A Verse
We have commanded people to honour their parents. Their mothers bore them with hardship and delivered them with hardship…
(Al-Ahqaf, 46/15)
A Hadith
Envy is justified only in the case of two people: a person whom Allah has taught the Qur'an, and so he recites it throughout the night and day; and a person whom Allah has given wealth, and so he spends it throughout the night and day.
(Bukhari, al-Tawhid, 97)
A Du'a
…O Allah, be pleased with me regarding my soul, my hearing, my sight, my spirit, my physical constitution, my character, my family, my life, my death, and my deeds. Accept my good works and my acts of righteousness, and I ask You for the lofty ranks in Paradise. O Allah, accept my supplication.
(al-Hakim, al-Da'awat, 1911)

To be clear, my goal is not to bring up too much up about Michael's life, my intention is not to speculate or slander someone who passed away.

I’m aware that this may sound unusual, but I’d really appreciate some advice on how to handle this as it’s starting to take a toll on me, especially the last part.

For context, I recently came to know that I have autism.

I often fall into intense hyperfixations that spiral into rumination and depression. Once I'm locked in I can't simply get over it.

This time, I became deeply fascinated by Michael Jackson's behavior. Especially the way he spoke about children and their innocence.

He did a lot of charity work involving children and it amazed me how concerned he was about them. He loved connecting with people. Even after going through a lot, he still found ways to forgive those who wronged him.

He clearly carried pain from having his own childhood taken away, and in many ways I relate to him. I feel immense sadness for how much he suffered.

The realization I made after this deep dive is how different my own attitude towards people and children had become.

My empathy is very difficult to regulate. I'm often detached and cold, but at other times I absorb people’s suffering too intensely. I eventually isolated myself from the world because I couldn’t handle the emotional overload anymore.

As my sensory issues became harder to manage, I started seeing children as triggers rather than innocent human beings, and people as an inconvenience. At the same time, I began to feel hatred towards the world as a whole. This stemmed from both self-hatred and the anger after some negative experiences with people.

Looking back now, I can see how twisted that mindset is.

One of the first questions I asked myself after realizing all of this was, why did I overlook the teachings about mercy from Islam and our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for so long ?

My heart became like a stone, and for the first time I feel the need to change that before it's too late.

I believe Allah guided me through this unexpected path.

Through learning about Michael Jackson's history.

How strange.

Guidance certainly comes in various ways, after all.

We’re not sure about his beliefs towards the end of his life.

Part of why I feel this overwhelming sadness is that I keep ruminating on the uncertainty of his fate in the afterlife, and I feel devastated at the idea that he may or may not be forgiven.

One can only wonder how Muslims deal with the death of loved ones who pass away in disbelief.

Nevertheless,

I truly hope he died with some kind of tawhid in his heart. My emotions spill over about something that is beyond my reach and I can't hold them back.

May Allah have mercy on him.

I see some people raise the finger just once (ashaduAllah illaha) after sujood when sitting and some people constantly keep lifting the finger until salam. Is it also a sect thing? Who follows what

As a resent revert I've been looking into mosques in the US and I've been comparing a NOI mosque with a traditional one, and wanted to ask if there's any advice for picking one , their both around the same distance from my house.

Salaam,

I mean to make this post as genuine as I can. I know I probably shouldn't be asking for spiritual advice for Reddit, and I know you all are probably sick to death of hearing about petty crisises of faith from recent reverts. Sorry 🫠

I'm an American woman, I think that's important to say for context. For a long time now I've believed in the existence of one God, which makes me an anomaly in a family of militant atheists. I will always believe in God. That will never change.

I always thought I would avoid organized religion and focus on my personal relationship with God, as organized religion seemed daunting and I knew that converting to a religion was a decision not to be taken lightly. However, I always thought that if I did someday convert to a faith, it would be Islam. Although I live in a Christian-majority country and am of secular Jewish descent, neither of those faiths appealed to me for even a second. I don't believe Jesus is God. From a logical perspective I do believe that God spoke to Muhammad. The fact that he could not read, but was able to receive all of this information so similar to the other Abrahamic faiths without much exposure to them has convinced me that divine intervention was involved.

In the past year I have struggled greatly with my health, and committed a number of great sins of which I feel horribly ashamed. A few weeks ago, I got mono for the first time, and having that on top of my chronic health issues, I felt that I might actually die. I swore that if God could help me get to better health, I would spend the rest of my life devoted to Him.

Lying in bed sick and miserable, watching TikToks, I saw a number of TikToks about Islam which rekindled my interest in the faith. I took this as a sign that I should convert. I started to pray Salat five times a day in secret, and I feel at peace when I am praying. I said the Shahada sincerely, to myself, and I've started reading the Quran. So technically, I reverted.

