BASICS

1. I write to connect revelation and reason, to be part of a dynamic and living Islam. I disavow narrow, literal, and sectarian readings of the Qur'an. I believe anyone can read it directly for themselves at any time and should not be scared into relying only on intermediaries.
2. I do not believe that faith can be assigned, only chosen. I write not to preach to non-Muslims or lead Muslims astray, but to express myself and share notes from my study practice.
3. I write because I was asked to convey a verse. Hopefully it may benefit someone else, wandering back but anxious about befriending divine revelation.

My emotional support Quranic bookmarks

Practice

• Listen closely to everything that is said and follow the best/kindest interpretation— that is the one with insight (39:17-18).
• Do what you came here to do and pay attention to the person who is in front of you regardless of their status or position (80:1-11).
• Believers should not insult what others worship (6:108). We do not know enough about anyone to ever prevent them from praying (96:9-14). When Muslims insult what others worship, they risk driving a deeper disconnect between people and the Divine.
• Relationships should build spiritual peace: conviction that they are each other's partners (2:187), upholding commitment as a promise (4:21), mutually upholding each other's dignity (4:19), solving problems through discussion (2:228, 3:159).
• Gain knowledge against ignorance and stand firm on justice (3:18, 9:122, 29:69).
• Taking responsibility for one's actions precedes freedom of choice and expression (10:41).
• No one should submit to the tyranny of an oppressor (42:39). Condemn the entitled and the oppressive (83:1-3).
• We have a right to privacy and consent (24:27-28).
• Allah is anti-surveillance (49:12). Surveillance culture feasts on our lack of trust in each other.
• It is a transgression to see ourselves as self-sufficient (96:6-7).
• Our collective condition changes when we change ourselves (13:11).
• Help each other to do what is right and good; do not collaborate in hostility and transgression (5:2).
• Emphasise equality, justice, and the saving of life. (2:179, 5:8). To save even one life is equivalent to saving the life of all humanity (5:32).
• Accumulating worldly goods is a distracting delusion (101:1-2. 3:14, 9:24, 9:34).
• Do not waste nourishment, the Beloved does not like the wasteful (7:31, 17:27).
• The practice of redistributing our resources resurrects our hearts (2:261).
• Delay debts owed to you until things become easier for them, or better yet pardon the debt altogether (2:280).
• Giving your wealth to those with less purifies it from concealed injustice (9:103).
• With every hardship comes ease (94:5-6). There is a time to turn inward and a time to expand (2:245).
• Practicing the ability to be grateful is valuable (2:152, 14:7).
• Stay patient, do not give those who are themselves devoid of all inner certainty the power to dishearten you (30:60).

Reminders

• Everyone is only accountable for themselves (2:138, 35:18).
• There is an inherent value in the proper use of akal / reason (21:67, 30:28, 36:62, 45:5, over 50+ more).
• Faith cannot be forced (2:256, 2:208, 10:41). Any belief to the point of conviction can only be attained through reason, not passively by birth.
• Forcing people to be Muslim disrespects God's decision not to make everyone Muslim (10:99-100, 5:48).
• We were given wide paths not narrow ones (71:19-20, 5:48, 92:4). Everyone does according to their disposition and nature (17:84).
• Love, justice, and generousity are intrinsically connected (16:90, 2:3-5).
• Fasting is prescribed for us (2:183), but not for everyone; some have been exempted by Allah so they can care for their health (2:184-185). To compromise your body and fast through difficulty is a disobedience and a rejection of Divine will and kindness.
• To hoard bounty and blessings from the people we are in community with only leads to regret (4:36-38, 92:8-10, 3:180).
• Falsehood is perishable (17:81). What is false expires by nature, and what is True will not.
• We were formed well (40:64, 95:4) and not for nothing or pure recreation (3:191, 29:44, 44:38-39).
• Gender is not a binary but a spectrum manifesting Divine creativity (42:49-50).
• Signs of Truth exist in nature and in people, (41:53, 45:3-4, 51:20-21) not just in revelation and texts. See The Signs In Ourselves.
• There are signs in the diversity of all creation (16:13, 35:27-28). The ways we take differ greatly (92:4).
• All living beings communicate to the Source in ways too diverse for us to understand (17:44). Like humans, all animals have their communities and systems of living too (6:38), including prayer to the Beloved (24:41).
• It is useful to perceive more than just the human world alone. See Muhammad Iqbal in Socrates, sense-perception, and the Qur'an for a list of verses where Allah invites us to observe nature.
• There are signs in loving relationships and the diversity of our tongues and tastes (30:21-22).
• In our diversity, only our taqwa distinguishes us (49:13). Taqwa can be described as conviction and mindfulness of the Source. Its Arabic root word means a barrier of protection. So perhaps taqwa is spiritual sunscreen.
• Dress well when at worship (7:31).
• Any disagreements about belief should be met with patience until the Best of judges (7:87, 67:29).

