The purity of the inner self depends on how much you remember, desire, and think about the Hereafter. Allah says:

"Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah often." (33:21)

A few days ago, while I was having my meal during break time at work, there were three other co-workers on the same table who had already finished eating (because they started before me) and they were engaged in a casual conversation, and I was pretty much not saying anything at all and just listening to them. The discussion at one point centered around nostalgic feelings about their old experiences in their homeland, old memories,

Subhanallah, when reflecting on these verses from Surah As-Saf (10–13), I feel a deep sense of love and care in how Allah invites us toward the most valuable “investment.”

In this world, we constantly search for the best investment opportunities like real estate, stock markets, chasing careers in big companies, yet we often face disappointment when outcomes don’t meet our expectations. Here, Allah Himself calls us to a transaction that will never fail, a return beyond anything we can comprehend.

He invites us to that which will save us from a painful and eternal punishment: to believe in Him and His Messenger, and to strive in His cause with our wealth and our lives. This is where we must

This is one of those verses that has genuinely changed my life. When I have intentionally applied it to a situation, there have been many times I have seen some amazing outcomes, Alhamdullilah ❤️

May Allah grant us patience with one another as we journey back to Him together.

May every ounce of bitterness you swallow for His sake today become an overflowing well of sweetness for you in this life and the next 🤲

The beauty of these verses lies in how they diagnose the human condition with such raw honesty, only to offer us a path toward true emotional stability. We often feel like victims of our own temperament—swinging between deep despair when life gets hard and a protective, almost selfish grip on our blessings when things go well. This restlessness is part of our design, a reminder that we were not made to find ultimate peace in the changing shadows of this world.

The "except" in these verses is our divine lifeline; it tells us that while we are created with these inclinations, we aren't meant to be ruled by them. By turning to prayer and doing so with unwavering consistency, we move from being

{ ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab said: “People were judged by the revealing of a Divine Revelation during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, but now there is no longer new revelation. Now we judge you by the deeds you practice publicly, so we will trust and favour the one who performs good deeds in front of us, and we will not call him to account about what he is really doing in secret, for Allah, Exalted is He, will judge him for that, but we will not trust or believe the one who presents to us with an evil deed even if he claims that his intentions were good". } (Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2641)

She decided she'd had enough. She called her friends, and she told them she was going to take her own life, tha

In this beautiful phrase “ذُرِّيَّةًۢ بَعْضُهَا مِنۢ بَعْضٍۢ”, Allah highlights that they were “offspring, one from another.”

Subhan Allah! Beyond the physical connection, there is a deeper link: similarity in their mission, sincerity, character, and unwavering obedience to Allah.

Even though they lived centuries apart, they were aligned in purpose and attitude. This itself is a powerful reminder that truth does not change with time, and that we too are meant to embody these same qualities, regardless of the era we live in.

It is also a subtle indication that the Qur’an is not limited to a specific time or people. Its guidance flows across generations, just like this blessed lineage.

And

In this ayah there is such subtle and beautiful mercy. Allah Himself tells us whom He has chosen, the elite human beings among His creation.

Throughout the Qur’an, He doesn’t just name them; He unfolds their stories, their struggles, their qualities, and their responses. It’s as if He is giving us clear, practical models to learn from and follow.

These were not chosen randomly. They possessed qualities that elevated them - sincerity, obedience, patience, reliance, and purity in action. Their lives reflect excellence, and the Qur’an shows us both their actions and the outcomes of those actions.

This means we are not left guessing. We are given enough clues to reflect, to plan, and to striv

How ungrateful we are, how ungrateful we are, o how ungrateful we are! To the One who evaporates the water from seas, rivers, oceans and lakes, not contemplating upon His signs and blessings is a grave mistake.

How ungrateful we are, how ungrateful we are, O how ungrateful we are! to the One who causes the plants and trees to take in water through it’s green shady leaves, not contemplating upon His signs, and being ungrateful is a blindness; upon the heart and the intellect.

How ungrateful we are, how ungrateful we are, O how ungrateful we are! He is the One who causes water to condense into fluffy clouds sometimes full of snow, hail and rain, we admire these clouds without thinking ab

How many times have I recited: “يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ” …and moved on to the next ayah without any movement in my heart, while deep inside, I was yearning for the love of Allah?

Had it not been for Allah’s Mercy, and the response of Al-Mujeeb to the sincere call of His slave, I may never have understood the path to earning that love. “فَٱتَّبِعُونِى” (So follow me.)

Yes, Ya Rabb… I admit: I have not been a committed follower of Your Messenger ﷺ as I should have been. But I place my trust in Your help. والله المستعان.

If I am understanding this correctly now, then from this very moment, I must strive to become a true follower of the Prophet ﷺ.

But I feel lost!

The thought that came to my mind while reflecting on this ayah was: Our entire day, 24 hours, is actually given to us to worship Allah SWT and to seek His pleasure. And we are not lacking in options to do so. There are countless ways to earn reward. Yet, despite this, we often deviate or get pulled into other things. Why?

One of the major reasons is our constant concern about people - their approval, their reactions, their dissatisfaction, and how they perceive us - even when we are doing good for them within our capacity. But if we were true believers, those who believe in the words of Allah as they deserve to be believed, then this part of the ayah alone would be enough for us:

“يَوْمَ