Gemstones are so beautiful.
I am obsessed with them, who wouldn't be?
Rubies, emeralds, sapphires..each one a different kind of beauty. Each one rare, precious, formed over millennia deep in the earth.
And each one... completely out of my reach.

I can't collect them all. They're too expensive. So I choose, maybe one, if I save enough. And even then, I'll always have FOMO about the ones I couldn't afford.

But then I think about adhkar.
SubhanAllah. Alhamdulillah. Allahu Akbar.
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
Hasbi Allahu wa ni'mal wakeel.

Aren't these treasures too?

The Prophet ﷺ called them:
- Treasures of Paradise
- Heavy on the scale
- Beloved to the Most Merciful
- A shield from Hellfire

And unlike gemstones, we can have them all.
There's no price tag. No scarcity. No competition.
Just... say them.
In small amounts, consistently.

Gemstones may cost thousands and sit in a vault.
But adhkar don't just sit, they build.
They build palaces in Jannah while you sleep.

There is no FOMO in dhikr.

We don't have to choose which treasure to save up for.
We don't have to miss out on the others.
We don't have to wait until we're "wealthy enough" to own them.

We just... open our mouths.
And they're ours.
All of them.
Every single one.

So why do we treat dhikr like it's optional, while chasing gemstones, or cars, or gadgets, or status—like they're essential?

Maybe because gemstones feel rare, and dhikr feels... too easy?

But the Prophet ﷺ said:
"The most beloved deeds to Allah are those done consistently, even if small."
So this Ramadan?

Let's build a collection intentionally, together.

Maybe 100 times of سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ after Fajr.
Maybe 50 times of لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ before iftar.
Maybe just 10 times of أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ before sleep.

In small numbers, but Consistently and they become ours forever.

By the end of Ramadan, we won't have a gem collection.

But we'll have something infinitely more valuable:
A treasury that follows us into the grave.

Note: A personal reflection by Fariha Guncha. Kindly credit if shared.
#RamadanReady  #Dhikr #Ramadan2026 #SpiritualWealth #RamadanGoals #IslamicReflections

Impermanent vs eternal.
“We have indeed made whatever is on earth as an adornment for it, in order to test which of them is best in deeds. And We will certainly reduce whatever is on it to barren ground” (18:7-8).

Deeds that last. Effort that lasts. Everything from this world will perish, only the good deeds will endure. Use this world to gain a lasting benefit; a benefit that is not limited merely to this world, but instead, far exceeds it. This is a theme present in Surah Al-Kahf, and in the stories within it. 

When the youths retreated to the cave, they left behind everything from this world. They didn’t see success as riches or wealth, but instead, they saw the key to success in their religion: “For, indeed, if they find out about you, they will stone you ˹to death˺, or force you back into their faith, and then you will never succeed” (18:20). Holding onto their faith was the most important thing to them, even more so than everything they had in this dunya. They used this dunya to seek the akhirah, and Allah(swt) elevated them because of this. He changed His laws in nature for them. He preserved their story in His revelation. He honored them, for they were not people who clung to this worldly life.

A man has two gardens. He has invested all his time and effort into them. The gardens are blossoming and blooming, and he thinks he has full control over them. He becomes arrogant and ungrateful. But this jannah of his…it doesn’t last. All the time and effort he put into it…wasted. “And so all his produce was ˹totally˺ ruined, so he started to wring his hands for all he had spent on it, while it had collapsed on its trellises…” (18:42). When you invest your effort and time into this dunya, it will inevitably perish. Your deeds done for worldly purposes aren’t going to last. The result is that you have nothing except your misdeeds waiting for you in your record. The jannah of this world won’t last, but the Jannah in the next will.

Musa(as) heads out on a tiring journey, insisting he won’t stop, even if he spends years upon years in travel. This effort and time that Musa(as) is investing here is so he can gain more knowledge, knowledge that will benefit him in this world and the next. He’s using this dunya to seek the akhirah. But the good deeds that you do in this world may feel like they’re not going anywhere. It may seem like you’re not seeing the fruit of your labor at all. You might not see the effect of your deeds for a long time, or maybe even ever in your lifetime. Al-Khidr does all these things…whose benefit won’t be seen for a long time, and he probably won’t be there to see it even when it does happen. However, Allah(swt) promises that we will see our deeds on Judgement Day. We might not see them in this world, but their scope isn’t limited to this world. Your good will be seen on Judgment Day, and, on that Day, it will be the only thing from this world which will be able to help you.

