This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Ramadan Reflections. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15

Transcript

The following is perhaps one of the most powerful statements ever made before a tyrant:

Ṭā Hā (20): 72-73

قَالُوا لَنْ نُؤْثِرَكَ عَلَى مَا جَاءَنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالَّذِي فَطَرَنَا فَاقْضِ مَا أَنْتَ قَاضٍ إِنَّمَا تَقْضِي هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا (٧٢) إِنَّا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَايَانَا وَمَا أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى (٧٣)

“(The magicians of Egypt who just became Muslim after witnessing a miracle of God (Allāh) at the hands of Moses (Mūsā) said, ‘We will never prefer you, O Pharaoh, over all the clear signs of God that have come to us, let alone The One True God Allāh Himself! So go ahead and do whatever you want to us! Anything and everything you can do – like torturing us – is limited to this worldly life! We have wholeheartedly believed in our Lord and Master and hope that He will forgive us for our mistakes and everything you, O Pharaoh, forced us to learn and perform in terms of magic. — Allāh and His compensation is far greater and everlasting than anything you could possibly do!’”

Allāh tells us this story a few times in The Qurʾān. Sūrah Ṭā Hā contains one of the more detailed accounts of this story. A summary of the backstory is as follows.

Prophet Moses (Mūsā [ع] ʿalayh al-salām – may God honor and preserve his legacy) has been preaching to Pharaoh (Firʿawn) for a while. At some point, Pharaoh tries to make a power play in hopes to publicly humiliate Prophet Moses (ع). Pharaoh has convinced himself that the miracles of Prophet Mūsā (ع), like his staff turning into a real living serpent, are just magic. So Pharaoh wants to set up a public “magic showdown” where the best magicians of Egypt and the surrounding lands can hopefully out perform Prophet Moses (ع). A date and time are set.

Prophet Mūsā (ع) and the magicians arrive. After a little bit of back and forth, the magicians are the first to make a move. They have rope and staffs that they throw onto the floor, and through the use of their magic, the staffs and ropes appear to be moving.

Prophet Mūsā (ع) is a little worried, but Allāh ﷻ reassures him, “لا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الأَعْلَى – Do not worry or be afraid. You are the victor.” So Prophet Moses (ع) throws his staff, and of course, it becomes a real living snake. Not only that, but it goes and swallows all of the ropes and staffs previously thrown by the magicians.

The second the magicians see that, they know what Prophet Mūsā (ع) just did was not magic. That staff, that snake, that literal swallowing of objects from an animal that was a literal staff a few seconds ago — that is not magic! Instantly they fall into sajdah, prostrating their faces onto the floor. They exclaim, “آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَارُونَ وَمُوسَى – We believe in the Lord and Master of Aaron (Hārūn) and Moses (Mūsā)!”

Just imagine the anger and frustration Pharaoh is experiencing. His entire plan backfired into the exact opposite outcome. Instead of Prophet Mūsā (ع) being humiliated, he came out as the unquestioned hero! But Pharaoh is a man of the most extreme propaganda. In that moment he tries to flip the script – “Did I give you permission to accept him as a prophet? Ohhh… He (Moses) is the one that taught all of you magic in the first place! You all have been scheming this against me the entire time! — Guess what? I am going to mutilate and crucify all of you! I will chop off your opposing limbs and hang your corpses on tree trunks! Then and only then will you all finally realize who is more powerful and severe in executing continuous punishment!”

At that, the magicians say what Allāh quoted in the Qurʾān, “We will never prefer you, O Pharaoh, over all the clear signs of God that have come to us, let alone The One True God Allāh Himself! So go ahead and do whatever you want to us! Anything and everything you can do – like torturing us – is limited to this worldly life! We have wholeheartedly believed in our Lord and Master and hope that He will forgive us for our mistakes and everything you, O Pharaoh, forced us to learn and perform in terms of magic. — Allāh and His compensation is far greater and everlasting than anything you could possibly do!”

These magicians saw the truth as truth. As the phrase goes, “game recognize game” and they knew that what they did was magic, but what was done at the hands of Prophet Mūsā (ع) was something that could only be done by the divine intervention of The One True God. Thus they instantly believed.

And their belief was so strong and firmly rooted, even though they just accepted Mūsā and Hārūn (ع) as prophets moments ago, they knew that Pharaoh is a human who can only hurt them in this world. Pharaoh’s worst torture techniques will be painful, yes, but once they die, Pharaoh cannot do a single thing to them. Rather, it is Allāh who has full and everlasting control, power, and authority in this life and the next. So when Allāh ﷻ chooses to forgive and reward, that is far better and everlasting than any possible material luxury Pharaoh could ever bribe them with. And Allāh ﷻ’s punishment against those who reject Him is more severe and everlasting than 100 years of receiving the worst torture exacted by Pharaoh.

If we are obedient to Allāh ﷻ, no one can harm us in the hereafter. They may be able to hurt us verbally and physically – in very painful ways – in this world. But it will end when I die. As for the reward from Allāh for my patience and submission to Him – it is forever and ever. As for the punishment from Allāh against those who reject and oppress, it will forever and ever.

Sometimes people will really hurt you in this world. The pain will be unbearable. But if your relationship with Allāh ﷻ is strong, you will be escorted into God’s Paradise in there hereafter, while your disbelieving oppressor will be dragged and thrown face first into the fire of Hell. — Keep your faith strong, O Believer! And let Allāh handle your situation!

The post IOK Ramadan 2025: You Can Only Hurt Me in This World | Sh Mudassir Mayet appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Ramadan Reflections. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14

Transcript

 

The post IOK Ramadan 2025: Hereafter | Sh Mudassir Mayet appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

‘The chanting you heard was not directed at you in any way,’ inspector tells Sydney man who complained about neighbour’s Christmas party in Glenmore Park

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A NSW police internal investigation has found that off-duty officers who allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar boom” and “Hezbollah” at a Christmas party after a verbal dispute with a Muslim man who lived next door were indulging in “banter between friends”.

The incident allegedly took place on 13 December at Glenmore Park in western Sydney, after the man complained to his neighbours about water from their swimming pool leaking into his property.

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It begins with a whisper: a message slides into your consciousness with the practiced ease of a skilled assassin. “Have you heard about…” The words hang in the air, and in that suspended moment, a profound power dynamic unfolds. Make no mistake: this is not merely gossip; it’s the redistribution of social capital through character assassination. What masquerades as “just sharing information” reveals itself as a weapon wielded in the silent warfare of reputation. 

Like those who now gather around tables before dawn, carefully choosing what will sustain them through the long hours of fasting ahead, we too should be mindful of what fills our social spaces. But unlike the careful consideration given to what nourishes the body during these sacred days of Ramadan, we rarely scrutinize what passes our lips when it concerns others’ reputations. The irony is stark: we meticulously avoid a drop of water touching our tongues from fajr to maghrib, yet let torrents of destructive speech flow freely when speaking of others.

Precision-Guided Missiles

Let us strip away the comfortable illusions: words are instruments of power. When deployed against the defenseless, they become tools of oppression as real as any physical constraint. “Words are arrows,” warned Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, but this metaphor sanitizes their true nature. Words are precision-guided missiles that destroy not merely reputations but entire lives: careers demolished, family bonds severed, mental health shattered beyond recognition. Behind closed doors, victims of our careless speech collapse under psychological torture, their very sense of self disintegrating as community after community turns against them.

And you, yes you, become complicit with each passive nod, each failure to demand evidence, each cowardly silence that prioritizes your social comfort over another’s dignity. The Qur’an confronts this moral abdication with surgical precision:

“Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of themselves and say: ‘This is obvious falsehood’?” [Surah An-Nur: 24:12]

“Words are arrows,” warned Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib [PC: Possessed Photography (unsplash)]

This isn’t gentle guidance; it’s a damning indictment of our collective moral failure.

Imagine standing before your Creator, every instance where you participated in this systemic oppression laid bare: the whispered accusations you amplified, the context you deliberately omitted, the times you cloaked character assassination as “just asking questions.” The angels who recorded your every utterance stand as witnesses, their eternal ledgers containing words you yourself have forgotten speaking. These vigilant scribes who never sleep, never forget, and never fail to capture every syllable now present the complete record of your speech. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ didn’t merely suggest discretion; he recognized that the tongue serves as the primary instrument of injustice. Your defense that you were “just passing along information” will collapse under the weight of its own moral bankruptcy.

