Grounded

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Where we left off

Last week we paused at ayah 25, in the middle of a sustained portrait of al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra — the father of Sayyidunā Khālid ibn al-Walīd, and one of the leading poets of Quraysh.

For all his hostility, al-Walīd could not stay away from the Qur’an. In the dark of the night he would slip out of his house and stand quietly outside the…

This week we are completing our recitation of Surah al-Muddaththir.

Surah al-Muddaththir 26 - 31

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Last week we began our journey into Surat Al-Muddathir, and there is something striking about reading it directly after Surat Al-Muzzammil. The two surahs sit beside each other in the Mushaf, and they sit beside each other in meaning. If Al-Muzzammil is about spiritual development, Al-Muddathir is about community development. If Al-Muzzammil is the inward work, Al-Muddathir is the outward call. They complete each other.

Both surahs open with the Prophet ﷺ being addressed by a state, not a name — the...

This week we worked through fifteen short ayat from Surat al-Muddaththir. Their brevity is a gift — perfect terrain for drilling fluency without getting lost in long breath patterns.

A few rules surfaced again and again. Heavy Ra after a fatḥah or ḍammah, produced by raising the back of the tongue, never by pouting the lips. Throat letters given their proper place — the kha in khalaqtu, the hamzah in yu’thar. Idghām with ghunnah in mā lam mamdūdā, but iẓhār with no ghunnah at all in in hādhā. Qalqalah on the dāl of adbara, hams on...

There’s a moment in Hajj most people only think about as a logistical headache — the stoning of the Jamarāt. Crowded, hot, exhausting. You queue up, you throw, you move on.

But behind that act is one of the most instructive scenes in our religion. And it happens to a father and a son, thousands of years before any of us were born.

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Ibrāhīm ﷺ waited decades for a child. He was an old man — the only worshipper of Allāh in his world. Just him, his wife, and his cous...

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

This term, Term 2 of 2026, Grounded begins its study of Surah Al-Muddathir. Last term covered Surah Al-Muzzammil, and these two surahs reflect each other in meaning. Before opening the ayat itself, this first session steps back to map the landscape — where Al-Muddathir sits in the early revelation to the Prophet ﷺ, and what each surah was teaching him in sequence.

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The Cave and the Cry for Guidance

At...

Assalamualaikum,

Welcome back to Tajweed Tuesday! We are back after a long break. This term insha Allah we will be reading Surah al-Muddaththir.

Remember to practice your Quran daily, even if it is only 10 minutes. Consistency always beats intensity. And when practicing remember that, slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Slow down and read smoothly. Only speed up once you are smooth.

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The Structure of This Surah

Before we go forward, it helps to see the shape of what we have been reading.

Surah Al-A’raf is a Makki surah. Its primary audience was the Quraysh of Makkah. Its central argument is historical: look at the nations before you. Contrast this with Surah Al-An’am — also Makki, also addressing the Quraysh — but that surah makes its…

We praise Allah for allowing us to experience and complete another Ramadan. And now that we’ve emerged from it, there’s a question worth sitting with: what comes next?

Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali mentions that the pious predecessors would spend six months after Ramadan asking Allah to accept their deeds — and the remaining months begging Him to let them witness another one. That’s the rhythm. Gratitude, then longing. Never stagnation.

But the Qur’an gives us something even more precise than that rhythm. It gives us a transition.

In Surah al-Baqarah, the discus...

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We stopped last week at the story of Prophet Salih. We didn’t finish it. Tonight, inshaAllah, we push through — all the way from Salih to Lut to Shu’aib. Three Prophets, three nations, three types of corruption. And then next week, we begin the long passage on Prophet Musa.

Quick Recap

We’ve been tracing a pattern. Prophet Nuh was the first Prophet to fac…

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Ramadan is over, but the tafseer continues. Our aim is to finish Surah Al-A’raf in four weeks — which means we move faster than we did during Ramadan. In Ramadan, we paced the tafseer to match what we were reading in taraweeh each night. Now we push forward.

