Podcasts about makkah

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.dayLast week we covered the introduction, ayat 1–8. We saw how Allah opens the surah with Alhamdulillah — a practice of gratitude — and directs that gratitude towards the Qur'an itself. Allah corrects those who claim He has a son. Then He moves to the purpose of creation: this world was made beautiful as a test of who among us has the best deeds. Then it is destroyed. Then comes the resurrection.That last point is where this week begins.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The problem the Quraysh hadThe Quraysh did not struggle with the idea of a Creator. Something cannot come from nothing, and everything around us points to an uncreated Creator. When they were asked who created the heavens and the earth, they would say: Allah.Their problem was Yawm al-Qiyamah.Because belief in the Day of Judgement changes how you behave. It changes your priorities. If you believe in God but not in the reckoning, you can do whatever you want — you die, and that is the end of it. The rich and the powerful can steal from the poor, oppress the weak, bomb nations and schools, and walk away from it. If there is no ākhirah, what is there to worry about?Belief in the ākhirah takes that away. It forces a change.Ayah 9 — Do you find this the amazing part?أم حسبت أن أصحاب الكهف والرقيم كانوا من آياتنا عجباDo you think that the people of the cave and the inscription were, among Our signs, a wonder?Al-raqīm means inscription. The story of these young men was carved into stone — as the ancients would inscribe things — and so it survived. It was known among certain Christian communities, which is exactly why the Quraysh used it to test the Prophet ﷺ. Nobody in Makkah knew this story. They had to travel outside the city to find people of the book who could tell it to them.So Allah puts the question back to them. You accept that a group of young men slept in a cave for centuries and woke up alive — and that you find miraculous. But death and resurrection you cannot accept?This ayah is not saying the story of the people of the cave is no sign. It is a sign, and a great one. But it is not the greatest. Why is this the thing that excites you, while you ignore what actually matters — that you will die, be resurrected, and be held to account?Ayah 10 — The duʿāʾ on the way to the caveإذ أوى الفتية إلى الكهف فقالوا ربنا آتنا من لدنك رحمة وهيئ لنا من أمرنا رشداWhen the youths retreated to the cave and said: our Lord, grant us mercy from Yourself, and prepare for us right guidance in our affair.Awā means to seek protection — to move behind something and shelter there.Notice what the Qur'an leaves out. We are not told the city, the town, the house, or the cave. This is how the Qur'an teaches history: it omits what is not relevant to the lesson, because detail distracts. If Allah had named the city, people would argue about the city. What matters is that there was a group of young men.And Allah highlights that word — fityah. Young men.We tend to treat the youth as the weakest link in the chain of the ummah. Children come to the masjid because their parents bring them. The elderly come because perhaps there is nothing else. And the youth are absent. Allah is addressing exactly that.Look at the early followers of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ was forty; Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رضي الله عنه was around the same age. Those are middle-aged men. But Sayyidina Ali was in his early teens. Zayd ibn Harithah, another young man. Uthman, Zubayr, Talha — teens and early twenties. They were the ones actively carrying the daʿwah.

These are the top headlines from Arab News, the Middle East's leading English-language daily, on Thursday August 13th at 6am GMT. - US intelligence officials skeptical of Iranian threat to Trump in Turkiye – Washington Post report - Iran says no progress on reviving interim peace deal with US - ‘Landmark' Makkah defense pact rooted in ‘sense of responsibility' not confrontation, says envoy - Trump administration criticizes Israel defense minister's statements on southern Lebanon occupation - Oman says the oil spill from a grounded tanker has reached its coastline Check out the latest updates on http://arabnews.com

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S65) Returning to the Conquest: Abu Sufyaan رضي الله عنه sees Zubayr and his squadron of ~500 رضي الله عنهم entering Makkah. Zubayr رضي الله عنه was given a black flag to carry. Sa'ad Ibn Ubadah رضي الله عنه was given the flag of the Messenger ﷺ initially. Later, it was passed onto Zubayr رضي الله عنه. Thus Zubayr رضي الله عنه had the honour of bearing 2 flags during the conquest! One flag was carried by Zubayr, one by Abu Ubaydah and one by Khalid Ibn Waleed رضي الله عنهم. It was fitting that all the bearers were Makkan.

These are the top headlines from Arab News, the Middle East's leading English-language daily, on Saturday August 8th at 6am GMT. - US official: We expect a deal soon between Iran and Oman on Strait of Hormuz - Saudi minister: Makkah defence agreement with Turkiye, Pakistan not a ‘military axis or sectarian bloc' - Yemeni forces target Houthi positions across multiple fronts - UN Security Council condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, commercial shipping - Saudi intelligence chief visits Baghdad for talks on regional security Check out the latest updates on arabnews.com

These are the top headlines from Arab News, the Middle East's leading English-language daily, on Friday August 7th at 6pm GMT. - Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan sign Makkah joint defense agreement - Saudi minister: Makkah defense agreement with Turkiye, Pakistan not a ‘military axis or sectarian bloc' - Houthi attacks kill five in Yemen as militia targets Marib - GCC chief, Arab states condemn Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's Najran - West Bank healthcare system facing Gaza-like collapse, MedGlobal chief says Check out the latest updates on https://arabnews.com

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S60) Because of the condition of no wars in the treaty, this was a massive win for the believers. Just the next year, ~10,000 Companions رضي الله عنهم were present with the Messenger ﷺ at the conquest of Makkah. The fall of Khaybar: With the Quraysh no longer being a threat, the only issue now was the treacherous Jews. The Banu Nadir were exiled, some of them went to Khaybar and some went to Syria. Khaybar is ~100 miles away from Madinah. The Messenger ﷺ and the Companions رضي الله عنهم set off to conquer it in retaliation for all the things these Jews did to the believers. There was multiple fortresses at Khaybar. When one was conquered, you could then move onto the next. The first fortress conquered was Naa'im. During this, Mahmood Ibn Maslama رضي الله عنه was martyred. The Jews dropped a boulder on him.

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S63) The Conquest of Makkah: The Banu Bakr were sided with the disbelieving Quraysh, the Banu Khuza'a were sided with the Messenger ﷺ and the believers. The Banu Bakr attacked a man from Banu Khuza'a, breaking the peace pact. When the Messenger ﷺ was informed of this, he ﷺ said the Banu Khuza'a have his help. The Messenger ﷺ intended to take the mother city peacefully, without bloodshed. Khaatib Ibn Abi Baltaha رضي الله عنه was a Badri. He sent a letter to the Quraysh in Makkah telling them they were coming to Makkah. The Messenger ﷺ was informed of this via Revelation, he ﷺ sent Ali, Zubayr and Miqdaad رضي الله عنهم to intercept the letter. Khaatib رضي الله عنه was from Yemen, he had no one in Makkah to protect his family and property in Makkah. His mother was there. He رضي الله عنه only sent this letter to curry some favour with the Quraysh so that they would leave his mother/family and property alone etc. The Messenger ﷺ said no one may say anything about Khaatib رضي الله عنه except good things.

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S50) 70 men رضي الله عنهم volunteered after Uhud to go ensure that the disbelievers were leaving for Makkah and not planning an attack directly on Madinah. Included in this group was Abu Bakr, Ali and Zubayr رضي الله عنهم. This blessed group still went forward even though they had sustained injuries from the battle (Surah [3:172]). The Messenger ﷺ said if the disbelievers were heading for Madinah, he ﷺ will fight them. Such was the bravery and courage of the Messenger ﷺ. Verses were revealed after Uhud regarding inheritance, orphans, widows etc. (70 Companions رضي الله عنهم had been martyred at Uhud).

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S51) The Tragic incident of Rajee: Time passed and our Beloved Messenger's ﷺ message was now spreading further. It is related that after the Battle of Uhud (~4 A.H.) a group of men from the tribes of Adal and al-Qaarah came and requested that Holy Prophet ﷺ to send some of his Companions رضي الله عنهم with them to teach them about Islam. The Messenger ﷺ sent with them 6 of his Noble Companions رضي الله عنهم amongst whom was Hadrat Khubayb رضي الله عنه. However at the well of ar-Rajee' which was not far from Usfaan (i.e which was just a few miles from Makkah) they proved treacherous and 3 of the Companions رضي الله عنهم were thus martyred and the other 3 رضي الله عنهم taken as prisoners to be sold in Makkah (i.e so they could avenge those of their nobles who had been killed at Badr and Uhud).

