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".. admonish them & speak to them a far-reaching word." (Al-Quran) Read & reflect. Repair, then share.
Politics and the Quranic standard of measure
One of the primary aims of the Prophets was to recalibrate people’s standards of measure, not only so they would believe correctly and act rightly, but so they would see clearly, learning to assess life through a lens centred on the Hereafter. Similarly, one of the most crucial roles of the muṣliḥ (reformer)—whether teacher, scholar, or parent—is to undertake this very task.
The ineffective educator limits his focus on dealing with individual matters that are affecting the Muslims one at a time, whereas the effective educator - whilst also tackling the individual matters - will give paramount focus on readjusting standards. Why? Because convincing someone to adjust their behaviour in individual areas such as dress, finances, or relationships, is straightforward. But when the standard of measure itself is corrected, when the scale by which right and wrong are judged is recalibrated, then countless individual matters begin to correct themselves almost automatically.
To elaborate, in the past, many of us struggled to convince people to feel honoured by their Islamic identity, to carry Islamic dress with dignity, and to take pride in the rulings of Islam, even those that clashed with dominant cultural tastes. Why was that so difficult? Because many were still mesmerised by another paradigm, another worldview, measuring with a different scale. But today, that spell has broken, where the Epstein revelations stripped away the illusion of moral superiority, Gaza exposed a world order that could watch mass slaughter and rationalise it, and in the very opening phase of the war on Iran, the intentional targeting of hundreds of children in school that has been normalised in public Western discourse.
Now, all of a sudden, many are no longer embarrassed by Islam in the way they once were. Why? Because the standard of measure has been recalibrated. Once the yardstick was exposed, the heart was freed to see again. That is why adjusting standards is more powerful than addressing isolated behaviours, because when the measure is corrected, the judgments that flow from it begin to correct themselves as well.
The Qur’an intends to adjust your vision before it adjusts your behaviours.
Ramadan is preparing to depart, but the best of it has just begun.
Let these last ten nights plant something that continues for you long after the month ends.
Support our Waqf for Palestine.
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(continued)
7. Performing ghusl (full body washing) for Jumuʿah and going early
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
مَنْ غَسَّلَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ وَاغْتَسَلَ، ثُمَّ بَكَّرَ وَابْتَكَرَ، وَمَشَى وَلَمْ يَرْكَبْ، وَدَنَا مِنَ الْإِمَامِ فَاسْتَمَعَ وَلَمْ يَلْغُ كَانَ لَهُ بِكُلِّ خُطْوَةٍ عَمَلُ سَنَةٍ أَجْرُ صِيَامِهَا وَقِيَامِهَا
“Whoever bathes on Friday and performs Ghusl, and goes early, arriving early, and walks and does not ride, and sits close to the Imam and listens to him, and does not engage in idle talk; for every step he takes he will have the reward of one year’s worth of fasting and praying”
It has been said that “bathes on Friday and performs ghusl” means he first washes his head, then the rest of his body, which is the view of the majority. Others, including Imam Aḥmad and al-Qurṭubī, said it refers to a person who has marital relations with his spouse, thereby becoming the cause of both performing ghusl.
Those who preferred this second opinion said the wisdom behind it is to help a person attend the khutbah with a clearer mind. When lawful desire has been settled, a person is more focused, more present, and less distracted during the sermon.
Allah knows best.
When All Landmarks Vanish
[Episode 8]
All your life you’ve navigated by landmarks; homes, roads, faces, addresses. But the Day is coming when every map is erased. Humanity will be gathered on a white, barren land with no landmarks, no “home ground,” no status, only what you sent forward.
In this episode, we step onto the Land of Resurrection: a new earth, a new sky, and a new reality where the veils drop and the names of the Day begin to make sense.
https://youtu.be/GOOqOuy6jF0
Dancing on the edge of collapse
I used to struggle with two narrations we grew up hearing about the fall of Baghdad to the Mongols in the year 1258. Two scenes that, for me, felt almost impossible to believe.
The first was about the final days of the Abbasid caliphate. In the court of al-Mustaʿṣim, the last Abbasid caliph in Baghdad, there was dancing, amusement, and distraction, where a performer was swaying before the ruler while the walls of Baghdad trembled under the relentless drums of the merciless Mongol army. In fact, this was the case until their arrows tore through the palace window and killed the dancer.