For those who missed the Ramadan series, all the posts are on Substack at groundeddaily.substack.…

We praise Allah for allowing us to complete another month of Ramadan and to celebrate the day of Eid together.

Today is a day of celebration. Today we are happy. Today we are joyous.

But if you look into the global geopolitical events at the moment, it is hard for us to be joyous. It is hard for us to celebrate. Palestinians are still being killed daily, still facing genocide. The Middle East is burning. Iran is under illegal attack by the US and Israel. And now we see yet another part of the region...

Tonight is the 29th night of Ramadan. The last taraweeh. The last night of the year.

Make full use of it. The best du’a for Laylatul Qadr is Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbul afwa fa’fu anni ya Kareem — O Allah, You are the Pardoner, You love to pardon, so pardon me. Keep returning to it tonight, and especially at suhoor time. Allah mentions in the Quran a special rank for those who make istighfar in the early hours before dawn: wa bil ashari hum yastaghfirun. Some of our scholars would dedicate that time between the sunnah of Faj...

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Night 28. The last taraweeh is tomorrow. It went fast.

A few housekeeping notes: Thursday night — the eve of Eid — we will have a potluck iftar at Qaswa House starting at 6pm, with iftar around 6:35. Bring a plate to share. The kids will have activities while the adults eat. After that we’ll pray Isha together and do takbir to welcome Eid.

Friday is Eid prayer at McDougall Park in Como. Takbir at 8, prayer at 8:30. And yes — since Eid fall...

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Tonight is the 27th night of Ramadan.

By the account of many companions and the opinion of many scholars, the 27th carries the highest probability of being Laylatul Qadr among all the odd nights. There is no guarantee — the Prophet ﷺ told us to hunt through all of the last ten. But if any one night has the strongest case, it is this one.

The companions would dress nicely on this night. Apply perfume. Their wives would wonder — where...

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Three nights left after tonight. The hunt for Laylatul Qadr is not over — tonight could be 25th for some people depending on moon sighting. Use every remaining night. Don’t coast.

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Night 25. Four nights left after tonight.

Quick announcements: Eid will be this Friday insha’Allah, based on ANIC’s announcement. Qaswa will be praying at MacDougall Park in Como. Takbir starts at 8, prayer at 8:30. Setup is at 7:30 — the more hands the better. Bring a prayer mat or picnic mat, and a plate to share is very much welcome.

Tonight is also a Sunday eve, which means tomorrow is a public holiday. No excuses. Sleep early, wake up at 3am...

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Tonight is the 24th night. Eid has been announced — next Friday, insha’Allah. That means 29 nights of Ramadan this year. Which means we have five nights left.

Before anything else — stay out of the arguments about moon sighting. Online or otherwise. This is not the time. There is a hadith that the Prophet ﷺ was once shown the exact night of Laylatul Qadr and was on his way to tell the companions — when he found them arguing among themselves. And Allah caus...

Tonight is the 23rd night. And because the Islamic calendar begins at Maghrib, tonight is already Friday night. Many of our pious predecessors said that when an odd night of Ramadan falls on a Friday night, the likelihood of it being Laylatul Qadr increases.

This is the night we’ve been hunting for all year. So do extra. Make lots of du’a. Don’t waste a minute of it.

And as it happens — alhamdulillah — the ayat we reach tonight in Surah Al-A’raf are about du’a itself. About how to make it, what should be in o...

The Last Ten Nights Are Here

Before diving into the final ayah of Surah Al-Muzzammil, a timely reminder — tonight is the 23rd night of Ramadan. The last ten nights are upon us, and the Prophet ﷺ told us to hunt for Laylatul Qadr in these nights, especially the odd ones. Tonight is one of them.

