قلنا لا تخف انك انت الاعلى

قُلْنَا لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

How many times do we begin something—
with the purest intention,
for the sake of Allah ﷻ…

but then we pause?
Our steps falter.
Our tongues feel heavy.
We start to wonder:
“Did I get it wrong?
Maybe I’ve already failed.
Maybe this path has closed on me.”

But think.

Wasn’t Mūsā عليه السلام there too?
Didn’t Allah ﷻ command him directly:
“Go to Firʿawn”?

And yet—
the very one chosen for prophethood,
the one entrusted with revelation,
stood trembling before his Lord,
confessing his fear,
begging for support.

The chosen messenger of Allah ﷻ—
was still human.
Still soft in heart.
Still shaken inside.

Emotions rise within us—
fear, doubt, anger, weakness.

And that is the nature of being human.
To feel small before a task,
to tremble at what lies ahead,
to wrestle with our own hearts.

The Prophet ﷺ spoke to us of this reality,
reminding us:

لَا تَغْضَبْ
“Do not be angry.”
(Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6116)

At first, it can seem impossible.
For who among us never feels anger?
Who among us never feels fear,
or the weight of weakness within?

But scholars explain—
this command does not mean we must erase the emotion.
Anger, like fear or doubt, is natural.
What is forbidden is acting upon it in ways that harm ourselves or others.
To act upon anger is to be ruled by it.
To feel it, and pause, and seek Allah’s guidance—
that is the true path of strength.

It is in this turning—
in this seeking—that we find steadiness.
It is here, in the trembling,
that we learn to lean on Him.

When our hearts hesitate,
When our courage weakens,
When the task feels too great for your strength…

Pause.
Reflect.
Remember Mūsā عليه السلام.

The one chosen by Allah ﷻ for prophethood—
stood trembling before his Lord.
He confessed his fear.
He sought help.

And Allah swt commanded him:
“Go to Firʿawn.”

The one entrusted with revelation,
the one who would confront the tyrant,
was still human.
Still soft in heart.
Still shaken inside.

Even as he faced Firʿawn,
even as fear settled deep in his chest
at the sight of the magicians’ tricks—

Allah ﷻ reassured him:

لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الأَعْلَى
“Do not fear. Indeed, you are the superior.”
(Qur’an 20:68)

He could have said:
“After all this, you are still afraid?”

But no.
Because Allah knows what He created.
He knows the trembling of hearts.
He knows the weakness of His servants.

And still—
He lifts them.
He reassures them.
He carries them forward.

So don’t despair at your hesitation.
Don’t think your weakness disqualifies you.
Even prophets trembled.
Even prophets broke down.

And yet—
with Allah by their side,
they rose again.

Ya Allah… Glory be to You.
How often have we paused,
thinking our hearts too small, our steps too weak,
forgetting that You carry us in every moment?

Guide us, O Rabb,
through our fear, our doubt, our trembling.
Strengthen us when we stumble,
and lift us when we fall.

Grant us courage that does not fade,
patience that endures all trials,
and hearts that trust You completely.

Let our weakness be a doorway to Your strength,
our fear a reminder of Your nearness,
and our hesitation a chance to seek Your help.

O Allah… make us among those who rise again with You,
even when the world tells us we cannot.

Āmīn.

We reassured ˹him˺, “Do not fear! It is certainly you who will prevail.

Ali Ali's Reflection on Surah Taa-Haa:68

I have learned a little bit about some principles in the Arabic Language. One being:   زيادة المبنى زيادة في المعنى  i.e. increase in construct means increase in meaning . And I recently heard this التلخيص في المبنى تلخيص في المعنى (hopefully the spelling right is right). It is supposed to say, "summarising the construct leads to narrowing down the meaning, or just saying the essence". One example is in the story of Musa a.s.

Several times as Musa a.s. had to face big tasks of communicating with Fir'aun and dealing with his magicians, Allah SWT told him "Do not fear!" Expected. But in the Arabic text, something unexpected is noticed by the scholars. لا تخاف ==> has become ==> لا تخف i.e. in the spelling, the alif is missing. Sheikh Omar Abd Kafi said, Allah SWT was telling Musa that he has nothing to fear at all, not a bit. And that "emotional assurance" is delivered through the omission of the alif. Precisely to the point!

