فاضل

Some people dear to me are being tested by Allah through a constriction in their provisions. Please spare a few moments now, or perhaps when breaking your fast, after the adhan, or during your tahajjud, to sincerely ask Allah to strengthen them through these trials, grant them the full reward of their patience, and expand their provisions beyond their expectations. As I write this, I realise that this supplication applies to far more people than those I initially had in mind. Regardless, I would be grateful if you could dedicate this du'a particularly to those who prompted this request, even without knowing who they are. And may Allah raise people better than us who will remember us in their own supplications when we need them. Jazakumullahu khayran.

Whatever it is that some of you are looking for in the way and manner you pander to, defer to, and seek validation from the moral definitions and standards of the kuffar, I sincerely hope you find it, so that you may finally realise how little it is worth. There is something profoundly unfortunate about a Muslim becoming so desperate for acceptance that he begins to feel embarrassed by what Allah has permitted, apologetic about what Allah has prohibited, and uncomfortable defending what Allah has revealed. The approval you seek will never be worth the convictions you surrender to obtain it.

I’m such a nostalgia merchant. I’d rather reread old books, rewatch old movies, and maintain old friendships. I’m not opposed to new experiences, but they have to be exceptionally worthwhile to compete with the comfort and familiarity of what I already love.

Leadership standards used to be very high. ʿUmar stopped eating ghee after discovering that ordinary people could no longer afford it.