ONE OF THE most remarkable features of the Qur’an is its refusal to discuss violence in isolation from history. Modern political discourse often begins at the moment violence becomes visible. The Qur’an, however, insists on asking what came before. This is especially evident in the verse: ذَٰلِكَ وَمَنْ عَاقَبَ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبَ بِهِۦ ثُمَّ بُغِىَ … Continue reading The First Act Is Not Retaliation
ON ASHURA MANY of us reflect on the day Allah granted victory to Musa (as) over Pharaoh. We remember the sea splitting, the end of a tyrant, and the salvation of a persecuted people. But perhaps the most important question is this: How did Musa (as) become the kind of person whom Allah granted such … Continue reading Before the Sea Split
THREE MONTHS AGO, as war erupted between Iran, Israel and the United States, I wrote an article: The Fall of False Shelters: What the Attack on Iran Teaches the Ummah. The central argument was simple. Whilst Muslims should oppose war and the killing of innocents wherever it occurs, we should not confuse any modern nation-state with … Continue reading Power Without Agency, Revisited
THERE IS AN entire industry dedicated to making you feel that your life is insufficient. It is not accidental. Much of modern advertising and platform design depends upon cultivating dissatisfaction and aspiration. Show people what they do not have, make it appear within reach, and harvest the agitation that follows. Platforms are engineered not only … Continue reading The Flower That Fades
A QUIET KNOCK on the door. It was late. But Abu Bakr (ra) had been expecting it. He had long prepared for this moment. Ever since the Prophet ﷺ informed him that Allah had granted permission to emigrate, Abu Bakr (ra) had kept two camels ready. He had waited and hoped that he would be … Continue reading The Islamic New Year 1448AH
ONE OF THE most striking images in the Qur’an appears in the story of Yusuf (as). The king of Egypt sees a troubling dream: وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ سَبْعَ بَقَرَٰتٍۢ سِمَانٍۢ يَأْكُلُهُنَّ سَبْعٌ عِجَافٌۭ وَسَبْعَ سُنۢبُلَـٰتٍ خُضْرٍۢ وَأُخَرَ يَابِسَـٰتٍۢ “Indeed, I saw seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones, and seven green ears … Continue reading When Lean Cows Eat Fat Cows
AS A FATHER of a teenage daughter, a recent article highlighting a growing phenomenon known as cosmeticorexia caught my attention. The term refers to the increasing obsession among young girls with skincare routines, beauty products, and the pursuit of flawless skin. Everyone in the article, dermatologists, psychologists, journalists, and parents from across society are recognising that something … Continue reading Raising Daughters in an Age of Manufactured Insecurity
ALLAH SAYS IN Surah Ta Ha: وَأَضَلَّ فِرْعَوْنُ قَوْمَهُۥ وَمَا هَدَىٰ And Pharaoh led his people astray and did not guide. (Ta Ha 79) This is amongst one of the shortest verses in the story of Pharaoh, yet it contains one of the most profound lessons about leadership in the entire Qur’an. Consider everything that … Continue reading The Qur’anic Measure of Leadership
WHEN I WROTE the introduction to the Remembering Hajj series just over ten days ago, I framed it as a murāqabah, a watchful, honest revisit. I wanted to reflect on my own story, hold it up to the light, and ask the uncomfortable question: have I lived up to any of it? Thirteen posts later, I am not … Continue reading Eid ul Adha Mubarak, 1447AH
AFTER THE STONING of the jamarat comes the sacrifice. A thought came to me that comes every year. Ibrahim (as) was asked to sacrifice his son. Not in a moment of impulse, but through a recurring dream, and the dreams of the prophets are revelation. He knew what he was being asked. He had to … Continue reading Sacrifice