Reviewing this construct in the Quran led me to ponder upon 27: 10 when Allah SWT said, " يَٰمُوسَىٰ لَا تَخَفْ إِنِّى لَا يَخَافُ لَدَىَّ ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ ". 

What caught my eye this time is how the ayah ends -- Indeed I, in My presences the Messengers do not fear. Subhanallah!

In our time, are we not some level of "messengers" too? In our own way, of course. We convey the love of Allah, the risalah of our beloved Prophet SAW within our capacity. Most of the time, we feel fear -- we fear rejection, we fear failure, we fear criticism, we fear argument, and many other things. Perhaps that is fair. Yet Allah SWT reminds us, we have nothing to fear if we are in the presence of Allah, if we can only feel that He is with us, feel His love and mercy protecting us at all time.

That is my learning. To remove fear of "possible negative consequences" by increasing my remembrance in Allah SWT, to remember that Allah is with me if I am trying to do good, for as long as I do them with sincerity, humility and within the boundaries of our deen.

Oh Allah, allow me to be a stronger ambassador of Islam and fear none but You. اللهم آمين.

Now, throw down your staff!” But when he saw it slithering like a snake, he ran away without looking back. ˹Allah reassured him,˺ “O Moses! Do not be afraid! Messengers should have no fear in My presence.

And We surely inspired Moses, ˹saying,˺ “Leave with My servants ˹at night˺ and strike a dry passage for them across the sea. Have no fear of being overtaken, nor be concerned ˹of drowning˺.”

Maria Marzuki's Reflection on Surah Taa-Haa:68

While reflecting on Surah Al-A'raf verse 2 [Quran 7:2], I'm reminded of the similar message in Surah Taha verse 2 [Quran 20:2]. Both verses assure the Prophet (ﷺ) that the Quran's revelation is not meant to cause him distress. This begs the question: why would the Quran address the Prophet's (ﷺ) potential distress?
Surah Al-Isra verse 82 [Quran 17:82] describes the Quran as a healing and a mercy. So, what could have caused the Prophet (ﷺ) such distress?
A Parable for Understanding
Imagine a highly respected organization. You're their Public Relations (PR) manager. Before joining, your life lacked direction. Now, you have excellent benefits, healthcare, and everything is perfect.
As the PR manager, you understand the sensitivity of your role. Any misrepresentation could damage the public's perception of the company that gave you everything, when you had nothing!. You strive to uphold the company culture, embodying its mission, vision, and core values.
Your dedication to excellence and meeting expectations is so strong that the company itself reminds you not to be too hard on yourself.

Applying the Parable
Just like the PR manager, the Prophet (ﷺ) carried a weighty responsibility. He (ﷺ) was entrusted with conveying a crucial message – the Quran – to humanity. While there is potential for rejection or misunderstanding which is also a cause for distress just as in the case of prophet Musa(Moses) in Quran 20:67 , Prophet musa concealed fear within him(stressed) hoping the guidance or signs he brought with him, to be a light that would take out darkness from the heart of the Masses by outshining whatever the trick the magician portrayed, Quran 20:68 assured Prophet musa of success, but to me the major casue for distress is that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is striving hard to examplified or act in accordance with the guidance and teaching of the Quran in the most perfect way possible.
The strive for perfection in order not to disappoint Allah’s expectation is a potential cause for distress. Allah has to address the issue and reassures the prophet (ﷺ) that its revelation is a source of guidance and mercy, not a burden, and prophet(ﷺ) shouldnt be hard on himself. 

In summary: The Greatness of Allah in the sight of the Prophet(ﷺ) couple with the weight the prophet striving to uphold the teaching contain in any revalation is perhaps cause for distress. Quran 73:5 speak to that weight too! The Assurance is what bring comfort to the prophet(ﷺ)

Allah know’s best

˹This is˺ a Book sent down to you ˹O Prophet˺—do not let anxiety into your heart regarding it—so with it you may warn ˹the disbelievers˺, and as a reminder to the believers.

We have not revealed the Quran to you ˹O Prophet˺ to cause you distress,

We send down the Quran as a healing and mercy for the believers, but it only increases the wrongdoers in loss.

