Saleh Aljafarawi. He was 28 years old when his life was taken. A few weeks before he passed away (may Allah accept him among his beautiful martyrs, Ameen), I saw a video of him sitting in the dark night with the sound of drones above him, reciting these exact verses. His voice unshaken, beautiful as always.

His life was a testament to this. And now, every time I come across this passage, I think of him in that video, reciting these exact ayats. My heart always shatters. A young man I never met, yet my heart feels like it knows him.

For me these verses are alive, through the deaths of Saleh and others in most concentrated and most oppressed place on this Earth. May Allah accept them al

Allah tells us that the sky has been adorned with lamps, the stars, and a scene of breathtaking beauty. But in the same breath, He says these very stars are also a means of driving away devils and a preparation for punishment. Why would beauty and punishment stand side by side? Because this world is a place of signs, not comfort alone. The sky that softens your heart with wonder is the same sky that warns you of accountability. The One who beautified the heavens is also the One who judges with justice. So when you look up at the stars, don’t just admire the sparkle; ask yourself, is my heart responding to the beauty or ignoring the warning hidden within it?

In the Noble Qur’an, Allah sometimes introduces Himself as “Al-‘Aziz Al-Ghafur” — as in Surah Al-Mulk — and in many other places as “Al-‘Aziz Ar-Rahim.” The pairing of these two Names is not merely a matter of linguistic beauty; it reflects the deepest balance of Islamic creed.

Al-‘Aziz means the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Irresistible — a might before which every other power fades. In this world, we witness small glimpses of power. History has seen rulers whose mere gesture set cities ablaze and rivers running red. Such as Genghis Khan — with a single command, countless lives were decided. People trembled in his presence, rehearsing their words repeatedly before speaking, fearing a mi

Kaitlyns Quran Reflection 02/20

Al-Mulk (67:3)

ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَـٰوَٰتٍْ طِبَاقًۭا ۖ مَّا تَرَىٰ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ مِن تَفَـٰوُتٍْ ۖ فَٱرْجِعِ ٱلْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَىٰ مِن فُطُورٍْ ٣

3. ˹He is the One˺ Who created seven heavens, one above the other. You will never see any imperfection in the creation of the Most Compassionate. So look again: do you see any flaws?

Today, this verse really resonated with me. I have always been a nature girlie, I could be completely content just sitting outside with no distractions and no devices. I often like to go to this overlook near by my house to sit and watch the sunrise when my time permits. I remember the first time I ever said Subhana

I love how Allah SWT balances everything: beauty and guidance with warnings and punishment. Just like a muslim shall have both hope and fear in our Lord, The Most Merciful, The Kind and Gentle yet The Most High, The King of Kings, Who if He wants and we transgress, can make the scariest warnings and punishment. Next time I look at the sky I will try to think about both the beauty from Al Jamil as well as the accountability that comes with the blessing of being guided to His straight path. What sins do I have to stop and make tawbah for in order to not risk the Hellfire? What beauty has Allah SWT prepared for us in Paradise? If this view, His creation of the sky, is breathtaking here in dunya

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali commented on this ayah by writing:

[فلا سعادة للعبد ولا فلاح بدون ذكر الله والصلاة ، فلذلك حرّم عليه الاشتغال بكل ما صدّ عن ذلك]

"There is no way for a person to gain everlasting joy or success without remembrance of Allah and the prayer. That is why Allah had prohibited becoming preoccupied with everything that hinders a person from that."

[Majmoo'a al-Rasaa'il ibn Rajab 1/276]

Alhamdulillah for guidance. I often think, how does a person wake up every day after his soul immerses back into his body (with Allah's permission), after he breathes, eats and witnesses Allah's signs on earth from dawn to dusk, daylight to nightfall, yet he never asks, "who is in control, and what does He want from me?"

This is not just denial. This is denial after proof, denial rooted in the dismissal of Allah’s glaring signs on earth, in the sky, and in every sphere around us, in the lived human experience that expresses that there is a Creator. It takes a heedless heart and a stubborn, arrogant mind to claim there is no God, no messenger, and no hereafter.

If punishment is commensura

Correction as Mercy, Not Humiliation

This verse reveals a rare kind of strength: humility that remains teachable without losing dignity. If a prophet seeks guidance with such adab, then refusing correction is not self-respect, it is self-sabotage, and accepting truth from others may be one of Allah’s quiet ways of saving you from blind spots you could not see.

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Gems of Jannah Series

We hear of Jannātu ‘Adn (Gardens of Eden) and our minds fill with images of lush greenery, rivers gliding beneath, an everlasting home. But the word ‘Adn (عَدْن) holds a deeper promise.

Its root ayn daal noon carries the sense of staying, settling, being rooted within a place with constancy and belonging. The Arabs said عَدَنَ بالمكان “he settled there and made it home.” The word مَعْدَن ma‘dan, from the same root, is where gold and silver rest within the depths of the earth, fixed in their secret chambers between layers of rock. That same rooted stillness, the way treasures dwell hidden yet enduring, is the essence of ‘Adn.

So Jannāt ‘Adn are not merely gardens, t

Gems of Jannah Series

In describing the people of Jannah, Allah says:

عَلَى سُرُرٍ مُتَقَابِلِينَ “[They will be] upon couches, facing one another.”

The word سُرُر (surur) - plural of sarīr - conjures an image of rest, grace, and delight. But beneath its beauty lies the root س–ر–ر (sīn–rā–rā) - a root tied to depth, secrecy, and the hidden heart of things.

At its core, this root speaks of what lies within:

The سِرّ (the secret) is that which is buried deep, unseen by the world. The سُرُر ( the couches of Paradise) are likewise places of inner repose, where every sorrow is drawn inward, dissolved, and replaced by peace. The سُرُور (joy) is not a loud delight, but an expanding gladness t