O Allah, grant us certainty like the certainty of Moses (peace be upon him),
When he saw the sea before him,
Pharaoh behind him,
And his people said to him:
( إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ )
“We shall definitely be caught.”
But he said:
( كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ )
“No, my Lord is with me: He will guide me.”
And grant us a certainty like the certainty of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
When Abu Bakr said to him: If one of them were to look beneath his feet, they would see us.
And the Prophet (peace be upon him) replied:
“O Abu Bakr, what do you think of two whose third is Allah?”
( إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا ۖ )
“Do not worry, God is with us.”
There are words that seem like an embrace,
There are phrases that seem like a warm hug.
Sometimes the world feels too tight around us,
And then a kind word from a friend comes and makes it wide again!
Sometimes the spirit feels broken,
And then a gentle touch from a loved one mends it!
Sometimes the heart is heavy with sadness,
And then an embrace from someone dear brings it back to life!
We are but guests passing through this life;
So be gentle with one another along the way.
( وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِن قَبْلُ )
“We had ordained that he would refuse to feed from wet nurses.”
Moses (peace be upon him) grew hungry,
And his cries filled Pharaoh’s palace;
Everyone felt compassion for him.
But Allah, the One Who forbade him from nursing,
(He) was more merciful to him than all of them.
Allah intended to return him to his mother!
If only we could feel Allah’s mercy in every deprivation,
And His wisdom in every denial,
The journey of life would be much easier for us!
( فَانطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَتَيَا أَهْلَ قَرْيَةٍ اسْتَطْعَمَا أَهْلَهَا فَأَبَوْا أَن يُضَيِّفُوهُمَا )
“And so they travelled on. Then, when they came to a town and asked the inhabitants for food but were refused hospitality.”
When people do not recognize your value,
Remember that even Moses and Al-Khadir (peace be upon them) once found no one willing to open a door for them, or offer them a morsel of food.
It is enough that you know your own value, even if they ignore you!
And it is enough that you lay your head on your pillow with a clear conscience, even if they accuse you!
When Moses (peace be upon him) reached Madian,
He had no roof to shelter him,
No work to busy his hands,
No wife to share his path!
Yet he performed a simple act of kindness, and then withdrew into the shade.
After that he lifted his hands to the heavens and pleading:
( رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ )
“My Lord, I am in dire need of whatever good thing You may send me.”
Before the sun set that very day,
He was granted a home,
Blessed with a livelihood,
And gifted a loving wife!
So after every act of kindness you offer,
Whisper this prayer!
Whenever life feels tight, remember:
How Noah sailed the ark through waves as high as mountains!
How Abraham was saved from the fire!
How Jonah survived in the belly of the whale!
How Moses split the sea with his staff!
The most beautiful thing about Allah’s relief
It is that it comes when all worldly means have failed,
And nothing remains in the heart except Allah.
With just one prayer,
Allah flooded the earth in victory for His servant Noah.
With just one prayer,
Allah reformed the barren wife for His servant Zakariya.
With just one prayer,
The belly of the whale became a safe haven for Jonah.
And with one prayer from Abraham,
( فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ )
“Make people’s hearts turn to them.”
Makkah became the destination of hearts!
Never underestimate the power of a prayer;
It can rearrange everything that has fallen apart!
O Allah, grant us patience upon Your commands like the patience of Hagar:
When Abraham (peace be upon him) left her and her son in a barren valley, with no water, no crops, no companions;
All these details did not concern her.
She asked only one essential question:
“Did Allah command you to do this?”
When he answered, “Yes,”
She said: “Then go. Allah will not forsake us.”
O Allah, grant us a heart like hers,
A Faith like hers,
A certainty like hers,
And patience like hers!
He (Prophet Suliman peace be upon him) brought the throne of Balqees (Queen of Sheba) from Yemen to Jerusalem in the blink of an eye!
And then he said:
( هَٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي )
“This is a favor from my Lord.”
As for Dhul-Qarnain:
He brought together blocks of iron,
Then made them into a blazing fire,
Then poured molten copper over them,
And then built a mighty barrier behind which Gog and Magog were imprisoned.
After that he said:
( هَٰذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّي ۖ )
“This is a mercy from my Lord.”
The true etiquette of achievement is to attribute it back to Allah’s guidance!
For every need you asked Allah while being independent of people,
For every wish you entrusted to your Lord,
For every prayer you made and forgot, but Allah did not forget,
For every tear that fell from your eyes because of deep longing,
Say with full certainty:
( يَأْتِ بِهَا اللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌ )
“God would bring it [to light], for He is all subtle and all aware.”
The first deadly weapon ever used on Earth was prayer.
Specifically, on the day when Noah (peace be upon him) raised his hands to the sky and said:
( رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّارًا )
“Lord, do not leave any of the disbelievers on the earth.”
Beware of those who have no refuge but Allah,
And no weapon but prayer!
( اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ )
“Read! In the name of your Lord Who created.”
No soul dwelling on this planet knew that on that night, Earth was destined for an encounter with Heaven!
None could have imagined that from a dark cave in Mecca, a light would emerge to illuminate every corner of this world!