I used to read that and think: how? How can a city stand on the edge of annihilation, and life in the palace continues as usual? Laughter, music, sin, denial, routine, while occupation is literally knocking at the gates?
Then there was the second narration we grew up hearing: that when the Mongols entered Baghdad and sacked it, a lone Mongol woman walked into a masjid and found people huddled together. She told them, “Stay right here until I return with an axe.” She left, came back, and killed them one by one, and not a single man moved.
Both scenes baffled me. I couldn’t process it.
How does paralysis reach that level? How does fear swallow a person so completely that even self-preservation disappears?
But life has its ways of helping us understand things.
Today, entire nations are threatened openly and explicitly: “We’re busy here for now, but you’re next. Then you. Then you.” Named by region. Named by timeline. Announced publicly, shamelessly. Yet the response is denial, disunity, numbness, and business as usual.
Suddenly, those old narrations no longer feel exaggerated at all.
How true were the words of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ:
شرُّ ما في الرجلِ شُحٌّ هالِعٌ وجُبنٌ خالِعٌ
“The worst traits in a man are frantic greed and crippling cowardice.”
And how comprehensive was his prayer that we should hold onto this Ramaḍān:
اللَّهمَّ إنِّي أعوذُ بِكَ منَ البُخلِ، وأعوذُ بِكَ منَ الجُبنِ، وأعوذُ بِكَ أن أُرَدَّ إلى أرذلِ العمرِ، وأعوذُ بِكَ مِن فتنةِ الدُّنيا، وأعوذُ بِكَ مِن عذابِ القبرِ
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from stinginess, and I seek refuge in You from cowardice. I seek refuge in You from being returned to the most decrepit stage of life. I seek refuge in You from the trials of this world, and I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave.”
The distance between us and them is measured in miles, but the pain feels immediate..
Through Waqforever, your money has already reached them!
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For nearly a hundred years, the Muslim world has been living in a grey zone — outwardly independent, but inwardly under occupation.
The positive side is that Trump will force the Muslim world out of this grey zone — either into open subjugation or toward the beginning of genuine independence.
Dr. Nayif Nahar
A Waqf for Palestine that doesn't just heal, but defends, advocates and represents!
Take a look:
https://youtu.be/0NhAhcvCWnA
🗞️ Two years ago, we began building something to outlive the headlines.
🏠 Today, 11 waqf properties are feeding, healing and advocating for Palestine every single month. This Ramadan, we’re working towards the twelfth.
⚖️ Watch to see why the next step matters more than ever.
Please join us!
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Your Last Entourage
[Episode 4]
Cars, suits, friends and employees. For a moment it looks like you brought your entire world with you to the cemetery. Then the engines start, and you’re left with what you sent ahead. In this episode, we tour the ḥadīth: “Three follow the deceased…”
https://youtu.be/PBLQ0nfi0W4?si=jaDW2Jx-xTSq93Kj
Longing at the Edge of Life
[Episode 3]
What do you feel when you hear, “You’re going to meet Allah”?
This episode continues our journey through the ḥadīth: “Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him,” and explores how the righteous trained their hearts to long for that meeting.
https://youtu.be/CG8hrK4mfXo?si=Mwqw4RmFDOhVVp7T
Note the date. Looking forward to seeing you there.
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Your deeds don’t have to end when you do. Build something that keeps giving, in this life and beyond 🌱
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Your First Glimpse of Tomorrow | Episode 1 | Tomorrow As though You can See it
When does the journey to the next life begin? It starts during those final breaths, as the veils starts to thin, and the unseen begins to come into view.
https://youtu.be/WqdI7l9mK8A
Much like a long-awaited guest who still believes in you even after a year of distraction, Ramadan has returned.
It arrives to soften what has hardened, to illuminate what has dimmed, and to repair what has been slowly cracking inside. This is your month to breathe again. To sit with the Qur’an without rush. To stand before Allah without filters and comments. To begin again without any shame.
Welcome Ramadan as the Prophet PBUH would welcome it, saying:
قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ افْتَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ صِيَامَهُ يُفْتَحُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ وَيُغْلَقُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَحِيمِ وَتُغَلُّ فِيهِ الشَّيَاطِينُ فِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ مَنْ حُرِمَ خَيْرَهَا فَقَدْ حُرِمَ
“The month of Ramadan has come to you—a blessed month. Allah has made its fasting obligatory upon you. In it, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the devils are chained. Within it is a night better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its goodness has truly been deprived.”
