Refat Ahmed

الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ

(Men are the protectors and maintainers of women,) meaning, the man is responsible for the woman, and he is her maintainer, caretaker and leader who disciplines her if she deviates.

[Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) / verse 34 Surah An-Nisa]

Ibn Qayyim رحمه الله said:

“Do not lose hope because of the sins you have committed. If your sins distance you from Allah, then you are truly punished. But if your sins humble you and bring you back to Allah, then know that this is a sign of His care for you.”

📚 Madarij as-Salikin 1/177

Imān is something that will always fluctuate. It will never remain at the same level constantly. Your Salah should be non-negotiable. Do not compromise on it at any cost.

If you are going out, try to fix your salah first. Even if your Imān is low, don't leave it. Even if you're feeling spiritually low, that should not lead to missing one prayer. Let it not happen that missing one prayer leads to missing all five prayers. Try to pray, strive to pray all of them. When you start praying even one, gradually it will become a habit.

Secondly, never abandon your morning and evening adhkar. Make it a daily habit.

Thirdly, constantly be in Istighfar. Try to do as much Istighfar as possible. Dhikr softens the heart. Even when your Imān is low, your heart becomes soft through dhikr — and things get better.

And remember two things:

Children are a test and a responsibility. It is upon the parents to teach them correct ‘aqeedah, manners, and protect them from harmful ideologies. Teach your children goodness, for you'll be held accountable for them.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,

“Verily, the hearts of the children of Adam, all of them, are between the two fingers of the Merciful as one heart. He directs them wherever He wills.

O Allah, the Director of the hearts, turn our hearts to Your obedience.”

[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2654]

Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله:

"Every time the slave has good thoughts about Allāh, perfects his hope in Him, and is truthful in his trust in Him, then indeed Allāh will never ever disappoint him nor let him down, for He does not break the hope of the hoper, nor will he waste the deeds of the doer."

[al-Fawā’id]

Wherever there is oppression, there is always resistance. From the streets of Gaza to the valleys of Kashmir, the cry is the same—freedom.

Different lands, the same struggle, the same pain—two nations fighting for justice. Freedom is not a gift; it is a right. When justice is delayed, freedom is denied. How long will the world remain silent while these lands bleed?

Homes are destroyed. Families are broken. Children grow up in fear. And yet, the people keep standing. They keep fighting. No army, no guns, and no bombs can defeat a people who refuse to give up. Occupation cannot erase identity.

Their land is taken. Their voices are silenced. They are only asking for their rights—for freedom, dignity, and a life without fear. Because every life matters. Every voice counts. History will remember those who stood with the oppressed.

Stand with justice. Stand with freedom. Stand with Palestine and Kashmir. Until they are free, the freedom of our Muslim Ummah will not be complete.

Inshā’Allāh, freedom is coming, and justice will rise. In the end, the believers always win. So will Palestine. So will Kashmir.

Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله:

“Whoever finds their joy in Salah in this life, will find their joy in being close to Allāh in the Hereafter, and will also find his joy in Allāh in this world. Whoever finds his joy in Allāh will be content with everything.

And whoever does not find his joy in Allāh, will be destroyed by his feelings of grief and regret for worldly matters.”

[al-Waabil al-Sayyib | Pg. 40]

Rasulullah (ﷺ) mentioned in a hadith that those souls who knew each other in the realm of souls would find and know each other in this world too, and those who developed animosity in that realm would dislike each other here as well;

and that's why, when you meet certain people, you're suddenly overcome with a feeling that you know them from somewhere or that you've met them before.

and maybe this also accounts for those moments when your heart misses someone you've never met, because your soul is yearning for those other souls and waiting for them to show up in your life here in this world.

isn't that beautiful, SubhanAllāh?

You're feeling that your Dua is not getting accepted? Everything is going wrong, there's no way that your Dua can come true?

But in actual everything is going right. This is just a test. This test willprepare you for your Miracles. Allah is seeing your efforts, the way you cry in prayers, the way you ask Allah. He knows you're waiting, he knows it's becoming difficult for you day by day to have sabr. Everyday you feel like, you can't have sabr anymore, but keep on passing days with the tawakkul and yakeen in your heart. He loves you, Our Allah is the king of kings, nothing is impossible for Him, he can even change things from better to best.

Keep knocking his door, your footprints will always be present there. Allah will open that door for you. Keep making that dua. May Allah strength our Imaan and fulfill all that our hearts desire. Ameen!

Al-Fudayl b. ‘Ayyâd [187H] – Allah have mercy on him – said:

“Allah ‘azza wa jalla accepts only those deeds which are both correct and sincere (pure). If the deed is done correctly but not sincerely, it will not be accepted. And if it is sincere but not correct, it will not be accepted.”

He was asked, “Abû ‘Alî! What is the sincere and correct deed?”

He replied, “The sincere deed is one that is done only for Allah ‘azza wa jall. And the correct deed is one done according to the Sunnah.”

(Abû Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyâ` Vol.8 p95.)

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim رحمه الله said

[Ad-Da’ wa Ad-Dawa’ (p.10)]

Advice of Sufyan Al-Thawree (raḥimahullāh) to Alee ibn Al-Hasan As-Sulamee:

"Your companion should be the one who prevents you from being preoccupied with things of the worldly life that will divert you from Allāh, and one who makes you desire and work for the Hereafter.

Beware of accompanying people who make the dunyah their goal, those who are engrossed in speaking about the worldly life; indeed they will corrupt your religion and your heart.

Remember death much, and seek a lot of forgiveness from what has passed of your sins, and ask Allāh for safety for what remains of your life."

[Hilyatul Awliyaa Vol. 7 Pg. 82]

حتى وإن بدت السماء بعيدة.

though the sky seem far away,

إن الذي فوق السماء قريب.

He who is above the sky is much closer.

فارفع يديك إلى الإله مُناجيًا.

raise your hands to God in a manner,

إن الجروح مع الدعاء تطيب.

verily all wounds with dua are healed.

When you change yourself for the sake of Allāh ta'ala, you'll have no time to think about what people around you are saying about you. Because you know your purpose is big.

As we continue on this journey, we discover that the blessings of Allāh ta'ala begin to manifest in our lives in ways that we could never have imagined.

The doors of opportunity open before us, the challenges we face become opportunities for growth; and the burdens we carry become lighter as we surrender them to the Almighty. We find that our relationships with others deepen, our hearts become softer, and our souls become more attuned to the will of Allāh ta'ala.

No matter how small deeds you do in your life, do it only for the sake of Allāh ta'ala, and you'll see many blessings in your life. Every deed we do should be done with sincerity, for Allāh ta'ala sees all and knows our every intention; our actions must be filled with purity and clarity.

In the end, it is not the opinions of others that matter, but the pleasure of our Almighty.

Because Allāh ta'ala is just. He sees your heart. He sees your intention. You sincerely will try for something; He will open doors for you.

May Allāh ta'ala bless us all and guide us on the path of righteousness. May our hearts be filled with His love, and our deeds be a reflection of His greatness. Ameen.