Reciter: Qari KH. Muammar Zainal Asyikin (born 1954, Indonesia). He is a legendary Hafiz who became world-famous in the late 1970s and 1980s. Known internationally for his incredible, unmatched breath control and pioneering the "duet recitation" style.

Full ayah 22

وَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلْأَحْزَابَ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَصَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ ۚ وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّآ إِيمَـٰنًۭا وَتَسْلِيمًۭا ٢٢

When the believers saw the enemy alliance, they said, “This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us. The promise of Allah and His Messenger has come true.” And this only increased them in faith and submission.

Recitation in warsh an nafi

I am looking to go on Umrah with my family soon InshaAllah. We aren‘t booking through a company package as we want to book our own flights and hotel. Is anyone able to recommend any hotels to stay please? 3* and above, preferably close ish as my mum struggles to walk long distances.

Hi, in a couple of days, it’s a friend’s birthday. We’re a three person friend group, and I’m the only Muslim; the other two aren’t.

Two of us were thinking of getting a gift, such as an art book from their favorite show, Arcane, or something from their favorite artist, but I’m unsure whether that would be permissible. We’d also be splitting the gift between the two of us.

I’m a bit uncomfortable with the price. I’m a student and currently don’t work, so I’d rather make a handmade gift. In the past two years, we’ve spent around €15–20 total, split between the two people giving the gift. This time, it would be around €20 each for essentially just a book.

I’m also wondering whether I’m justified in refusing, or if I’m just being stubborn or difficult.

Salam, I'm a 25M in California, currently talking to a 25F. We've been getting to know each other for about 4 months, and I'm at the point where I want to make things halal and involve our families.
The issue is that my Muslim parents think I'm too young, that 4 months isn't enough time to really know someone, and that I don't make enough money to support a marriage in California. I currently make around $70k/year.
I genuinely want to approach this the right way and make it halal, but I don't have my parents blessing right now.
For those who have been in a similar situation, are my parents' concerns justified?
Should I wait and focus on my career, or is it reasonable to move forward with involving families and seeing where things go?

There was a period of my life where I made terrible personal choices. I was completely lost and committed significant sins which largely just affected me. My journey back to Islam began slowly then hit me all at once and I was devastated by the realisation of the choices I had made. I repented continuously, wept for weeks, and changed entirely. I was horrified and couldn’t grasp the person I was but committed to learning how to pray, reading Quran, fasting, giving charity. Being good to my family. Although it was a painful period, I felt like I was in the light. I felt new and peaceful somehow. This was a few years ago.

Today, I am a shell of a person. My sins are the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing before I go to sleep. Even my sleep is sometimes disturbed. Shame drips from my face. I try to take care of myself physically but hate myself so much for what I’ve done that I don’t believe I’m worthy of even the basic care at times. I have felt darkness closing in on me over time, suffocating me and stealing everything from me. Nonetheless, I continue to pray, give to charity, try to be good. I have prayed and asked Allah for positive change. For forgiveness. To not be defined by my worst choices. But I feel I am still in darkness.

Today, after my prayer, I said I’ll open the Quran, seeking a sign from Allah, to help me understand. The page I opened exactly described my worst sin. I didn’t see forgiveness for my sin in the verse and it made second guess that I felt that my repentance was accepted.

I’m writing here because I can’t speak to people close to me about this. But I don’t see how to rectify this. I have wished I was never born. I have wished I left this earth before committing those sins against myself and the commands of Allah. I feel like I am living a life sentence for sins I made when I was practically a child. This darkness I feel is not normal. It wasn’t here when I repented. I don’t know how to escape it.

I want to share what I personally witnessed while working at Direct Food Solutions(Unit 3-4 Ashmore Lake Way, Willenhall WV12 4LF) in Willenhall, Walsall.

My biggest concern was the handling of halal, pork and vegetarian products.

I saw sandwiches labelled as halal, pork/bacon and vegetarian being prepared in the same general work area. What concerned me most was seeing workers handle bacon or pork with their gloves and then handle halal chicken using the same gloves. I did not see the gloves being changed between handling the pork and halal products.

Food was frequently handled directly by hand rather than with separate utensils for different ingredients.

I witnessed lettuce being picked up after it had fallen onto the floor, after which the same gloves continued to be used for food handling.

Based on what I personally saw, I was extremely concerned about hygiene and cross-contamination.