(0:00) Intro — The Most Important Covenant in Islamic History(0:46) The First and Second Pledges of Aqabah Explained(1:01) Who Were the Ansar?(1:44) The Meaning of “Kunu Ansar Allah”(3:04) Why the Second Pledge of Aqabah Is More Famous(3:40) The Prophet's ﷺ Promise to the Ansar(4:38) The Conquest of Makkah and Loyalty to the Ansar(5:33) How the Pledge of Aqabah Turned Islam Into a Complete System(6:13) How the Aws and Khazraj Welcomed the Prophet ﷺ to Madinah(6:31) Badr vs. Aqabah — Which Holds the Higher Rank?(7:22) Why the Sahaba of Aqabah Held Such a High Status(9:33) How Aqabah Laid the Foundation for Islamic Governance(10:04) The Ultimate Responsibility of Every Muslim(10:43) Why the Pledge of Aqabah Holds a Unique Place in Islam Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S20) Abu Bakr's family رضي الله عنهم had the unique honour of being the only family which had 4 generations that were all Companions رضي الله عنهم of the Messenger ﷺ. They are: Abu Quhafa (the father of Abu Bakr), Abu Bakr, Asmaa bint Abu Bakr and Abdullah Ibn Zubayr (the son of Asmaa, grandson of Abu Bakr) رضي الله عنهم. Another one of Zubayr's رضي الله عنه wives was Umm Kulthoom bint Uqbah رضي الله عنها. She رضي الله عنها was the sister of Uthmaan Ibn Affaan رضي الله عنه. They shared the same mother, Arwa رضي الله عنها (But had different fathers). Thus, Zubayr رضي الله عنه was the brother in law of Uthmaan رضي الله عنه. A blessed relationship. Umm Kulthoom bint Uqbah رضي الله عنها embraced Islam in Makkah and migrated.

Pemerintah melalui Danantara Indonesia terus mematangkan rencana pengembangan Kampung Haji Indonesia di Makkah, Arab Saudi. Proyek ini bertujuan meningkatkan kualitas pelayanan bagi jemaah haji dan umrah Indonesia.CEO Danantara, Rosan Roeslani, bersama COO Donny Oskaria membahas berbagai aspek strategis dengan Thakher Development Company, mulai dari konektivitas kawasan, pola pergerakan jemaah, hingga integrasi aset Indonesia di lingkungan sekitar.Sebelumnya, Danantara Investment Management telah mengakuisisi Hotel Novotel Thakher Makkah dan 14 bidang tanah di Makkah sebagai langkah awal pembangunan Kampung Haji Indonesia.

Jemaah haji Indonesia gelombang kedua yang berada di Madinah terus diingatkan untuk menjaga kondisi kesehatan. Kelelahan usai menjalani rangkaian ibadah di Makkah dan Armuzna berpotensi memengaruhi aktivitas ibadah serta mobilitas jemaah selama berada di Kota Nabi.(BEH/MCH 2026)@kemenhaj#ElshintaHaji2026 #LiputanHaji2026 #Haji2026 #HajiRamahLansia #TriSuksesHaji #KemenhajRI

Blessed City Of Makkah _ By Moulana Habib Bobat _ EP07 by Radio Islam

Blessed City Of Makkah _ By Moulana Habib Bobat _ EP03 by Radio Islam

Blessed City Of Makkah _ By Moulana Habib Bobat _ EP01 by Radio Islam

Blessed City Of Makkah _ By Moulana Habib Bobat _ EP02 by Radio Islam

Blessed City Of Makkah _ By Moulana Habib Bobat _ EP08 by Radio Islam

Blessed City Of Makkah _ By Moulana Habib Bobat _ EP06 by Radio Islam

Blessed City Of Makkah _ By Moulana Habib Bobat _ EP04 by Radio Islam

Blessed City Of Makkah _ By Moulana Habib Bobat _ EP05 by Radio Islam

#IslamicStory #HazratFatima #IslamicHistory #muharram2026Hazrat Fatima R.A Complete Life Story | Daughter of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ | Mother of Hasan Hussain R.AHazrat Fatima R.A ki zindagi sirf ek tareekhi kahani nahi, balki sabr, haya, mohabbat, qurbani aur imaan ki roshni se bhari hui ek azeem misaal hai. Woh Allah ke Rasool ﷺ ki mehboob beti, Hazrat Ali R.A ki biwi, Hazrat Hasan R.A aur Hazrat Hussain R.A ki walida, aur Jannat ki auraton ki sardar hain.Is video mein hum Hazrat Fatima R.A ki mukammal zindagi ka safar bayan karte hain, unki paidaish se lekar bachpan, Makkah ke mushkil daur, Nabi ﷺ ke saath unki gehri mohabbat, Khadijah R.A ki wafat ka gham, Hijrat ke baad Madina ki zindagi, Hazrat Ali R.A se nikah, ghurbat aur sabr, Hasan Hussain R.A ki parwarish, Nabi ﷺ ke aakhri lamhe, aur Hazrat Fatima R.A ke inteqal tak.Yeh kahani humein batati hai ke asal izzat duniya ki daulat mein nahi, balki Allah ki raza, haya, sabr, ibadat aur apne Rab se wafadari mein hai. Hazrat Fatima R.A ki zindagi har Musalman ke liye ek roshni hai, khaas taur par un logon ke liye jo mushkilat ke bawajood deen par qayam rehna chahte hain.Is video ko aakhir tak zaroor dekhiye, kyunki Hazrat Fatima R.A ki zindagi ka har hissa dil ko chhoo lene wala hai aur imaan ko mazboot karne wala hai.

Meski jumlah jemaah haji Indonesia yang masih berada di Makkah terus berkurang seiring pemulangan ke Tanah Air, layanan bus selawat dipastikan tetap beroperasi hingga akhir fase Makkah. PPIH Arab Saudi menegaskan jemaah yang masih berada di Kota Suci tetap dapat mengakses transportasi menuju Masjidil Haram selama 24 jam(BEH/MCH 2026)#ElshintaHaji2026 #LiputanHaji2026 #Haji2026 #HajiRamahLansia #TriSuksesHaji #KemenhajRI

Menjelang berakhirnya operasional haji di Makkah, sejumlah hotel jemaah Indonesia mulai kosong dan ditinggalkan penghuninya. Kondisi ini membuat pengelola transportasi melakukan penyesuaian halte dan rute bus selawat tanpa mengurangi pelayanan kepada jemaah yang masih tersisa. (BEH/MCH 2026)#ElshintaHaji2026 #LiputanHaji2026 #Haji2026 #HajiRamahLansia #TriSuksesHaji #KemenhajRI

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S9) Najashi (r.h) gifted Zubayr رضي الله عنه a spear. Zubayr رضي الله عنه gave it to the Messenger ﷺ. When Zubayr رضي الله عنه returned to Makkah, his beloved mother Safeeyah رضي الله عنها and his uncle Hamza رضي الله عنه had embraced Islam. Zubayr رضي الله عنه had the honour of being amongst those who performed a dual migration.

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S8) A force gathered to try and attack Najashi (r.h) and take over. He (r.h) gathered his troops and crossed the Nile river and readied for battle. The companions رضي الله عنهم needed someone to keep an eye on the battle to see who wins, a ~16 year old Zubayr رضي الله عنه volunteered and was chosen. He رضي الله عنه swam across the Nile to witness the battle and to inform the companions رضي الله عنهم who won. Najashi (r.h) won the battle. When the Messenger ﷺ recited Surah Najm in Makkah, everyone prostrated, including the jinns. Everyone prostrated except one man. Because everyone was seen prostrating, a rumour spread that everyone in Makkah had embraced Islam, the companions رضي الله عنهم in Abyssinia heard this rumour and they returned to Makkah. However, upon learning that the Makkans hadn't embraced Islam, some of the companions رضي الله عنهم returned back to Abyssinia and some stayed in Makkah.

The Special Disciple, Session 7. Zubayr ibn Al Awaam ibn Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn Qusayy (ra). Negus (rah) embraces Islam. The Wisdom as to The Hijra to Abyssinia The Quraysh nobles emigrated to Abyssinia so as to maintain a stronghold outside of Makkah. After The Battle of The Trench, the Companions leave Abyssina for Al Medina.