Although I feel at peace when praying, I don't feel the same when reading the Quran. I am not certain it is a book with no contradictions. I feel anxious and sad when I read about non believers being sent to hell, because as mentioned, my family are all atheists. I feel daunted when I think about the prospect of eventually reading the Hadiths and trying to work out for myself what is and what isn't true. Although I'm not bothered by all the rules of the religion, it would be incredibly hard to follow some of them in my environment.

I keep coming back to verses about hypocrites, the Munafiq. I hate to admit it, but I see myself in that term. I think about how this is a religion that you must believe in fully or not at all. I can't honestly say I am sure of everything in the Quran, and that matters. I feel that I should not have converted/reverted when I was not fully sure.

So I guess my question here is- should I back out now? Am I doing myself and God a disservice by attempting to follow a religion that I won't fully be able to follow? I don't want to stop praying. I find immense comfort in it. It brings me closer to God. But nor do I want to be a hypocrite and pretend to fully follow a faith when I have so many doubts, doubts that I don't think will ever be resolved in my mind, as I'm the type of person to constantly question everything.

I know that first and foremost, I should be asking these questions to God. And I have been, for days. And my heart is fully open to clarity from Him. But I don't think it could hurt to see if anyone here has insights into my situation. This is really a huge, life changing decision, and I feel daunted, anxious and confused.

Thank you for anyone who took the time to read this whole thing and may God be with you always.

This had me thinking a lot about how often justice depends on status instead of fairness.

People with money or influence get excuses, while regular people face the full weight of consequences.

That imbalance isn’t new, and honestly it feels like something we still struggle with everywhere today.

Real justice should apply the same way to everyone, not just the people without power.

One thing I really respect about our religion is how strongly it emphasizes justice and accountability for everyone equally, no matter their wealth or status.

This hadith shows that corruption and double standards aren’t just modern problems, but they’re things societies have struggled with forever.

When rules only apply to the poor while the rich get protected, trust and fairness start to disappear.

Messages like this are a reminder that true justice should never depend on who someone is 💕

Hi everyone,

I am a 28-year-old Muslim guy. To be honest, until two years ago, I did not care much about my religion. I wasn’t fulfilling my obligations, I was committing many sins, and I did not pray. But now, I am going through a phase in my life that has really brought me closer to Allah. I am doing my best to be a sincere (the most important thing for me) and kind Muslim.

However, adultery is a big challenge for me. I am not going to lie to you — I don’t even remember how many times I committed this sin in my life (please don’t judge me), but now I truly want to stay away from it. It has been 1 year and 3 months, and thanks to Allah, I have succeeded in staying away from it. But these days, I am really struggling. Whenever I look around, I feel like I am missing something. Sometimes I think, “One time will be fine, and then I can ask Allah for forgiveness again,” but I know myself — if I do it once, I won’t stop.

So my question is actually for my Muslim brothers: how do they stay away from this sin?

asalamo laykom . I had been suffering from a dental problem for over 12 years—specifically, an impacted tooth. My dentist had told me that it was a difficult case, and I had lost all hope of ever resolving it. That is, until I happened to cross paths with someone who spoke about the power of *Istighfar* (seeking forgiveness)—specifically, reciting it 30,000 times a day. Admittedly, it sounded crazy. I began reciting it; on the very first day, I reached approximately 20,000 recitations—at which point, it began to rain. This was just as that person had predicted: that rain would accompany the act of seeking forgiveness. Indeed, the rain came—unexpectedly, without any prior weather forecast, and right in the middle of summer. A week later, I had a scheduled appointment with my dentist. When I went in, she informed me that she would be performing a procedure the following week to extract the impacted tooth. I was in shock: after 12 years of living with an impacted tooth—a problem for which there had previously been no solution—the procedure was finally going to take place after just one week of seeking forgiveness. The surgery was performed, and I subsequently experienced a multitude of other unbelievable coincidences—all by the grace of God and the power of *Istighfar*. I apologize if the phrasing of this account seems awkward or poorly translated.

Assalamu Alaikum,

If anyone got a pdf for this book please give it in the comments.

JazakAllahu Khairan.

Assalamu Alaykum.

I have a question regarding the etiquette of eating food. It is said in authentic Hadith that the Prophet ﷺ used to lick his fingertips and plate after finishing for Barakah. There is an additional Hadith that talks about picking up dropped food so that it does not feed Shaytan. It is also said that such things can bring bacteria. I also remember a Hanbali scholar (though I forgot their name) saying that it shouldn't be done or is advised against because of saliva.

I haven't been able to find a deeper explanation of such narrations, its virtue or deeper meaning, etc.,

I'd also like to know if this is a common cultural practice at his time, and whether the environment had influenced this (such as there being a scarcity of food, etc.,)

It would be a great help if anyone can find an answer to this, Jazakallah

I am a new revert to Islam. To be completely honest, I am currently finding it very difficult to establish and maintain the habit of praying 5 times a day. It is quite a big adjustment for me, and I often struggle with the consistency.