Dhul-Qarnain has been given much from this world. Unlike the man with his gardens, however, he doesn’t let this prevent his faith. He uses all that Allah(swt) has given him to seek His pleasure; enjoining the good, and forbidding the evil. He uses what he has in the dunya to seek the akhirah.

Deeds that last. Effort, time, commitment… let it last. Everything in this dunya will perish, all but the everlasting good deeds. We can use what we have in this dunya to seek the akhirah, making our effort and striving count. Otherwise, we could forget about the akhirah and invest solely in this dunya, only for it to all perish in the end. What’s done for this dunya won’t last, but what’s done for Allah will. Don’t be content with the impermanent, but strive for the eternal. Use this fleeting world to gain everlasting good deeds… : “We have indeed made whatever is on earth as an adornment for it, in order to test which of them is best in deeds.” (18:7)

Your effort, time, deeds… all of this, just for it to turn to dust. That is a true loss. 
Your effort, time, deeds…all of it, to be seen on Judgement Day and, by Allah’s Mercy, get you into Jannah? That is a true success.

#TrueSuccess ​ 

When I look at the world today, I see wonders unfolding before my eyes. Man builds cities that shine at night like constellations, machines that respond to voice, medicines that save lives once lost to despair. Knowledge grows so vast that one lifetime cannot contain it.

These marvels remind me of the verse:

 'We made whatever is on the earth an adornment, to test which of them is best in deed.' (18:7)

For years, I thought 'best in deed' (ahsanu ʿamalan)* meant only those acts of worship we know well — prayer, fasting, charity which also appears in Quran 67:2. But the more I pondered the realities around me, the more I saw another meaning emerging. When a scientist discovers a cure, when a reformer establishes justice, when an engineer designs shelter for the poor — are these not also among the best of deeds in the worldly sense? Civilization itself is a response to this test: who will contribute most beautifully to the growth of humanity?

But then another verse interrupts the glory:

 'And indeed, We will make whatever is on it barren ground.' (18:8)

And I cannot deny it. History has always spoken this truth. The brilliance of Egypt lies buried in sand. The wisdom of Greece survives only in fragments. Towers of Babylon are rubble, their names remembered but their power erased. Even today’s advances will one day be obsolete, overtaken or forgotten. The Qur’an’s words are not theory — they are history’s pattern. All worldly excellence, however great, will eventually be leveled to dust.

Then I reach verse 46:
 'Wealth and children are adornment of worldly life, but the enduring righteous deeds are better with your Lord for reward and better for hope.' (18:46)

Here, the Qur’an shifts my attention. It does not deny that wealth, children, and worldly accomplishments shine as adornments — it acknowledges them. But it warns me that none of them will cross into eternity unless they are carried by something deeper: al-bāqiyāt al-ṣāliḥāt — enduring righteous deeds.

This is where I saw the distinction clearly:

Ahsanu ʿamalan is the beauty of human contribution — the outward excellence that builds civilizations, discovers knowledge, and improves life.

ʿAmal ṣāliḥ is what gives that contribution permanence — when the work is tied to Allah, done in sincerity, anchored in righteousness.

One without the other is incomplete. Ahsan ʿamal without ṣāliḥ becomes dust. Ṣāliḥ without effort risks becoming piety detached from life. But when the two meet — when excellence is infused with righteousness — a deed shines both in this world and the next.

This realization unsettled me but also gave me clarity. It means Islam never called us to abandon progress or fear human achievement. Rather, it called us to guide progress with intention, to turn human brilliance into worship.

So now, when I see the marvels of our age, I no longer only admire them. I ask: What will remain of this? Will it vanish with time, or will it endure with Allah?

Because on that barren ground (18:8), no skyscraper will stand, no empire will last, no invention will remain. Only the deeds tied to Allah will rise again.

* Durr al manthur: a hadith from Abdullahi Bn Umar that merge the two meaning, as cited in Tafsir Almizan

Jazakallah for the contribution, QuranReflect team arw doing great for this platform where muslims from different part of the world share insight which iginite thoughtful reform among muslims. Every member on this platform is an ambassador of his community. Let be source of inspiration to one another. 