Make it, O Allah, a month of relief for our Ummah and liberation.
SubhanAllah. A land that doesn't stop giving, even under extermination.
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I look forward to seeing you this Sunday, inshaAllah
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Not only does the Qur'an fill what is empty, but breaks what is proud.
It goes inside first, rearranges what’s in the heart, then appears on the outside, on a face that can’t stay dry, on a body that can’t stay still, on limbs that begin to tremble as Allah describes:
اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا مَثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
“Allah has sent down the best of speech: a Book consistent, repeating; the skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it—then their skins and their hearts soften to the remembrance of Allah.” (Al-Qur’an 39:23)
So, it starts with that first shock: a verse lands, the skin tightens, a shiver runs through the frame.
Then comes the second stage: the same skin that shivered now softens, the heart that resisted now opens.
It’s the move from being struck by the Qur’an to surrendering to it and obeying what it calls you to, whatever it asks you to change.
Irrespective of whatever linguistic beautifications you use in addressing people and persuading them, nothing could ever match this outcome where the skin shivers in awe at the first encounter, then a softening of skin and heart, leading finally to a total and unconditional surrender.
Seven actions that equal a full night in prayer
As believers, we – of all people - have no right to drift through life half-asleep, let alone through seasons like Ramadan, and even less so when Ramadan coincides with a period of war. We are simply not allowed to be blind to the Ummah's injuries, disconnected from its pain, absent from its political struggles. Instead, Allah intends for a believer to be fully awake, fully aware of life’s happenings, fully invested in the condition of the Muslims, fully protective of its honour and religious symbols, and fully unwilling to live like a spectator while others decide its fate.
But admittedly, there is a danger to this: that a person becomes so drowned in current affairs that he forgets why Allah gave us seasons like Ramadan in the first place; to repair broken relationships with Allah, to elevate character, and to ease the inevitable journey to the hereafter. But the believer does not have to choose between the Ummah and private worship. He carries both. He lives with the pain of the Ummah in one hand, and with a deep longing for Allah in the other. This is the way of the true allies of Allah.
With that said, here are seven simple deeds for which Allah, out of His generosity, offers the reward of qiyām. Needless to say, these actions aren’t replacements for night prayer, but unmissable opportunities to add to it.
1. Praying ʿIshāʾ and Fajr in congregation
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
من صلى العشاء في جماعة فكأنما قام نصف الليل، ومن صلى الصبح في جماعة فكأنما صلى الليل كله
“Whoever prays ʿIshāʾ in congregation, it is as though he stood in prayer for half the night. And whoever prays Fajr in congregation, it is as though he prayed the entire night.” (Sahih Muslim)
2. Reciting the final two verses of Surah al-Baqarah
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
من قرأ الآيتين من آخر سورة البقرة في ليلة كفتاه
“Whoever recites the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah in a night, they will suffice him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)
Imam al-Nawawī said: It has been said that this means they will suffice him from praying qiyām that night. It has also been said that they will protect him from Shayṭān, and it has also been said that they will protect him from harm and afflictions. And it may be that all of these meanings are intended.
3. Reciting the closing verses of Surah Āl ʿImrān
The Prophet PBUH is narrated to have said:
من قرأ آخر آل عمران في ليلة كتب له قيام ليلة
“Whoever recites the end of Surah Āl ʿImrān in a night will have written for him the reward of a night’s standing.”
This specific report was deemed weak by some scholars, but the recitation of these verses is very much connected to the practice of the Prophet ﷺ, who would recite them upon waking in the night, as reported in the authentic narrations.
4. Reciting one hundred verses in a night
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
من قرأ بمائة آية في ليلة كتب له قنوت ليلة
“Whoever recites one hundred verses in a night will be recorded as having stood the night in devotion.”
Doing this is easy. It shouldn’t take more than ten minutes of your time. But if your time is tight, you can still attain this virtue by reading, for example, the first four pages of Surah al-Ṣāffāt, or by reciting Surah al-Qalam with Surah al-Ḥāqqah.
5. Completing Tarāwīḥ with the imam, including Witr
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
من قام مع الإمام حتى ينصرف كتب له قيام ليلة
“Whoever stands in prayer with the imam until he finishes will have written for him the reward of a whole night’s standing.”