Humayrah's story: From Birth to Janazah in Makkah by Radio Islam

Interesting Insights into Makkah and Madinah - Mufti Yusuf Moosagie by Radio Islam

These are the top headlines from Arab News, the Middle East's leading English-language daily, at 6pm GMT. - #Iran state TV says #US commits to ending naval blockade in draft deal - #IRGC say ‘low' possibility of return to war with US - US needs years to replenish weapons' stockpiles after Iran war, analysis says - IDF issues evacuation order for south #Lebanon's Tyre, #Hezbollah clash with Israeli troops - Pilgrims move between Mina and Makkah as Eid-day #Hajj rituals continue smoothly   Check out the latest updates on https://arabnews.com

The environs of the Hajj are an ideal setting for discussions and deliberations on matters of benefit between Ulama, leaders and experts. This episode recounts Mufti Taqi Usmani's numerous encounters with erudite Ulama of the world during his visits to the Haramain, including one altogether amazing appointment with a renowned Muhadith in Makkah on the day of Ashura.

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, US forces have carried out what a Central Command spokesman described as self-defence strikes in southern Iran. Israel's military says it has conducted a wave of attacks across Lebanon, despite a ceasefire that has been in place since April. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the restoration of international internet access after months of restrictions across the country, although it is unclear when services will resume. More than 1.5 million Muslims have gathered in Makkah for the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, with increased security measures put in place by Saudi authorities. In the UAE, hotels are preparing for a surge in staycation bookings over the Eid Al Adha holiday, as the regional war continues to disrupt travel. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.

In this episode, we recount the story of Hajar, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim, whose unwavering faith and reliance on Allah in the barren desert led to the miracle of Zamzam, the settlement of Makkah, and the Hajj ritual of walking between Safa and Marwa.

After some years of earnest yearning, Mufti Taqi Usmani (hafidhahullah) returns to Makkah at the age of 20. A cherished journey by sea, he reminisces about moments in Aden, disembarking in Jeddah, and his very first tasting of olives. He also paints vivid pictures of the ease of access to the Ka'bah at the time, the types of structures that existed then, and the vista he beheld when he climbed atop Jabal Abu Qubais.

Welcome to Lesson 2 of our comprehensive explanation of Surah Al-Fatihah, drawing from the profound insights of the esteemed scholar, Sheikh Hammad al-Ansari. Surah Al-Fatihah is the greatest obligation upon every Muslim, yet so many recite it daily without grasping its true depth. In this episode, we explore why having multiple names indicates the extreme nobility of this Surah. We break down the meanings behind its titles—including Al-Fatihah (The Opener), As-Sab' al-Mathani (The Seven Oft-Repeated), and Ash-Shafiyah (The Cure). We also dive into the rich scholarly discussions surrounding its revelation. Was it revealed in Makkah or Madinah? Is the Basmalah actually the first verse of the Surah? Tune in to uncover the strongest scholarly opinions backed by Quranic evidence and Hadith Qudsi. What You'll Learn in This Lesson: Why understanding Al-Fatihah is an absolute obligation for your Salah. The profound meanings behind the various names of the Surah. Clear evidence proving whether it was revealed in Makkah or Madinah. The scholarly debate regarding the Basmalah and the Hadith Qudsi that solves it.

In this deeply reflective and transformative talk, Dr. Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera explores the inner dimensions of Hajj beyond its outward rites and rituals. The Unseen Hajj: The Spiritual Journey Beyond the Rituals invites listeners to uncover the hidden meanings, spiritual lessons, and profound states of the heart embedded within every step of the sacred pilgrimage. Drawing upon Qur'anic insights, Prophetic teachings, and centuries of Islamic scholarship, the talk examines how Hajj is not merely a physical journey to Makkah, but a journey of the soul toward sincerity, surrender, humility, and nearness to Allah. From the symbolism of Ihram and Tawaf to the sacrifice of Mina and the standing at Arafah, each ritual becomes a mirror reflecting the believer's inner condition and spiritual aspirations. This inspiring presentation challenges attendees to move beyond performing rituals mechanically and instead experience Hajj as a life-changing process of purification, self-discovery, and renewal. Whether preparing for pilgrimage, reflecting on a past Hajj, or seeking spiritual growth in everyday life, listeners will gain timeless insights into how the essence of Hajj can continue long after the journey ends. Link to donate - https://www.whitethread.org/whitethread-centre/ Whatsapp Channel: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDV1iu5a249gftHif0D

மக்காவின் சிறப்புகளும் அங்கே செய்ய வேண்டிய அமல்களும் மவ்லவி அலி அக்பர் உமரி | Ali Akbar Umari 01-05-2026, Jumma Taqwa Masjid, Trichy