Salihu Abba's Reflection on Surah Taa-Haa:67 - 68

#FridayReminders 9: Musa’s Fear

Video: <a href='https://youtu.be/9_Xu1L5KCvE' target='_blank'>https://youtu.be/9_Xu1L5KCvE</a> 
Podcast: <a href='https://anchor.fm/quranclub' target='_blank'>https://anchor.fm/quranclub</a> 
App: <a href='http://www.quranclub.org' target='_blank'>www.quranclub.org</a> 


فَأَوۡجَسَ فِي نَفۡسِهِۦ خِيفَةٗ مُّوسَىٰ
So Moses concealed fear within himself. (20:67)

It’s easy to understand why anyone would be scared. A massive display of snakes appeared to move before him, a great display of magic by the country’s finest. 

But Prophet Musa (as) wasn’t anybody. He had spoken to Allah ﷻ directly and had witnessed a true and even greater miracle before this. So what we he fearful of? 

Ibn Kathir explains: “He was fearful that people would be deceived by this magic before he could display his miracle (i.e. the one Allah ﷻ gave him)” 

You see, Musa (as) knew his people, and he knew the power great crowds can have. Scholars estimated anywhere between 15,000 – 70,000 magicians each with their own “snakes”. When the illusion is that great, people have a tendency to follow the crowd. Whilst he was sure his miracle would surpass their trick, he could not have known if the people would see it the same way. After all, he did not know what was yet to happen. 

قُلۡنَا لَا تَخَفۡ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ
We reassured ˹him˺, “Do not fear! It is certainly you who will prevail.
وَأَلۡقِ مَا فِي يَمِينِكَ تَلۡقَفۡ مَا صَنَعُوٓاْۖ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُواْ كَيۡدُ سَٰحِرٖۖ وَلَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلسَّاحِرُ حَيۡثُ أَتَىٰ
Cast what is in your right hand, and it will swallow up what they have made, for what they have made is no more than a magic trick. And magicians can never succeed wherever they go.” (20:68)

Allah ﷻ reassured him, calling upon him to throw his staff. This time, an even greater miracle came to play, one he could never have foreseen. His staff not only transformed to a snake as it had on the mountain, but it ate the “snakes” of each of the other magicians; a clear victory before all the crowds! Then, perhaps an even greater miracle occurred; every one of the magicians fell in prostration before Allah ﷻ from what they had witnessed, baring testimony to the truth of Prophet Musa’s (as) claim. 

In Prophet Musa, we learn a powerful lesson; if we are certain of Allah ﷻ, that certainty will transfer to those around us. If we are prepared with the truth, Allah ﷻ will help will help with the rest.

Cast what is in your right hand, and it will swallow up what they have made, for what they have made is no more than a magic trick. And magicians can never succeed wherever they go.”

Talha Ghannam's Reflection on Surah Taa-Haa:67 - 69


Allah describes His book as, "a Book of perfect consistency and repeated lessons—which causes the skin of those who fear their Lord to tremble."

Do you ever read a surah and you can sense that another surah is echoed or reflected? For me it is not immediately obvious, but something, maybe a similar phrase or key word will tip me off to a pattern of similarity. It is possible that this similarity is just in my imagination - maybe these threads run through many surahs, but wanted to share some of it here in case there are more reflections on this. 

For example, while reflecting on surah as-sajdah, I wanted to collect some of the other verses that speak about those who turn away from the signs of Allah.

That took me to, among other surahs, surah Taha. And then, I noticed some parallels between the two surahs, though they are not side by side in the Quran or similar in length: Surah Taha is 10 pages long, Sajda is only 3 pages. But words and expressions that are not common in other surahs stood out to me when I placed them side by side:

-Both begin with, after the letters in the first verse, the coming down - tanzeel - of the book
-Both surahs mention the throne of Allah early in the surah (verse 4/5 )
-Both describe consequences for those who are reminded of Allah but turn away
-Both describe the humbling/lowering of the face - Surah Taha 111 - Surah Sajda 12, 15
-Both use the word forgot/ignore and  forgotten/ignored to describe the disbelievers on the day of judgment
-Taha is characterized by long stories of Prophet Musa while Surah Sajda summarizes the story of Prophet Musa in just one verse  
-Both have an almost identical verse: Taha 128 and Sajda 26: Can they not draw a lesson from the many generations We destroyed before them, through whose dwelling places they now walk? There truly are signs in this for anyone with understanding AND Is it not a lesson for them to see how many generations We destroyed before them, in whose homes they now walk? There truly are signs in this - do they not hear? 
-Both of them end the second to last verses with a irrelevant/foolish question asked by the disbelievers: When is the Judgment (Surah Sajda) and Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord? (Surah Taha)
-Both of them end with waiting:
Surah Taha: Say, "We are all waiting, so you carry on waiting: you will come to learn who has followed the even path, and been rightly guided."
Surah As-Sajda:  So turn away from them, and wait. They too are waiting.

