What Can Your Favourite Surah Teach You

Whenever this life tires you out, spending time reciting and reflecting on the verses of Quran will connect you to your purpose (Surah ar Ra’d, adh Dhariyat)

You can bring your worries and burdens and place them at the doorstep of prayers (Surah Ibrahim, Al Hijr).

When you feel like you cannot make it on your own, the verses of Quran will give you strength, comfort you, heal your heart and help you to carry on (Surah Yunus, Fussilat).

Quran will show you how Allah defended the believers (Surah Al Hajj, Yusuf), and He sent down Quran to protect the Final Messenger ﷺ from falling into despair (Surah ad-Duha, Al Mudatthir).

The purpose of the Final Revelation was to encourage you to read more and take lessons from the previous generations’ trials and stories, from among humans and jinns (Surah Al Alaq, Al Ahqaf).

Pick your favourite Surah tonight/today and don’t just recite it without focus- think about the verses and their purpose of revelation and how it all connects with your life right now.

Quran & Sunnah

Learn Quran,
And recite it,
Then apply it,
And then teach it.

Learn Sunnah,
And apply it,
Then teach it.

Make Dua for yourself and others that Allah makes it easy for everyone to find the truth.

It sounds vague and a general advice, but once you find trustworthy and authentic sources and upright scholars to study with who not only give you the words of our Lord and our beloved Messenger ﷺ but also the methodology and practical application of your learning.

Start with whatever is available right now and begin building on it. You’ll find yourself far ahead if you practice daily and reap the reward of a better and more fulfilling Ramadan.

Quran: Reflection & Action Series 2

سورة المسد

Period of Revelation:
In Makkah, during the early stages of Prophethood
Revealed after Surah Al Fatiha, before Surah At Takweer

Purpose of Revelation:
To show the ultimate end of Abu Lahab and his wife, Umm Jameel.

Reflection:
Warning to those who make the lives of the believers difficult.

Call to Action:
Give charity
Help believers

سورة النصر

Period of Revelation:
In Madinah, after Surah at Tawbah

Purpose of Revelation:
End of the Prophet’s mission on this Earth, and preparation for him to return to His Lord.

Reflection:
Help of Allah eventually leads to victory.
Importance of remembering Allah, praising Him and seeking His forgiveness.

Call to Action:
Be prepared to help new believers.
Call others to Islam.
Do Dhikr often: سبحان الله وبحمده
Repent often: استغفر الله

سورة الكافرون

Period of Revelation:
In Makkah, after Surah Al Maun, right before the command of Hirjah was sent.

Purpose of Revelation:
To dissociate from Shirk

Reflection:
Dangers of following others who call to evil.

Call to Action:
Recite Surah Al Kafirun in first Rakah and Surah Al Ikhlaas in the second Rakah of Sunnah prayers of Fajr and Maghreb.

سورة الكوثر

Period of Revelation:
Revealed in Makkah, after Surah Al Adiyat and before Surah Al Takathur.

Purpose of Revelation:
In praise and honour of the Final Messenger ﷺ.

Reflection:
Praising and honouring the Messenger ﷺ.
Command to pray and sacrifice purely for the sake of Allah.
End of those who dishonour the Messenger ﷺ.

Call to Action:
Send Salawat upon the Messenger ﷺ often.
Study his Seerah.
Apply his Sunnah.

Link to the Zoom session:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/dKYejfeT74n9VN7rucAjWdJgFzI979BB57Bt0OLuS4xL6Y2ZNb3FRihVKgPooBrusYnpO6DG32Phdws1.ulCmhse9zJ_6OGYv

Quran: Reflection & Action Series 1

سورة الفاتحة
Period of Revelation:
Revealed in Makkah before Hijrah

Purpose of Revelation:
Unique prayer not found within any of the previous scriptures.
Opening of the Quran as well as Salah.
Salah is invalid if Al Fatiha is not recited.