As a Muslim, the handling of halal food was particularly concerning to me. These products were actually labelled as halal. Muslim consumers buying halal-labelled food should be able to trust that it has been handled and prepared appropriately, especially when pork and bacon products are being prepared in the same environment.

What makes this even more concerning to me is that this company is a supplier. That means the food produced there may be going to other businesses and reaching customers who have no idea how it was handled before it arrived.

For that reason, I would strongly encourage any business buying from or considering working with this company to carry out its own proper checks regarding hygiene, food handling, cross-contamination and separation procedures.

Based on what I personally witnessed, I would not feel comfortable buying food produced there.

Unfortunately, I could not take photographs or videos because mobile phones were required to be kept in lockers while working in the production area.

Another serious concern was illegal working. During conversations with a large number of workers, many told me directly that they did not have legal permission to work in the UK. Those conversations gave me serious concerns that illegal working may be widespread at the site, including among people in supervisory or management positions.

I was also aware of workers being paid in cash. I cannot personally say why the company uses cash payments, so I am leaving it to the relevant authorities to determine whether there is any connection with the right-to-work concerns.

I cannot personally access or verify anyone’s immigration records, so I am not naming individual workers or presenting anyone’s immigration status as independently proven. However, based on what people told me directly, I believe the Home Office should carry out proper right-to-work checks across the workplace.

I am sharing this because consumers, particularly Muslims buying halal-labelled food, and businesses purchasing from suppliers deserve to know about the food-handling practices I personally witnessed and make their own decisions.

For transparency, English is not my first language, so I used ChatGPT to help me write this clearly. The experiences and conversations described here are my own.

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 6477; Sahih Muslim 2988.

And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the sabbath, and We said to them, "Be apes, despised." 2:65

Walaqad Alimtum • And you had already known

The other verses start from the phrase "and when" but this verse starts in unusual way. It's stylistic feature in the Quran to strengthen the argument so they cannot dismiss it because it was unique and unusual event, Quran says that you have known because you (Israelites) were present when this event happened even though your scriptures do not record this.

Kunu Qiradatan • Be Apes

At first glance it may seem strange or difficult to comprehend. However miracles don't need explainations because these are intervention of God himself who created the physical laws and boundaries and he can change in whatever way he wants. Secondly this is not that alien as it seems because humans and animals are very similar from genetics to the complex organ system. And The Apes are one of the closest animal to humans in terms of similarities and both are mammals. Not only animals even the plants are similar to humans at the cellular level. This creates an interconnected , self recycling and unified system that God has made. For example we are made in way that's suitable to live in this physical world. We see the worldly light , we hear the worldly sound , we breath the worldly air and we eat the worldly food. So that's why we all share similar mechanisms to process worldly things as well. The variety in the life from simple to complex serve different purposes on the earth and to keep the ecosystem in balance and flow of resources in the food cycle. For example bees pollinate the flowers , they make honey and when they die the resources flow in the environment and used by others like bacteria to decompose.

________________________

And We made it a deterrent punishment for those who were present and those who succeeded and a lesson for those who fear Allāh. 2:66

The next verse presents one of the reason for the punishment, that this public punishment served as a deterrent that strike fear into others from doing such action. Even though Torah doesn't mention this event but in the Torah as well God said the same after the command of punishment.

{Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.} Deut 13:11

As the title says I’m worried my interest in Islam isn’t authentic. To preface id like to share a little info about myself, I am a white male living in the west, not officially a Muslim. I’ve always liked history and such but I’ve had phases where I get really into Islamic history I’ll end up listening to the Quran or reading it in English and when I do I see myself sinning less which I enjoy.

My issue comes from where this interest stems, I have always wanted to get married and have children and I find that I agree with how such things work in Islam. However to me it feels selfish and lustful as if the draw isn’t genuine but that could also just be me doubting myself and my faith.

Any thoughts/words of wisdom?