Of Sacred Speech And Cowardly Silence

We’ve all experienced that moment when someone leans close, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper: “Did you hear what they did?” In that moment, a moral test presents itself. Your response, whether eager reception or principled rejection, reveals not just your character but your relationship to power itself. Will you participate in the destruction of another’s reputation for the fleeting currency of insider status? And have you considered the chilling reality that tomorrow, the same machinery of social destruction could turn against you with equal efficiency?

The pious predecessors understood what we conveniently forget: that words create reality. Imam Malik ibn Anas would bathe, apply perfume, and don his finest clothes before narrating hadith in Medina. The renowned scholar Muhammad ibn Sirin was known to perform ritual ablution before transmitting even verified information, a physical acknowledgment of speech’s sacred power. The hadith compiler Imam al-Bukhari would pray two rakʿahs of prayer before recording any prophetic tradition. This wasn’t mere symbolism but a profound recognition that words reshape the social landscape, determining who is embraced and who is exiled. If these towering figures approached confirmed knowledge with such reverence, our casual transmission of unverified claims represents not just carelessness but a form of violence.

Examine the mechanics of how truth erodes: a hesitant “I think maybe…” transforms into “I heard definitely…” and finally calcifies as “Everyone knows…“ This isn’t accidental; it’s a deliberate alchemy that transmutes suspicion into social consensus without the inconvenience of evidence. In our digital age, this process accelerates exponentially, creating parallel realities where the accused stands convicted without trial, defense, or appeal.

Consider the devastating scandal that engulfed Aisha , Mother of Believers. For weeks, she suffered in agonizing isolation as rumors consumed her reputation. Her body wasted away until she had no tears left, describing her pain as beyond any physical suffering she had endured, a soul-deep wound inflicted not by enemies but by those she considered family. The power dynamics were unmistakable: accusations flowed from those seeking to undermine the Prophet’s ﷺ mission by attacking his household, while others amplified these claims to secure their own social position.

The divine warning thunders through centuries:

“Those who love to see immorality spread among the believers will have a painful punishment in this life and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know.” [Surah An-Nur; 24:19]

This isn’t merely cautioning against gossip; it’s exposing our psychological attraction to others’ moral failures, a perverse comfort we find in their downfall that allows us to feel superior while doing nothing to improve ourselves or our communities.

Yet make no mistake: absolute silence in the face of genuine injustice represents not piety but moral cowardice. When actual harm occurs and you remain mute, your silence doesn’t preserve peace; it preserves oppression. One day, those who suffered while you knew and did nothing might rightfully name you as complicit: “You witnessed the truth yet chose your comfort over our protection.” The false binary between harmful speech and unconditional silence serves those in power by neutralizing legitimate criticism under the guise of spiritual discretion.

The Strength Of Moral Discernment

Between reckless accusation and cowardly silence, lies a third path: principled, evidence-based intervention that prioritizes justice over comfort. The Prophet ﷺ advised leaving “what doesn’t concern you,” but this wasn’t permission for apathy. Rather, it demands discernment, the wisdom to distinguish between idle curiosity about others’ affairs and moral responsibility to confront genuine harm. The question isn’t whether to speak or remain silent, but whether your words serve truth or merely your own social interests.

The Prophet ﷺ advised leaving “what doesn’t concern you.” [PC: Dendy Darma Satyazi (unsplash)]

Try this unflinching exercise: When negative information reaches you about someone, close your eyes and visualize them not as an abstract character in a story but as a fully human being. See the dark circles under their eyes from sleepless nights spent wondering who still believes in them. Feel the cold sweat of anxiety as they enter rooms, calculating who has heard what version of their alleged transgressions. Now reverse the roles completely: place yourself as the subject of the same accusations, feeling decades-long relationships disintegrate over claims you cannot effectively disprove. Would you spread such information without certainty? This exercise strips away pretense and confronts you with the moral weight of your speech.

In our networked world, this ethical challenge has gained unprecedented urgency. A rumor that once traveled through neighborhoods now races across continents instantaneously, preserved eternally in digital amber. Each thoughtless share, each “just letting you know” message, each public innuendo fuels a machine of destruction that operates with ruthless efficiency while maintaining plausible deniability for all participants. “I was just sharing what I heard” becomes the modern equivalent of “I was just following orders,” a moral abdication disguised as neutral information sharing.

Those with genuine spiritual maturity instinctively recoil from unverified claims, not from naivety but from acute awareness that our words actively create the communities we inhabit. They recognize that the momentary social currency gained from sharing scandalous news pales against the permanent moral debt incurred by participating in another’s destruction. They live with the constant awareness of the angels at their shoulders, recording each word in an unfading ledger, capturing not just what was said but the intention behind it. Their restraint isn’t weakness but profound strength, the discipline to resist the intoxicating power that comes from controlling others’ reputations.

If you’ve already participated in this system of reputational violence, the path to redemption remains open but demands more than private regret. True repentance requires public repair: seek those you’ve misled and correct yourself without excuses or deflection. Then speak well of those you’ve wronged, not merely to clear your conscience but to begin restoring what your words destroyed. Anything less transforms apology into performance, concerned more with reclaiming your moral standing than repairing the damage you’ve caused.

A person refined by these principles develops not just a reputation but a moral authority that eclipses superficial influence. When they speak, people listen, not because they wield institutional power but because they’ve demonstrated the courage to value truth over convenience, principle over popularity. Their restraint testifies to inner discipline, and their interventions carry the weight of discernment rather than impulse.

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent,” declared the Prophet ﷺ with unflinching clarity. This isn’t gentle advice but a fundamental standard that separates superficial faith from authentic conviction. When questionable information about another reaches you, this principle demands not passive acceptance of whatever narrative benefits you, but active interrogation of both the claims and your own motives in receiving them.

In every word, in every silence, your moral compass reveals itself. Each time you pass along unverified information, you aren’t merely sharing news; you’re actively participating in systems of power that destroy lives while maintaining the fiction of your own neutrality. And know with certainty that angels are recording every word, every whisper, every innuendo.. these tireless scribes who never sleep, never tire, and never miss even the subtlest inference in your speech. The Qur’an reminds us:

“Not a word does he utter but there is a vigilant Guardian.” [Surah Qaf; 50:18]

Choose wisely, for in the economy of justice, nothing is forgotten, nothing is without consequence, and no one escapes accountability for the worlds their words create.

 

Related:

– The Top 5 Misconceptions of Backbiting and How To Respond To Them

– The Muslim’s Stance Toward Ethical Crises and Scandals [A Summarized Paper]

 

The post Time To Take Stock Of The Weight Of Our Words: A Moral Indictment Of Our Complicity appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Ramadan Reflections. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13

Transcript

We start by mentioning Allah, praising Him, thanking Him, and asking Him to bless and honor our beloved Prophet and Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم.  

 As we start our 14th session, we are looking at the 14th juz of the Qur’an, which covers surah 15, surah al-Hijr, and surah 16, surah al-Nahl. Towards the end of surah al-Nahl, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala spends a number of verses, reminding us to be people who keep our promises. If I made a promise, if I entered into a contract, I should wholeheartedly stick to that. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, He says in verse 91, 

وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا عَـٰهَدتُّمْ وَلَا تَنقُضُوا۟ ٱلْأَيْمَـٰنَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ ٩١ 

Honour Allah’s covenant when you make a pledge, and do not break your oaths after confirming them, having made Allah your guarantor. Surely Allah knows all you do. (Quran 16:91) 

 Meaning, fulfill the promises you have made to Allah when you made them. This could refer to any promise that we have made to Allah. By me being a human being and a Muslim, I have engaged in a contract with Allah. Oh Allah, I will believe in You. I will worship You and You alone. I will pray five times a day. if I have the wealth, I will give zakaah. If I’m physically able, I will fast. If I have the wealth and ability, I will perform hajj. I’ll be good to my parents. I’ll be good to my spouse. I’ll be good to my kids. I’ll take care of the poor, the weak, and the orphans. I will not be angry, oppressive, tyrannical, arrogant, greedy, hateful, nor envious. Rather, I will be kind, soft, caring, generous, forgiving, and all of these good qualities.  