The Earth was parched for the skies; it had been over five hundred years since Gabriel last descended bearing divine instructions!
Meanwhile, the planet was drowning in misguidance: Remnants of the People of the Book had altered their scriptures, and the masses worshipped idols carved from stone, and ate dates they fashioned into gods!
Then came the moment when God decreed an end to this darkness!
In that cave, to an unlettered man, the divine command would descend: “Read.”
And he would teach both the learned and the ignorant alike!
An orphan who had lost both parents would soon mend the hearts of fathers and organize the lives of mothers!
A shepherd who once tended the flocks of Quraysh for a few coins would now carry the burden of guiding all humanity!
A husband who traded with his wife’s wealth would soon establish the foundations of a global economy!
The Trustworthy, the Truthful, from this night forth, would be entrusted with the greatest mission!
The cave was cloaked in darkness, as he gazed into the vast sky and the endless desert before him, deeply convinced that such grandeur could never have been the work of an idol crafted by an Abyssinian slave and worshipped by the nobles of Quraysh!
Suddenly—Gabriel stood before him!
Without prelude or warning, the angel spoke: “Read.”
He replied, “I am not one who reads.”
Again Gabriel commanded: “Read.”
Again he answered, “I am not one who reads.”
A third time Gabriel said: “Read.”
He asked, “What shall I read?”
Then Gabriel grasped him forcefully and declared:
( اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ )
“Read! In the name of your Lord Who created.”
What Lessons Can We Draw from the Verse?
First Lesson:
The very first word revealed in the Qur’an was “Read” — not “Pray” or “Fast”.
This teaches us that acts of worship must be preceded by knowledge and sound belief.
For prayer without knowledge and faith risks becoming nothing more than mere exercise;
Fasting without understanding may become nothing more than a diet;
And performing the rituals of pilgrimage without knowledge might be reduced to little more than attempts at weight loss.
God did not command him to “fight,” because fighting without knowledge and belief would turn warriors into mere killers and highway robbers.
Nor did He command him to “trade,” for commerce without knowledge and belief would blur the lines between lawful and unlawful gains.
Indeed, Allah is not to be worshiped in ignorance!
The Book that begins with “Read” refuses for its followers to be ignorant or slaves to whims.
Second Lesson:
When he descended from the cave, trembling, drenched in sweat from a fear, he did not seek protection from his uncle Hamza, the lion-hunter.
He did not turn to his loyal friend Abu Bakr to console him.
Nor did he go to the council of Quraysh elders, seeking their solidarity.
Instead, he went straight to Khadijah — for she was his family, his friend, and his tribe all at once!
She entrusted him with all her wealth, knowing well that it would be a disgrace for a husband and wife to share a bed while a coin could come between their hearts.
She was the father he had lost before he could remember,
The mother he had grieved as a child,
The grandfather who once sheltered him,
And the brothers he never had!
To her, he was loyal beyond measure.
He married no other woman during her lifetime, for some women make other women mere numbers beside them; their absence makes all others equal.
Even Aisha, years later, would admit to feeling jealous of Khadijah, asking him: “Do you still remember her, though Allah has given you better in her place?”
And he would swear by Allah: “No, Allah has not given me better than Khadijah.”
Oh, what loyalty!
He would never soothe the living at the expense of the dead, especially one who had lit all ten of his fingers like candles in his darkest nights.
Even when he had passed sixty years of age, and Khadijah’s friends — now elderly women nearing eighty — came to visit, he would lay down his cloak for them to sit, and when those around him looked on in wonder, he simply said:
“These are Khadijah’s companions.”
( وَشَرَوْهُ بِثَمَنٍ بَخْسٍ دَرَاهِمَ مَعْدُودَةٍ وَكَانُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الزَّاهِدِينَ )
“And then sold him for a small price, for a few pieces of silver: so little did they value him.”
This world is a place where Yusuf was sold,
Where Noah was branded a liar,
Where Ibrahim was cast into the fire,
Where Moses was accused of sorcery,
Where the dowry for a prostitute was the severed head of Zakariya,
And where Muhammad (peace be upon him) was pelted with stones!
Shall we then expect this treacherous world to ever pat us gently on the shoulder?!
This planet is disloyal!
Out of His mercy, Allah made it a field of sowing, not of harvesting.
So plant today what you will rejoice to reap tomorrow — and leave the rest behind.
For in the eyes of the people:
The chaste woman is deemed uptight!
The devout man is called rigid!
The one who strives in the cause of Allah is labeled a terrorist!
The generous giver is accused of wasting his wealth!
And the one who frequents the Masjids is mocked as having nowhere better to go!
Even the one who recites the Book of Allah is often belittled though we are a nation commanded to “Read!”
To be yourself and fall from their eyes is far better than to become like them and fall from your own!
( قُلْنَا لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْأَعْلَىٰ )
“But We said, ‘Do not be afraid, you have the upper hand.'”
Falsehood may win a battle, but truth wins the war!
Nimrod won a battle, but Ibrahim (peace be upon him) won the war.
