In the story of Musa (peace be upon him) and Firawn, the magic of Firawn's magicians were utterly knocked out and defeated - and it happened so only by the will of Allah. Theirs was only a trick.


All Musa had to do was to put his trust in his Lord and listen to His command (to throw down his staff) and then instantly the staff turned into a snake and devoured their slithering snake-imitating illusions.


Well, if we now internalize that story, we can say that there's a parallel event which is silently happening within our own selves: there are certain tricks and illusions that are coming from within our own minds and the inner self, and we have to defeat them with reminders of the Truth.


One particular illusion produced by the mind is the illusion of self-sufficiency (istaghna), which is mentioned in Surah Al-Alaq.


After mentioning how Allah blessed us with a body that grows, acquires knowledge, and possesses intelligence and intellectual abilities, Allah says:


‎كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَيَطْغَىٰٓ ٭ أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ


'Nay! Indeed, man transgresses, when he sees himself self-sufficient.' (96:6-7)


Man, an honored creation of Allah, starts to have the illusion that he is not in need of Allah's mercy and guidance anymore. The physical and intellectual abilities heightens his sense of autonomy, and then that increased sense of autonomy makes him falsely think that he is self-sufficient now.


And so then he thinks that he can operate smoothly in this world and do all the right things, make decisions, etc. without having to rely on his Creator nor even remember Him.


However, if we remember that it is Allah who gifted us with all our abilities, and if we realize that we are always in need of Him, and if we read and reflect on Allah's verses, then these would be like our own acts of throwing down the staff as Musa (peace be upon him) did:


Like a snake, the remembrance of Allah will swallow up the illusion of self-sufficiency coming from our own selves, just as Musa's staff turned into a snake and then it subdued and swallowed up the magicians' illusions entirely. We are reminded of Who is truly in control.


#MindTricks

Wa iyyakum. Alhamdulillah, I'm glad that this resonated with you. And I like the term 'radical tawakkul,' as you put it. Jazakallah khair for your input.

In thinking about success, it's worth considering these magicians. Not only did they lose the competition with Musa, but they were ultimately brutally killed by Pharaoh.  

While Allah parted the sea and allowed Bani Israel to escape with Musa, he did not decree the same escape for the magicians. 

But considering how Bani Israel behaved after they escaped, who were the ones that were truly successful?

Success doesn't always look like winning a competition, getting the job, escaping tragedy or even attaining wealth, spouses and children.

Success is not always a storybook happy ending. 

Allah knows best.

#TrueSuccess ​

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.'

How do I know that my failure is because I am doing something wrong or because it is the will of Allah? 


May Allah reward you with goodness for these words. We can do many actions such as striving, doing everything, thinking about it day and night to reach a single result. But what if we do not have the will of God within us while taking these steps?  If there is a result, we should actually be afraid. Because if you do not seek the consent of Allah, you will be following the path of Satan.If God doesn't give you love. Let's see it this way, you made your intention for the sake of Allah, you worked day and night with the help of Allah and there was no result, thank God after years, it was a good thing it didn't happen. The issue is only and only whether events are in accordance with Allah's will or not? What is my intention? What does my ego want? Am I doing it with Allah's permission or am I on the path of Satan? In fact, the accounting of the Self must be done for these. Asceticism, self, knowing one's intentions, Now I say alhamdulillah for whatever is not there. It is good that it was not there because I did not seek the pleasure of Allah.We should pray a lot. Oh God, let me do things that please you. The power comes only from you. If we understand the sovereignty of God over us, everything becomes easier.


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?






Subhanallah ! What a wonderful reflection! Of course Quranul Kareem is from Allah, the exalted ❤️ that's why its contents are so miraculous.

Muslim American Society

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

Jazak Allah khair for a beautiful reflection. It felt like I had someone vested in my improvement guide me. May Allah bless you and all your readers/commentators unlimited contentment, ease, happiness and protect you from all evil. Ameen.

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

While speaking about the names of surahs, the connections between a surah's name and its theme, and how frequently the story of Moosaa is mentioned throughout the Qur'an, al-Suyooti mentioned:

[قال بعضهم : كاد القرآن أن يكون كله لموسى وكان أولى سورة أن تسمى به سورة طه أو سورة القصص أو الأعراف ; لبسط قصته في الثلاثة ما لم يبسط في غيرها]

Some have said: Nearly the entire Qur'an is about Moosaa, and the surah that would be most entitled to be named after him is surah Taha, or surah al-Qasas, or surah al-A'raaf, for his story is drawn out in greater detail in these three surahs than it is in any other surahs.

[al-Itqan 1/204]