So what should fill these nights? Extra raka’at. Extra Quran. Extra dhikr. And the best du’a for this occasion comes to us through Sayyidatuna Aisha (رضي الله عنها), who asked the Prophet ﷺ: if I encounter the Night of Al-Qadr, what should I say? He replied: “All...

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Eight nights left. Make them count.

Quick reminder before we get into the tafseer: Zakatul Fitr is wajib on every Muslim — $20 per head this year. It’s due before Eid prayer, so don’t leave it to the last minute. If you’re not sure where to give locally, I’ll post the details for MWSC — Muslim Welfare Support Centre — in the Qaswa Community Group.

Six Days — Picking Up From Last Night

We were in the middle of so...

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Night 21. First of the odd nights.

Go all in from here.

We’ve been over this — Laylatul Qadr is greater than a thousand months. Greater than 83 years. Most of us won’t even live to see 83. And yet Allah is handing us this, every single year, completely free. One night of worship worth more than a lifetime. Don’t let it pass.

The Trap of Being Born Into It

We stopped last night at the p...

Opening Reminder: The Last 10 Nights of Ramadan

Tonight marks the 21st night of Ramadan — one of the odd nights in which Laylatul Qadr may fall. The Prophet ﷺ urged us to seek it in the last ten nights. Allah describes it as a single night greater than a thousand months — more than 83 years of worship.

The minimum we should commit to: praying Isha and Fajr in congregation every night of these last ten. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever does so receives the reward of praying the entire night. If you can’t get to the masjid, pray with a fam...

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Following along? A paid subscription includes the Surah Al-A’raf Study Guide and Workbook.

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The last ten have begun.

Taharaw laylatal qadr fil ashril awakhir min Ramadan. Hunt for Laylatul Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan.

Here’s why this gift exists. The Prophet ﷺ once told the compan...

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The Last Ten Begin Tomorrow

Tonight is the 19th night of Ramadan. The last ten start tomorrow.

The Prophet ﷺ told us that whoever misses the good of Laylatul Qadr has been denied all good for the entire year — because that person looked at a night worth more than a thousand months and said: I’m fine, I don’t need it.

One thousand months is 83 years. One night of ibadah — one raka’ah, one dollar given in cha...

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After Badr

The battle is over. The Muslims are victorious. Fourteen Muslims were martyred. Seventy Quraysh were killed, including Abu Jahl — the man who had led the persecution of the believers for over a decade.

And then the Prophet ﷺ did something that tells you everything about his character. He instructed the Muslims to dig graves and bury the Quraysh dead. These were men who had tortured and killed companions. Men who had tried to kill the Prophet ﷺ himsel...

Tonight is the night of Badr.

On this night, 1,443 years ago, 313 Muslim men camped on the plains of Badr — underprepared, outnumbered more than three to one — on the eve of a battle that would determine whether Islam survived or was extinguished.

There is no tafseer of Surah Al-A’raf tonight. Tonight belongs to Badr.

How They Got There

The Muslims left Madinah on the 12th of Ramadan. The mission was straightforward: intercept Abu Sufyan’s caravan returning from Syria — the largest trading caravan the Quraysh had ever assembled, loaded with profits from goods...

A quick note before we begin: from tonight, we recite Dua Qunut in Witr. The Shafi’i madhab holds that Qunut in Witr is only in the second half of Ramadan — following the practice established by Sayyidina Umar ibn al-Khattab when he unified the companions behind one imam for Taraweeh and instructed Sayyidina Ubay ibn Ka’ab to lead with Qunut in the final nights. May Allah enter us among those who pray with the imam from beginning to end, and receive the reward of a full night’s prayer.

The Battle of Badr — Approaching

The Muslim...

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A Ramadan Halftime Check-In

Before we dive into today’s ayat, I want to take a moment to remind myself and all of you — today marks the 15th of Ramadan. We are at the halfway mark of this blessed month.