 And Allah continues to say again that do not break or violate these promises or oaths that you have made. If you say, I swear to God I will do such and such, that is a yameen (oath). Also, anything that when we contractually obligate ourselves with one another. For example, if I have signed a contract, I will give you this money tomorrow at 3pm, then neither should I come late, jip you in the amount, nor should you give me any less than we agreed to. 

 And before we get into the details, there’s a caveat that always comes up, that this is to the best of our human ability. Maybe, there’s just a major thunderstorm, and there’s absolutely no way I could get there at 3 PM. Like, even if I left at 3 PM, I would not have been able to make it. Right? These are things that hopefully Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, our God, will overlook. And us, as human beings with each other, should also overlook if it’s a legitimate reason. If you’re five minutes away from me and were supposed to meet me at 4 PM but I think to myself that I was supposed to be there at 3PM, but I can get there at 7PM. That is breaking and violating this promise and trust which I have engaged in with you.  

 Allah says that He has made you know a contractual obligant in that party. That you are a party to that contract. You have a responsible part in that contract. Allah knows everything that you do. And then Allah gives us an example. Allah paints beautiful examples and parables within the Qur’an to help us understand the importance of the things that He’s teaching us. He says, 

وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَـٰثًۭا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ ٩٢ 

Do not be like the woman who foolishly unravels her yarn after it is firmly spun, by taking your oaths as a means of deceiving one another in favor of a stronger group. Surely Allah tests you through this. And on the Day of Judgment He will certainly make your differences clear to you. (Quran 16:92) 

 That people, when you have made a promise, oath, or entered into a contract, don’t be like this particular woman who was known in Mecca. She would tear and rip apart her spun yarn. Maybe, she sewed or knit some kind of a fabric. After she was done, she would just tear it apart. This was a known woman in Mecca, that would do that. Or maybe this is a hypothetical example of a fable. There was a woman that would do such a thing. Again, you can imagine that she’s knitting a quilt or a shirt. Then, as it’s done or as it’s about to be done, she thinks, “Nope. Never mind. Start over. I don’t want it.” Allah is saying, ‘don’t do that.’ When you have made a promise, engaged in a contract, or committed yourself, stick to it. When you have said, shook hands, signed the paper, you have agreed to something, stick to it. 

Don’t rip your hand out and rip the paper-in our metaphorical terms or literal terms, like that woman who would go and rip her fabric or cloth after having sewed and stitched it together. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is very clear about these things. And Allah says that if you do that, it’s like you’re just falling and slipping out. You’re making a huge mistake. Don’t do this to yourself. You’re hurting yourself. You’re harming yourself. You’re violating your own self. You are going to taste, وَتَذُوقُ السُّوءَ بِمَا صَلَتُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ You’re going to taste the consequences of what you have done. 

وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ And you have a very harsh, severe punishment.

Obviously, these ayahs are kind of intermixed with telling the believers, “Don’t violate your promise and trust to Allah.” But within it is also the scenario for people. For example, a husband by the contract of nikkah, is supposed to take care of his wife and children by giving them food, shelter, housing, and whatever else it is they need for their function. He says, “No, I’m not going to feed you. No, I’m not going to clothe you. No, I’m not going to give you shelter. Go pay for your own medical bills. I’m not going to do any of that.” That person is violating both the contract which they made to Allah by entering into this marriage contract and to his wife and children.  

And again, as we said before, this is to one’s ability. Somebody may have lost their hands, so they cannot work anymore. That is a separate scenario. We’re talking about someone who has the wealth or has the ability. Yet, he says, “Handle it yourself. Not my problem. It is your problem.” This includes any other kind of situation. When we see people who are in positions of leadership and authority who are supposed to protect people, yet they go and hurt and harm people. They are supposed to ensure public safety, yet they spy on people and hurt innocent people. They have made a promise of civil service. Yet, they go and violate that. Whether be it students to their teachers of, I will participate. I will attend class on time. You know, I will be respectful. I will complete my assignments. And they can violate that. Or it can be teachers or any boss or employer who has a responsibility, “I will look after you. I will help you. I will teach you. I will educate you. I will support you”. And then, they fail to do that out of negligence not because he cannot do it. He thinks, “I’m trying my best, but I can’t due to laziness, out of negligence, not caring.” This is breaking a promise. And this is something extremely, extremely, extremely terrible. 

So much so that the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم (May God bless and honor him) said, آية المنافق ثلاث that from amongst the many qualities of a hypocrite, of someone who says one thing but believes another thing, are three. And one of them that he mentions is إِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ When he makes a promise, he breaks it. And then, وَإِذَا اؤتُمِنَ خَانَ when he’s trusted with something, he betrays it. For example, if you trust me to help you, you go ahead, and they break that trust. 

Oh people! أَوْفُوا بِالْعُهُود Go and fulfill your promises, trusts, and covenants that you have made with Allah. If someone rightfully expects something from you, give it to them and fulfill it to the best of your ability, lest Allah hold you and I accountable. And when we are people of honesty, trustworthiness, and fulfilling our promises and contracts, then this is the title that people gave the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم , al-Amin, “the trustworthy”.  

May Allah make us trustworthy and people that others can rely on. 

O Allah! You are so perfect. We end by praising You and thanking You. There is nothing worthy of our worship or devotion except for You. We seek Your forgiveness. And we turn to You in repentance. We end by asking You to bless and honor our beloved Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم . 

The post IOK Ramadan 2025: Promises | Sh Mudassir Mayet appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Will Washington give envoy Adam Boehler the Andrew Young treatment for meeting Palestinian officials? Or did he help reach a new deal with Hamas?

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Irtiza Hasan and Zainab bint Younus share a (belated) Ramadan Mubarak with the MuslimMatters family, sharing their own traditions and reflections on how to spend this Ramadan. And, how do we avoid fundraising fatigue and donation rotations?

Between work and school, family and taraweeh, juggling iftar dawats and squeezing in personal worship… how have you all been managing this Ramadan? What Ramadan scheduling hacks do you utilize?

Related:

The MuslimMatters Ramadan Podcast Playlist 2025

The post [Podcast] A Belated Ramadan Mubarak! appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Ramadan Reflections. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12

Transcript

We begin by praising Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala. We thank Him, We acknowledge that He is the only one worthy and deserving of all praise and thanks, and we ask Him to shower His most complete and abundant blessings and protection upon His noble Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, upon his noble family, upon his shining companions, and upon all of those that follow them until the end of time. We ask Allah to include us from among them. We ask Allah to teach us what will benefit us, to guide us through what He has taught us, and to increase us in knowledge and accepted actions. 

 In our 13th session, we are looking at the 13th Juz of the Qur’an, which contains the end of Surah Yusuf (Chapter 12), the entirety of Surah Ar-Ra’d (Chapter 13), and the entirety of Surah Ibrahim (Chapter 14). At the beginning of Surah Ibrahim and at the end of Surah Ibrahim, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala touches on a very important quality: the mindset and action of a believer. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala says on the tongue of Prophet Musa Alayhi Salam, on the tongue of Prophet Moses. May God bless him and honor his legacy. 

Remember when your Lord had proclaimed and given the announcement: 

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌۭ  

And ˹remember˺ when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more. But if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is severe.’” (Quran 14:7) 

 Meaning, Allah is saying, “If you are grateful to me, if you show appreciation, if you give thanks, then I will increase you; I will surely, absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, increase you. And if you are ungrateful, then know that without a doubt my punishment is extremely painful.

Very beautifully, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala says, “If you are grateful”, which is a generic statement. Allah doesn’t mention for what or to who. And then, on top of that, He says, “For sure, I will absolutely’; He makes it a very definitive statement, “I will increase you, I will give you more. But then Allah warns: If you are ungrateful, then know that my punishment is very severe. Allah doesn’t say, ‘I will punish you Allah says that know that my punishment is very severe may very well come.  

 At the end of Surah Ibrahim, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala again makes a very important, beautiful point pertaining to gratitude. Allah He says before even mentioning gratitude, that He, Allah, has already given you everything that you’ve asked Him for, whatever you asked Him, He’s given it.   