Foundations

• Allah is One (112:1-4). Shirk is the only unforgivable sin (4:48, 4:116) because it is the opposite of recognising Oneness (it splits your taqwa).
• All Things are part of a system of dualism (51:49), but Allah is not like Things (42:11). Because Allah is a singularity that cannot be divided yet created everything, everything radiates from one Source and participates in Allah's unity. This means no matter how it seems externally, ultimate separation between Creator and creature or one and another is internally just an illusion. And speaking of illusions—
• We live in a simulation / All the world is a stage (57:20). Life and death are built into this simulation to test our best conduct (67:2)— but no soul is burdened with more than it can bear (2:286). We have free will, a demonstration of Divine faith in us to make goodness from our choices towards our potential (21:35, 95:4-5).
• The Source knows of every action, interaction, thought in this simulation (2:284, 58:7, 6:59). It is documented (6:38, 27:75). We may be able to conceal things in this simulation from others, but never from the Source (16:19, 24:29, 13:10, 67:13, 27:74). The Source will not forget injustice in this simulation (19:64). This is a comfort for the hearts of the oppressed.
• There is a moment outside of the simulation with full recognition of what you have earned and what has happened to you, unlike the imperfect justice humans struggle with in this simulation (2:284, 18:30, 21:23).
• On that Last Day, we return to Source without all our social and identity markers of the simulation (6:94, 21:92-93, 35:18). We bring with us only the choices we made here.
• Mutual endearment and affection is part of waking up from the simulation (2:260).
• Rahma grounds the basic principles of Quranic and Divine engagement (1:1, 6:12, 6:54, 17:82, 21:107).
• The Prophetﷺ's mission was one of Rahma (21:107), concerned by the suffering in his community and anxious for their wellbeing (9:128).
• Humanity was created from an agender being, not a man's rib. (7:189) All messengers were mortals, albeit inspired (21:7).
• Allah does not only communicate to particular messengers in this simulation, evidenced in how They suddenly answer an unnamed traveller's casual question on resurrection (2:259).
• A shared scriptural framework is essential for interfaith activism (5:68, 3:64). Saints and sages of biblical teachings can affirm Muslim faith (10:94).

