qur’an, tafsir, tadabbur
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When Hearts Are Blinded, Blinkered or Biased
Sufyan b. ‘Uyaynah, one of the saintly scholars of early Islam, would frequently recite this following couplet: al-mar’u idha kana lahu fikrah/fa fi kulfi shay’in lahu ‘ibrah – ‘A person, if he is given to [frequent] contemplation / Will draw a valuable lesson from everything.’ This visual Quranic reflection highlights one verse of the Holy Continue reading
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To Give When One Sees A Need, Not Just When Asked
Culled from Imam al-Tabari’s tafsir, this Qur’an Reflection explains that those with means are responsible for seeking out those in need, whether they ask or not, recognising that part of their surplus wealth is a right that must be put in the service of the poor and the needy. For in Islam, true generosity isn’t Continue reading
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How Did We Get Here?
This Qur’an reflection tackles, in an uncomplicated way, life’s big question: how did everything come to be? When damaged hearts are invited to confront the question of why there is something rather than nothing; when they are urged to consider that the overwhelming impressions of design in us, around us, and also above us in the starry Continue reading
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The Garments of Necessity, Beauty & Piety
Having explained how Satan deceived Adam and his wife, peace be upon them, to eat of the tree, thereby exposing their nakedness [Q.7:22-25], this verse speaks of God’s grace in how he teaches us to cover our nakedness and adorn ourselves with clothes. It also teaches us that there is a close link between the Continue reading
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The Aim Behind Reciting Allah’s Book
Based on the words of a famous seventh century master Qur’an reciter, ‘Ilm al-Din al-Sakhawi, this Qur’an Reflection visually sets out the aims for reciting the Holy Book and benefiting from its guidance. (Previous Qur’an Reflections can be seen here and here). Continue reading
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Comprehensive Verse on Noble Character
Here’s the second in the series of “Qur’an Reflections,” that aims to convey some of the essential meanings of the Holy Book, in a concise visual format. This one sums up the attitude which best represents nobility of character and conduct. It is one of the most comprehensive verses of the Qur’an encouraging forbearance towards Continue reading
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Nurturing Love for God
The above is the first in a series of “Qur’an Reflections” which aims to explain (in visual format) some of the ideas, practical wisdoms and subtleties that are found and embedded in the Holy Qur’an. This first one expresses eight practical ways in which we can actualise the reality of the above verse, based upon Continue reading
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Reward for Reading Qur’an Without Knowing the Meaning
Q. Is there any reward for reading the Qur’an in Arabic, even if you don’t know or understand the meanings? If so, what would be the point? ♦ A. Alhamduli’Lah, wa’l-salatu wa’l-salam ‘ala rasuli’Llah. This nagging question has been around for a while. But only recently has it begun to be argued about in a Continue reading
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Most Comprehensive Verse in the Qur’an: A Brief Reflection
This Five Minute Meditation is a short reflection on, possibly, the most comprehensive, all-inclusive verse in the Qur’an. It touches upon the meaning of justice and what Islam sees as the greatest and most obligatory act of justice, as well as its opposite: injustice and oppression. It also deliberates on the Islamic obligation to show Continue reading