There may be some things that I you haven’t gotten. Allah, in His own wisdom, knows when and why to give and not to give. Maybe it’s due to our own deficiencies, because it’s bad for us, or maybe because there’s something better He’s trying to save for us. 

 But from the generic method, the fact that we are alive, we’re breathing, we have, we can see, we can hear-this, that we’re Muslim-He’s given us more than we can imagine. And then He continues: 

وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌۭ كَفَّارٌۭ  

If you tried to count Allah’s blessings, you would never be able to number them. (Quran 14:34) 

And then He continues. If you were to try and count, enumerate, list the blessings of Allah, the favors and gifts of Allah, you would never be able to count them. You would never be able to enumerate them. You would never be able to quantify or account for them both in terms of quantity and complexity. 

If I were to think that I can feel from my hands and each, I have eyes that can see, and I can see so many colors and things, I can smell so many things, I can taste so many things, if I was to count how many things I can do, I wouldn’t be able to, let alone be grateful for the complexity for a single follicle of hair that I have on any part of my body. Those follicles came from cells that were grown and developed, which came from the sperm and egg cell that were from my parents. Then, where did those cells come from? Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala created them from my parents, and where did my parents come from. Each one of them came from their own two parents and it goes on. I would have to go back to the creation of prophet Adam, our forefather. Adam alayhi salam (may Allah honor and preserve his legacy.

This is to be grateful for just a single follicle of hair.  

Then Allah comments, that humans are extremely oppressive. They are extremely ungrateful and or disobedient. It is very beautiful that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala mentions and highlights gratitude in the surah that He names after or that is given the name of Ibrahim because Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala He speaks elsewhere about Ibrahim alayhi salam, that if prophet Abraham, may God honor and preserve his legacy, he was grateful, he was appreciative for the blessings of Allah. He was grateful for the blessings that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala had given him.  

This could mean either for some blessings or even the smallest of blessings that Ibrahim alayhi salam was able to come close to fulfilling real gratitude for even one, two, or three blessings. That isn’t to belittle his status though. That is to elevate his status; that you and I, if we were to be grateful for that one follicle of hair, we wouldn’t actually be able to be grateful for it. 

 And Allah is saying in the meaning of, He was grateful for some blessings. That yes, Ibrahim was actually grateful for some of those blessings. Or you can understand to be that he was grateful for the smallest of blessings, the tiniest of blessings. For example, this includes being grateful for the coolness of water on a warm day, the touch of a loved one, all these little things. Just say thank you, Allah, not when I get a million dollars or just when life’s good. But being grateful for those small, tiny, little things. And how great and powerful and amazing of a statement is the phrase that the Qur’an literally begins with Alhamdulillah: complete gratitude and compliments belong to Allah, the biggest thank you, the most beautiful praise belongs to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, who is our Lord, our Master, our Creator.  

 This is a time for us to always think and reflect: am I grateful and appreciative of the blessings Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given me? Do I thank Allah? Do I appreciate Allah? How do I respond to these gifts from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala? Am I thankful? And from one perspective, not that we should be selfish, but if I want to be selfish, it’s only going to come and benefit me. If I’m grateful, Allah will give me more. If I’m grateful, Allah will reward me. If I’m grateful, I will get an eternity in paradise, let alone what I will get in this life from Allah.  

 There’s a story that’s mentioned that a shaykh, a teacher, was teaching one of his students. There are a handful of adhkar, remembrances of Allah, like subhanallah (Oh Allah! You are so perfect); alhamdulillah (thank you, Allah); Allahu akbar (Allah you are far greater and more supreme).   

And the student went through this spiritual exercise remembering Allah, doing this series of litanies and praises. And after he thinks, “I’m the same. Nothing really has changed. I don’t find anything different.” The shaykh, the teacher, responded, “You should be grateful that you are able to have a habit and a routine of remembering and mentioning Allah.” Meaning, if I’m grateful for Allah I’m a Muslim, I may not be the best Muslim, not that I should be okay with that, but I should try and be better, but Allah, thank you that at least right now.  

 I say la ilaha illallah, like I’m not someone who is on the brink of saying la ilaha illallah or hates la ilaha illallah. Rather Allah, I say it right now. That’s such a huge blessing that it can save me from an eternity in the fire of hell.  

The post IOK Ramadan 2025: Gratitude | Sh Mudassir Mayet appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

A young doctor is caught in a struggle between her patients' needs and those of her family.

Reading Time

• Summary Transcript: ~5 minutes
• Full Transcript: ~34 minutes

Learning Objectives

• Understand the concept of taqwa (consciousness of Allah) and its significance in private and public acts of worship.
• Learn how to structure daily worship routines using morning and evening adhkar (litanies) as recommended by Islamic scholars.
• Explore the transformative power of aligning intentions with Allah’s pleasure, turning daily responsibilities into acts of worship.
• Memorize key supplications like Sayyidul Istighfar and morning and evening adhkar to incorporate into daily practice.
• Recognize the importance of repentance (tawbah) in cleansing the heart and seeking Allah’s forgiveness.
• Analyze the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) teachings on prioritizing Allah’s approval over societal expectations.
• Appreciate the diversity of acts of worship and the need to balance them to avoid spiritual fatigue.
• Reflect on the practical examples of taqwa demonstrated by the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions in their public and private lives.
• Apply the principles of taqwa to real-life scenarios, including managing responsibilities like caregiving and household duties.
• Embrace a mindset of gratitude, contentment, and patience in the face of life’s challenges, inspired by the lives of previous generations.

Class Summary Understanding Taqwa: A Lifelong Shield

Taqwa—a constant awareness of Allah—is the foundation of a successful life in both this world and the hereafter. It’s not limited to worship in public spaces but is deeply rooted in private moments when no one else is watching. As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught, “Fear Allah wherever you are.” True taqwa requires aligning your actions, intentions, and behaviors with the recognition that Allah sees all.

Daily Worship: Structuring Your Time

Imam Ibn Qudamah, in Muqtasir Minhaj Al-Qasidin, outlines practical ways to incorporate worship into your daily life:

• Morning Litanies (Adhkar): Between fajr and sunrise, engage in dhikr like “Alhamdulillahi alladhi ahyana ba’dama amatana wa ilayhi nushur” (All praise is due to Allah, who gave us life after causing us to die).
• Evening Dhikr: Similar to the morning, these litanies include praising Allah’s sovereignty and seeking His protection.
• Diverse Acts of Worship: Avoid monotony by balancing Quran recitation, salah, dhikr, and other forms of remembrance throughout the day and night.

The key is consistency. Even small acts, done regularly, hold immense spiritual value.

Repentance and Accountability

No one is free from mistakes, but tawbah (repentance) offers a powerful way to return to Allah. Acknowledging one’s sins and seeking forgiveness with sincerity cleanses the heart. The Sayyidul Istighfar (Master Supplication for Forgiveness) is an excellent daily practice:

“O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no deity but You. You created me, and I am Your servant. I uphold Your covenant as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from the evil I have committed. I admit Your blessings upon me, and I admit my sins. So forgive me, for no one forgives sins except You.”

Balancing Worship with Responsibilities

Not everyone has the luxury of uninterrupted worship time, especially caregivers, parents, or those with demanding jobs. However, daily tasks can become acts of worship when done with the intention to please Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) reassured a woman who felt men had more opportunities for reward, saying that managing her home with sincerity would earn her the same blessings.

Prioritizing Allah’s Pleasure

The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught: “Whoever seeks to please Allah, even if it displeases people, Allah will make those people pleased with him.” Striving for Allah’s approval above all brings harmony and fulfillment. On the other hand, seeking people’s approval at the expense of Allah’s displeasure leads to spiritual and social discord.

Key Takeaways for Everyday Life

1. Start Each Day with Dhikr: Incorporate structured litanies to begin and end your day in Allah’s remembrance.
2. Diversify Worship: Avoid fatigue by alternating between Quran recitation, salah, and other forms of ibadah.
3. Transform Responsibilities into Worship: Align your intentions with Allah’s pleasure to earn spiritual rewards for daily tasks.
4. Seek Forgiveness Regularly: Embrace the power of repentance and keep your heart connected to Allah.
5. Focus on Allah’s Approval: Prioritize Allah’s pleasure, trusting that it will lead to peace and success in all areas of life.