Pharaoh won a battle, but Moses (peace be upon him) won the war.
And Muhammad (peace be upon him) was forced to leave Mecca under the cover of night, and returned to it in broad daylight, entering through all its four gates.
Do not be deceived when falsehood seems to win a battle,
Nor lose your faith in the truth simply because it has not yet won the war!
Allah grants falsehood time, not because He supports it, but because He wants to expose and disgrace it.
And He delays the triumph of truth, not because He forsakes it, but because He wants to purify and refine it.
When falsehood reaches its peak, know that the victory of truth is near!
It is Allah’s law in the universe: Nothing reaches its fullness without beginning the journey of decline!
So remember: The darkest moments of night are those just before the break of dawn!
( فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ )
“But then he cried out in the deep darkness, “There is no God but You, glory be to You, I was wrong.'”
It was never truly about candles, lamps, or lanterns;
It was always about the heart!
What harm is there if this entire world extinguishes its lights before you as long as the flame within your heart remains ablaze?!
And what good would the combined radiance of the sun and the moon be, even if they rested upon your shoulders, if your heart remained shrouded in darkness?!
Look at Yunus (peace be upon him): He was engulfed by three layers of darkness:
The darkness of night,
The darkness of the deep sea,
And the darkness of the belly of the whale!
Yet did any of that truly harm him?!
Every darkness that lies outside the heart is bearable!
Consider him: A divinely appointed Prophet, shielded from falsehood, immorality, and hypocrisy, and when he grew angry, it was only anger for Allah’s sake.
Yet when he found himself trapped within the whale, he called out:
( لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ )
“There is no God but You, glory be to You, I was wrong.”
He — the infallible — humbly counted himself among the wrongdoers!
How beautiful was Yunus’s etiquette with his Lord!
How sublime his whispered supplication!
He did not boast of his obedience; he drew nearer to Allah by acknowledging what he saw as his own shortcomings!
Yet today, if one of us prays two Rak’ah, he walks away as if he has secured paradise with only death standing between him and eternal bliss.
Examine your hearts carefully:
What benefit is a planet glowing with light, if the heart remains cloaked in darkness?!
Always remember:
Every darkness outside the heart is easily overcome!
( فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُهَا أُنثَىٰ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنثَىٰ ۖ وَإِنِّي سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ )
“But when she gave birth, she said, ‘My Lord! I have given birth to a girl’– God knew best what she had given birth to: the male is not like the female–‘ I name her Mary and I commend her and her offspring to Your protection from the rejected Satan.”
These are the words of the wife of Imran.
The newborn female mentioned in the verse is Mariam (peace be upon her).
The story, in brief, to understand the reflection:
Hannah, the wife of Imran, had been unable to conceive for many years after her marriage. She vowed that if Allah granted her a child, she would dedicate the child to worship and the service of the Holy House (Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa). However, when the child was born, it was a girl, and at that time, it was not customary for females to devote themselves to worship in monasteries.
Nevertheless, they welcomed Mariam because of Imran’s esteemed status among them!
They even competed over who would care for her and resorted to casting lots. Their method was to throw their pens into the water; whichever pen remained upright would earn the honor of raising Mariam.
They repeated the lot three times, and each time, the pen of Zechariah (peace be upon him) stood out, and so he became her guardian.
Zechariah was the husband of Mary’s maternal aunt.
What concerns us from the verse is the phrase:
( وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنثَىٰ ۖ )
“The male is not like the female.”
It became a widespread misunderstanding among people that this verse implies a general devaluation of females and a preference for males over them.
This is a misconception!
Had the verse said “and the female is not like the male,” it would have indicated a general preference for males over females.
However, the verse says “the male is not like the female,” using a comparison (through the particle “like”), where the female is the point of reference for the comparison. Thus, the text seeks to distinguish, not to belittle.
This means that women are superior to men in certain areas, and men are superior to women in others.
The belief that men are absolutely superior to women reflects a male-centered misunderstanding of the verse, and an unjustified gender bias.
When Allah informs us that woman is a being different from man in her physical structure and psychological composition, He intends to highlight her unique distinction.
And distinction is an honor, not degradation!
Those who call for absolute equality between men and women are, knowingly or unknowingly, insulting women!
By this notion, they actually lower the status of women by measuring their worth solely by their ability to give birth!
Indeed, all human beings are equal in human dignity.
This is exactly what Islam has consistently affirmed and defended:
A woman is a woman, and a man is a man;
Each has a psychological makeup and a role in life that corresponds to that makeup.
When Islam exempted women from the obligation of Jihad, for example, it was not an act of belittlement, but rather a testimony to their honor!
Is not it because Islam sees women as delicate beings, given a role in life that harmonizes with the tenderness Allah bestowed upon them?!
The harshest sentence that can be said to a woman is: “You are like a man!”
A woman will immediately be outraged and lose her composure,
Not because men are frightening creatures,
But because a woman knows that the most beautiful part of her identity is her femininity!
Indeed, “the male is not like the female.”
And through this address, you are honored, not diminished!
You are more beautiful than men in appearance,
More tender in emotion,
More sincere in love,
More patient in carrying the burdens of family,
And more capable of bearing its responsibilities!