6. Sleeping with a sincere intention to pray at night
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
من أتى فراشه وهو ينوي أن يقوم يصلي من الليل فغلبته عيناه حتى أصبح كتب له ما نوى وكان نومه صدقة عليه من ربه عز وجل
“Whoever goes to bed intending to wake up for night prayer, but then sleeps until morning, will still receive the reward for what he intended, and his sleep will be a gift of charity from his Lord.”
One of the most alarming developments in recent days that has gone unnoticed by many has been the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque for several days. Today, there are genuine fears that this is not a passing security measure, but part of escalating plans to further harm the mosque during this coming period.
Meanwhile, images circulating online (above) show elements of their current uniforms carrying a symbol linked to the so-called “new temple” project that groups are openly promoting, built on the ruins of Al-Aqsa. That’s their message to the world and that’s their focus.
Surely this must have some consequence on our lives.
Our ʿaqīdah and identity, Al-Aqsa Mosque, is under existential duress, and so this is not the time for Muslims to bait one another and burn bridges with reckless and irresponsible commentary.
Yeah, you will see and hear things you dislike. Political maturity and Imani levels vary. But now, it’s time to rise above our differences, to zoom out, and to put an end to the humiliating online quarrels that drain us and distort our priorities.
Our posts, podcasts, messaging and public appearances must reflect the needs, worries and ambitions of the Ummah. Names mean nothing right now. Brands mean nothing. Personalities mean nothing. It’s the cause.
Demand relevance from our scholars—respectfully—and from anyone who carries weight in a community or holds a platform online.
Equally important today is this:
Do not let narrow alignments and camps cause you to lose sight of wider truths and wider implications of current wars and the world they are preparing to build in their aftermath.
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ
“Indeed, this Ummah of yours is one Ummah, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.”
(Qur’an, 21:92)
Ya Rabb, teach us.
Ya Rabb, guide us to the prophetic way.
Ya Rabb, bring us together upon it.
Duty to the Dead
[Episode 6]
The moment a soul enters Barzakh, the dunya’s courtroom closes. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Do not revile the dead…” and warned that such words only hurt the living. In an age of online funerals and instant verdicts, we revisit the Sunnah's guidance towards the dead.
https://youtu.be/zeqx6WwRuPI
Clinging to What Can't Stay
[Episode 5]
As humans, we cling to what can’t stay and we ache for what’s eternal. The good news is that some portfolios do cross dimensions. In this episode, we continue our tour of the ḥadīth: “Three follow the deceased…”
https://youtu.be/wfIZKLiFieI?si=0IIJxAGyvNUSRg1q
No matter how righteous you become, someone will still dislike you. Even the Prophets were hated by some. Likewise, no matter how corrupt a person becomes, someone will still admire them. Millions admired Epstein. Many more will admire the Dajjāl.
So don’t let people’s praise delude you, and don’t let their hatred break you. Crowds are unstable, crowning you in the morning and crucifying you in the evening.
Your only priority this Ramadan is to repair what is between you and Allah. Hold onto the plea of the Prophet ﷺ from the Day of Ṭā’if:
إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِكَ غَضَبٌ عَلَيَّ فَلَا أُبَالِي
“If You are not angry with me, then I do not care.”
Those closest to Yusuf said, “Kill Yusuf — or throw him somewhere far away.” (Qur’an 12:9)
But the stranger said: “Treat him with honour, and make his stay generous.” (Qur’an 12:21)
In your darkest hour, He can support you from where you least expect. Allah’s mercy is always there, but not always in the form you imagined.
Notice it, then thank Him for it.
Not all Muslims celebrated Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn
When Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn rose to power, did you know that not all parts of the Muslim world celebrated him? In fact, some fought him.
Today, we all implore Allah for “another Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn.” Yet, seeing how committed to fault-finding some of us are, magnifying mistakes, downplaying the necessity of unity, policing and condemning every effort of Muslims to guide others or fight against injustice, I’m certain that this saviour would not be welcomed today, condemned by some and even fought by others.
In every delay in our Du'aa, Allah is Most Wise.
A Rehearsal for Tomorrow | Episode 2 | Tomorrow As though You can See it
Your ending isn’t random. It’s being shaped right now by your everyday choices. This episode unpacks the Prophet’s ﷺ words, “Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him,” showing how Allah responds to your love, remembrance, and repentance with even greater mercy. It’s a rule of divine reciprocity, where the heart leans first, actions testify, and then Allah responds in greater ways.
https://youtu.be/6TVmPzZyB3Y
Today brings together:
The honour of two times:
Friday and Ramaḍān.