Taqwa is a lifelong journey that combines worship, repentance, and good character. By living consciously in Allah’s presence, every moment can become an opportunity for spiritual growth. May Allah guide us to remain steadfast in our pursuit of His pleasure. Ameen.

Full Transcript

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.

Alhamdulillah rabbil alameen. Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam wa barakatuhu wa nabiyyin wa muhammadin wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam tasliman kathira. Thumma amma ba’ad.

We welcome you back to a Ta’aseel class in which we discuss the book of Imam Ibn Qudamah, may Allah have mercy on him, Muqtasir Minhaj Al-Qasidin, and the book of Imam Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy on him, Jamil Ulum Al-Hikam. In the first book, we are talking about the adab and the etiquette of many of our acts of worship (ibadat) and the secrets of worship. For example, we have discussed the essence of salah, the Qur’an, the etiquette of reciting it, beautifying our voice with it, and the meanings involved.

The Next Level of Worship: Remembrance of Allah

Now, Imam Ibn Qudamah, may Allah have mercy on him, moves us to the next level. The second best form of dhikr after the Qur’an is the remembrance of Allah (dhikrullah). The author explains how to arrange the adhkar and organize our day into different timings, engaging in acts of obedience (ta’a) and the remembrance of Allah.

The author says: “Set acts of worship for different parts of the day and their virtue. Know that when one knows Allah, believes in His promise, and realizes how short life is, it is binding that he leaves all negligence in this short lifespan of his.”

Living with Urgency: The Preciousness of Time

Imam Ibn Qudamah, may Allah have mercy on him, begins by establishing a premise. He says: If you recognize who Allah is, if you truly believe in His promise of another life with reward or punishment, and if you understand how short life is compared to eternity, then you will realize the urgency of utilizing every single breath. Not every minute—every breath—because once it is gone, it never comes back. Therefore, if you have these realizations, you will not waste any opportunities in this short lifespan.

Diversifying Worship: A Cure for Spiritual Fatigue

He continues by advising us to focus on different types of worship to prevent our souls from becoming weary. Allah tells us in Surah Al-Insan, “And mention the name of your Lord in prayer, morning and evening. And during the night prostrate to Him and exalt Him for a long part of the night.” This verse reminds us to diversify our acts of worship throughout the day and night, keeping our souls engaged and refreshed.

Human nature is such that we quickly become bored when doing the same thing repeatedly. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, would alternate between teaching hadith and other lighter activities, like sharing anecdotes and poetry, to refresh the hearts of his students. He explained: “These hearts get sour and tired; they need moments of recreation.”

Back then, they didn’t have distractions like social media. Their entertainment came from wise words and poetry. Similarly, Ibn Qudamah advises us to diversify our worship. Divide your time so that you engage in different acts of worship during the day and night, whether in the morning, evening, or night.

The Blessing of Day and Night: Opportunities for Worship

Ibn Qudamah quotes Surah Al-Furqan: “It is He who has made the night and the day in succession for whoever desires to remember or desires gratitude.” Alternating day and night allows people with different schedules to dedicate themselves to worship at suitable times. For example, those who miss nighttime prayers can compensate with extra morning worship.

Practical Suggestions: Daily and Nightly Worship

The author then discusses a structured approach to worship, presenting seven litanies (awrad) for the day and six for the night. He emphasizes the importance of creating a daily schedule for worship rather than waiting for “extra time,” which may never come. We must actively make time for worship by structuring our days.

Morning Worship: A New Beginning Every Day

The first wird of the day is between true dawn (fajr) and sunrise. The author explains that this time is noble, as Allah swears by it in Surah At-Takwir: “And by the dawn when it breathes.” This time symbolizes the fresh breath of a new day. Imagine waking up each morning with the attitude that it is a fresh new beginning—a new chance to live meaningfully. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would leap out of bed without hesitation, fully embracing the new day as an opportunity to worship Allah.

Ibn Qudamah provides several morning supplications, starting with: “Alhamdulillahi alladhi ahyana ba’dama amatana wa ilayhi nushur” (All praise is due to Allah, who has given us life after causing us to die, and to Him is our return.) This du’a acknowledges our belonging to Allah, who gives life and causes death. It reminds us of our ultimate return to Him.

Evening Worship: Reflecting on the Day

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also recited the following morning dhikr: “Asbahna wa asbahal mulku lillah” (We have entered the morning, and the sovereignty belongs to Allah). This supplication reflects gratitude for another day and submission to Allah’s sovereignty.

Another recommended dhikr is: “Bismillah, alladhi la yadurru ma’asmihi shay’un fi al-ardi wa la fi al-sama’, wa huwa al-sami’ul al-‘alim” (In the name of Allah, with whose name nothing on earth or in the heavens can harm, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing). Starting your day with this affirmation invokes Allah’s protection over you.

Further supplications include: “Raditubillahi rabban, wa bil-islami deenan, wa bi-Muhammadin sallallahu alayhi wa sallam nabiyyan wa rasulan” (I am content with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion, and Muhammad as my Prophet and Messenger). This expresses contentment and trust in Allah’s wisdom, no matter the circumstances of your day.

Repentance: Cleansing the Heart

Ibn Qudamah also mentions a powerful du’a for repentance known as Sayyidul Istighfar: “Allahumma anta rabbi, la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtani wa ana abduka, wa ana ‘ala ahdika wa wa’dika mastata’tu, a’udhu bika min sharri ma sanatu, abu’u laka bini’matika alayya, wa abu’u laka bidhanbi, faghfir li, fa-innahu la yaghfiru al-dhunuba illa anta.” This comprehensive supplication acknowledges Allah’s lordship, admits one’s sins, and seeks forgiveness.

Responsibilities as Worship: Transforming Everyday Tasks

Not everyone has the luxury of uninterrupted worship time, especially caregivers, parents, or those with demanding jobs. However, daily tasks can become acts of worship when done with the intention to please Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) reassured a woman who felt men had more opportunities for reward, saying that managing her home with sincerity would earn her the same blessings.

Prioritizing Allah’s Pleasure: A Timeless Principle

The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught: “Whoever seeks to please Allah, even if it displeases people, Allah will make those people pleased with him.” Striving for Allah’s approval above all brings harmony and fulfillment. On the other hand, seeking people’s approval at the expense of Allah’s displeasure leads to spiritual and social discord.

Conclusion: Practical Takeaways for a Life of Taqwa

The lesson concludes with a reminder to implement these teachings daily, whether through structured acts of worship or fulfilling our responsibilities with sincerity and devotion. Taqwa is a lifelong journey that combines worship, repentance, and good character. By living consciously in Allah’s presence, every moment can become an opportunity for spiritual growth.

May Allah enable us to implement these teachings and make every moment of our lives meaningful in His service. Ameen.

Summary: Key Lessons on Taqwa and Worship

1. Taqwa as the Core of Faith:
   Taqwa is living with the awareness that Allah sees everything you do, in public and in private. It requires aligning every action, intention, and thought with His pleasure.
2. Structuring Daily Worship:
   Dividing the day into segments for different forms of worship, such as morning and evening adhkar, helps maintain consistency and spiritual vitality.
3. The Importance of Private Worship:
   Acts of devotion done in private, away from the eyes of others, are the truest expressions of sincerity and commitment to Allah.
4. Balancing Responsibilities and Worship:
   Fulfilling duties like caregiving, household management, or work can be acts of worship if done with the intention to please Allah.
5. The Power of Repentance:
   Regular tawbah cleanses the heart, strengthens faith, and draws us closer to Allah, helping us overcome the negative effects of sins.
6. Prioritizing Allah’s Approval:
   Seeking Allah’s pleasure over people’s approval ensures success in this world and the next, bringing harmony and fulfillment to life.

Reflection: How Will You Incorporate Taqwa Today?

The essence of taqwa is not just in grand acts of worship but in how you approach every moment of your life. Whether through structured prayers, consistent remembrance of Allah, or intentional living, every action can bring you closer to Him. As Imam Ibn Qudamah emphasized, our lives are short and our breaths numbered. Use each one meaningfully.

Start your day with this du’a:
“Alhamdulillahi alladhi ahyana ba’dama amatana wa ilayhi nushur.”
(All praise is due to Allah, who gave us life after causing us to die, and to Him is our return.)