I swear, if men were capable of pregnancy and childbirth,
No man would willingly bear more than one child!
Yet the great, powerful woman faces death giving birth to a child,
And barely after recovering, the precious spirit of motherhood takes over, and she prepares to do it again,
granting life to this planet!
We (men) were created from the dust: we labor, we struggle, we produce.
But you (women) were created from a rib near the heart;
Thus, you carry love,
Thus, you love with a passion and a madness.
A woman finds her entire world in one man,
While one man would not find satisfaction even with all the women on earth!
Do not agree with those who say you must be made “equal” to men.
You deserve to be distinguished!
You deserve to remain that soft, tender, and beautiful side of humanity.
This planet does not need more men;
It already has enough of its warriors, its wrestlers, its merchants, its laborers, and its engineers.
What it lacks is love!
And love is your strength!
Do not let them steal your femininity in the name of “equality.”
Remain women—and be proud of it!
Remain that tender, noble being!
And fight fiercely, like men would, to defend your femininity!
( وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِ ۖ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلَا أَن رَّأَىٰ بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءَ ۚ إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ )
“She made for him, and he would have succumbed to her if he had not seen evidence of his Lord– We did this in order to keep evil and indecency away from him, for he was truly one of Our chosen servants.”
This is one of the most debated verses among the interpreters of the Qur’an!
Perhaps the most debated of all!
While they unanimously agree that Yusuf (peace be upon him) did not commit any immoral act, they deeply differed regarding the meaning of “succumbed” (hamm) in the verse.
The vast majority of interpreters claim that Yusuf indeed intended to be intimate with her, but when he saw the evidence of his Lord, he refrained!
According to both main opinions, the “evidence of his Lord” was the vision of Jacob (peace be upon him).
But what does the Arabic language itself tell us about this?
Firstly:
In Arabic, as recorded in Lisan al-Arab and other authoritative sources, hamm (to desire) means an internal thought or inclination toward something before it materializes into action.
This is a well-established meaning among the Arabs.
And it is supported by the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
“Whoever intends (hamm) to perform a good deed but does not carry it out, it is recorded for him as a complete good deed.”
Meaning: Whoever speaks to himself about doing good and decides to do it, it is still a thought and has not been turned into action yet.
Now, concerning the act of seduction (muraawadah) mentioned in the Qur’an; it is a mutual interaction requiring two parties:
One attempting to seduce, and the other either submitting or resisting!
Zulaikha’s hamm (desire) for Yusuf moved from mere thought to attempted action,
And the context of the verses supports this, culminating in her own confession:
( أَنَا رَاوَدتُّهُ عَن نَّفْسِهِ )
“It was I who tried to seduce him.”
But what about Yusuf’s hamm?
Had Allah said simply: “And she desired him, and he desired her,” and stopped there, both would be equal in action.
However, the Qur’an says:
( وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِ ۖ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلَا أَن رَّأَىٰ بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ ۚ )
“She made for him, and he would have succumbed to her if he had not seen evidence of his Lord.”
And this is the key point!
There is a linguistic feature here—an inversion of the normal order (taqdeem wa ta’kheer)—that many have overlooked!
The correct understanding of the sentence is:
And she desired him; and, had he not seen the evidence of his Lord, he would have desired her.
“Lawla” (had it not been) is a particle of prevented occurrence due to an existing cause.
It is just as you would say:
“Had the price not been high, I would have bought the garment.”
Meaning: I did not buy it.
Similarly here: Yusuf did not act on any desire.
A question might arise:
Why did not Allah simply say: “And she desired him, but he did not desire her?”
Would not that have been clearer and easier to understand?!
The answer is NO:
If Allah had said: “And she desired him, but he did not desire her,” it would have denied the action but not the motivation behind it.
It could have left room for misinterpretation—that perhaps Yusuf refrained not out of purity:
But because he was startled,
Or because he feared punishment from her husband,
Or because he hesitated!
Indeed, the actual phrasing in the verse is meant to vindicate Yusuf (peace be upon him), not to cast doubt upon him!
Secondly:
Look carefully at the continuation of the verse:
( كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءَ ۚ )
“We did this in order to keep evil and indecency away from him.”
Notice the precision of the expression:
“To turn away evil from him,”
And not: “to turn him away from evil!”
If Yusuf had actually been inclined toward committing the act, then it would have been more appropriate to say “We turned him away from evil” because he would have been moving toward it.
But since the verse says “to turn away evil from him;” it shows that evil was pursuing Yusuf, not the other way around.
Thirdly:
Allah then concludes the verse by describing Yusuf:
( إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ )
“For, he was truly one of Our Chosen Servants.”
Pay attention to the form of the word mukhlaṣīn—with an open “lām” (fatḥa) and the distinction between mukhliṣīn (active participle) and mukhlaṣīn (passive participle) is essential here:
Mukhliṣ (with a kasrah on the lām) means one who purifies his worship and devotes it solely to Allah, and this includes the general body of believers, who might still commit occasional sins despite their sincerity.