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.This term, Term 2 of 2026, Grounded begins its study of Surah Al-Muddathir. Last term covered Surah Al-Muzzammil, and these two surahs reflect each other in meaning. Before opening the ayat itself, this first session steps back to map the landscape — where Al-Muddathir sits in the early revelation to the Prophet ﷺ, and what each surah was teaching him in sequence.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The Cave and the Cry for GuidanceAt around 35 years old, the Prophet ﷺ began withdrawing from his community into spiritual seclusion. He would travel about five kilometres from Makkah to the cave of Hira, following a pattern set long before him by Ibrahim عليه السلام and his family.The Makkah he was withdrawing from was a city in moral disrepair. He could see the disease, but could not yet see the cure. So he would isolate himself, reflect, and pray for a way out — not just for himself, but for his people.When he was 40 years old, the answer came.The First Revelation: Iqra — ReadThe first revelation was the opening five ayat of Surah Al-'Alaq, beginning with the command:اقْرَأْ — Read.Pause on what is happening here. The Prophet ﷺ was unlettered. He was sent to a community that was overwhelmingly illiterate — some scholars say you could count on the fingers of both hands the number of people in Makkah at that time who could read and write. And the very first word Allah revealed to this man, in this place, was a command to read.This was revolutionary in human history.Before this moment, reading was largely the reserved privilege of the scholarly and the clergy — priests and religious authorities who needed access to scripture. A normal person, even a king, often did not need to read; they had scribes for that. Reading was an elite, ceremonial activity.Iqra democratised reading. It pulled it out of the temple and the palace and placed it in the hands of every believer. Allah did not first command the Prophet ﷺ to pray, to fast, or to perform Hajj. The first command — to him, and by extension to the Muslim community — was to read.Muslims have to be readers. This is the first command.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The Second Revelation: Al-Qalam — The PenAfter this first encounter, the Prophet ﷺ was terrified. He thought he was losing his mind, that he was seeing things, that he had been touched by jinn. He went home and Khadijah رضي الله عنها calmed him down.Then came Surah Al-Qalam:ن ۚ وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَNun. By the pen and what they write.The nun is one of the disjointed letters whose meaning only Allah knows. But the rest of the ayah is clear: an oath by the pen and what it writes. The reference is to the pen of the Lawh al-Mahfudh — but the message to humanity is the elevation of writing.There is a difference of opinion among the scholars about which surah was the second revelation — Al-Qalam, Al-Muzzammil, or Al-Muddathir. The position taken here is that it is Al-Qalam, for two reasons.First, Surah Al-Qalam contains the ayah:مَا أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍYou, by the favour of your Lord, are not mad.The Prophet ﷺ had just walked away from the cave terrified that he was going crazy. Before any further mission could be loaded onto him, Allah needed to settle his heart: you are not mad. This is real. This is the answer to what you have been asking for.Second, the message of the pen and what is written sits naturally next to Iqra. First read. Then write. Allah is establishing the foundations of a literate ummah before He establishes anything else.A Civilisation Built on the PenThis focus on reading and writing wasn't just a private spiritual instruction to one man — it shaped a civilisation.A clear example is the Battle of Talas in 751 CE. When the Muslims defeated the Tang Chinese army, among the prisoners were craftsmen who knew the secret of papermaking. Until that point, paper was a closely guarded Chinese technology. Through those captives, papermaking entered the Muslim world — Samarkand, then Baghdad, then across North Africa and into Andalusia, and from there into the rest of Europe.The world before mass paper was a world of parchment and scroll — expensive, ceremonial, reserved for royal edicts and palace records. The world after was a world where ordinary people could own books. The intellectual explosion of the Islamic Golden Age — the libraries of Baghdad, the universities of Cordoba, the translation movements — was built on this foundation.The first command was Iqra. The second oath was by the pen. Acquiring and preserving knowledge isn't just useful for humanity. It is a religious command.The Third Revelation: Al-Muzzammil — The One Wrapped TightlyAfter reading and writing comes Surah Al-Muzzammil:يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ ۞ قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًاO you who is wrapped up. Stand the night, except for a little.Muzzammil describes someone wrapped tightly in their cloak — the kind of wrapping you reach for when you're shivering, when you want to be held by your blanket. The Prophet ﷺ had come home shaken, and pulled his cloak tightly around himself.And in that state, the command came: stand the night.This is the command for spiritual work. Qiyamul layl. Take the knowledge that has been given to you — iqra, al-qalam — and turn it inward first. Transform yourself before you try to transform anything else.This is where revelation begins its real work on the believer: not in the marketplace, not in the public square, but at night, alone, standing before Allah.The Fourth Revelation: Al-Muddathir — The One CoveredAnd then comes the surah Grounded begins this term:يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ۞ قُمْ فَأَنذِرْO you who is covered. Stand up and warn.Muddathir is a softer wrapping than muzzammil. Muzzammil is the tight, terrified wrap of someone shivering. Muddathir is the more relaxed cover — like the blanket you pull over yourself on these cooler autumn nights in Perth, not clutched, just resting on you, comfortable.And the command this time is different. Qum fa-andhir — stand up and warn your people.This is community work.Notice the sequence Allah is teaching: 1. Iqra — read. 2. Al-Qalam — write. 3. Al-Muzzammil — work on yourself in the night. 4. Al-Muddathir — go out and work for your community in the day.Read and write. Acquire knowledge. Turn that knowledge into self-transformation. Then take that transformed self into the community and contribute.A good Muslim is not someone who simply sits at home reciting Quran, doing tasbih, doing dhikr, fasting, and isolating from the world. Those things are essential — non-negotiable, in fact. But the next question is always: how does this benefit the rest of creation? What is the contribution to the community?The Two Cannot Be SeparatedThere is a tendency to split these two — to treat the spiritual person and the activist as different categories. Islam fuses them.The Prophet ﷺ taught this fusion in a single hadith, narrated by Abdullah ibn Salam — a Jewish rabbi in Madinah who heard the first lecture and immediately recognised the signs of the final messenger. The Prophet ﷺ said:يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، أَفْشُوا السَّلَامَ، وَأَطْعِمُوا الطَّعَامَ، وَصِلُوا الْأَرْحَامَ، وَصَلُّوا بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ، تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِسَلَامٍ.O people, spread peace, feed the hungry, maintain family ties, and pray at night while people are sleeping — you will enter Paradise in peace.Look at the structure of that hadith. Three of the four instructions are outward — spread peace, feed people, connect family ties. These are daytime acts, community acts, the work of being among people. Only the last — pray at night while people sleep — is solitary spiritual work.The day is for community work. The night is for spiritual work. The night recharges the day. The day expresses what the night built.Spreading peace is tiring. Feeding people is tiring. Holding broken family relationships together is tiring. Where does the motivation come from? It comes from the night — from the extra Quran, the extra dhikr, the ayat of Jannah and Jahannam read in the silence when everyone else is asleep. That motivation then spills out into the next day's work.The Maxim of the ScholarsThe scholars of this ummah captured this balance in a maxim worth memorising:Knowledge without practice is like a tree that bears no fruit.Practice without knowledge is craziness.A reader who never acts is a barren tree. An actor who never reads is a danger — to himself and to everyone around him.Surah Al-Muddathir lands precisely here. By the time this revelation comes, the Prophet ﷺ has been told to read, told to write, and told to stand the night and work on himself. Now, finally: stand up and warn your people.This is where Grounded picks up next week, opening the first ten ayat of Surah Al-Muddathir, إن شاء الله.This Week's Take-HomeAudit your own balance this week. Ask honestly: • Reading and writing — am I taking in knowledge, or has my intake quietly stopped? • Self-work — what am I doing in the night that no one else sees? • Community work — what am I doing in the day that benefits people beyond myself?If three of these are strong and one is empty, that's the one to start with this week.See you Tuesday for Tajweed Tuesday, and next Thursday we dive into the surah.Thanks for reading Grounded! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.grounded.day/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.dayThe Structure of This SurahBefore we go forward, it helps to see the shape of what we have been reading.Surah Al-A'raf is a Makki surah. Its primary audience was the Quraysh of Makkah. Its central argument is historical: look at the nations before you. Contrast this with Surah Al-An'am — also Makki, also addressing the Quraysh — but that surah makes its…