Let these teachings guide your actions, transform your routines into worship, and deepen your connection with Allah. May your journey of taqwa lead to everlasting success.

Ameen.

Q&A

• What is the definition of taqwa?
  • Taqwa is the consciousness of Allah, maintaining awareness of His presence at all times, in both private and public settings.
• Why is private worship more significant than public worship?
  • Private worship reflects sincerity and true mindfulness of Allah because it is performed without seeking validation from others.
• What did Ibn Qudamah suggest about structuring acts of worship?
  • He suggested dividing the day into segments for different acts of worship, such as morning litanies (adhkar) after fajr and evening adhkar before sleeping.
• What are examples of morning adhkar recommended by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)?
  • “Alhamdulillahi alladhi ahyana ba’dama amatana wa ilayhi nushur”
  • “Asbahna wa asbahal mulku lillah”
  • “Bismillah, alladhi la yadurru ma’asmihi shay’un fi al-ardi wa la fi al-sama’, wa huwa al-sami’ul al-‘alim.”
• What is Sayyidul Istighfar and why is it significant?
  • It is the “Master Supplication for Forgiveness,” acknowledging Allah’s blessings, admitting sins, and seeking forgiveness. It is a comprehensive du’a for daily repentance.
• How can daily responsibilities become acts of worship?
  • By aligning intentions with Allah’s pleasure, tasks like caregiving, working, or managing a household are transformed into acts of worship.
• What did the Prophet (peace be upon him) teach about seeking Allah’s approval over people’s approval?
  • “Whoever seeks to please Allah, even if it displeases people, Allah will make those people pleased with him.”
• Why is it important to diversify acts of worship?
  • To prevent fatigue and maintain spiritual freshness, alternating between Quran recitation, prayer, dhikr, and other worship acts is beneficial.
• What happens when sins are committed in private?
  • Even private sins leave a mark, impacting behavior and relationships. Repentance is essential to cleanse the heart and reconnect with Allah.
• How did the Prophet reassure women about their opportunities for reward?
  • He explained that taking care of their household responsibilities with sincerity is equivalent to the rewards of men’s public acts of worship like congregational prayers or jihad.

The post Study Classical Texts the Traditional Way | Session 29 appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

At 18, Mustafa was told his only way out of prison was to join the regime forces. After 14 years, his past as one of Assad’s fighters could get him killed

Mustafa was 16 when he was detained and beaten by the police for the first time. It was early 2011, and the first stirrings of the Arab spring had grown into anti-government demonstrations across the Middle East. In Syria, a sense of anxious anticipation hung in the air, and the government was responding with propaganda films and TV shows designed to fire up nationalist sentiment. A friend of Mustafa’s hired him to play an extra in one of these shows. The job didn’t pay much, but it was more fun than the long hours Mustafa spent working in a restaurant kitchen. Tall and handsome, with dark eyes and long eyelashes, Mustafa dreamed that maybe one day he could join the long list of Syrians who starred on Arab TV dramas.

The youngest of three brothers and a sister, Mustafa had grown up in a crowded working-class district in the eastern part of Damascus. His father was a stern and conservative cleric, who would beat his children for even minor infringements. At 14, Mustafa had run away and a relative in another neighbourhood had found him the restaurant job. On his first day at work, it took him four hours to peel a sack of potatoes. Within a week, he could do it in half an hour. He soon began working two shifts: mornings in the kitchen and nights making deliveries. He worked 20 hours a day. Looking back now, Mustafa thinks of this as the happiest time of his life.

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This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Ramadan Reflections. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11

Transcript

We begin by praising Allah SWT. We thank Him, We acknowledge that He is the only one worthy and deserving of all praise and thanks, and we ask Him to shower His most complete and abundant blessings and protection upon His noble Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, upon his noble family, upon his shining companions, and upon all of those that follow them until the end of time. We ask Allah to include us from among them. We ask Allah to teach us what will benefit us, to guide us through what He has taught us, and to increase us in knowledge and accepted actions 

 Today’s episode is on a verse found in the twelfth juz’ of the Qur’an in Surah Hud, which is the eleventh chapter of the Qur’an, verse number 114. It is narrated that during the life of the Prophet ﷺ there was a companion from the Ansar, the natives of Al-Madinah who came to the Prophet ﷺ with a confession. He said, “Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I went to the outskirts of Madinah with a woman and I messed around with her. I was intimate with her and I did everything with her short of zina, intercourse. So decree for me and judge for me whatever you will. He is basically asking for a punishment, compensation, or something that will expiate this wrongdoing of his.  

 Umar (radiallahu anhu) was present with the Prophet ﷺ when this companion came and told him that he was going to die. Umar (radiallahu anhu) commented, “ لَقَدْ سَتَرَكَ اللَّهُ لَوْ سَتَرْتَ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِكَ” Meaning, Allah has shielded you. He covered you. He concealed this sin from the eyes of others. You did this in the outskirts. No one knew about it. Allah allowed this sin of yours to be private, so why are you exposing yourself? Why are you making this public when Allah has blessed you by concealing this act from others? لَوْ سَتَرْتَ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِكَ If only you would have done this act, you would conceal yourself just as Allah has concealed you.  

 The Prophet ﷺ upon hearing this confession, initially did not respond. He ﷺ didn’t say anything. And so the man left the company of the Prophet ﷺ. But shortly thereafter, the Prophet ﷺ asked another person to bring him back. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had just received new revelation from Allah the Almighty 

وَأَقِنِ الصَّلَاةَ طَرَفَي النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَا السَّيِّئَاتِ ذَلِكَ ذِكْرًا لِلذَّاكِرِينَ

Establish prayer at both ends of the day and the early part of the night; Surely good deeds remove bad deeds. This is a reminder for those Who remembers.

This is Surah Hud verse number 114 which we find in the 12th juz’ah of the Quran. 

Someone who was present in that gathering stood up and said, “Is that for him specifically?” After the Prophet ﷺ finished receiving the revelation and he ﷺ  recited it to the companions, he stood up and he said, ‘Is that for that guy only? The guy who came and told you his confession. Is that for him specifically? Does it only apply to him solely?’ And the Prophet ﷺ responded, “No. Rather this is for all of humanity.” Anybody and everybody can take advantage of this opportunity.  

So we learn many things from this story. Firstly, we see just a glimpse of the humanity of the companions رضي الله عنهم May Allah be pleased with them. Yes, they are the greatest generation. Yes, loving, honoring, and respecting them is part and parcel of our faith. And yes, Allah has testified to being pleased with them in the Quran. But they were human beings. They made mistakes too. But what made them so special and far better than other generations is what they did after that mistake: how they followed up, how they grew, how they became better because of that. This companion was so worried about his sin that he rushed to the Prophet ﷺ to see what could be done. What punishment can I be given in this life, so that I don’t have to deal with it in the hereafter? He wanted to be held accountable for his sin.  

 And then we have the comment from Umar رضي الله عنه which teaches us another very important principle. Sins are meant to be kept private. We do not want to be individuals who are spreading and exposing the misdeeds of others or even the misdeeds of our own selves. If Allah has concealed a mistake of ours, we should not go and undo that concealment by publicizing it to others. We also learned that the Prophet ﷺ was not one to make, say, or do things in a heat of passion or instantly after a rush of emotion. He ﷺ was calm and deliberate. It’s possible that this man’s actions made him ﷺ feel disappointed. But he ﷺ didn’t do anything immediately. He ﷺ didn’t instantly react. He ﷺ just simply did not respond. He ﷺ was calm and waited. He ﷺ did not act in the heat of that initial emotion  

 That صدمة الأولى, first shock of emotion, upon hearing this information. Shortly thereafter, after this companion gave his confession, and the Prophet ﷺ did not say anything. Allah revealed one of the most hopeful verses in the entire Qur’an: 

 

وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ طَرَفَىِ ٱلنَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًۭا مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْحَسَنَـٰتِ يُذْهِبْنَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ذِكْرَىٰ لِلذَّٰكِرِينَ ١١٤ 

Establish prayer ˹O Prophet˺ at both ends of the day and in the early part of the night.1 Surely good deeds wipe out evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful. (Qur’an 11:114) 

 Meaning, establish prayer at the two ends of the day: Fajr and Dhuhr being one end, Asr in Maghrib being the other end, and during the early part of the night, Isha prayer. Surely good deeds erase, remove, and completely get rid of bad deeds. The best of good deeds, of course, are in the five daily prayers, which this verse opens with. The Prophet ﷺ once asked the companions, “Have you considered that if there was a river by the door of your home in which you take a bath in every single day, five times a day, would there be any dirt or filth left on you?” 

