Among the principles of Islamic jurisprudence that believers should learn and apply to guide their spiritual journey is the proper ordering of priorities in their actions: giving precedence to what is more important over what is less important, to what carries greater weight over what carries less, and to foundational matters over secondary ones. This principle is illustrated in the following verse: “Know, therefore, that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and se

Throughout the Quran, Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, makes it clear that the reward of Paradise and His pleasure are reserved for the people of Taqwa (God-consciousness and piety). Among the defining characteristics of those who attain this description and its promised reward is that they be Tayyibin — pure and wholesome in their inner selves and their deeds. Allah, the Most High, describes them as follows: “Those whose souls the angels take while they are pure and whole

It was reported that, after the disbelievers claimed they would be treated in the Hereafter as they had been treated in this worldly life — saying, “If I am returned to my Lord, I will surely find something better than this as a place of return” (18:36), and “We have more wealth and children, and we will not be punished” (34:35) — and thus assumed they would be on an equal footing with the believers, the following verse was revealed: “Or do those who commit evil deeds think t

Allah created humankind in the best stature. Allah, the Exalted, says: “Indeed, We have created the human being in the best of stature. Then We reduced them to the lowest of the low” (95:4–5). Al-Fakhr al-Razi relates from al-Aṣamm that “the best of stature” refers to the perfection of intellect, understanding, manners, knowledge, and expression. These are among the innate qualities of human beings, through which their perception and vision are refined by sound reason, from w

One of the fundamental aspects of the disease of heedlessness is falling into the trap of the Devil’s false promise — for the Devil is indeed a manifest enemy to human beings and one who abandons them in their hour of need. This threat consists in instilling fear of poverty, and thereby driving people to pursue immorality. Allah, the Exalted, says: “Satan threatens you with poverty and commands you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And A

Allah’s response to the inhabitants of Hell who plead for deliverance is among the most sobering passages in the Quran. They will say: “Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray. Our Lord, bring us out of it; then, if we return to our former ways, we will indeed be wrongdoers” (23:106–107). They will also say: “Our Lord, bring us out, and we will do righteous deeds other than what we used to do” (35:37). Allah will reply: “Remain despised therein, an

When Allah, the Exalted, addresses the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, saying, “Indeed, We know that your heart is distressed by what they say” (15:97), and, “Indeed, We know that what they say grieves you” (6:33), it makes one wonder: If distress can afflict the heart of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then what about everyone else? This is so that the servant may understand that distress, sadness, worry, anguish, and regret are all things th

The enlightenment ideas upon which the secular system is founded have been steadily metamorphosing the system of thoughts of people and nations. It can be sensed in the general thoughts and ideas of the people, which generally, do not regard religion as an active element in seeking a good life! It can also be felt in the common avoidance of religion. There are actually some who express disgust when talking about religion. “And when Allah Alone is mentioned, the hearts of thos

The following supplication from Surat al-Furqan — “Our Lord, grant us from among our spouses and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us a leader [i.e., example] for the righteous” (25:74) — indicates the completion of the degrees of faith through embodying the qualities described in the verses that begin with Allah’s saying, “And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth with humility” (25:63), and culminating in this supplication. The completion

The Most Merciful has commanded His believing servants to remember Him often and to glorify Him morning and evening: “O believers! Remember Allah often, and glorify Him morning and evening. He is the One Who blesses you, and His angels pray for you, so that He may bring you out of darkness and into light. And He is ever Merciful to the believers.” (33:41–43). This command represents the essence of the message, the ultimate purpose of Allah’s will, and the core subject of the

It is in the nature of the human being to be forgetful and ungrateful, particularly in the absence of guidance. Such a nature is described in the following Ayah: “When one is touched with hardship, they cry out to their Lord, turning to Him ˹alone˺. But as soon as He showers them with blessings from Him, they ˹totally˺ forget the One they had cried to earlier, and set up equals to Allah to mislead ˹others˺ from His Way. Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ ‘Enjoy your disbelief for a little whi

Whoever’s ultimate destination is the Fire has failed to attain the true nature and purpose of the intellect. Allah, the Exalted, says: “They will say, ‘Had we but listened or reasoned, we would not have been among the inhabitants of the Blaze.’” (67:10). Al-Tirmidhi narrated a report in which a man said to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, “How intelligent that Christian man is!” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, replied: “The di

In Surah Al-Kafirun, Allah declares: “Say, ‘O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you have worshipped. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship.’” (109:1–5) These verses constitute a clear and unequivocal declaration of complete separation - a decisive parting in which there can be no meeting point between the path of Allah and any other religion, ideology, or way of life. There ca

The Quran describes various types of people, including some who lived during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. However, these descriptions are not confined to the early generations. Rather, they apply to anyone who possesses the characteristics mentioned in the Quran. Whenever these traits become firmly rooted in a person’s character, that individual falls into the same category of people described in the Quran. An example is those mentioned i

Allah, the Exalted, says: “They disputed with falsehood in order to invalidate the truth. So I seized them — then how terrible was My punishment!” (40:5). The phenomenon of disputing the truth with falsehood — whether in the past or the present — is fundamentally rooted in the desire to justify actions driven by personal whims and to preserve a way of life shaped by a form of knowledge that serves worldly interests. Allah, the Exalted, says: “Then, when their messengers came

When the following verse was revealed – “Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should humble themselves to the remembrance of Allah and to what has been revealed of the truth?” (57:16) – Abdullah ibn Masʿud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “There were only four years between our embracing Islam and our being admonished by this verse.” Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) remarked: “Allah found the hearts of the believers slow to r

One of the names of the Day of Judgment mentioned in the Quran is the Day of Regret. It is the Day when every human being will experience remorse. Allah (swt) says, “And warn them of the Day of Regret, when the matter will have been decided, while they are in heedlessness and do not believe” (19:39). On that Day, evildoers will regret their sins and acts of disobedience, while the righteous will regret not having done even more good deeds. Allah says: “On that Day, man will r

There can be no one more astray than those who elevate their own desires to the status of a deity. The Quran describes such people as being among the farthest removed from the path of guidance: “And who could be more astray than those who follow their desires with no guidance from Allah?” (28:50). And, “Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? Then would you be responsible for him? Or do you think that most of them listen or understand? They are only like ca

In the noble verse — “If you do not aid him, Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, ‘Do not grieve; indeed, Allah is with us’” (9:40) — Allah draws our attention to the cave in which the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and his companion, Abu Bakr, sought refuge during the prophetic migration (Hijrah). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upo

The elite among the believers are those whom Allah Most High has singled out for His special love. He loves them, and they love Him. They are those with whom Allah is pleased, and who are pleased with Him. Allah Most High says: “O you who believe! Whoever among you turns back from his religion, Allah will bring forth a people whom He loves and who love Him; humble toward the believers, dignified toward the disbelievers; striving in the path of Allah and fearing not the blame