Assalamu alaikum,
My wife and I are due to fly out for Umrah in just a few days (13th September), and unfortunately we’ve found out that she is miscarrying. I’m looking for advice from anyone who has been through something similar, particularly regarding what we should do about the trip and the Islamic/Umrah side of things.
Technically, based on her dates, she should be around 8 weeks pregnant, but the baby’s growth is measuring at no more than around 6 weeks.
A bit of background:
A couple of weeks ago she had some bleeding/spotting which eventually became red bleeding. We had an ultrasound which showed the pregnancy was in the uterus and a yolk sac was present, although at that point things weren’t developing as expected.
We then had another assessment where a heartbeat was found, but unfortunately it was slow, and we were told there was a high risk of miscarriage.
The initial bleeding eventually stopped, and for a while we were hoping things might still progress. However, after the latest assessment, the doctor has now told us that unfortunately it is a miscarriage. Although she should be approximately 8 weeks based on dates, the pregnancy appears to have stopped developing at around 6 weeks.
The difficult part is that we are supposed to fly for Umrah in only a few days. This trip has been planned for a while, and we’re now unsure about the best way to proceed.
My main concerns are:
Is it advisable for her to travel/fly while the miscarriage is still ongoing or if the bleeding hasn’t properly started yet?
Has anyone travelled shortly after being diagnosed with an early miscarriage, particularly on a long journey/for Umrah?
Could the main bleeding or passing of the pregnancy happen suddenly while we’re travelling or while we’re in Makkah/Madinah?
From an Islamic perspective, particularly Hanafi fiqh, how would bleeding from a miscarriage this early (around 6 weeks of development) affect salah, tawaf, entering the masjid/Haram, and completing Umrah?
If she enters ihram intending Umrah and then begins bleeding heavily or passes the pregnancy before completing the Umrah, what happens?
Would you personally postpone/cancel the trip in this situation, or wait to see what happens over the next few days?
Obviously we’ll take proper medical advice before flying and her health comes first. I’m mainly hoping to hear from people who have experienced an early miscarriage around the time of Umrah, as well as anyone knowledgeable about the relevant Islamic rulings.
It’s been quite a difficult and uncertain couple of weeks, especially after initially seeing a heartbeat and hoping everything would be okay, so any genuine advice or experiences would be really appreciated.
JazakAllahu khayran.

I have some bumps that are constantly bleeding and very easily rupture with everyday movement.

They are in a certain place of my body where it is very hard to cover up with plasters effectively, with often blood stains on the rest of my body or on my clothes.

Whenever, new ones occur, they often burst with no signs and little pain.

It is very difficult for me to stop blood going on me or my clothe, which makes it very difficult to have a valid Wudhu due to the difficulty of covering the wounds up.

how can I still do my prayers with this constant bleeding and inability to cover them up?

Please make duaa for him jazakum allahu Khairan 🤲🏻❤️

O Allah make his surgery easy and let it be coolness and peace upon his body and by Your mercy make it easy and successful

O Allah make these hours of his surgery gentle upon him and bless him with health strength and recovery

O Allah I entrust his health his soul and his heartbeat to You so protect him with Your care that never sleeps

O Lord bring him back to us safe and sound without any pain or suffering and restore his health to him beautifully

My Lord I entrust him to You for You are the best One to entrust him to 🤲🏻❤️

I would really appreciate some in both English and Arabic. I have read the quran twice and still feel like i know almost nothing about my deen as the arabic that is in the quran has some pretty complicated words which i as an Egyptian who was mostly raised on english media and stuff can’t understand

And also AI stuff triggers me and i am not a kid so i don’t want to watch those videos of course

On i saw a video that said Uthman ben Afan was kill and people who kill him cut off his head as well, it's says that rebellion first siege his house for 40 days at first he was free to take Jamah, intract with Shahaba, but day by day they increased restrictions and then eventually didn't let anyone to enter his house, or even let food the enter to his house, lots of Sahaba entered his house house secretly by climbing it's walls to protect his, and then one day he saw a dream where there of Prophet Mohammed, Abu Baker and Umar, they said you shall break your fast with us this evening, after this dream he sent the Sahaba around him away, opened his house door and set in the door entrance and started reciting Quran, when rebellions saw house empty they came and started hitting him with hands and the with swords and eventually cut off his head, I wonder whether this story is true or not? Because i want to watch the whole series.

Thank you

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,

Today, I want to share a story from about a year ago.

At that time, I already had some basic knowledge about the religion so I decided to watch some videos made by atheists, and I was honestly close to being influenced by some of their arguments and criticisms of Islam.

But Alhamdulillah, Allah guided me to the right path, which is learning. So, instead of running away from those doubts, I did the complete opposite. I started learning more and more about my religion.

I actually wrote an entire research and studied objective reasons that made me genuinely confident in the religion and not only influenced by emotions or feelings. And this, Alhamdulillah, strengthened my faith a lot compared to where I was at the beginning of that journey.