Every Friday, I pause here.

And every single time, this ayah… it grips something deep inside me.
A gentle but firm reminder that wakes my soul from the illusion I sometimes slip into.

Wealth.
Children.
The very things we chase, worry about, protect, and plan for …They are part of this world’s temporary beauty…..
They decorate our lives, but they do not define our worth.

We build homes, save money, dream for our children, and feel proud of our roles but this ayah reminds me that while all of that is precious, it isn’t what truly lasts.

What remains?
'Al-bāqiyātuṣ-ṣāliḥāt.'
The sincere actions.
The prayers whispered in solitude.
The tears that fall unseen in sujood.
The patience no one recognizes.
The quiet dhikr when the heart is heavy.

These are not just better in reward…
They are better in hope.

They carry us beyond this life.
They don’t fade with time…they shine when everything else falls away.

So I pause.
Every Friday.
And I ask myself:

What am I building?
A life that sparkles… or a soul that endures


Dua 🤲🏻🥹 from the heart !! 

O Allah, do not let the beauty of this world deceive our hearts.
Do not make us among those who forget the lasting righteous deeds.
Grant us actions that remain and a remembrance with You that never fades.
Make the Hereafter our greatest concern.
Grant us a beautiful end.
Make us from Your servants who are not deluded by the world or distracted by its decoration.
Surround us with light in front of us, behind us, on our right, on our left, and above us 
and help us overcome our own selves.
You are capable of all things
Ameen 🤲🏻 

#surahalkahaf
#personalreflection
#quranrelfect

Ameen !!!

What a beautiful reflection, A surah which we recite every week bithnillah.

'A life that sparkles… or a soul that endures'

The sparkles will end. Eventually, It could be a calamity, or even death.
But even as the body dies. The Soul is still there.

I ask Allah swt to accept your dua and give us hearts that work for the Akhira.
Those that long to meet him, and refine themselves before they stand before him.

Ameen -


Reading Surat al-Kahf left me with one clear realization: everything within the Sura points to the Day of Judgment. Each story is a gentle reminder, a call to purify the soul and prepare it for return.

The People of the Cave show Allah’s power to preserve life beyond time. If He can do that, how can resurrection be doubted?

The man with the gardens reminds me how quickly the world can delude us, making us forget the Hereafter, until loss wakes us up.

Musa and Khidr revealed that Allah’s plan always unfolds with wisdom, even when it breaks our expectations. What we see as disruption may be divine protection.

Dhul-Qarnayn showed that when power is guided by faith, it becomes protection, not pride. If Allah could give such strength to a servant, how can we question His ability to recreate us?

Then I reached the verse:

'But the enduring good deeds are better with your Lord for reward and better for hope.' (18:46)

Everything began to connect. Every command and prohibition is soul training. Not to restrict us, but to refine us. To prepare us for the day we will hear:

'O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, pleased and pleasing.' (89:27)

And then another layer of meaning opened. We are encouraged to read Surat al-Kahf every Friday. It’s not just for reward, it’s a spiritual detox. It cleanses the illusions, ambitions, greed, and corrupt thoughts quietly planted in us by daily life and the whispers of Shaytan. Each Friday, this surah realigns our heart, refreshes our purpose, and prepares us to face another week with clarity and calm.

This is not just a surah to recite. It is a weekly reminder of where we are headed and who we are meant to become.

How we read this surah week after week, I just read it in the afternoon today, and we are so far off from its teachings....

I usually don't read it on Thursday, then on Friday morning I continue my daily tilawah, thinking I'll just read it after or while doing my chores. 
As soon as I complete it, it feels so good.... A box ticked

But what did it say to me.... I just don't know, 
why was I asked to read it every week..... No idea

 Money and children are MERE adornments......? They are not something to 'rely' on.....?

Rely....

Do we rely on our good deeds as much as  we rely on money.. or children?

Do we consciously do good deeds as we consciously and meticulously handle our money matters.... Or matters pertaining to our children...

Aslam o alaikum 

Verse 46 from surah Kahf is my most favourite verse it always calms me down when I'm feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of the progress in the world, where everyone is rushing to make a lot of money and having kids thinking it's the only way you'll be successful. But Allah tells us that all of these blessings are the adornments of dunya which is temporary. 