(0:00) Intro(0:02) Jumuah ke din bayan late hone ki wajah(1:05) Mazhab ka maqsad(3:55) Sukoon ke peeche bhagne wale(4:05) Waham ke mareezon ka ilaaj(7:12) Jo duniya mein khushi ki fikr mein laga rehta hai(8:09) Duniya mein khushiyon ki talash kafir ka kaam hai(9:50) Qur'an ka mizaj: juz'iyat ke zimn mein usool bayan karna(10:02) Jawami‘ al-Kalim(11:05) Mafhoom-e-mukhalif (Isaal-e-sawab ke 3 zariye, hadis ka matlab; Musalman ke dusre Musalman par 5 huqooq, hadis ka matlab)(12:34) Bandi se nikah ki Qurani aayat ka matlab(21:20) Saudi Arabia mein bechaini (Taraweeh 20 rakat ko 10 karna?)(23:21) Taraweeh namaz par Ahl-e-Hadith ki gumrahi(24:23) Qari Khalil ur Rehman ki do-numberi(25:25) Teen talaq ke masle par Qari Khalil Rehman ki gumrahi(26:35) Hazrat Umar (RA) ke faisle par Ahl-e-Hadith ki tehreef(31:25) Hazrat Umar (RA) ka mehr ke bare mein faisla(32:32) Bukhari mein Hazrat Umar (RA) ki fazilat(37:28) Salafi bid‘ati(38:16) Asal Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat kaun hain?(39:08) Sahaba (RA) ki shaan(39:33) Deg vs Sahaba (RA)(40:15) I‘tikaf ki dawatain(42:11) Jannati firqa(43:55) Keeron ka business(45:13) Aisi jaan qurban jis mein samosa nahi(46:03) Hari mirchain: Mufti Sahab ki favourite(50:41) Pakistan ke maujooda halaat par negative thinking(51:26) Recent war par memes(52:28) Pakistan ki duniya bhar mein izzat ka credit Armed Forces ko(53:29) Leader ka hausla kab barhta hai?(53:55) Sahaba (RA) ki shaan(54:44) Bazu mein taqat talwar se nahi aati, talwar ke liye bazu mazboot hona zaruri hai(55:37) Border par ladne walon ki qurbaniyan(56:29) Negative mentality(57:19) Pakistan ki doosri fath, pehli se badi(57:29) Saudi Arabia mein Pakistan ki izzat(57:42) Umrah ke baad Mufti Sahab ke baal(57:55) Misri hair dressers in Saudi Arabia vs Pakistan(58:59) Sahafiyon ki manfi soch(59:16) Pakistan sahi waqt par atomic power bana (Alhamdulillah)(1:00:04) Ghareeb ho kar mar jao lekin kamzor ho kar na maro(1:00:22) Pakistan Army(1:01:39) Mufti Abdul Raheem Sahab ke bayan par negative comments(1:02:00) Nobel inaam ke haqdar: Pakistan ke sarbarah(1:02:53) Dua(1:07:42) Pakistan ne zabardast safaratkari se aalmi jang ko roka(1:10:04) Jab Saudi Arabia ka Pakistan Air Force se ittehad hua(1:10:37) Mutanabbi ki shairi mein aaj ke naujawanon ke liye sabaq(1:19:13) Mufti Sahab ki naseehat(1:20:13) Israel ki Pakistan se dushmani(1:20:53) Army Chief se ikhtilaf karne walon ko jawab(1:21:55) Hakim ki ita‘at ka hukm (Reply to Sahil Adeem)(1:24:26) Hazrat Muawiya (RA) ka beta Yazeed(1:25:10) Hakim ke khilaf baghawat ki baatein sirf Pakistan mein kyun?(1:25:46) Hakim ki ita‘at aur izzat(1:27:22) Awam ke liye Mufti Sahab ki naseehat(1:28:01) US delegation ki Islamabad mein meeting (evening tea invite ki khwahish)(1:28:32) Jang bandi ke baad important wafood ki aamad aur India/Israel ka reaction(1:29:21) Mufti Sahab ka travel analysis (Makkah se Jeddah)(1:29:59) Dollar khor sahafi(1:30:12) 5 farz namazon ki sunnat-e-muakkadah?(1:30:21) Hakumat ki scheme se ghar lena?(1:31:39) Do mohabbat karne walon ki shadi duniya mein na ho to jannat mein?(1:34:09) Aise imam ke peeche namaz?(1:34:29) Dr. Israr Sahab ka bayan(1:35:35) Bai‘at ka masla(1:35:59) Aisi biwi ko aik talaq dene ka masla?(1:39:14) Bar bar naukri khatam ho jaye to?(1:40:26) Raf‘ul yadain?(1:41:56) Teacher Usman ka kaam(1:46:19) Islam agar adal ka mazhab hai to purani ghulami kyun baqi rakhi? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We praise Allah for allowing us to experience and complete another Ramadan. And now that we've emerged from it, there's a question worth sitting with: what comes next?Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali mentions that the pious predecessors would spend six months after Ramadan asking Allah to accept their deeds — and the remaining months begging Him to let them witness another one. That's the rhythm. Gratitude, then longing. Never stagnation.But the Qur'an gives us something even more precise than that rhythm. It gives us a transition.In Surah al-Baqarah, the discussion of Ramadan begins at ayah 183 — *kutiba alaykum al-siyam* — and runs through to ayah 187. Then, immediately, in ayah 189, Allah says:**يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ***They ask you about the crescent moons.*The companions asked Rasulullah ﷺ about the significance of the moon's phases — crescent to full, waning and returning. Allah answered that the moon exists so that humanity can track time. So we know when a month begins and when it ends. (I understand this topic is sensitive in Perth. We'll leave that there.)But then, immediately, Allah connects this to Hajj. “Qul hiya mawaqitu li al-nas wa al-hajj.” The crescents are time-markers for people — and for Hajj.The transition is beautiful. One act of worship ends. The next one begins. No gap. No off-season. The life of a believer is simply moving from one ibadah to the next. The same Lord we worshipped in Ramadan is the same Lord who governs every moment outside of it. Ramadan ending doesn't mean the haram becomes negotiable again, or the wajib becomes optional. We have a new aim now.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.-----Now, not everyone can perform Hajj. It's a mathematical impossibility. Two billion Muslims, roughly two million pilgrimage spots per year — the number has been reduced since COVID. Do the maths. It would take something like 700 years before every Muslim alive today gets a turn. That's why Hajj is the only pillar where Allah specifies man istata'a ilayhi sabila — for those who are able. Ability is a condition.But the mindset still applies. The transition from one ibadah to the next is for everyone.-----There are so many dimensions to Hajj worth unpacking. But I want to focus on one moment — a snapshot — from the stoning at the Jamarat.The backstory is Sayyidina Ibrahim عليه السلام. He was commanded by Allah, through a dream, to sacrifice his only son at that time, Isma'il. And when he told his son — and Allah recorded this exchange in the Qur'an — Isma'il responded with full submission: *ifʿal mā tu'mar* — do as you have been commanded. You will find me among the patient.But Isma'il set conditions. He said: don't do it in Makkah, because if I scream, my mother will hear and it will break her heart. And make sure the blade is sharp so it's quick.(Side note to the sons in the room: if your father knocks on your door and says he saw a dream about slaughtering you — dial 000. These days, the worst our fathers do is say, “Son, wake up for Fajr.” And even that's a struggle.)Father and son walked about five or six kilometres from Makkah to Mina. And at each of the three stations along the way, Iblis appeared. He whispered. He cast doubt. He said: *You've done enough. You built the Ka'bah. You migrated from Iraq to Jerusalem to Makkah. You've sacrificed so much already. Why this? Just say no.*At each station, Ibrahim took seven pebbles, threw them in the direction of Iblis — *Allahu Akbar* — and moved on.After the third station, Iblis left and never came back.Falamma aslama wa tallahu li al-jabin. When both of them submitted fully — the father resolute, the son's forehead on the stone — Allah called out. The test was fulfilled. A great sacrifice was sent in Isma'il's place.-----Thousands of years later, during the Hajj of the Prophet ﷺ — Hajjat al-Wada' — as he was riding his camel towards the Jamarat, he told Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Abbas: get me some pebbles.Ibn Abbas picked up pebbles about the size you could flick between your thumb and index finger. Our scholars later said: about the size of a chickpea.Rasulullah ﷺ took them and said: yes, get more of this size.And then he addressed the community. He said:**يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْغُلُوَّ فِي الدِّينِ***O people, beware of extremism in religion. For nations before you were destroyed because of extremism in religion.*Think about that. This is a moment about picking up a rock. A small, mundane, physical act. But Rasulullah ﷺ saw the teaching opportunity and seized it.Because it's easy to go overboard here. You're reliving what Ibrahim went through. You're stoning Iblis. A chickpea-sized pebble? That's not going to cut it. You want to find the nearest cricket club, practice your bowling, and make sure Iblis doesn't come back next year.But no. The Prophet ﷺ said: this is the size. Not too big — you're not hurling rocks. Not too small — you're not flicking grains of rice. Just right. The balance.-----So where do we draw the line on extremism?I was speaking to some of the high school students at Qaswa about the practices of our predecessors in Ramadan. Imam al-Shafi'i would complete two full readings of the Qur'an every day during Ramadan — one in the day, one at night. That's sixty khatam in one month.The students said: that's extreme, isn't it?I said: well, how do you define extreme?Let's pull out our phones. Check the screen time. How many hours on TikTok? How many on Instagram? People are clocking seven, eight, ten hours a day staring at a screen.Now imagine we could transport Imam al-Shafi'i into 2026. We tell him: Muslims today stare at a glowing rectangle for ten hours a day, getting no benefit, and it's actually harming them.He would say: that's extremely stupid, isn't it?So who defines what's extreme? Rasulullah ﷺ does. Because he is the most balanced of humanity. The mark of this Ummah, as Allah describes it in the Qur'an: ummatan wasata — a balanced nation.When three companions each decided to push further — one would pray all night and never sleep, one would fast every day and never break it, one would worship and never marry — the Prophet ﷺ said: I am the one with the most taqwa among you. Yet I pray and I sleep. I fast and I break my fast. I worship and I marry. This is my sunnah. Whoever turns away from my sunnah is not from me.Everything has a right. Your body has a right — good nutrition, good rest. Your family has a right. Allah has a right over you in worship. Giving every aspect its due — that's balance.-----Let me sketch a few dimensions of this balance.Balance in belief. Islam respects both revelation and reason. We believe because Allah told us to believe — in Him, in the angels, in the books, in the prophets, in the Last Day, in qadar. These are revelatory matters.But our tradition also respects the intellect. Look at how Ibrahim عليه السلام argued with his people in Surah al-An'am. He didn't just say: stop worshipping your idols because Allah says so. He engaged their logic. Idols you carved with your own hands — you made them, and now you bow to them? They don't speak, don't benefit you, don't harm you. Why?And then the stars. He observed the kawkab — a beautiful star — and said sarcastically: this is my lord? But when it set, he said: I don't love things that disappear. God can't be present at some times and absent at others. I need God every moment.Then the moon appeared, full and bright. He said: this is my lord? But when it set, he said: *if my Lord had not guided me, I would certainly be among those who are astray.*Notice the shift. In the first argument, Ibrahim used pure logic — God can't appear and disappear. But in the second, he acknowledged that arriving at the worship of Allah requires revelation. Intellect can deny what is not God. But to know who God is, you need guidance.Imam al-Ghazali captured this beautifully. He said: revelation is like the sun, and reason is like eyesight. Without the sun, there's nothing to see. But without eyesight, you can't appreciate the light. Both together — that's how you see.If you rely only on revelation, your faith works fine within a Muslim bubble. The moment it's challenged from outside, it crumbles. If you rely only on reason, you can conclude that God must exist — but you'll never arrive at which God, or how to worship Him. Both, hand in hand. Ummatan wasata.Balance in practice. There are people so focused on the physicality of worship — how to raise the hands, where to place them, how to stand — that they forget the deeper purpose. Prayer isn't calisthenics. When Allah says aqim al-salah li dhikri — establish prayer to remember Me — He's pointing to something beyond movement.Every act of worship in Islam is meant to produce beautiful character. The Prophet ﷺ said: I was only sent to perfect noble character. If the more religious we become, the harsher our behaviour gets — something is broken. The balance is off.Allah tells us that prayer prevents shamelessness and evil. Yet we see people who pray, and in the same breath they double-park on someone without a care. The same tongue that recites Qur'an goes on to slander. The same hands that move in salah take what doesn't belong to them.How? Because the spiritual dimension was missing. If you truly stood before Allah in prayer — before the Creator of the heavens and the earth and everything in between — there has to be an after-effect. If you get called to the CEO's office and told off, you'll behave well for at least a few days. Now multiply that. You stood before the Lord of all worlds. You spoke to Him. Surely the effect lingers.And just as it starts to fade — Dhuhr arrives. Then before it fades again — Asr. Then Maghrib. Then Isha. Then sleep, then Fajr. The cycle continues. This is why prayer stops you from evil. You keep checking in with Allah. You keep reporting back.But strip away the spiritual dimension, focus only on the mechanics, and it loses its purpose.On the other hand, there are people who say: my heart is good, I don't need to pray. As long as I'm kind, the rituals are for other people. But then — who are you actually worshipping? If you abandon what Allah prescribed and follow only your own moral compass, you're worshipping your own nafs.-----This is the lesson of the chickpea.One nation before us fell into extremism through legalism — everything became so complicated that they abandoned practice altogether. Another fell through spiritualism — everything was about love, no boundaries, no halal or haram, just accept and you're saved. The religion dissolved. Nothing was left.Islam sits in the middle. As Imam al-Ghazali said: khayru al-umur awsatuha — the best of affairs is the middle path.The Prophet ﷺ reminded us, standing at the Jamarat, pebbles in hand: don't fall into extremism. The size of a chickpea. Not too much. Not too little. Just right.May Allah protect us from extremism in religion. May He grant us the strength to live by the Sunnah — balanced in every dimension, following our Prophet ﷺ externally and internally. Thanks for reading Grounded! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.grounded.day/subscribe

