Juz 5
There is a saying, “You are what you eat!”, but it would be more accurate to say, “You are what you consume!” The latter extends beyond food and drink to the consumption of ideas, values, styles, cultures, and ‘news’. Every aspect of the modern world is increasingly hostile toward the spiritual and the sacred, as it is rooted in Naturalism, Materialism, and Humanism—ideologies that remove God, Revelation (the Qur’an), and the Afterlife from the equation, placing matter, nature, and man at the centre of the universe.
As a result, we often become inadvertent consumers of these philosophies through our daily interactions and gradually adopt them as our own. This can be spiritually deadly unless we become aware of it and take remedial action. The remedy, of course, is to constantly remind ourselves by deeply engaging with the Quran—reflecting, pondering, and immersing ourselves in its message. Only then can we become truly alert, stay on guard, and avoid sleepwalking into a spiritual pitfall.
ٱلَّذِینَ یَتَّخِذُونَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ أَوۡلِیَاۤءَ مِن دُونِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَۚ أَیَبۡتَغُونَ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡعِزَّةَ فَإِنَّ ٱلۡعِزَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِیعࣰا﴿ ١٣٩ ﴾ وَقَدۡ نَزَّلَ عَلَیۡكُمۡ فِی ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ أَنۡ إِذَا سَمِعۡتُمۡ ءَایَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ یُكۡفَرُ بِهَا وَیُسۡتَهۡزَأُ بِهَا فَلَا تَقۡعُدُوا۟ مَعَهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ یَخُوضُوا۟ فِی حَدِیثٍ غَیۡرِهِۦۤ إِنَّكُمۡ إِذࣰا مِّثۡلُهُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ جَامِعُ ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِینَ وَٱلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ فِی جَهَنَّمَ جَمِیعًا﴿ ١٤٠ ﴾
Do those who ally themselves with the disbelievers rather than the believers seek power through them? In reality all power is Allah’s to give.
As He has already revealed to you [believers] in the Scripture, if you hear people denying and ridiculing Allah’s revelation, do not sit with them unless they start to talk of other things, or else you yourselves will become like them: Allah will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together into Hell.
An-Nisāʾ 4:139-140
PS. What is Naturalism, Materialism and Humanism?
Naturalism is the belief that everything arises from natural causes and laws, and that supernatural or spiritual explanations are unnecessary or non-existent. It sees nature as all there is and relies on observation, science, and reason to understand the world.
Materialism is the philosophical view that matter is the fundamental substance of reality, and that everything—including thoughts, emotions, and consciousness—can ultimately be explained in terms of physical processes and interactions.
Humanism is a philosophy that puts humans at the center—valuing human reason, ethics, and potential, without depending on supernatural beliefs.
Juz 4
The most critical juncture in our life is the moment of our death. Who we are at that point determines our journey thereafter. So how do we ensure that we die in a state of Islam, pleasing to Allah? There are three essential prescriptions:
1. Making the Quran a central part of our lives, not just individually but as a community.
2. Fostering brotherhood, love, and unity within the community.
3. Becoming a thriving community that genuinely cares for one another by actively promoting what is good and discouraging what is harmful to ourselves and others.
If we uphold these principles, we are more likely to be on a positive upward path as a community, increasing the chances that our end will be in a state of goodness and acceptance.
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ﴿ ١٠٢ ﴾ وَٱعۡتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبۡلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِیعࣰا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ۚ وَٱذۡكُرُوا۟ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَیۡكُمۡ إِذۡ كُنتُمۡ أَعۡدَاۤءࣰ فَأَلَّفَ بَیۡنَ قُلُوبِكُمۡ فَأَصۡبَحۡتُم بِنِعۡمَتِهِۦۤ إِخۡوَ ٰنࣰا وَكُنتُمۡ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفۡرَةࣲ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنۡهَاۗ كَذَ ٰلِكَ یُبَیِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ ءَایَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَهۡتَدُونَ﴿ ١٠٣ ﴾ وَلۡتَكُن مِّنكُمۡ أُمَّةࣱ یَدۡعُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡخَیۡرِ وَیَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَیَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ﴿ ١٠٤ ﴾
You who believe, be mindful of Allah, as is His due, and make sure you devote yourselves to Him, to your dying moment.
Hold fast to Allah’s rope all together; do not split into factions. Remember Allah’s favour to you: you were enemies and then He brought your hearts together and you became brothers by His grace; you were about to fall into a pit of Fire and He saved you from it- in this way Allah makes His revelations clear to you so that you may be rightly guided.