Mukhlaṣ (with a fatḥa on the lām) means one who has been chosen and purified by Allah Himself:
Thus he is being infallible!
And this is the status of the Prophets!
When Allah described Moses (peace be upon him), He used the same term:
( إِنَّهُ كَانَ مُخْلَصًا وَكَانَ رَسُولًا نَّبِيًّا )
“He was specially chosen, a messenger and a prophet.”
Meaning: He was chosen and protected by Allah; an infallible Prophet.
Therefore, Yusuf could not have committed or even approached an immoral act alongside Zulaikha!
Finally, let us look at the surrounding context of the verse:
( وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدتُّهُ عَن نَّفْسِهِ فَاسْتَعْصَمَ ۖ )
“I tried to seduce him and he wanted to remain chaste.”
Had it been true, as many commentators suggest that he initially intended but then stopped after seeing the divine sign, he would not have been described as “firmly resisting” (istaʿṣama).
( وَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَٰذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ )
“We said, ‘Adam, live with your wife in this garden. Both of you eat freely there as you will, but do not go near this tree, or you will both become wrongdoers.'”
Even Paradise, which Allah made a place of settlement, was not without a test!
So what about the earth, which Allah has made a place of passage!
Yet, observe Allah’s mercy: He forbade only one tree, while He permitted all the trees of Paradise.
But it is the Satan’s role to beautify the forbidden for people.
Even though the forbidden tree was no different from the others, he played on man’s sensitive chord;
He tempted Adam with the idea of immortality!
This was his deed in Paradise.
Allah had already guaranteed Adam that he would neither hunger therein nor be unclothed, nor suffer from thirst, nor be exposed to the sun’s heat.
So imagine how it is in this world — a world Allah created as a place of effort and striving, a world of toil and hardship, and a world of sickness and incapacity!
But it is the same ancient story:
The vastness of the lawful versus the narrowness of the forbidden!
And Satan makes the lawful seem scarce and tight, and the forbidden seem vast and tempting!
When Allah forbade usury (riba), He permitted many lawful means of earning;
Yet Iblis (the Satan) spares no effort to convince us that usury is the easiest path to wealth even though it is stripped of blessings, no matter how much it multiplies!
When Allah forbade alcohol, He permitted countless other drinks;
Yet Satan works tirelessly to beautify alcohol in people’s eyes!
When Allah forbade pork, He allowed many types of lawful meats;
Yet Satan’s job is to make people believe that the forbidden tastes better!
When Allah forbade adultery, He permitted marriage;
Yet Satan never ceases to make adultery seem attractive!
If we were once expelled from Paradise against our will
here we are now — at the station of this world, —
And before us are two trains:
The train to Paradise and the train to Hellfire!
So, choose your train wisely!
( وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا ۚ كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ )
“There is not a creature that moves on earth whose provision is not His (Allah’s) concern. He knows where it lives and its [final] resting place: it is all [there] in a clear record.”
The most thing people run after is their provision.
Yet they will not attain from it except what has already been written for them, no matter how hard they run!
And the most thing they flee from is their death.
Yet they will not live a moment longer than what was decreed for them, no matter how hard they flee!
Before we even arrived as guests into this life, our sustenance was written, and our lifespan was determined.
And the guest will receive nothing from provision except what the Host has willed to give.
And he will live no longer than what the Lord of Life has decreed.
So stay assured and reflect:
A grain of wheat is planted in one land,
It is milled into flour and baked into bread in another,
And eventually it is delivered to you as a loaf — because, even before you existed, it was written that it would be yours!
Thus, thousands of people unknowingly work just to deliver a single bite to you!
And you, along with thousands of others, unknowingly become couriers working to deliver a provision that belongs to someone else because from the very beginning, it was written for them!
If man were to flee from his sustenance the way he flees from death,
His provision would still follow him, just as death surely follows him!
( وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ )
“There Is not a creature.”
In the Arabic language, everything that moves upon the earth is called a dābbah (moving creature).
Just as everything that rises above and provides shade is called samaa (sky).
The collective sustenance of all living beings is merely a page in the grand Book of Provision written by the true Provider (Al-Razzaq).
If we are seven billion humans today, we are still fewer in number than other inhabitants of this earth;
For every human being on earth, there are more than a thousand ants!
( إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا )
“Except that upon Allah is its provision”
The word “except” here indicates exclusivity and certainty.
All those who appear to “bring” sustenance to others are merely causes and intermediaries;
They bring it exactly as the Provider has decreed, in amount and quality!
Even the angels that drive the rain;
Not a single drop falls in a field without Allah’s permission!
And the charity you place into the hand of a poor person;
It is his provision, which Allah placed temporarily in your pocket to deliver to him!
Everything is written with precision, so rest assured!
( وَكَانَ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَجِيهًا )
“And he was highly honored in God’s eyes.”
This is the true standard — in the sight of Allah, not in the sight of people!
Noah was called a liar,
Abraham was thrown into the fire,
Moses was plotted against to be killed,
Saleh was exhausted by his people,
Shu’aib was insulted,
Yahiya was killed,
Zakariya was sawed in half,
Jesus was targeted to be crucified,
And Muhammad faced all these trials:
In Mecca, they denied him.