We praise Allah for allowing us to complete another month of Ramadan and to celebrate the day of Eid together.Today is a day of celebration. Today we are happy. Today we are joyous.But if you look into the global geopolitical events at the moment, it is hard for us to be joyous. It is hard for us to celebrate. Palestinians are still being killed daily, still facing genocide. The Middle East is burning. Iran is under illegal attack by the US and Israel. And now we see yet another part of the region falling into war.It is hard for us to be joyous, because the Prophet ﷺ said: if you don't care about this Ummah, you are not from among us.So how are we to celebrate?The Boulder in the DarknessTo understand celebration in a time of conflict — when the future looks bleak and it's easy to fall into despair — I want to take you back 1,442 years.The Muslims in the nascent city of Madinah, having migrated there only five years earlier, were now under attack by all of Arabia. The largest army the Arabs had ever assembled. The Quraysh from the south. The Ghatafan from the north. The Jews of Khaybar joining the coalition.The Prophet ﷺ consulted his companions, and Sayyidina Salman al-Farisi suggested a strategy the Persians would use when outnumbered: dig a trench so the enemy cannot breach through.The Prophet ﷺ accepted the idea and commanded the companions to dig at the most vulnerable point of Madinah. He joined them in the digging. It was winter. It was cold. Food was scarce. They were hungry. They were exhausted. Yet they had to keep digging — for survival.In the darkness of that trench, they struck a boulder they couldn't break through. They called the Prophet ﷺ. He came — dusty like everyone else, hungry like all of them. He took the shovel and struck the boulder. A third of it crumbled. A spark flew. He said: Allahu Akbar — I saw the palaces of Yemen. Yemen is given to my Ummah.He struck again. Another third crumbled. Another spark. Allahu Akbar — I saw the keys of Rome given to the Ummah.He struck a final time. The boulder shattered completely. Allahu Akbar — I saw the Sassanid Empire given to the Ummah.In times of darkness — when it is easiest to fall into desperation and give up hope — the Prophet ﷺ inspired the Muslims. He told them there is a bright future for the Ummah. All we need to do is work hard and persevere in the path of Allah ﷻ.And here is what's remarkable: the Prophet ﷺ passed away before any of it came true. Yemen had not yet been given. The Sassanid Empire had not yet fallen. Half the Byzantine Empire had not yet come under Muslim rule.But the companions did not despair. They did not give up because it hadn't happened yet. They understood that when Allah promises something — lā yukhliful mī'ād — He never breaks His promises. All we need to do is fulfil our part.The Tried and Tested RecipeWhat is our part? Allah tells us in Surah Āl 'Imrān. The secret behind the victory of the Ummah — regardless of number, regardless of material strength — is two things: ṣabr and taqwā.If you have ṣabr and you have taqwā, Allah will send down thousands of angels to help you.And in the month of Ramadan, we trained exactly that.Ṣabr by day. And ṣabr here is not passive patience. It is not sitting quietly and doing nothing. In Arabic, ṣabr carries the meaning of steadfastness, perseverance — staying on the path regardless of how difficult it is, doing the right thing no matter how challenging.We did that in Ramadan. Allah told us no water, despite 40-degree heat. And this Ramadan, we saw those 40-degree days. We said no to water. We held the course until Maghrib. At 3:30 in the morning, we dragged ourselves up for suhoor, prayed tahajjud, prayed Fajr despite the weight of sleep. That is ṣabr.Taqwā by night. This is our direct line to Allah ﷻ — where the heart connects to Him in prayer, in tarāwīḥ, in Qur'an, in tahajjud, in adhkār, in du'ā.These two — ṣabr and taqwā — are a tried and tested recipe for 1,400 years. When the Ummah returns to them, Allah grants victory.Look at the history. The greatest victories came in Ramadan. Badr — 313 against 1,000 — in Ramadan. The Conquest of Makkah, the Prophet's greatest political victory — Ramadan. Qādisiyyah, the fall of the Sassanid Empire — Ramadan. The fall of Iskandariyyah at the hands of 'Amr ibn al-'Āṣ — Ramadan.Victory after victory. Because Ramadan produces the two ingredients Allah asked for.Celebrate. It's an Act of Worship.Islam is a religion that celebrates our fiṭrah. Allah who created us understands our wants, our likes, our nature. He knows we like to eat good food. He knows we like to dress well. He knows we like to be with our families and friends.So He legislated a day where dressing nicely is rewarded. Eating good food is rewarded. Sharing laughter with loved ones — within the boundaries of the Sharī'ah — is rewarded.What kind of religion is this? Everything we love, Allah rewards us for it.The Prophet ﷺ said that one of the most beloved deeds to Allah is to bring happiness to the heart of a believer. When we share happiness, when we cause others to be happy, when we create joy in the community — Allah loves to see that.And there is no better place to start than with the children. Especially the ones who fasted this year — in the heat, in public schools where their friends had cold drinks and ice cream at recess. They had ṣabr. They held on to their religion. They stood steadfast without wavering.Today is the day we celebrate them. We put joy in their hearts, smiles on their faces. Spoil them a little. Allah will reward you for it.The Work AheadToday we celebrate our graduation from Ramadan. We stand shoulder to shoulder and declare: Allahu Akbar. God is greater than our worries. Greater than our troubles. Greater than all the problems the Ummah faces.When we make du'ā, we say: Yā Allah, our problems are big — but You are Allahu Akbar.The Ummah needs ṣabr. And ṣabr is not passively waiting for miracles, not sitting around hoping angels appear. It is hard work. What do we need to do to strengthen the Ummah? What planning, what skill sets, what community building needs to happen? Let's do it together.And at night, we maintain the line — prayer, Qur'an, du'ā, that personal direct relationship with Allah ﷻ. Taqwā.We ask Allah to accept all our deeds in Ramadan. To grant us ṣabr and taqwā. To make us the people of change who bring glory back to the Ummah. To grant relief to our brothers and sisters who are oppressed everywhere — in Palestine, in Iran, in Lebanon, in Syria, in Yemen, in Sudan, and in every place.اللهم آمينEid Mubarak.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundeddaily.substack.com/subscribe