All that remains with Allah are the good deeds we earn through this world. 
As Iqbal said
نہ تو زمین کے لیے ہے نہ تو آسمان کے لیے 
جہاں ہے تیرے لیے تو نہیں جہاں کے لیے 
Allah created and put this universe on work for us, and we are supposed to use these sources to get closer to Allah, but we get so busy in this temporary life that our earnings and sometimes even or Salah is for this world, like a student praying Fajar just because he has an exam that day and after that he forgets about Salah all together. 

Allah tells how only good deeds will remain in terms of reward and hope.
- Sometimes we get reward for our good deeds in this world like the chances of doing more good or Allah easing the paths for us in difficulty 
- The only hope we have for Akhirah is our good deeds, maybe that's the reason we feel relieved after praying as the first question will be about Salah on day of judgement. 

Do earn dunya and do get married, have kids but don't forget that if we don't use these blessings in the right way they'll be a source of torment for us on the day of judgement. 
May Allah grant us the ability to do good deeds and may we not belittle good deeds even if it's picking throne from the way Ameen

Two realities are juxtaposed here. Typically, comparisons involve similar units of analysis, but in this instance, Allah has described worldly wealth and relations as the 'adornments' of this life, while contrasting them with 'righteous deeds' and attributing the quality of 'enduring' (al-baqiyat) to the latter. This raises a question: are 'adornment' and 'endurance' mutually exclusive? The answer lies within us. Our tastes and desires are constantly evolving, never settling on one thing for long. Nor do the things that captivate our senses remain eternally beautiful. Beauty is a trend, and trends are ephemeral.

Consider the nature of wealth: for a child, toys are the epitome of delight; for a school-going youth, it's peer-approved possessions; for a young adult, luxury items and vehicles become the symbols of success. As one matures, business empires become the focus, rendering earlier aspirations meaningless.

Similarly, relationships evolve: parents are a child's universe, followed by friends, then spouse and children. Yet, when one descends into the grave, a new reality unfolds, and all these 'captivating realities' start blurring. This is where endurance, not ephemeral beauty, holds sway. The relentless pursuit of fleeting pleasures loses value. In the hereafter, only lasting deeds endure and the rest is rendered meaningless.

In my opinion, this verse serves as a spiritual GPS, akin to Google Maps. When we set a destination and zoom in on the surrounding landscape, we often lose sight of the bigger picture – the route taken and the distance remaining. But the map offers a 'Re-center' option.
Similarly, this verse provides a spiritual 'Re-center' button, reminding us to refocus amidst life's ever-changing landscapes. If we've lost our bearings amidst shifting priorities, it prompts us to reassess our journey's purpose and destination. What is our ultimate goal? What provisions should we pack for the journey ahead.

Mind blowing reflection. jazak Allah khair

Bismillahi Ar Rahman Ar Raheem 

This week I felt reminded of the last part of this ayaat 2:3 of Baqarah 'and they spend out of whatever we have given them' in the Palestenian cause for liberation. There was a gentleman who quit working for the state department in US and instead invested his time, experience and education into creating a report to submit the government to prove the weapons are being used for genocide. There were lawyers who offered up services to protect students being arrested at encampments. There were comedians using their work to raise awareness. There were artists creating thought provoking images so on and so forth. Then of course there were fundraisers and donors and donation. A Palestenian young lady teaches children in a tent. 
Allah SWT gave everybody something. What I highlight here are skills, expertise, knowledge but also recognise things like privilage by language a person speaks or the nationality or ethnic group they are part of that gives their words strength and credibility to effect change.

Then I think about the Palestenian people themselves, displaced, without work, without aid but they keep on spending as well. Spending on retrieving their country men from damaged buildings, conveying the patients to hospitals, telling their own stories, telling the world to keep up spirits. You could argue they have nothing to give and yet they find something to give anyways. 

Then finally the boy who prays two rakahs after 9 members of his family are killed. This boy embodies this Ayat in its entiriety in that he demonstrated belief in the unseen, established prayer and in doing so he gave us inspiration. The video was captioned he has nothing left. He does have something left though and thats the most important thing: emaan. Which we can learn from. We can't judge what is in a person's heart but I imagine his is a Qalb saleem. Especially since this is Rafah 8 months in and everyone warned against the invasion and plenty of time was there for the world to have intervened. He could ask - why Allah? Why are you allowing this to happen? 