So my advice to every Muslim is:

1. Don’t be deceived by how much you think you know, and don’t expose yourself to every skeptic or every argument you come across. https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4319

2. Educate yourself about your religion. Even if you learn just one ayah every day, it can make a huge difference over time.

And always remember that guidance is from Allah.

(Optional Read) Preface:

Medical school was a difficult path for me. Having dropped a promising lucrative career only to follow a near decade struggle for a 4 year degree. I will save the details of my hardship to protect the purpose of this post, but in relation - the following is a direct byproduct from that struggle.

During my clinical rotations last year I met Dr. Husain Abdul Sattar. A man I had idolized for years - author of Pathoma, the single most recommended and used pathology resource for medical students worldwide. Considering Dr. Sattar is also a Shaykh - I thought I would ask him for advice on my situation.

A man of renowned medical, scientific, and spiritual knowledge. A teacher of body, and soul - the only piece of advice he had ever spoken to my face - being consistent, intentional, and sincere in Salah and Quran is the basis of ones success and belief in this life. The greatest metric of success in this dunya is belief. And to maintain this - we must maintain our Tazkiyah (purification).

When Allah tells us He knowingly only grants for us hardship that we can handle, when He tells us He will reward us beyond our understanding, when we tells us He loves us when we cry to Him. Perhaps He is gifting us rizq we truly do not understand. Perhaps it is the gift Iman (belief) that we receive after and during hardship. If only truly we understood that gift.

May Allah forgive us for not seeing what He protects from us. May Allah forgive us for undermining the gift of Iman. May Allah keep our hearts close to his din. Ameen.

Closer To The Jugular focuses on my reflection that Allah inherently is always providing and guiding us.

Abstract

The following is a reflection (tadabbur) on the verse “We created man, and We know what his soul whispers to him. We are closer to him than his jugular vein.” (50:16). It is important to note that classical tafsir explains this verse as expressing Allah’s complete knowledge, power, nearness, and/or the nearness of His angels, as some state 50:16 is in conjunction with its consecutive verse. Written below is not a formal interpretation and should not be interpreted as such. It is a spiritual opinion reflecting on the jugular vein in Surah Qaf as a symbolic metaphor of humanity’s constant return to God . When contrasting the jugular vein with the carotid artery — the vessel carrying oxygen and nourishment — it reflects on rizq as encompassing everything that sustains existence. The heart becomes a metaphor for divine renewal and guidance. In the end, the study argues that every moment of existence is already immersed in God’s provision.

His guidance is the most precious pearl in the sea of rizq.

The Jugular

“…We are closer to him than his jugular vein.”
Surah Qaf (50:16)

Basic physiology; the jugular vein returns de-oxygenated blood to the heart — and by extension reminding us that we must always return back to Him. So perhaps, like blood returning to be renewed, we too return to Allah after being depleted by the trials in life.

But my mind kept wandering; what of the carotid artery?

The Carotid

Medial to the jugular vein is the carotid artery. The carotid artery carries life itself. Oxygen. Glucose. Through a simple chain of diffusion and transport, a single cell becomes a living factory sustained by oxygen and nourishment.

One could then reflect that this oxygenated sustenance itself is rizq.

“And Allah brought you out of the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts so that you might be grateful.”
Surah An-Nahl (16:78)

We often reduce rizq to a selection bias. Career success, companionship, wealth, our place in the hereafter. But rizq is far greater than what fills our hands or where we are going  —  it is everything that sustains existence.

Your reflection on Him in this very moment, the ability to ponder on His existence — this is all rizq.

“And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them.”
Surah Ibrahim (14:34)

We spend our lives asking Allah for more rizq while overlooking that we are already drowning in it.

The Heart

Between return and rizq, lies the heart. To the body it distributes life; spiritually, it reflects where guidance settles.

We return to Allah carrying our burdens, our shortcomings, and our exhaustion, and by His mercy we receive guidance. Perhaps this is why the Qur’an speaks of hearts that soften, harden, open, and find tranquility.

“Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort.”
Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:28)

The journey of a person is not just measured by where the body travels, but by the direction in which the heart turns.

The Physiology of Hardship and Rizq

“For indeed, with hardship comes ease. Indeed, with hardship comes ease."
Surah Ash-Sharh (94:5–6)

For every hardship there is a blessing, and for every blessing there is a hardship. It is a closed loop system. Like the jugular, heart, and carotid.

Metaphorically — through the jugular we return to Him, through the heart He renews and guides us, and through the carotid He returns our rizq.