A stretch? Maybe. My brain hurts a little bit, I can't put my finger on the significance of these parallels, but it makes me feel in awe of the Quran, and a sense that we as Muslims are barely scratching the surface of the wisdom in this book. 

Have you sensed this echo or reflection in other places in the Quran?






˹It is˺ Allah ˹Who˺ has sent down the best message—a Book of perfect consistency and repeated lessons—which causes the skin ˹and hearts˺ of those who fear their Lord to tremble, then their skin and hearts soften at the mention of ˹the mercy of˺ Allah. That is the guidance of Allah, through which He guides whoever He wills. But whoever Allah leaves to stray will be left with no guide.

Maha Ezzeddine's Reflection on Surah As-Sajda

The Pharaoh is one of the worst people to ever walk this Earth. A disbeliever with the haughtiness and arrogance to enslave, persecute, torture, and commit genocide of an entire nation. Few of mankind will ever approach his level of corruption. Still, Allah sent guidance to him. On top of that, Prophet Musa and Prophet Harun were instructed to approach him with respect, because even a tyrant with a devastating track record may have a change of heart.
In the end, we know the Pharoah never believed and, in fact, only worsened his oppression when confronted with the truth. Prophet Musa (AS) and Prophet Harun (AS) are never recorded cursing him out or insulting him though -- they only ever spoke truth to him in a dignified manner, per Allah's orders.
Allah had a plan -- Allah knew the Pharoah would not believe, but Pharoah needed a fair chance. More importantly, perhaps, Prophet Musa (AS) and Prophet Harun (AS) were sent to guide the entire civilization in Egypt and the Bani Isra'eel, not just this one individual. Because of their tactful and poised engagement with the Pharoah, an entire generation of believers was raised from among both civilizations, which included the very magicians and sorcerors the Pharoah had relied upon to legitimize his authority. If the brothers (AS) had approached the Pharaoh with disdain, or even if they had matched the same harshness of the Pharoah (it's only fair, right? The Pharoah was harsh first...), it is likely no one would have considered the message at all.
This is a reminder for us. We demonstrate Islam in our words and actions every time we interact with anyone, including and especially our adversaries. Allah alone knows who is watching us and who will be guided to Islam -- or turned away -- because of our character. Treat every individual with respect, and know that failing to do so only reflects badly on you and not on the one about whom you speak. Recall from the examples of our beloved messengers and prophets like Musa (AS) and his brother (AS) that this will never diminish the truth. We can and must forbid evil, even as we maintain the dignity of our own tongues.
#GoodCharacter#Dignity#ReflectingInCrisis

Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed ˹all bounds˺.

Speak to him gently, so perhaps he may be mindful ˹of Me˺ or fearful ˹of My punishment˺.”

Huda Khwaja's Reflection on Surah Taa-Haa:43 - 44

Personal Reflection on Surah Taha

“This Surah held up a mirror I wasn’t ready for.”

There’s something uncomfortable about Surah Taha.

Not because it’s hard to understand 
But because it’s hard to face.

I used to read the story of Musa (AS) like a bedtime tale. Familiar, safe.
He stood before Pharaoh. He parted the sea. He made history.

But I never noticed how human he was.

He was afraid.
He hesitated.
He told Allah straight up, “I can’t do this alone.”
And instead of rebuking him, Allah gave him Harun. Gave him calm. Gave him backup.
And I realized asking for help doesn’t mean you’re weak.
It means you trust Allah enough to admit your limits.

Then there’s Pharaoh. The villain.

But sometimes, I catch traces of him in me.
When I want control.
When I refuse advice.
When I pretend I know better.
When I judge others, but excuse my own behavior.

He thought he was god. I’ve never said that out loud but how many times have I acted like I know best?

That was hard to admit.


The golden calf story hit even harder.

The people saw the sea split. They were saved from death. And yet… they still ended up worshipping a calf.

And I thought: If they can forget Allah after seeing miracles with their own eyes… what’s stopping me from doing the same after my duas get answered?