Reflection:
Divided between the Lord and His slave.
You cannot worship Allah as He deserves to be worshipped without His Help.
Do not follow anyone blindly in this life.

Call to Action:
Call upon Allah often.
Recitation of Al Fatiha in prayers should strengthen your remembrance of Allah outside the prayers.
Stay close to the righteous people online and offline.

سورة الناس والفلق
Period of Revelation:
Revealed in Makkah before Hijrah

Purpose of Revelation:
To teach Prophet Muhammad ﷺ how to seek protection from internal and external evils.

Reflection:
Seek Allah’s protection and find refuge in Him from the evil eye, magic, whispers of the devil among mankind and jinn, and all evil.

Call to Action:
Recite thrice, morning and evening, after Fajr and Maghreb Salah.

سورة الإخلاص
Period of Revelation:
Early years of the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Purpose of Revelation:
Description of who our Lord is.

Reflection:
Importance of sincerity in worshipping Allah alone- not associating partners with Him.

Call to Action:
Work on improving your sincerity and commitment to your Lord.
Remember Him often by praising and glorifying Him.

Link to the recording – starts after 5 minutes: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/hetuXZSn310D1IZRsHehIyQtzi1_OBvC__U7V5a9g9ValS1MugJO-k3wOOKAc2lMQSjX3Mxazobl7xID.u_stz8PaiaKsysZe

Depart with Grace

وَٱهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًا جَمِيلًا
سورة المزمل
“.. and depart from them courteously.” – Surah Al Muzzammil

Quran teaches us not to scream back when someone screams at us, or to return curse for a curse. The beauty of living lies in being kinder, nicer, and distancing and removing ourselves from such company by clearing our hearts.

Don’t take someone’s negative, harsh attitude as a personal attack on your being- their actions define them, yours define you. Once you shift your perspective to how you can be kind, forgiving following in the footsteps of Prophet ﷺ, your approach will differ a lot and you’ll be able to handle issues with grace and control.

A Condition for Success

Focusing on Quran, mastering it and growing with it will be one of the greatest commitments you make in this life to protect and shield your heart from the illusions of this world.

Memorising Quran, in fact, is a lifelong commitment. Don’t start a new decade of your life without having devoted yourself to hifdh and recitation of Quran.

Quran will provide steadfastness to your heart and safeguard your intellect while increasing your focus and shifting your priorities for a more blessed and healthy lifestyle as it’ll become the guiding light for you on your journey in this life.

قِيلَ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ قَالَ يَا لَيْتَ قَوْمِي يَعْلَمُونَ * بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ

سورة يس

“..he was told ˹by the angels˺, “Enter Paradise!” He said, “If only my people knew

of how my Lord has forgiven me, and made me one of the honourable.”

Surah Ya Sin

Under His Watchful Eyes

وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَىٰ عَيْنِىٓ – سورة طه
“.. so that you are reared under My watchful eye, protection and care.” – Surah TaHa

In the palace of the tyrants, protected, guarded and raised in the hands of his enemies.

Allah sheltered Musa عليه السلام and gave his mother the strength and faith to carry on, and even returned Musa عليه السلام safely to her so she can take care of him.

Reflecting on just a part of this verse.. Moving from trial to trial at different stages in our lives, facing challenges and struggles.. Do we keep our focus on what’s coming ahead or do we give in to our situation, blame the circumstances while turning our eyes away from the mercy of our Lord?

Difficulties help us in building our characters. We will not taste the sweetness of spirituality if it were not for the struggles of this life.

Struggles that bring us closer to Allah are where we shed all insecurities, fears and focus only on Him and beseech Him, seek His Grace and Mercy. Such a struggle is spiritually productive because it strengthens our faith and we learn how to discover our connection with our Creator instead of coasting along in this life.

A strengthened faith is not something you’ll just find- it’s something you work for.

What can you do today to strengthen your connection with Allah?