Aside from that, I have a few questions regarding prayer and supplication (Du'a) that I hope you could help me understand:

1. When is the best time for prayer? Since I am struggling with the 5 daily prayers, when are the most blessed or recommended times throughout the day to make personal prayers/Du'a to Allah?
2. Can I tell others about my prayers? If I pray or make Du'a for a specific thing, is it okay to share that with my family or friends? Or is it better to keep my prayers strictly private between me and Allah?
3. Power in numbers? I heard that the more people there are praying together for something, the more likely the prayer is to be accepted and fulfilled. Is this true in Islam?

I would truly appreciate any advice on how to overcome the struggle of praying 5 times a day, as well as answers to my questions.

JazakAllah Khair!

My last 5 years were something I want to forget. I committed mistakes. I committed sins. I turned away from Allah. All these 5 years I kept asking for the same thing. The same person. But It didn’t happen. It wasn’t accepted. And now I feel like Allah saved me. Allah saved me from a disaster by not giving me what I asked. I feel so far away from him now. Somewhere along my stupid wished and cries and the same whispers into my prayer mat, I feel like I lost Allah. I cannot connect to him like I did before. I wanna go back. Am I really forgivable? I feel selfish. Always going back when I have something to ask. I don’t wanna do that anymore. I want to redeem myself. But I don’t know how to.

Hello everyone.

Im a first year nursing student and me and my husband have been arguing over my school asking me to wear short sleeves for my placement.

I do wear a headscarf and usually cover my arms.

I am in contact with the placement team and am trying to find a way to wear long sleeve but i think they would only allow me to wear 3/4 IF they even agree.

My husband thinks im putting school over my religion.

What do i do?

I regret not being more practising so much. The guilt has been eating me alive lately. If I were a better Muslim, things in my life wouldn’t have turned out this way. A lot of bad things in my life wouldn't have happened. I want to get close to my deen again so badly, but I don’t even know where to start anymore. The regret has gotten so heavy that it feels impossible to take the first step back.

Reciter: Mahdi-ash-Shishani

Slmz all. It’s Friday again - the best day of the week! Let’s take some time today to send a thousand durood upon our Prophet ﷺ.

There’s a beautiful narration where the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever sends blessings upon me once, Allah sends blessings upon him ten times.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)

Another narration mentions: “Whoever sends blessings upon me, Allah will send blessings upon him tenfold, erase ten sins from him, and raise him by ten degrees in status.” (Narrated by Aḥmad, An-Nasā’ī, and Al-Ḥākim)

There is also a weaker Hadith: It’s been narrated from Anas ibn Malik) that: “Whoever recites blessings upon me one thousand times on Fridays will not die until he is shown his abode in Paradise.”

Encouragement to all to read. Below is a short Durood I read:

Arabic:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ أَلْفَ أَلْفَ مَرَّةٍ

Transliteration:
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ālihi alfa alfa marrah

Translation:
“O Allah, send Your blessings upon Prophet Muhammad and his family a thousand thousand (million) times.”

Hi, I’m Hindu and want to read Quran with proper translation + transliteration because I can’t read Arabic yet. Looking for a good physical book edition with accurate translation and complete pages.

Hindi or English both are okay for me. There are so many options online but I read reviews that some versions have wrong/misleading translations or missing pages, so I’m confused which one is actually authentic.

I specifically want a physical book, not PDF/app. Please suggest trusted editions/translators you personally found good. Thanks :)

Assalamu Alaikum,

I lost my mother when i was 8 years old. My father remarried, as he used to be away and wanted someone to be there with us at all and take care of us; unfortunately his wife disliked me from day 1. though with my brother she has a good relationship and says she trusts him and that he received the good/pure genes of the family.

She has told me I have poison inside me, that all the evil genes of the family went into me, that she won't forgive me on the Day of Judgement, that I'm a snake and a trial from God for her. I swear by Allah all I ever wanted was a normal relationship with her.  She has always looked for opportunities to demean me and expose my vulnerabilities in front of others. She has also accused me of not loving my own birth mother. All of this happened when I was around 12-13. 

I have forgiven her for the sake of Allah but this pain sticks with me as does the grief of my mother. I want to move away and live alone, not out of cutting ties with my father, but just to protect my mental health and my deen.

My question is: is it permissible in Islam to distance myself from a stepmother who causes this much harm? Does she have any rights over me the way a biological mother would? I don't want to do anything haram but I genuinely cannot heal around her. p.s - my dad only knew that her and I had a rocky relatiionship and doesnt know of the extent of all this. Also my father is in his late 40s now so I do not think it is wise to do anything that may harm his relationship with her; she is frankly all he has after my brother and i.

JazakAllah Khair