Tonight is the 29th night of Ramadan. The last taraweeh. The last night of the year.Make full use of it. The best du'a for Laylatul Qadr is Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbul afwa fa'fu anni ya Kareem — O Allah, You are the Pardoner, You love to pardon, so pardon me. Keep returning to it tonight, and especially at suhoor time. Allah mentions in the Quran a special rank for those who make istighfar in the early hours before dawn: wa bil ashari hum yastaghfirun. Some of our scholars would dedicate that time between the sunnah of Fajr and the salah itself entirely to istighfar — a hundred times, quietly, consistently. Do that tonight.And in your du'a, ask Allah not to make this our last Ramadan. Ask Him to grant us another.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.A few reminders: tomorrow night — Thursday, the eve of Eid — is our potluck iftar at Qaswa House. Doors open at 6pm, iftar around 6:35. Bring a plate to share. The kids will have games and activities, weather permitting. Friday is Eid prayer at MacDougall Park in Como — takbir at 8, prayer at 8:30.And this tafseer series continues. We will pick up Surah Al-A'raf every Thursday night at Qaswa — Maghrib together, some dhikr, tafseer, then Isha and dinner. 7pm. Starting this coming Thursday. If you want to follow the surah through to the end, come join us.Hadramaut, Nusantara, and the People of 'AdWe began the story of Prophet Hud last night. He was sent to the people of 'Ad — a civilisation that lived in Hadramaut, Yemen, not far from the city of Tarim.Hadramaut holds a special place in the hearts of Malay Muslims. It is the origin of the Hadrami scholars and traders who brought Islam to the Nusantara — the vast Indonesian archipelago. They came not with armies but with akhlaq. They traded honestly. They treated people beautifully. And when people asked why — why are your manners like this, why are you so trustworthy — they would explain: because I follow the teaching of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. That is how Indonesia became the largest Muslim country in the world without a single Arab army ever setting foot on its soil.Thousands of years before any of that, 'Ad was there. A people of extraordinary power. Allah says to them in this surah: We increased you in your creation — strength, stature, capacity. They built civilisations. The Quraysh of Makkah knew about them. They took pride in them as ancestors. And so when Allah tells their story in the Quran, He is speaking directly to the Quraysh: this is who you are proud of. Look what happened to them when they rejected their Prophet.The Message Never Changed — Only the DetailsProphet Hud stood before his people and said: O my people, worship Allah. You have no god other than Him.The same words as Prophet Nuh. The same words as every prophet before and after. From Adam to Muhammad ﷺ, the core of the message has never changed: La ilaha illallah. Tawheed. Worship only Allah.But the details of the Sharia — how that worship is expressed, what the laws look like, the specifics of punishment and obligation — those have changed across time. And that is not God changing His mind. That is God being perfectly calibrated to the people He is speaking to.Every generation is different. The laws of previous nations were stricter, harsher. The tawbah for shirk in the Sharia of Musa, for instance, required death — the only atonement for major sins was the taking of life. Christianity inherited this concept and built the doctrine of atonement around it: the idea that someone must die for sin to be absorbed. Our belief is different — no one carries another's sin, and Allah does not need anyone to die on His behalf in order to forgive. He is Al-Afuww. He simply pardons. Islam came with the lightest sharia of all the prophetic traditions: even shirk, the gravest of sins, requires only sincere tawbah and the shahada.Why lighter? Because humans have become softer over time. That is simply true. My mother cycled ten kilometres to school each morning without complaint. My father hunted birds with a slingshot as a child, cooked them himself, and came home with his stomach half full before his parents knew anything about it. Today, children cry when they watch someone slaughter a chicken.People change. Allah knows this. The Sharia adapts. But the tawheed does not move.Some things remain constant from Adam to Yawmul Qiyamah: worship Allah alone, honour your parents, maintain good character, care for the orphan and the poor, speak kindly to people. The details of how — the minimum of zakat, the specific forms — may be calibrated to time and place. The principles themselves are eternal.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Why Hud Said Something Different From NuhHere is something small but worth paying attention to.When Prophet Nuh called his people, he said: I fear for you the punishment of a great day. He had to tell them what was coming — because they had never seen collective divine punishment before. Nuh's people were the first community to be destroyed. There was no precedent. The warning had to be explicit.But when Prophet Hud called his people, he said something different: Do you not have taqwa? He did not need to spell out what the punishment looked like. Because the people of ‘Ad still remembered. The great flood was not ancient history to them — it was recent memory, passed down through their ancestors. The story was fresh. All Hud had to do was point to what they already knew: don't you remember what happened? Are you not afraid?This is the Quran being precise in a way that rewards attention. The surface looks similar — a prophet calling his people to Tawheed, the elite rejecting him. But the language shifts in exactly the way historical context demands. And when you notice those shifts, as Professor Sayyid Naqib Al-Attas — who passed away just days ago, may Allah grant him the highest Jannah, one of the greatest Muslim thinkers of our age — always said: the Quran is not a book for lazy people. It rewards those who think, who ponder, who are willing to ask why.Al-Attas spent his life arguing that after colonisation and the fall of the Ottoman Caliphate, Muslims should not paste Islamic varnish over Western philosophical frameworks. He said the answer had to come from within the tradition itself. His work gave birth to institutions like IIUM — the International Islamic University Malaysia — and ISTAC. His book Islam and Secularism remains essential reading for anyone serious about Islamic education and worldview. We lost a giant.Al-Mala' — Then and NowAs with Nuh, the first to reject Prophet Hud were al-mala' — the rich and powerful elite. But there is a subtle and important difference. In the story of Nuh, the Quran simply says al-mala' min qawmihi — the chiefs of his people rejected him. In the story of Hud, it says al-mala' alladhina kafaru min qawmihi — the chiefs who disbelieved from his people.Why the extra qualification? Because not all the chiefs of 'Ad rejected Hud. Some of them believed. The memory of the flood was still close enough that some of the powerful had held on to their fear of Allah. So Allah was precise: it was specifically the disbelieving chiefs who called Hud a fool and a liar — not all of them.The pattern of al-mala' rejecting the truth is a constant across every prophet's story in the Quran. It repeats so often it cannot be coincidence — Allah is drawing our attention to a structural reality of power. The elite benefit from the existing order. A prophet comes and says the order is unjust, that the weak deserve protection, that no one is above accountability. The elite's wealth and status depend on that order remaining intact. So they fight back.And the masses, generally, follow whoever is loudest and most visible.The Prophet ﷺ said that every prophet before prophethood worked as a shepherd. Including him ﷺ. Because you learn people management from managing sheep — you learn how to lead those who follow instinct and momentum, who drift toward whoever is in front of them.We think we have escaped this. We are in 2026. We have the internet. We have access to every idea in human history. Surely we are not sheep.And then you walk into a supermarket. Milk and bread — the things almost everyone needs — are placed at the furthest possible corner. You have to walk past everything else to reach them. The placement is not accidental. It is psychologically engineered to make you spend. Children love McDonald's not because of the food but because that golden arch has been placed in their visual field since before they could speak, associated with happiness, associated with play. We did not choose to love it. We were led there.The top influencer on Instagram earns more than the CEO of Instagram. The top creator on YouTube earns more than the CEO of YouTube. We have simply replaced the ancient al-mala' with a new one — one that reaches us through screens instead of town squares, but shapes our choices just as effectively.This is why La ilaha illallah is not just a statement of theology. It is a declaration of independence. I submit to Allah alone. My thinking is shaped by what Allah has revealed. My standard for acceptance and rejection is not whatever the powerful say, not whatever is trending, not whatever algorithm is currently deciding what I see. It is La ilaha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah ﷺ.That is the only real freedom.Prophet Hud RespondsThe disbelieving chiefs called Hud a fool and a liar. He responded with quiet dignity: O my people, there is no foolishness in me. I am a messenger from Rabbil Alameen — the Lord of the universe.Every prophet, before prophethood, was known for their intelligence and their beautiful character. The people of 'Ad knew Hud. He was from among them — akhahum Huda, their brother. The accusation of foolishness was not sincere. They knew he was not stupid. They knew he was not lying. They rejected because they did not want what he was calling them toward.We will continue the story of Prophet Hud next Thursday at Qaswa insha'Allah.A Final Word Before EidTwenty-nine nights. Alhamdulillah.Whatever we managed this Ramadan — however much or little — we ask Allah to accept it. We ask Him to forgive us for the nights we wasted and to count among our good deeds the nights we tried. We ask Him not to make this our last Ramadan. We ask Him to let us meet the next one with stronger roots, deeper iman, and better character than we had when this one began.Taqabbalallahu minna wa minkum. May Allah accept from all of us.Thanks for reading Grounded! This post is public so feel free to share it.The tafseer of Surah Al-A'raf continues at Qaswa every Thursday night, 7pm. A paid subscription includes the Surah Al-A'raf Study Guide and Workbook. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundeddaily.substack.com/subscribe

Surah Al-Hajj is the 22nd chapter of the Qur'an. It contains 78 verses and is named after the Hajj, the pilgrimage that Muslims perform in Makkah. Surah Al-Hajj emphasizes faith in God, the reality of the Day of Judgment, and the importance of sincere worship. It reminds people of God's power in creation, warns those who deny the truth, and encourages believers to remain steadfast. The surah also explains the purpose and spiritual meaning of the Hajj pilgrimage, including sacrifice and devotion to God, and calls Muslims to strive in God's cause while practicing justice and righteousness. This video series is a curated collection of reflections and summaries drawn from the 30 Days with the Qur'an series, where each Juz was explored over the month of Ramadan. While not a full tafsir, these concise and heartfelt talks aim to highlight key themes and insights from each Surah to inspire a deeper connection with the Qur'an. In this series, we've taken those reflections and focused them surah by surah, offering a dedicated video for each chapter of the Qur'an. The goal is to spark curiosity, build motivation, and encourage further study of the Qur'an in a manageable, engaging format. Whether you're revisiting familiar Surahs or exploring new ones, these summaries are here to help you pause, reflect, and fall in love with the Qur'an all over again.

