FarooqiBlog

  Guilt-shaming for simply being born into today’s world feels like the national sport of an average Muslim family. Everything wrong with the world gets traced back, somehow, to the actions of Muslims. It’s as though just existing is enough to doom us. And before you know it, this guilt spirals into a black hole—a suffocating void with no light, no escape. It’s as if being a Muslim means you’re destined to live in the dark, and eventually, you’ll be thrown into the deepest pits of the Fire. Because there’s no way out, right? Except there is. The way out isn’t about escaping the Fire (because, well, you don’t get to decide what happens in the Akhirah). It’s about escaping this —this crushing, self-inflicted mentality. The real escape begins when a believer realizes one thing: you were created exclusively by Allah . For Allah. And in His infinite wisdom, He designed every single one of us differently. My fingerprints aren’t like yours. My deeds won’t be judged like yours. It’s hum...

Studying human nature is a fascinating experience, and when you explore it through the Word of Allah, it becomes even more mind-boggling. Recently, I read an article on Lifehack about how to live a fulfilling life by embracing the power of leverage. As I read, all I could think was, how can humans, with their limited knowledge and self-compassion, lead a content life by turning things in their favor? Leverage (verb): holding an advantage or a stronger position in a situation. Now, here’s the most mind-boggling connection you might not have seen coming (or maybe you did if you're a NAK fan like me). Back in the old days, when I used to study the meanings of a particular Surah, I often skimmed through the Ayat that didn’t seem to convey a deeper, thoughtful meaning. A few of those Ayat included Ayah 19-20 of Surah Al-Najam , which discusses some of the renowned pagan idols: أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ ٱللَّـٰتَ وَٱلْعُزَّىٰ ١٩ Now, have you considered ˹the idols of˺ Lât and ’Uzza, وَمَنَوٰةَ ٱل...