In Ta’if, they attacked him.
At Badr, Uhud, and during his migration, they fought him.
In the Battle of the Trench, they besieged him.
They even tried to poison him with a piece of meat.
So, what do you expect from people?!
If you give charity, they say: “He wants to be seen.”
If you withhold, they say: “He is stingy.”
If you advise, they say: “He is criticizing us.”
If you stay silent, they say: “He is a coward.”
If you do business, they say: “He is greedy for money.”
If you stay at home, they say: “He is unemployed.”
If you criticize, they say: “He is exposing our faults.”
If you remain silent, they say: “He does not care about us.”
These are people — among them are precious ones, but most are trivial.
So, be yourself!
It is true: those who are preoccupied with people die with grief,
But those who let people control their lives die with grief, sorrow, and heartbreak.
Pleasing people is a goal that can never be fully achieved.
And always remember:
( وَكَانَ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَجِيهًا )
“And he was highly honored in God’s eyes.”
( إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ )
“God loves those who turn to Him, and He loves those who keep themselves clean.”
The word At-Tawwabeen (those who constantly repent) is in the intensive form.
In Arabic, intensive forms are derived from verbs to indicate the action happening repeatedly and abundantly — here, it indicates frequent repentance!
This means they repent often.
And because they repent often, it necessarily implies that they make mistakes often!
Now observe Allah’s mercy and the precision of His expression:
He did not say: He accepts the repentant.
He did not say: He forgives the repentant.
He did not say: He pardons the repentant.
Rather, He said: He loves the repentant!
Yes, He loves those who sin and then return to Him seeking forgiveness!
He loves those who disobey Him by day, but come back to Him by night!
And Allah did not tell us that He loves the repentant so that we persist in sin;
Rather, He wants us to know that He does not want Satan to stand between us and Him.
He wants to tell us that no matter how great the sin, His mercy is greater.
And no matter how often we slip, He never tires of forgiving us until we tire of returning to Him!
Do Not Completely Immerse Yourself
With People;
Leave A Part Of Yourself
For Yourself!
( فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ )
“So do not let the present life delude you, nor let the Deceiver delude you about God.”
Ask Noah, after he spent a thousand years on earth;
He will tell you that life is short, no matter how long it seems!
Ask Suliman about wealth, he who ruled the earth from east to west, with its Jinn, humans, and beasts;
He will tell you that a human being is poor, no matter how much he possesses!
Ask Dawud about strength, to whom iron was made soft;
He will tell you that a human is weak, no matter how strong he becomes!
Ask Pharaoh about the sea that engulfed him;
He will tell you that the taste of salt wiped away the sweetness of his kingdom!
Ask Nimrod about the mosquito that entered his head;
He will tell you that the humiliation beneath sandals left him no trace of pride!
Ask the tyrants and sinners alike about the greatest lesson they took from life;
They will all tell you: Do not rely on this worldly life!
( الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ … )
“These who believe in the unseen, keep up the prayer…”
True knowledge can never contradict true religion!
Science has changed its opinion multiple times on a single matter,
Yet this Book (the Holy Qur’an) has remained unchanged in our hands for over 1,400 years!
In fact, the more science advances and progresses, the more it affirms the truth and greatness of this Book!
Even though it (the Qur’an) needs neither science nor scientists to prove its truthfulness!
How pitiful are those who only believe in what their senses perceive!
Even more pitiful are those who believe in the unseen aspects of science, yet reject the unseen realities of religion!
Pitiful are those who deny the existence of God because they cannot see Him, yet believe in ultraviolet rays though they cannot see them!
Pitiful are those who deny the existence of angels because they are unseen, yet believe in infrared rays — also unseen!
Pitiful are those who mock the speed of Al-Buraq (the miraculous creature that carried the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem during the Journey of al-Isra’ and al-Mi’raj), yet believe in the speed of light!
They forget that when scientists once claimed that the earth rested on the horns of a bull, our Qur’an was already saying:
( كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ )
“Each floating in its orbit”
They forget that while scientists once insisted the earth was flat, our Qur’an said:
( وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَاهَا )
“And the earth, too, He spread out.”
And while their books were filled with myths and superstitions, our Qur’an was speaking of embryos and the precise locations of stars!
The religion that made the pursuit of knowledge an obligation could never stand against true science; for to do so would be to stand against itself!
However, it opposes that arrogant kind of science:
The kind that refuses to recognize the sovereignty of God over the universe!
The foolish science that claims the universe created itself simply because it has no better explanation than the confession of its own helplessness!
The brightest era in the history of science was when Muslims embraced it because then it was coupled with faith.
For knowledge without faith quickly turns into atheism!
And faith without knowledge soon degenerates into superstition!
( وَقَالَتِ امْرَأَتُ فِرْعَوْنَ قُرَّتُ عَيْنٍ لِّي وَلَكَ ۖ لَا تَقْتُلُوهُ عَسَىٰ أَن يَنفَعَنَا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ )
“And Pharaoh’s wife said, ‘Here is a joy to behold for me and for you! Do not kill him: he may be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son.’ They did not realize what they were doing.”