🍉 Notes after Muhammadﷺ's last speech

A selection of documented stories re: the mortal messenger Muhammadﷺ

1. Religion should be easy, with no undue hardship. Narrated Abu Hurayra: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Religion is easy, and anyone who overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So do not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded. Gain strength by worshipping in the mornings and afternoons and during the last hours of the night.” (al-Bukhari 39)
2. When given an option, favour the easier choice— except that no convenience is worth an injustice. Aisha narrated: Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) was given an option between two things, he used to select the easier of the two as long as it was not sinful; but if it was sinful, he would remain far from it. (Muslim 2327d, al-Bukhari 6786)
3. Help oppressors by preventing them from oppressing others. Narrated Anas: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one." People asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "By preventing him from oppressing others." (al-Bukhari 2444)
4. Fighting to speak a word of justice against oppressive rulers is the highest form of struggle. Narrated Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The best fighting (jihad) in the path of Allah is (to speak) a word of justice to an oppressive ruler. (Abu Dawud 4344)
5. The prayers of the oppressed are powerful and cannot be prevented from directly reaching Allah. Ibn 'Abbas narrated: The Messenger of Allah sent Mu'adh [bin Jabal] to Yemen, and said: 'Beware of the supplication of the oppressed; for indeed there is no barrier between it and Allah.' (at-Tirmidhi 2014)
6. The one who looks after society's orphans is aligned with the prophetic mission. Sahl ibn Sa'd reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I and the guardian of the orphan will be in the Garden like that," indicating his forefinger and middle finger. (Bukhari 6005, Adab 135, at-Tirmidhi 1918, Abu Dawud 5150)
7. Make sure your neighbours aren't going hungry. Ibn 'Abbas informed Ibn az-Zubayr: I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say "He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neigbour goes hungry." (Adab 112)
8. Encourage men to confess their love for each other. Narrated Anas ibn Malik: A man was with the Prophet (ﷺ) and a man passed by him and said: "Messenger of Allah! I love this man." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then asked: "Have you informed him?" He replied: "No." He said: "Inform him." He then went to him and said: "I love you for Allah's sake." He replied: "May He for Whose sake you love me love you!" (Abu Dawud 5125)
9. There is a precedent of divine affirmation and prophetic compassion for a refugee who died by suicide. Jabir narrated: Tufayl bin ‘Amr went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said: “O Messenger of God, do you have a secure fortress?” The tribe of Daws had a fortress in the days of Jahiliyya. The Prophet (ﷺ) refused that offer, as God had reserved it for the Ansar. When the Messenger of God (ﷺ) performed the Hijra to Medina, Tufayl made the Hijra with a man from his tribe. They reached Medina and the man became sick, and felt anxiety. He took iron arrowheads and cut through his finger joints, and his hands gushed out until he died. Then Tufayl saw him in a dream. His condition was good, but his hands were bandaged. Tufayl asked him, “What did your Lord arrange with you?” He said, “He pardoned me with my Hijra to his prophet, God bless him and give him peace.” Tufayl asked, him, “Why do I see your hands wrapped?” He said, “It was said to me, ‘We do not repair what you damaged.’” Tufayl told the story to the Messenger of God (ﷺ), who said, "O God, forgive his hands too." (Adab 614)
10. Engaged surrender with the Beloved means acting in alignment with what you want to see, being careful and taking precautions, making informed decisions. Anas bin Malik narrated that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Shall I tie [my camel] and rely upon Allah, or leave it loose and rely upon Allah?" He said: "Tie [your camel] and rely upon Allah." Other chains report similar narrations. (at-Tirmidhi 2517)
11. Every living being will account for the way you interacted with them, so act lovingly and compassionately— to dogs, to animals, to all beings. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "One day a man became very thirsty while walking down the road. He came across a well, went down into it, and drank and then climbed out. In front of him he found a dog panting, eating the dust out of thirst. The man said, 'This dog is as thirsty as I was.' He went back down into the well and filled his shoe, putting it into his mouth (in order to climb back up) and then gave the dog water. Therefore Allah thanked him and forgave him." They said, "Messenger of Allah, will we have a reward on account of animals?" He said, "There is a reward on account of every living thing." (Adab 378, Bukhari 2466)
12. Animals you exploit complain about you to those who listen. Abd Allah bin Ja’far narrated: The Messenger of God (ﷺ) seated me behind him one day and he said a hadith to me that I will never report to anyone. When the Messenger of God(ﷺ) relieved himself, he liked to cover himself with a small hill or a cluster of date palms. One day, he entered the garden of a man from the Ansar when a camel came to him, dragging along, tears flowing from its eyes [Bahz and ‘Affan, transmitters of this hadith, said that when the camel saw the Prophet, he felt compassion as tears flowed from its eyes]. The Messenger of God (ﷺ) wiped its tears and head, and it became calm. He said, “Who is the master of this camel?” A youth from the Ansar came and said, “It is mine, O Messenger of God.” He said, “Do you not fear God with this animal, that God has given you? It complains to me that you starve it and wear it out.” (Abu Dawud 2549)
13. Killing animals for food is not something we should do uncritically. It is reported that a companion said to the Prophet, “Ya Rasul Allah (ﷺ), I was about to slaughter a sheep but was overcome by rahma.” The Prophet replied, “Since you took rahma on the sheep, Allah will take rahma on you twicefold.” (Adab 373)
14. The believers are like one body. Narrated Nu'man bin Bashir: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever". (Riyad as-Salihin 224, Muslim 2586a)

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