 The companions responded, “No, there would be no dirt or filth left on this person”. So, the Prophet ﷺ highlighted that this is the analogy for the five daily prayers. Allah uses them to erase and remove bad deeds. Every single day we are presented with this opportunity to spiritually purify and cleanse ourselves.  

The Prophet ﷺ also said, mirroring the message of this verse, “ اتبع سيئة الحسنة تمحوها Follow up a bad deed with a good deed”. The good deed will erase the bad one. Whenever we find ourselves in the aftermath of a mistake, our immediate response should be, “Let me erase this by doing something good.” Immediately, we should find ourselves rush to donating some amount of money, praying a voluntary prayer, and or reading and reflecting on the Qur’an. 

 We are all going to make mistakes, every single day. That is our nature as human beings. But we can be the best of sinners as the Prophet ﷺ  termed it. This is by demonstrating to Allah that we want that second chance. We want to come back. An incredibly powerful way to manifest that desire Is by doing good deeds. First and foremost, let’s start with the five daily prayers. And then, we can do other additional voluntary good deeds as well.  

 The Prophet ﷺ promised that the law of this universe is that good deeds erase bad deeds. This applies to all of humanity. Allah has established this principle in the Qur’an. And the Prophet ﷺ has established that this applies to everyone, you and me included. 

 So let us take the opportunity, and train ourselves. Get into the mindset: When I do something bad, I’m going to follow it up. And again, of course, this is in the aftermath of a mistake. We shouldn’t go into a sin saying, “Let me just do this, and then I’ll do something good after.” That’s not the case here. What’s being said is when we accidentally find ourselves in a position where we did something we didn’t want to do, what we weren’t supposed to do, and now we’re trying to pick up the pieces afterwards, part of demonstrating that we really are sorry and we really do want to make up for it is by rushing immediately to good deeds. That will erase the bad ones. Let us train ourselves, get in that mindset, and focus on good deeds and rushing to those good deeds in the aftermath of a mistake, so that Allah can shower us with that generosity of gifting us a second chance. Every single time we slip, we ask Allah to help us apply this verse into our daily lives. We ask Allah to help us reflect deeply and consciously on the Qur’an.  

 We ask Allah to strengthen our relationship with the Qur’an and to help us continue making the most of this Ramadan, ameen.  

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ. سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ. نَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ نَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَنَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ. وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى خَيْرِ خَلْقِكَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ. السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ.  

 

The post IOK Ramadan 2025: Good Deeds Erase Bad Deeds | Shaykha Ayesha Hussain appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Islamophobia in Australia report details 309 in-person incidents between early 2023 and late 2024 with girls and women bearing the brunt of the attacks

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Islamophobic incidents – including physical attacks, verbal harassment, people being spat on and rape threats – have more than doubled in the past two years, with girls and women bearing the brunt of hatred towards Muslims in Australia, new research shows.

The fifth Islamophobia in Australia report details 309 in-person incidents between January 2023 and December 2024 – a more than 2.5-fold increase from the previous reporting period. Verified online incidents more than tripled to 366.

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Betar USA has a record of violent incitement and may be raising money in violation of NY state charity law.

In my experience, to fast in a non-majority Muslim country is to withdraw into a type of social hermitage. Plus, 100 years of Black British music

Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. It is halfway through the month of Ramadan, and this week I have been chatting to fasting family, friends and colleagues across the diaspora about what people don’t know about the Muslim holy month, and what questions we are constantly asked (yes, not even water).

But first, the weekly roundup.

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This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Ramadan Reflections. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10

Transcript

We begin by praising Allah Subh’anaHu Wa Ta-A’la, acknowledge that He is the only one worthy and deserving of all praise and thanks, and we ask Him to shower His most complete and abundant blessings and protection upon His noble Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, upon his noble family, upon His shining companions, and upon all of those that follow them until the end of time. And we ask Allah to include us from among them. We ask Allah to teach us what will benefit us, to benefit us through what He has taught us, and to increase us in knowledge and accepted actions. Ameen.  

 Today’s episode will be on a short passage from the 11th juz’ Of the Qur’an. Surah At-Tawbah is the 9th chapter chronologically that we find in the Qur’an. It starts in the 10th juz’ and extends well into the 11th. And a significant portion of this chapter deals with the Battle of Tabuk. This is a battle that took place in the 9th year after the migration of the Prophet ﷺ from Mecca to Al-Madinah. This was the last battle that the Prophet ﷺ himself participated in. And the books of Sirah call this a battle, a ghazwa. But, there was actually no fighting or warfare that took place in it. The Prophet ﷺ and the companions went out to meet the enemy, the Banu Asfar, which was to eventually become the Byzantine Empire. But they did not actually encounter them on the battlefield. And so, despite this battle not actually resulting in a battle, this incident is still so rich and replete with stories and events for us to learn from. Surah At-Tawbah is a long surah, and because much of it deals with the Battle of Tabuk. We learned that this was an incredibly significant event in the life of the Prophet ﷺ. 

 The Battle of Tabuk is particularly known for its expose of the munafiqoon, the hypocrites. And Surah At-Tawbah makes this expose abundantly clear. In just one of many passages, which is the passage that we will be looking at today. From verses 94 to 96, Allah describes three characteristics of the hypocrites. Number one, they make flimsy excuses to get out of acts of worship. Number two, they hate accountability and try to avoid it as much as possible. And number three, they lie in order to please others and get themselves out of trouble. Allah says,  

  يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ  

“When you return to them (to Medina,) O Prophet and companions. they make excuses to you.” (Quran 9:94). 

 So, the Battle of Tabuk was mandatory on every able-bodied male who had the means to go. It was a battle that was anticipated to be extremely difficult and burdensome. The journey was long; the weather was at its most extreme; the crops were about to be harvested; and the enemy was extremely formidable. And yet, everyone who had the means to go had to go. And the companions did not hesitate in the face of how difficult this battle was to be. They jumped at the opportunity and did whatever they could to prepare the army.  

 But the hypocrites, on the other hand, they had no passion or zeal to seize this amazing opportunity to earn reward and Jannah. So, a hefty number of them of the hypocrites simply did not go. They blatantly and outrightly disobeyed Allah and his Messenger. So after the battle was over, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the companions came back, the hypocrites scrambled to try and come up with whatever excuses they can for why they did not go. They rushed to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam with the most flimsy and pathetic of excuses for why they did not attend and did not fulfill this command.  

 For us, what we can learn from this is that making excuses in order to justify to ourselves not engaging in a particular act of worship or obedience is the characteristic of the worst of mankind, the hypocrites. These are people who are promised the worst of punishments in the hereafter. If we ever find ourselves presented with an opportunity to get closer to Allah and then we come up with an excuse, even if that excuse is presented to no one other than our own brain and our own psyche, and we come up with that excuse just so that we can feel justified and not engaging in that act of worship. 

 We really must think about what we’re doing, what we are engaging in. For example, I had a really long day at work today so I’m not going to go to the masjid tonight. Or,  money is really tight this month so I’m not going to donate to this person who needs help. Or, I have a million and one things to do so I’m not going to visit this community member who is sick. Whatever it is, whatever example you can think of and notice, perhaps in your own life, if the thought or chance to do something good is presented to us and we choose not to do it – simply choosing not to do it is one thing, but then justifying and making an excuse for not doing it is a whole other hypocritical (nifaq) trait that we all want to avoid.  

 And this is not to say that there are not totally valid, justifiable reasons for not doing certain acts of worship. Of course, there are. Maybe it really was a long day at work and you just cannot bring yourself to pray in congregation that night. It happens to everybody, even the best of us. We just want to make sure that we are using our life circumstances as springboards into being creative with our good deeds instead of excuses for not doing those good deeds. So maybe, for example, I’m committing myself to attending the masjid three times a week, no matter what, which allows me plenty of time to take a break when I need it, when I do have that long, hard day at work. 