The honour of two words:
sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ and the Qur’an.
And the honour of two Du'aa:
at the time of breaking fast and during the last hour of Jumuʿah.
Invest heavily!
The Elites of Our Ummah
The Ummah today is desperate for men and women raised for the great moments of life, for the hour when truth is costly. Men and women of refined character and disciplined souls, who guard unity the way a mother guards her child, and who despise division the way they despise a cruel enemy at the gate. They understand that anger for the sake of Allah is not a license for cruelty, not permission for injustice, and never a justification to violate the honour of a Muslim in the name of “setting things right.”
They are people of high aspiration and long horizons. Patient when hardship sinks its claws, distant from temptation when others crumble, organised when chaos descends. Their minds are balanced, their hearts are tender, their opinions are wise, their presence is calming, their faces are reassuring, and their mistakes are few. When Allah is mentioned, they visibly tremble. When His verses are recited, their Iman soars, and when corrected, they smile in genuine gratitude. Their eyes are quick to shed a tear, and their hearts carry a grief for their Ummah, an ache that keeps them awake, and a softness that keeps them human.
They endure a short day for the sake of a long tomorrow. They are not crushed by what they miss of this world, and not intoxicated by what they gain from it. They breathe with the patience of people who know the road is long, and they speak with the wisdom that long roads teach.
You won’t truly recognise them when the air is calm and people agree. You recognise them when the air burns, when people clash, when pressure rises, when voices sharpen, when it becomes easy to be unfair and tempting to be harsh. In such moments, they remain just, restrained, prophetic. They are the front lines of our Ummah’s causes, because they are its elites, its conscience, its mind, its caring parent, its protective shade, and its watchful eye. They defend it when it’s attacked, they heal it when it is injured, they veil it when it is exposed, and hold the compass towards the Hereafter when everyone loses direction.
Every age has needed such people.
But today, the need is urgent.
They are the people of Allah, the people of the Qur’an, and the people of life-defining stances.
While I was on my way home, an elderly woman in her seventies stopped the car I was riding in. It was clear on her face that she was exhausted and unwell. She told the driver, “Take me to Tel al-Hawa, I just don’t have any money.”
The driver replied, “Get in, my aunt. Your provision is from the provision of my children.”
I felt a tightness in my chest and reached to pay her fare out of compassion for the poor driver. But a man sitting in the back seat beat me to it. He insisted on giving the driver the fare. The driver refused firmly. Despite that, the man placed the money on the seat and got out of the car with me near my home.
I asked him, “Are you our neighbour?”
He said, “No.”
“I’m from Nuseirat,” he said. “I only got out so the driver wouldn’t return the money.”
Here is post genocide #Gaza, still giving lessons to the world.
/channel/SarimBlog
Da'wah events and Salāh
Ibn ʿAbbās set out on one of the most serious missions of his life, entering the camp of the Khawārij to debate them and pull people back from extremism. This was a major public responsibility, with real consequences for the Ummah. Yet even at that moment, ṣalāh in congregation was non-negotiable for him. He said to the Caliph, ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib:
يا أمير المؤمنين، أبرد بالصلاة فلا تفتني حتى آتي القوم
“O Commander of the Believers, I don’t want to miss the prayer (in congregation). Let the prayer be delayed slightly, until I return.” (Al-Nasa’i)
It is heart-breaking to see how prayer in many modern daʿwah settings is squeezed in awkwardly. People scattered in corners and corridors, praying alone in their hotel rooms, rushing between talks, no space for sunnah, no sense of gravity. It’s as if Ṣalāh hasn’t been factored into the programme or travel arrangements of speakers, becoming an interruption to the programme rather than the axis around which the programme turns. The tragedy is that it is not even about beginners, but – at times - scholars, students of knowledge, representatives of Islam and workers of religion who are meant to model priorities.
If Ibn ʿAbbās would not compromise congregational prayer while walking into a confrontation with the Khawārij, then surely this must reflect on our conferences, retreats and public events. Being busy, being a traveller, or running a “high-impact event” does not justify sidelining the most basic assumption of Islam; the glorification of Allah through Ṣalāh.
A centred and visible Ṣalāh.
[Sh Haitham]