient.
Man is stingy, but Allah is Al-Mughnee, The Enricher and Al-Wasee', The Limitless.
Man is unfair and judgemental, but Allah is Al-Hakm and Al-Adl, The Most Impartial and Just Judge.
Man is unforgiving, but Allah is Al-Afuww, The Pardoner and Al-Ghafoor, The All-Forgiving.
Man is weak, but Allah is Al-Qawiyy, The All-Strong and Al-Azeez, The Almighty.
Man is imperfect, but our Rabb is As-Salaam, The Most Perfect.

jazakallah i took away from your reflection that we need to Acnowledge that we own this attributes instead of dissociating from it so you  understand your weakness first and understanding the human nature allows you to pardon when others act in such ways and the very ackowlegment of understanding this is human nature leads us to be vulnerable with Allah because you understand who you are in nature so you ask Allah for protection. 

I had to take some hours to fully internalise this verse: Allah says in Surah Al-Anbiya (21:50):

'And this is a blessed Reminder that We have revealed. Will you then deny it?'

after taken time going through tafsir, i sat down alone and think through what does it mean for Quran to be a blessed reminder, i had this realisation :

Qur’an is indeed a blessed book, concise in its expression yet profound in its impact. It is textually efficient and spiritually effective. In just a few words, it delivers truths that can shake the heart and reorient a person’s entire life. 

The verse is a challenge to those who doubt. Can they truly deny a message so powerfully efficient, where a single verse can ignite transformation?

Consider the lives it continues to transform across generations and backgrounds. A professor reads it and is captivated by its depth. A young student reads the same verse and finds clarity and comfort. This is part of its miracle. The Qur’an speaks to every heart, no matter the level of understanding.

Even the Prophet (s) was called a magician by the disbelievers. While meant as an insult, it unintentionally points to the mysterious power of the Qur’an. We call something magic when we cannot fully grasp how it works, yet we cannot deny its effect. Such was the Qur’an. It touched hearts, broke idols, stirred sleeping souls, and rebuilt lives from the inside out. Its power was undeniable, even to its fiercest opponents.

Take for instance the verse: 'Indeed, We have created man in hardship' (Qur’an 90:4). Reflecting on this alone changes the way we see life. We no longer try to escape struggle. Instead, we learn to choose the right struggle, the one that draws us closer to Allah. That is the worthy path.

Qur’an is a divine book with layers, meeting each soul where it is and guiding it to where it ought to be. 

Blessed is the one whose heart opens to its message.

MashaAllah.
Jazakallahu khairan kaseeran for wording such an inspiring knowledge.

'We have certainly created man in hardship.' (Qur’an 90:4)

This verse has been on my mind since morning, just one short Aya, yet it carries a truth that reshapes how I see life.

We were created in hardship. Struggle isn’t a detour from life; it is life. But for years, I kept hoping for that day when things would finally settle, when the struggle would be over. And yet, every time I reached a goal, I felt... empty. That peace I imagined never truly came.

It made me realize: we’re not meant to escape struggle! we’re meant to choose the right one.

Some pour all their energy into wealth or fame. But even those things point beyond themselves! to a deeper hunger, a longing for the Infinite. And if we’re fortunate, we realize that the only struggle truly worthy of us is the one that brings us nearer to Allah.

I’ve met people whose presence alone reminded me of Him, their compassion, humility, truthfulness. Like signs. And it struck me: I want to be a sign too. A reminder, a reflection. Not of worldly success, but of the One who created us in struggle, so that through it, we might rise toward Him.

We were created to strive. The only question is, in which direction?

I wasn't getting enough sleep for the last couple of days, but yesterday I had a better sleep, alhamdulillah. I also felt better while I was at work. I felt sharper and more rejuvenated mentally and physically.


So, this positive feeling caused me to reflect on a verse of the Quran in a more personal and relatable way. It is about the sleep or the drowsiness that some of the Companions were blessed with during the battles of Badr and Uhud (which is actually mentioned in two separate verses).


I will share the personal reflection a little later, but first let's have a brief look at the historical background.


The word that Allah used for such a sleep is 'nu'asan' (نُّعَاسًا), and scholars have said that it refers to a sleep that causes the eyes to close but it's not a full, deep sleep; it is somewhere between sleep and wakefulness; and it's a state that mainly brings a feeling of peace and tranquility in one's heart, so that they can tackle the challenges in front of them without fear.


During the battle of Badr, there was a certain point that the Muslims started to get more intimidated by the force and the greater man-power of their enemy. And this fear can be overwhelming and stressful, and logically, this can be depleting for them physically, mentally, and emotionally as well.


So, as a means of help and mercy toward the believers, Allah covered some of them with a kind of sleep or drowsiness (nu'asan) to help them regain their strength and motivation levels. This also happened during the battle of Uhud, and Allah mentioned this in another verse, in Surah Al-Imran:


‎ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَىٰ طَآئِفَةً مِّنكُمْ وَطَآئِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ غَيْرَ ٱلْحَقِّ


'Then after distress, He sent down upon you security (in the form of) drowsiness, overcoming a faction of you, while another faction worried about themselves, thinking of Allah other than the truth ...' (3:154)


There are narrations about this which tell us that the swords were slipping from the Companions' hands, and they were slouching behind their shields in a state of slumber. Ibn Kathir comments on this verse:


'Allah reminds the believers of the slumber that He sent down on them as security from the fear they suffered from, because of the multitude of their enemy and the sparseness of their own forces.'


And then he quoted Abu Talha, who said, 'I was among those who were overcome by slumber during the battle of Uhud. The sword fell from my hand several times, and I kept picking it up again, several times. I also saw the Companions' heads nodding while in the rear guard.'


So, reflecting on these events in connection to my own revitalized experience after having a good sleep, alhamdulillah, I had the following reflections.


Sleep is something that we get regularly, and it doesn't require that much of an effort to fall asleep. We just have to go to bed, and gradually the sleep overtakes us.


However, because of getting it so easily, unlike the Companions who got it in a time distress and anxiety, it's something that I think we underestimate the blessing of, and therefore we also don't feel grateful enough about being able to sleep (and wake up again).


In a way, though with a lesser intensity, we can say that each day we go through our own individual battles (mini-battles), and so each day Allah provides a time for us to rest and sleep so that we can prepare and motivate ourselves for the next day's battle.


Allah also said, 'Indeed, We have created man in (a state of) toil' (90:4), so He also blessed us with an opportunity to have moments of silence and tranquility each and every night which enables us to calm down our entire bodies and our minds, which is through sleep.


Whether the battle is big or small, we too have to be grateful for the periods of rest and tranquility which Allah SWT has caused to descend upon us.


#SleepAndToil

The Khateeb recited this Surah today in the context of motivating everyone to give in charity and sponsor orphans 

This verse hit me because lately I’ve been thinking about daily struggles , how somehow some of my struggles are old, and some are new that I did not anticipate . And some of my struggles are long gone forgotten . 

The only things constant are the existence of struggles and the confusion on how to deal with them . But this is how it’s going to be . Always something. And then it hit me 

The other thing constant is pleading to Allah to make these struggles easy for me . 

And then the connection to Sadaqa made sense 

How giving Sadaqa , alleviates trials 
Perhaps that is a connection in this Surah

Tafakari: Al-Balad 90:4