 Or money is tight this month. So, I’m going to give something small that will still help this person without compromising. My ability to take care of my responsibilities. Or maybe I am justifiably very busy this weekend. So I’m going to make adjustments during my week so I can visit that sick community member at that time. We can see how making an excuse, which is what the hypocrites did, is so different than just making things work, which is what a sincere believer would do. An excuse just cuts off the opportunity to get good deeds. This is my excuse. This is why I’m not going to do that good deed. Whereas being creative and making things work allows us to create a valid way of doing that good deed, while at the same time validating our completely justifiable circumstances but still demonstrating to Allah that we are sincere in our desire to get closer to Him. 

 In the next verse, Allah says,  

سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا انْقَلَبَتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ  

When you return, they will swear to you by Allah so that you may leave them alone. (Quran 94:9)  

This is the second quality. When you return to them, O Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, they swear by Allah asking you to leave them alone. The hypocrites knew that what they did is wrong, but they don’t want to be bothered about it. They don’t want to acknowledge and take responsibility for their actions. They don’t want to make up for and compensate for their disobedience. 

 Rather, they just want to be left alone. Don’t bother me. Don’t ask me. I don’t want to engage in the fact that I did something wrong. They hate accountability. They hate being told that what they did was bad. They hate being told this is how to make it right. They just want to make their flimsy excuse and then move on as if nothing ever happened. The book is closed. They want to move on to a next chapter. This, again, is a quality of the hypocrites that we want to try our best to stay far away from.  

 Everybody does bad things, sincere and insincere people alike. But what makes a person sincere is their full acknowledgement of their wrongdoing and their desire to make things better and their passion to make things right.  

 When it comes to our mistakes and the things that we might do that are not correct, we want to strike a balance. We do not want to dwell on our sins so intensely that it causes us to spiral into despair. But at the same time, we also do not want to ignore and block out our bad behaviors either. We want to strike that middle course of taking full responsibility for whatever wrong it was that we did, not blaming others, not playing the victim card, not justifying. No, Ya Allah, I take full responsibility and acknowledge that I did something wrong. But at the same time, I am going to use this opportunity, this mistake, this sin, this bad deed as an opportunity to grow. 

 I’m going to reflect on the circumstances that made me behave in this way, and I’m going to do whatever I can to try my best to not to do it again. We can see that a sincere person uses their mistakes as an opportunity to get better, to grow, whereas an insincere person just can’t be bothered about their wrongdoing. Lastly, in this passage, Allah says, يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِي تَرْضَوْا عَنْهُمْ They swear by Allah so that you will be pleased with them. The hypocrites had no concept of the sanctity of Allah’s name and swearing by it. They took his divine name and swore up and down by their lies. They were lying through their teeth and they were fully aware and conscious and they knew it. But still, they were taking Allah’s name and swearing by it. And they did engage in all of this blasphemy just to avoid getting in trouble in this world. They were willing to do something so terrible, which is lie and then swear to Allah by that lie, just to avoid dealing with any worldly consequences. Telling the truth is not always an easy thing to do. Sometimes it can result in very unideal situations for us in this world. For example, if a child takes a cookie from the cookie jar and the parent asks who took it, it can be very tempting to lie. 

 Right. I don’t know. The little brother took it. The dog ate it, whatever. It’s tempting to lie because it will get us out of trouble and dealing with any consequences in this world. Saying things like ‘I’m the one who did it,’ but I’m going to tell my parents someone else did it, people do that so that they don’t get in trouble. And this is obviously a silly example, and children are not held accountable for their actions. But it helps us illustrate how sometimes people are willing to do what is wrong. A wrong that may impact them eternally just to gain some temporary benefit. This type of mindset demonstrates a complete indifference and lack of care in regard to the permanence of the hereafter, and the utter delusion regarding the extremely temporary nature of this life. 

 It simply does not make any sense for a person to compromise something eternal for the sake of something temporary. And this is exactly what the hypocrites did. Furthermore, this quality totally flips who is most worthy of being pleased. It also does not make sense to please a human being at the cost of displeasing Allah. We must avoid this characteristic at all costs. It is a key defining quality of the hypocrites to completely neglect the hereafter and to completely neglect Allah just so that they can gain some benefit in this life and gain some favor with people of this world. Honesty is the best policy, even if it leads to strange looks, uncomfortable conversations, or even adverse worldly consequences. 

 We cannot be people that are willing to disobey Allah just to please others. We cannot be people that are willing to gain a temporary benefit or avoid a temporary consequence at the expense of compromising our eternal abode in the hereafter.  

 To conclude, Juz 11 Surah At-Tawbah verses 94 to 96, Allah describes three characteristics of the hypocrites. Number one, they make flimsy excuses to get out of acts of worship. Number two, they hate and avoid accountability. And number three, they lie to please others and get themselves out of trouble. These are qualities that we should all familiarize ourselves with so that we can do our best to rid ourselves of these tendencies and avoid them at all costs in future circumstances.  

 We ask Allah to help us to do so. We ask Allah to help us engage with the Quran, learn from the Quran, and make this Ramadan a truly transformative opportunity to allow us to deepen our relationship with the Quran and grow in ways that we have not before. Ameen.  

 

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ. سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ. نَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ نَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَنَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ. وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى خَيْرِ خَلْقِكَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ. السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ. 

The post IOK Ramadan 2025: Qualities of Hypocrites | Shaykha Ayesha Hussain appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

A non-profit organization geared at helping the growing Latino Muslim community is fundraising for the foundation of a mosque in the Chicago area. The Ojala Foundation, which describes its mission as “bringing Islam to the Midwest’s 6 Million Latinos,” has set up a fundraiser to set up a mosque and community centre to service the needs of the Latino Muslim community as well as provide support and outreach to their wider communities.

Founded in 2018, the Ojala Foundation focuses on outreach and social services along with Islamic outreach (dawa) to the wider community. Already actively involved in social work, the foundation is aiming to set up a mosque and community centre in Berwyn, Illinois. Imam Christopher Abdulkareem Pavcilek explains that the center will aim to build on and amplify the work that the Foundation has been doing for years: “We envision our Islamic Center as serving the entire community, both Muslim and non-Muslim because we are from the community and it only makes sense that we would share our faith with our friends and family in the area.”

“The amount of people finding a home with our community only leads us to believe that this Center will be the first of many because the need is just that great and our communities are thirsty for the positive change, structure and self discipline that Islam provides,” says Pavcilek. The mosque will particularly focus on services for Latino Muslims, who make up over a quarter of a million people in the United States. To date, he says, there has not been a specific focus on this community, leading to “the feeling that we need to give up a piece of our beautiful and vibrant culture in order to become a part of the greater Muslim community.”

Pavcilek feels that such projects can not only provide services for Latino Muslims but also, with Allah’s Guidance, strengthen the outreach of Islam within their ethnic community, which forms about a third of Chicago’s population. “Having our own center would allow anyone and everyone to come and see for themselves what Islam is all about from people that are literally just like them, from the same neighborhoods and of the same culture.  It is a huge game changer and has led to many entire families embracing Islam over time with some having 3-4 generations of Latino Muslim family members after just a few years.”

The imam also emphasizes the project’s attempt at social work. “We are extremely confident that not only will our center be a place for all people to come to but will be one of the few if not the first to have active outreach programs for at-risk youth and those struggling with substance and abuse and mental illness; and I want to be clear, we are not just talking about Latinos here, I am absolutely talking about the Muslim community as well because there is a problem and nobody wants to address it.” The organization has experience in such services as support for homeless people and supplies for schoolchildren. Addressing substance abuse and mental illness will, Pavcilek hopes, serve an even more important role: “We absolutely believe that our Center will be saving lives by Allah’s Decree.”

You can support the project here: https://www.launchgood.com/v4/campaign/to_open_the_first_latino_islamic_center_in_chicago?src=1820283

 – by Ibrahim Moiz for MuslimMatters

 

Related:

– The Fast and the ¡Fiesta!: How Latino Muslims Celebrate Ramadan

– 25 Things Latino Muslims Want You To Know

The post Fundraising Begins For Construction Of First Latino Mosque And Community Center In The Midwest appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.