It’s time to pause and reflect on our first half. How has it been? Have we been building momentum? Because here’s the thing — it is no longer time to warm up. We should already be...

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Halfway. Fifteen nights in, fifteen nights to go.

The warm-up is over. From here, we accelerate. The last third — the ten nights of salvation — is coming. But before we get there, the middle ten: the days of forgiveness. Use them.

A brief note before tonight’s tafseer: on the 17th of Ramadan, we commemorate Yawm al-Furqan — the Day of Criterion, the Battle of Badr. The Muslims left Madinah on the 12th of Ramadan, fasting, unprepared for full...

al-Muzzammil 15 - 19

This week we read and dissect the tajweed rules in ayat 15 - 19 of Surah al-Muzzammil. When it comes to learning a new skill, like Quran reading, remember that consistency beats intensity. It is very important that we practice daily even if it is just for 10 - 15 minutes.

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Allah does not leave us alone on this earth.

After Adam’s descent, after the warnings about Shaitan’s tactics, after the long passage of advice to the children of Adam — Allah makes a promise. Ya Bani Adam, imma ya’tiyannakum rusulum minkum. O children of Adam, surely a messenger from amongst you will come to you.

That word surely is embedded in the Arabic itself. The verb does not simply say ya’tikum — he will come. It says ya’t...

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A poor non-Muslim once approached a wealthy tabi’een and said: your Prophet lied. He said this world is a prison for the believers — yet you are living like a king and I have nothing. How is this your prison?

The tabi’een replied: because you have not seen what Allah has prepared for me in the akhirah. If you could see it, you would understand that this life — however comfortable — is nothing by comparison. And you think you...

Note: The first half of tonight’s session wasn’t recorded — it was a revision of Night 10’s discussion on tabdhir and israf. We pick up from where the new material begins.

The Balance Islam Strikes

Some spiritual traditions teach that poverty is the path to God. Monks take oaths of poverty. Monasteries require their residents to own nothing, eat simply, wear rags. Buddhism requires its monks to beg. On the other end of the spectrum, certain strands of modern Christianity preach the opposite — that wealth is a sign of divine favour, that God rewards the faithf...

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One third of Ramadan is behind us.

There is a narration — its grading is discussed among scholars, but widely used as a reminder — that the first ten nights carry the overwhelming mercy of Allah, the second ten His forgiveness, and the final ten His guarantee of salvation from the fire. Though in reality, every single night holds all three. Ramadan does not divide itself neatly into chapters. But the framing is useful: if the first ten was a warm-up, the...

Nine nights in. If you’ve been reading one juz a night, you’ve just passed Surah Al-A’raf in your recitation — the very surah we’re studying together. A good reminder of how the Quran works on multiple levels simultaneously.

The Naked Tawaf — Continued

Last night we left off with the Quraysh practice of doing tawaf naked around the Kaaba. Tonight, a detail worth noting: the Quraysh themselves were exempt from this practice. They claimed to be the pure people of Makkah, above sin — so they could do tawaf in clothing. It was only the outsiders...

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Here’s the expanded version:

Tafsir Thursday — Surah Al-Muzammil: Stand Up, Pray, and Let Allah Handle the Rest

8th of Ramadan Reflections

We’re one week into Ramadan. If you started slow — that’s okay. Ramadan is a marathon. You start steady and sprint towards the end. What we don’t want is the opposite: starting strong and slowly fading — attending Taraweeh in the first few nights then drifting away, stopping the extra prayers, and then preparing...

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One week of Ramadan. Already.

Before we move into tonight’s ayat, a reflection from Part 2 that deserves its own moment — because it will run as the undercurrent through everything that follows in this surah.

al-Muzzammil 10 -14

This week we read and dissect the tajweed rules in ayat 10 - 14 of Surah al-Muzzammil. When it comes to learning a new skill, like Quran reading, remember that consistency beats intensity. It is very important that we practice daily even if it is just for 10 - 15 minutes.