This woman is one of the greatest believers in history;
Despite being the wife of one of the most notorious disbelievers in history!
She is one of the four women who attained perfection!
The Prophet, the best of mankind, (peace be upon him) said:
“Many men have reached perfection, but among women, only four did: Mary, daughter of Imran; Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh; Khadijah, daughter of Khuwaylid; and Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad.”
What’s fascinating about this verse is that it contains two of the most famous instances of insight (firasa) in history!
Even more fascinating is that both insights came from women!
And even more remarkable — both insights were about the same person: Moses (peace be upon him)!
The first insight was from Asiya when she said:
( عَسَىٰ أَن يَنفَعَنَا )
“He may be of use to us.”
And indeed, Moses became her son, her prophet, and the one through whom she attained Paradise. And there is no greater benefit than Paradise!
The second insight was from the daughter of the righteous man who said to her father after Moses helped water their flock:
( يَا أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ ۖ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْأَمِينُ )
“Father, hire him: a strong, trustworthy man is the best to hire And Moses was truly both — strong and trustworthy.”
And so was Moses; he was truly both the best strong and the best trustworthy!
Allah’s decree is always fulfilled:
Look at Pharaoh;
He slaughtered thousands of children before Moses was born because interpreters told him that a child from the Children of Israel would be the cause of his downfall!
But despite that, Allah softened the heart of Asiya toward Moses (peace be upon him)!
And Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s very own palace!
Pharaoh killed thousands out of fear of the one child in the vision, but when that child finally arrived, he was raised under Pharaoh’s roof!
What Allah has decreed will inevitably come to pass.
And what He has willed is to be without doubt.
Yet He Glory be to Him has made this world a place of means.
We take the means because they are part of His decree,
But our trust is not in the means; it is in the One Who created them!
( وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً ۖ )
“Remember when Moses said to his people, ‘God commands you to sacrifice a cow.'”
The Israelites once woke up to find a dead body lying at the door of a house.
They began disputing over the matter, each accusing the other.
Finally, they decided to take the matter to Moses (peace be upon him).
He told them: Allah commands you to slaughter a cow, and strike the dead man with its tongue. Upon doing this, he would come back to life, tell them who his killer was, and then died again!
Notice how the verse mentions “a cow” — in indefinite form;
Meaning: any cow would have sufficed.
But the Jews — as in all times and places — were obsessed with wealth, so they asked Moses for more details about the cow!
Moses replied: It is neither old nor young, somewhere in between — leaving the matter fairly open, but narrower than it was!
Yet they insisted on making things more difficult for themselves. They asked about its color.
He told them: A bright yellow cow, pleasing to the eye.
The criteria became narrower.
Now it had to be a yellow cow, not too young and not too old!
Still, they were not satisfied;
They asked again about more details!
This time, he told them it is a cow that has never been used for plowing or watering the fields — free from blemish and well cared for.
So now they were looking for:
A bright yellow cow, of specific age, unused in labor, and without defect!
They found only one fitting this description — owned by a man who, upon learning of their need, refused to sell it unless they filled its skin with gold!
They paid the gold, parted with it as if their soul had left their body, slaughtered the cow, and struck the dead man with its tongue.
He (the dead) immediately rose and said: My killer is my nephew — my only heir — who killed me to take my wealth!
First Lesson:
When Allah remains silent about a matter, He does so out of mercy, not forgetfulness!
What He wants to be done in a precise manner, He details;
And what He leaves general, He intends as such!
So do not make the general narrow, and don’t expand the specific!
Second Lesson:
These are the Jews — the people with the most Prophets and the least faith:
Moses split the sea for them, and before their feet were even dry, they saw people worshipping idols, and so they said to Moses:
( اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ ۚ )
“Moses, make a god for us like theirs.”
Allah raises Mount Sinai above them as a threat; yet they deny!
He rains down upon them heavenly blessings; yet they disbelieve!
He appoints Talut for them as king, and most of them refuse to follow!
He sends Prophets one after the other; they kill some and reject others!
Third Lesson:
What is meant for you will get, even if you are weak!
And what is not meant for you, you will not reach it, even with strength!
The nephew plotted, schemed, and murdered for money;
Yet in the end, he lost everything!
The gold went to someone who never expected it because it was written for him from the beginning!
Fourth Lesson:
You gather money from both lawful and unlawful means;
Then leave it all behind for heirs to enjoy while you alone are held accountable for it!
Money drives life, but it is not life itself!
Allah has distributed all things with justice,
Very few have been given everything!
You may find a wealthy man who is deprived by illness to enjoy food
And a poor man who is healthy but does not find what to eat!
One was given wealth, and the other was given health!
You may find someone without children, but granted great knowledge!
Another has children, but is deprived of their kindness!
This is the true of life; it is never complete for anyone!
Yet we humans tend to measure life by what we lack, not by what we have!
One may think that what he is deprived of is the most important thing in life,
But he forgets that this world is just a field of sowing, and Allah will not ask us about what we were denied;
He will ask us what we did with what we were given!
