29 November 2021 Which Path Do We Use toward the Goal? We all have a desire. We may want to find work, advance in our profession, put our debts in order, or provide better conditions for our family. When setting a goal, our eyes often turn to the outcome. But what we do to reach…
10 September 2021 What Changes When We Learn Something? When people learn something new, more than a piece of information is added to their minds. They may begin to notice a detail previously overlooked, ask different questions, and make different choices. But this change does not complete itself automatically. A distance may remain between what…
24 March 2023 Is asking Allah for everything laziness? Or is it more right simply to work and not pray? Both may be incomplete. People both make the concrete effort required and ask their Lord for the outcome. Through Nuh’s people in Surah Hud, the relationship between supplication, admonition, guidance, and human choices is opened…
6 February 2023 What would someone do if separated from a loved one for years, then received painful news about another loved one? They would grieve, become angry, and ask why this had happened. Let us think of the pain experienced by the Prophet Yaqub. He has long been separated from one son. Now he…
1 November 2021 Question: Does our trust in Allah change when everything does not go as we want? We start a business. There is an outcome we want. We want to marry. We want to find a job. We wish for a good future for our child. Sometimes we remain for a long time before…
11 July 2021 Why Is Knowing Not Always Enough? Sometimes we know what we need to do. We know we should be honest, know the harm of deciding in anger, and know the importance of respecting others’ rights. But when faced with pressure, we may act differently from what we know. Then we ask ourselves:…
21 February 2021 Changing Tools, Recurring Questions The ages in which people live change. The tools we use, our ways of communicating, and our methods of working also change. But some questions we ask ourselves remain the same: Why do I act differently even though I know what is right? What do I do in…
15 July 2021 Why Do We Love What Is Easy So Much? Being able to do a task more easily can truly improve a person’s life. A washing machine, a communication tool, or a method that organizes our work saves us time. There is no problem in benefiting from these conveniences. Nor does the beginning…
22 December 2021 Question: Are admitting that we have done wrong and correcting that wrong the same thing? Often, they are not. Saying “I was mistaken” is a beginning. But if we continue the same behavior after those words, what has changed? Verses 160–164 of Surah Al-Baqarah give us the opportunity to reflect on repentance,…
1 September 2021 Where Is Servitude to Allah in Our Lives? What does saying that we believe in Allah mean to us? Answering this question with words alone may be easy. But seeing the place of the same faith in our lives when making a decision, doing a task, or disagreeing with someone requires a…