Notice the Pause

Notice the pause.
Notice where the verse ends.

“Whoever is mindful of Allah ﷻ, He will make a way out for them.” (65:3)

We’re always told to have hope in God. Trust in God. Be conscious of God. Hold onto God in the moments most difficult to you. God will provide a way.

And just like that, in a verse and surah which discusses divorce – the most difficult of personal circumstances – Allah ﷻ commands us to act honourably, promising He will find a better way for us.

Then it ends. Full stop. The verse ends. That chapter of pain is now closed.

Unsung Heroes

As a doctor, saving lives becomes monotonous. You often forget just how magnificent a role you play in society. If you’ve ever had dinner with a group of doctors, expect vivid descriptions of gruesome surgeries casually described to you just as you begin chewing away on the next bite of meat…

Double Down

The other day, I was watching the news. A reporter had caught the president in a lie; after stating in an interview he would not be cutting state aid, a video surfaced where the president said the exact opposite. In the face of embarrassment, the spin doctors got to work…

A Relationship Robbed

Syria and its plight is no stranger to us, even if it does fade from the news. Its casualties are many, and perhaps in light of them, many of the smaller difficulties seem trivial. Yet, to those who bare them, they are still painful to endure. Last night, we received news of the passing of…

Building a Legacy

Last March, I was blessed to visit our Prophet ﷺ and His blessed city. The journey was planned as a time of prayer and supplication for the success of the Quran Club ahead of our major launch in Ramadan, a project I had given everything for. During my visit, I went to see a 91…

Ibrahim’s Call (#2MinuteTafsir Series)

As He stood upon the newly built house in the vastness of the desert, he began calling the emptiness to the House of God.
To an observer, his actions seem worthless; what good will his calls do amidst the immensity of the desert? How will it reach the millions of people around the world to bring them to the House of God? Shouldn’t he have built it somewhere people were already, rather than expecting them to come to God? Who would traverse the difficult terrain of Arabia to come to this house?

Trials: Part 3 – What is a Test?

Allah states in the Quran: “Your wealth and your children are but a trial, and Allah has with Him a great reward.” (64:15). The trial of blessings is to measure the gratitude we show Allah ﷻ, calling upon us to remember and thank Him for what we have been given. On hearing this, it’s easy to assume such a trial would be easy, yet interestingly Allah ﷻ states “few of My servants are grateful.” (34:13) – something not said about patience in difficulties. The indication from this is that many of us indeed fail in this trial, lacking gratitude for the gifts Allah has shown us; a worrying thought indeed! But how so?

Trials (2): More than you can bear?

“God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear” (2:286)

Tribulations drain us, overwhelm us, soak up every ounce of energy within us. In the eye of the storm, it is difficult to see anything other than the chaos and misery that fills our lives. In this time, we find words of comfort within the Quran to help us through.