The Secret to Happiness is Contentment!
The fear of poverty is another form of poverty.
If we truly looked at what we already possess,
We would not have time to grieve what we do not have!
But this is human nature:
We forget what is in our hands and long for what is in others’.
Every home hides its own secrets;
You do not know how someone rich truly lives?
You do not know if a man with a beautiful wife is truly happy?
Happiness is not in what we own;
But in how well we manage it and enjoy it!
( فَأَوْجَسَ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَىٰ * قُلْنَا لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْأَعْلَىٰ )
“Moses was inwardly alarmed * But We said, ‘Do not be afraid, you have the upper hand.'”
Courage is not the absence of fear,
But it is the ability to hide it!
We must not forget that no matter how elevated people become, in the end, they are still human!
This is Moses (peace be upon him), who felt fear!
And this is Noah (peace be upon him), whose heart broke for his disbelieving son, saying, “Indeed, he is of my family!”
This is Abraham (peace be upon him), who told his son about his dream: “O my son!”
And when the angels came to him in human form and he saw that their hands did not reach for the food, he felt afraid so they reassured him!
When they told him they were sent to destroy the villages of the wrongdoers, he remembered his relatives and pleaded: “Indeed, in it is Lot!”
This is Jacob (peace be upon him), who could not bear the separation from his beloved son Yusuf and said: “It truly saddens me that you take him away!”
And this is Muhammad (peace be upon him), who wept on the day his son passed away and said: Indeed, the heart grieves, and the eyes shed tears, and we are saddened by your departure, O Ibrahim. But we only say what pleases Allah!
People, no matter how high they rise or how far above others they seem, it is because they were patient and struggled with themselves.
But that does not mean they are not human like us; they love and hate, get angry and pleased, have desires, and hold dreams.
A beggar is happy with a kind word just as much as a coin because he is human!
A housemaid is touched by kind treatment because she is human and Kindness in exile is like a homeland!
A cleaner rejoices at a smile because he is human and a smile to a fellow human can make a beautiful day despite everything!
People, whether noble or humble, rich or poor, male or female, and whatever their role in life may be, are human beings:
The righteous are not just walking Qur’ans on earth, and factory workers are not machines of flesh and blood.
We, people, are people!
( فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا أَخْرِجُوا آلَ لُوطٍ مِّن قَرْيَتِكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ )
“The only answer his people gave was to say, ‘Expel Lot’s followers from your town! These men mean to stay chaste!’”
This has always been the way of corrupt societies for thousands of years;
When they can’t find a real fault to blame reformers for,
They shame them for the very best things about them!
The “crime” of Lot’s people was that they were pure!
Some things on this planet never change.
The corrupt suffocate in the presence of the righteous because they are a reminder of what they lack.
The adulteress wishes all women were promiscuous because chastity is a slap in her face.
The thief wishes all men would steal because honesty burns like a whip across his back.
The bribe-taker wishes all employees took bribes because lawful income makes his mouth taste bitter.
The ungrateful child wishes all children were ungrateful because dutifulness is a painful lesson to him.
Because they are unable to rise, they want others to fall.
They whisper evil about you, but deep down, they wish they were like you!
Do not believe them when they say the woman in Hijab is oppressed,
That the devout person is extreme,
That the honest person is socially unaware,
That the modest person is weak,
Or that the trustworthy one is naïve and doesn’t know “how the game is played.”
Deep in their hearts, they respect you, no matter what they show on the surface;
So do not change!
( أَنَا أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالًا (
“I have more wealth than you.”
Indeed, Allah gives worldly wealth to both those He loves and those He dislikes among His servants,
But He gives faith only to those He loves.
He gave the entire world to Prophet Suliman and Dhul-Qarnain and also to Qarun and Nimrod.
If wealth were a true measure of distinction, He would not have equated a Prophet with a tyrant!
The poorest people are those who have nothing but money!
They believe that everything can be bought even Paradise!
They think they will be the richest in the Hereafter because they are rich in this world!
But money is the wheel of life — not life itself.
It is a means, not an end.
If you place it beneath your feet, it lifts you.
If you place it above your head, it lowers you.
Owning money does not harm your faith;
On the contrary: What a blessing is righteous wealth in the hands of a righteous person!
What matters is that money stays in your hand not in your heart!
Yes, money makes life more comfortable,
But the most beautiful things in life cannot be bought!
Money can buy medicine, but not health.
It can buy a bed, but not sleep.
It can buy a book of love poems, but not love.
It can buy a courtesan, but not a beloved.
It can buy a joke book, but not laughter from the heart.
It can buy a preschool, but not a child.
It can buy a library, but not culture.
It can buy a car, but not feet to walk.
It can buy glasses, but not sight.
It can buy flatterers, but not true friends.
Whether rich or poor, no one can eat more than his stomach can hold!
No one wears more than one outfit even if the brand is different!
No one walks in more than one pair of shoes even if the quality varies!
Gather money to serve you, not for you to serve it.
Make it your servant, not your master.
Make it follow you, do not worship it.
Live with it, but do not live for it.
And always remember:
You already have so much that can never be bought!