Was the great Sufi thinker Ibn 'Arabi actually a kind of idealist philosopher? In this video we explore the metaphysics of the Akbari tradition and the famous doctrine of Wahdat al-Wujud (Oneness of Being).I examine Ibn ‘Arabi's view that God (al-Haqq) is the only true Reality, while the universe is a divine self-disclosure within Being. Along the way we look at concepts like wujūd (Being), imagination (khayāl), the immutable entities (a‘yān thābita), and the idea that the world is a reflection of the divine attributes.Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recommended Reading:Abdel-Hadi, Faris (2025). "Ibn 'Arabi's Religious Pluralism: Levels of Inclusivity". Routledge.Addas, Claude (1993). "Quest for the Red Sulphur". The Islamic Texts Society.Austin, R.W.J. (translated by) (1980). "The Bezels of Wisdom". Classics of Western Spirituality Series. Paulist Press.Chittick, William (1989). "The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn 'Arabi's Metaphysics of Imagination".Chittick, William (1998). "The Self-Disclosure of God: Principles of Ibn al-'Arabi's Cosmology". State University of New York Press.Chittick, William (2005). "Ibn Arabi: Heir to the Prophets". OneWorld Publications.Chodkiewicz, Michel (1993). "Seal of the Saints: Prophethood and sainthood in the doctrine of Ibn 'Arabi". Translated by Liadain Sherrard. The Islamic Texts Society.Caner Dagli (translated by) (2004). Ibn 'Arabi - "The Ringstones of Wisdom (Fusus al-Hikam)". Great Books of the Islamic World. Kazi Pubns Inc.Dyczkowski, Mark S.G. (1987). "The Doctrine of Vibration: An Analysis of the Doctrines and Practices of Kashmir Shaivism". SUNY Press.https://hareesh.org/blogpageIbn Arabi - "The Universal Tree and the Four Birds (al-ittihad al-kawni). Translated by Angela Jaffray. Oxford: Anqa Publishing.Ibn 'Arabi - "The Openings Revealed in Makkah: al-futuhat al-makkiyya". Translated by Eric Winkel. Volumes 1-7. Pir Press.Kastrup, Bernardo (2019). "Idea of the World, The: A multi-disciplinary argument for the mental nature of reality". Iff Books.Kastrup, Bernardo (2024). "Analytic Idealism in a Nutshell: A straightforward summary of the 21st century's only plausible metaphysics". Iff Books. Muller-Ortega, Paul (1988). "The Triadic Heart of Siva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir". SUNY Press.Rory Dickson, William (2024). "Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy". Anqa Publishing.Singh, Jaideva (Translated by) (1990). "The Doctrine of Recognition: A Translation of the Pratyabhijnahrdayam with an Introduction and Notes, by Ksemaraja". SUNY Press.Torella, Raffaele & Bettina Bäumer (2016). "Utpaladeva: Philosopher of Recognition". D.K. Printworld.Torella, Rafaele (Translated by) (2013). "The Isvarapratyabhijnakarika of Utpaladeva: Critical edition and annoted translation". Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit groundeddaily.substack.comNight 25. Four nights left after tonight.Quick announcements: Eid will be this Friday insha'Allah, based on ANIC's announcement. Qaswa will be praying at MacDougall Park in Como. Takbir starts at 8, prayer at 8:30. Setup is at 7:30 — the more hands the better. Bring a prayer mat or picnic mat, and a plate to share is very much welcome.Tonight is also a Sunday eve, which means tomorrow is a public holiday. No excuses. Sleep early, wake up at 3am, pray, read Quran, make du'a, do your adhkar. Then sleep after Fajr and sunrise. Use it.Allah Has Been Making His CaseBefore we go forward, let me zoom out for a second.The passage we've been in started at ayah 54. Before that, we had the conversations of Yawmul Qiyamah — the people of Jannah calling out to the people of fire, the people of A'raf watching both sides, the people of fire begging for a drop of water and being turned away. Allah was essentially laying out the map: these are the stations. Jannah. Jahannam. A'raf. Choose one. Pick your lane and start walking.Then from ayah 54, Allah pivoted. He said: you've seen the destinations — now let me tell you who your Lord is. He is the One who created the heavens and earth. The sun, the moon, the stars — all running on His command. And once you know that, He gives you the next step: call on Him. Make du'a. With humility on the outside and fear and hope on the inside.And now — if that still isn't enough — He says: look around you.A paid subscription includes a free digital copy of the Surah Al-A'raf Study Guide and Workbook. Two Revelations, Both Meant to Be ReadAllah has sent us two books.The first is masthoor — the written. That's the Quran. The second is manzoor — the observed. That's nature. And our scholars tell us that both must be read together. If you read only the Quran and never engage with nature, you'll be left behind as the world advances — because in the study of nature, properly done, you find your way back to Allah. And if you only engage with nature and ignore the Quran, you'll have wonder without guidance.Both. Together. That's the prescription.This is why our prayer times are tied to the sun and our fasting is tied to the moon. Islam is the only religion that makes you interact with the physical universe five times a day. But most of us have outsourced that interaction to an app. Which is fine — until two apps give different iftar times and then my WhatsApp fills up with the same question every Ramadan.Go outside. Look at the horizon. That's when Maghrib is.Once in a while, find the Qibla with the stars. In WA, if you look for Orion's Belt, that's your east. Know when prayer time starts from the position of the sun. I make every student who comes through my class do this at least once. I don't know if they remember it years later. But I hope they remember that they looked up at the sky and found their way to Makkah without an app.

Surah Al-Kahf is the 18th chapter of the Qur'an. It was revealed in Makkah and contains 110 verses. The surah emphasizes faith, trials of life, reliance on Allah, humility, and the reality of the Hereafter. It revolves around four major stories, each highlighting a different test.

Surah Al-Isra, the 17th chapter of the Qur'an, is a Makkan surah consisting of 111 verses. It is named after the miraculous Night Journey (Isra) of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Makkah to Jerusalem, an event that signifies Allah's power and the special status of the Prophet. The surah emphasizes core themes of Tawhid (the Oneness of Allah), accountability in the Hereafter, and moral responsibility. It calls for righteousness, kindness to parents, justice, humility, and compassion, while warning against arrogance, wastefulness, and disbelief. It also highlights that guidance comes through divine revelation and that every individual is responsible for their own deeds. Overall, Surah Al-Isra serves as a powerful reminder of faith, ethical conduct, and trust in Allah's wisdom and justice. This video series is a curated collection of reflections and summaries drawn from the 30 Days with the Qur'an series, where each Juz was explored over the month of Ramadan. While not a full tafsir, these concise and heartfelt talks aim to highlight key themes and insights from each Surah to inspire a deeper connection with the Qur'an. In this series, we've taken those reflections and focused them surah by surah, offering a dedicated video for each chapter of the Qur'an. The goal is to spark curiosity, build motivation, and encourage further study of the Qur'an in a manageable, engaging format. Whether you're revisiting familiar Surahs or exploring new ones, these summaries are here to help you pause, reflect, and fall in love with the Qur'an all over again.

We all know about the Makkos generally but do we know the individual purpose of each and every Makkah?

The journey to Badr didn't begin with a battlefield. It began with small moments that tested the companions one by one. Some were told to return, others tried to stay hidden, and lessons were given on the road that shaped the mindset of the entire group. What seemed like a simple march became a series of decisions that revealed what each person carried in their heart. Meanwhile in Makkah, a sudden wave of news moved through the city and forced Quraysh to react. What they chose next set both sides on a path neither could step away from. Ustadh Abdulrahman Hassan explains how these moments built the lead-up to Badr and why they changed the direction of the story. The clash hasn't begun yet, but the turning point is close. Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #Islam #Dawah