I’ve seen moments where Allah clearly helped me.
Yet later, I panic. I scroll endlessly. I numb out. I chase distractions.
That calf may be ancient, but I think we’ve all built our own versions of it.

Anything we turn to more than Allah — that’s our calf.
Even if it looks like a goal, a habit, a person, or a screen.



Then came the verse that wouldn’t let me sleep:

“Whoever turns away from My remembrance – for him is a life of hardship.” (20:124)

That line didn’t feel like a threat.
It felt like a diagnosis.

The low days. The heavy heart. The random anxiety.
Not all of it is from life.
Some of it is from forgetting why I’m here.

This life feels hard because I’m trying to live it without the One who gave it to me.
Simple, but brutally honest.


And then the verse that quietly broke me:

“My Lord, why have You raised me blind, while I used to see?”

That shook me.

Because physical blindness is one thing.
But spiritual blindness — where you walk through life chasing the wrong things, ignoring the truth, wasting time — that’s worse.

What if I’ve been spiritually blind and didn’t even know it?

What if I’ve been seeing the world through a lens that leaves Allah out?


But here’s what I love most about Surah Taha:

It doesn’t leave you in guilt.

It doesn’t just expose the problem — it gives you a way out.

“We did not send down this Qur’an to distress you…” (20:2)

This book is not a burden. It’s a light.

And now I’m trying to treat it like one — not a school subject, not a routine checklist, but a manual for how to survive this life with my soul intact.



So what do I take from this Surah?
• I’m allowed to fear — but I’m not allowed to forget Who’s with me.
• I need to stop romanticizing distractions — they might be my personal calf.
• And most of all, I don’t want to wake up in the next life blind… because I ignored what really mattered in this one.

It’s uncomfortable.
But maybe discomfort is where change begins.

#personalreflection 
#quranreflection
#surahTa-ha

But whoever turns away from My Reminder will certainly have a miserable life, then We will raise them up blind on the Day of Judgment.”

Hj's Reflection on Surah Taa-Haa:124

How do I know that my failure is because I am doing something wrong or because it is the will of Allah? 

In the 10th-11th years of the prophecy, prophet Mohammad SAAW went through the toughest times of his life. He lost his uncle and his wife. He was isolated for 2-3 years, he got no more protection and no wife to support him and heal his scars. He was at risk and he had to find a place just to at least stay alive in. 
All what he went through SAAW was by the will of Allah, not as a punishment or because he was doing wrong, his relationship with Allah was good so it was a test. A heavy one. 
So i feel like when my relationship is good with Allah, when i extend my efforts to the extreme and nothing is left to be done and i still fail, all i could remind my self is 

‎وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَىٰ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ بِهِ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚ وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
Allah only made it a message of hope, and to set your hearts at rest. Victory comes only from Allah. Allah is Mighty and Wise. 

Victory only comes from Allah, so i gotta wait for it with All pleasure and patience. 

On the other hand, on the battle of Uhud,
Archers violate the command of the Prophet SAAW. The archers thought that the polytheists would not return after they saw their flight, and a number of them went down to seek the spoil, and they violated the Prophet’s command not to leave their places, despite the reminder of their Emir, but they insisted on leaving their sites, and Khaled Bin Al-Walid hinted that the gap was, and it was At the time among the polytheists, he wrapped behind the mountain with a squad of Quraish's knights, and killed the remaining archers on the mountain, and the back of the Muslim army was revealed to Khaled, so they surprised them from the back, their ranks were disturbed, and the killing occurred, and the army of polytheists returned and surrounded Muslims from all directions, They began to withdraw from the battlefield, and the victory achieved turned into a great setback. 

So you see there? They did something wrong, they didn’t follow the rules they just followed what they wanted to do most and there was consequences. If i don’t pray for example, don’t practice and don’t do anything and something goes wrong, and i question it.... well of course something is going to go wrong! Like what am I doing to deserve the goodness to be in my life you know? The further you walk away from Allah, the hardest it will become for you to breath. If you walk away further, your chest will get tighter and tighter on you and things will go from bad to worse than ever. 

Have hope in Allah and everything but don’t let that hope destroy you and keep you lying to yourself that if you do nothing Allah will give you whatever you ask for. 

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ
who turns away from My remembrance, he shall surely lead a straitened life. And (what is more,) We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.'