Then I was reading Surah Kahf which starts with the story of youth standing up injustice and immediately after their story Allah SWT tells us to be patient with those who call Allah in the morning and evening seeking His face and not to allow our sight or vision to be taken in by those who follow the beautification of this world and their desires. I always thought this meant sticking with your Muslim community, going to the mosque etc so you are always around people who pray all the time and that will help you be patient in the face of temptations. However I feel a deeper understanding might be that we have to be patient with those people who are literally calling Allah morning and evening because the bombs are dropping morning and evening, they are literally calling on Allah for help, for an end to this massacre, submitting their families that become shaheed to be accepted by Allah. Patience here might mean not giving up on their cause. Imagine all the people from the examples above - the students, lawyers, teachers, medics, artists etc etc decided after a few days or weeks, this war isnt ending, we cant keep this up forever, lets focus on new things. Imagine we stopped talking about Palestine because our work, our daily lives are calling us and we just want to live a beautiful life like other people are doing. 

OR we get frustrated with a lack of change and start exploring the causes of why nothing is changing, why the war isnt stopping and I'm sure people are doing this more and more by educating themselves about politics, UN policies etc and we learn about the strong lobbies, the finances, the power that are controlling the geopolitics and governments. The other side has so much money, so much fire power, so much fuel power, such a powerful military etc etc. It can feel hopeless and we can get a defeatist mentality. We Muslims are policed in our language, our dress code, our expression of speech while the other side has supremacy, resources, finances. Then you read the ayaat of Surah Kahf 18:46 - Al maal wa banoon zeenatud hayatud dunya. Wealth (all that  financial and resource power) and children (all the man power, supremacy, lobbyiny, military force) are JUST beautification of the life of this world but lasting good deeds are better with your Rabb as reward and actions. It ain't going to last. 

 Bear in mind this ayah follows the story of Ashabul Jannah where one guy had a lot of wealth and power and he was convinced that it will never be destroyed and even if it is Allah will give him more in the next life because his current wealth and power was proof of legitamacy of his position with Allah. His friend who didn't have much wealth or power just asked a simple question : are you going to deny Allah who made you from nothing?  i.e be so arrogant as to not give Allah His due credit? Then everything he has get destroyed. 

So to everyone that is giving to the cause of liberation their spirit, their time, their energy, their words, their skills, knowledge, experience but is getting tired or being afraid of losing out on a comfortable life or wanting a richer life - wasbir nafsaka. Be patient with those who call Allah day and night. Allah decides what time is the right time for the power of the enemy to be destroyed. And if you are struggling then go back to ayah of Surah Baqarah : This is the book about which there is no doubt guidance for Al Muttaqeen. Those who  believe in the unseen, establish prayer, give out of what Allah has given you. 

Last thought on this is in the ayaah in surah Kahf ayah 102-104 Allah SWT talks about people who believed they were doing good but they persistently and defiantly disbelieved in the meeting with Allah so He caused their deeds or actions to become meaningless. If we do good but fall short on believing in the unseen and establishing prayer we also run the risk of having our deeds turn to dust just as those who with all their power, supremacy, wealth are convinced today that by forecfully taking Palestine they are doing some form of good but may Allah turn their efforts to dust. May Allah forgive us for what is deficient in our efforts and understanding and forgive our weaknesses.

MashAllah. Such an inspiring reflection. JazakAllah Khair

Prioritizing acts of kindness and charity over material pursuits. Instead of spending excess money on luxury items, you could allocate a portion of your resources to support those in need. For instance, you might choose to donate to a charitable organization that provides food and shelter to the homeless, or volunteer your time at a local community center serving underprivileged families. By investing in these 'everlasting good deeds,' you not only make a positive impact on others' lives but also accumulate rewards and blessings in the sight of your Creator.

JazakAllah for sharing this insightful reflection on prioritising acts of kindness and charity over material pursuits. Your emphasis on supporting those in need and making a positive impact through 'everlasting good deeds' is truly inspiring. Keep up the great work and continue reflecting on the teachings of the Quran. Jazak Allah Khair for being part of our community!