Be a community that calls for what is good, urges what is right, and forbids what is wrong: those who do this are the successful ones.
Āli-ʿImrān 3:103-104
Juz 3
We live confused lives, caught between two conflicting paradigms: the idea of “heaven on earth” (or “the pursuit of happiness,” a concept rooted in the Enlightenment era that now pervades every aspect of modern life) and the Islamic concept of “heaven in the afterlife.” These two are often mixed up, leaving us without clarity or a clear vision.
This confusion arises because we have, often unknowingly, absorbed the “heaven on earth” worldview through our upbringing, popular culture, education, media, and societal indoctrination. This manifests in the form of various types of ṭāghūt (false gods, authorities, or systems), including:
- Ideological ṭāghūt: such as secularism, materialism, liberalism, individualism, and nationalism—when they replace divine guidance.
- Political ṭāghūt: authoritarian regimes that suppress truth and justice.
- Cultural ṭāghūt: the idolisation of fame, wealth, ego, and self-worship.
- Technological ṭāghūt: when technology becomes an object of trust, dependence, and awe above Allah.
- Spiritual ṭāghūt: Iblis and his minions who corrupt us with false desires, empty promises and constantly threaten us with poverty and fear.
Understanding and rejecting these false gods is essential for moving from darkness into light. This brings clarity of vision, sharpness of thought, and purity of heart. The Quran helps us achieve this through deep reflection and engagement.
The key is to reject the false gods, because without this rejection, true belief and trust in Allah cannot be established. This foundational truth is embedded in the very core of our Shahada (testimony of faith): La ilaha illa Allah—there is no god but Allah.
ل_َاۤ إِكۡرَاهَ فِی ٱلدِّینِۖ قَد تَّبَیَّنَ ٱلرُّشۡدُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَیِّۚ فَمَن یَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَیُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِیعٌ عَلِیمٌ﴿ ٢٥٦ ﴾
ٱللَّهُ وَلِیُّ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ یُخۡرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِۖ وَٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوۤا۟ أَوۡلِیَاۤؤُهُمُ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتُ یُخۡرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ ٱلنُّورِ إِلَى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِۗ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِۖ هُمۡ فِیهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ﴿ ٢٥٧ ﴾
There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error, so whoever rejects false gods (ṭāghūt) and believes in Allah has grasped the firmest hand-hold, one that will never break. Allah is all hearing and all knowing.
Allah is the ally of those who believe: He brings them out of the depths of darkness and into the light. As for the disbelievers, their allies are false gods (ṭāghūt) who take them from the light into the depths of darkness, they are the inhabitants of the Fire, and there they will remain.
Al-Baqarah 2:256-257
Juz 2
We often find ourselves in difficult situations where we desperately need help but don’t know where to turn. The answer lies in salah (prayer)—a combination of dhikr (remembrance) and shukr (gratitude)—and in sabr (patience and steadfastness). Why is this so important? Because in both cases, Allah is with us. And who can fail to find help when Allah is with them? There is a covenant between us and Allah: if we fulfill our part, He will fulfill His. He places us in these situations—hardships, challenges, and trials—so that we turn to Him. And through them, He elevates us in rank, strengthens our understanding, and draws us closer to Him.
فَٱذۡكُرُونِیۤ أَذۡكُرۡكُمۡ وَٱشۡكُرُوا۟ لِی وَلَا تَكۡفُرُونِ﴿ ١٥٢ ﴾ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسۡتَعِینُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِینَ﴿ ١٥٣ ﴾
So remember Me; I will remember you. Be thankful to Me, and never ungrateful.
You who believe, seek help through steadfastness and prayer, for Allah is with the steadfast.
Al-Baqarah 2:152-153
Juz 1
In life, we are constantly trading—time, effort, expertise, goods, and services—and these either enhance and uplift our lives or drain and pull us down. However, the most precious thing we have is divine guidance. Do we invest in it, or do we trade it for something else? The answer becomes evident when we reflect on our lives. Do we understand and prioritise guidance (the Quran)? If not, we are trading it away in exchange for falsehood—knowingly or unknowingly—thereby making a loss in the truest sense.
أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ ٱلَّذِینَ ٱشۡتَرَوُا۟ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةَ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـٰرَتُهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهۡتَدِینَ﴿ ١٦ ﴾
They have bought error in exchange for guidance, so their trade reaps no profit, and they are not rightly guided.
Al-Baqarah 2:16