As-Salaam alaikum, In a way, death means to be invisible in this world; to disappear from it and reappear in the Heavens. This is the meaning of death to the Awliya. Remembrance of that gives us more spiritual power. When your spirit leaves your body, it will immediately be in its Heavenly station. Our soul is waiting, like a bird in a cage, to be free. When a man knows the truth of death he no longer fears it, but waits for it. This knowledge gives us love to reach our Heavenly home and also a way. We read it in the Hadith where the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said that the way to meet your Lord is death. If you don't like death, you don't want to meet your Lord.! All real believers must, therefore, like death - for it is the way to the Heavens. Thinking of death gives more power to our faith. The love of God is the power of our faith, the spirit of our faith. If you haven't any love for Allah, then you cannot have any faith. It is impossible.

Introduction Some chapters of the Qur’an do more than merely convey information; they shake the very foundations of human thought. Surah al-Mulk is one of them. It does not revolve around a single, isolated issue. Instead, it targets the greatest illusion nested deep within the human psyche—the illusion that I am in control. The Virtue and Grandeur of Surah al-Mulk Numerous narrations highlight the greatness and virtue of Surah al-Mulk. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Another narration states: According to a narration in Sunan al-Tirmidhi, the Prophet ﷺ would recite Surah al-Sajdah and Surah al-Mulk before going to sleep. (Tirmidhi 2892) Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله narrates in al-Silsilah al-Sahihah that Surah al-Mulk serves as protection from the punishment of the grave—meaning that one who is consistent with it, while adhering to the commandments of Islam, may hope to be safeguarded from the torment of the grave. These virtues declare a profound truth: Surah al-Mulk is not merely a chapter to be recited—it is a chapter to be lived. Al-Mulk: One Word, One Declaration, One Challenge In the Arabic language, al-Mulk does not simply mean kingship. It encompasses three deep and interconnected dimensions: Milk (Ownership): Absolute possession Mulk (Dominion): Total authority and control Malik (King): The One who commands and decides Surah al-Mulk establishes all three meanings in a single breath. The surah opens with a decisive and all-encompassing declaration: In other words: all sovereignty, all authority, every decision rests solely with Allah. Here, humanity is told plainly: You are not the overseer—you are the possessed. You are not the owner—you are the subject. You are not the center—you are the servant. This is an intellectual earthquake. The Illusion of Human Control In everyday life, human beings constantly say “mine”: my house, my time, my children, my body, my future… Slowly, this “mine” transforms into a sense of ownership. Surah al-Mulk comes to shatter this feeling. It reminds humanity: The ground you walk upon is not yours. The breath that keeps you alive is not yours. The very moment you stand in is not yours. The Intellectual Journey of Surah al-Mulk This surah unfolds as a meticulously structured intellectual journey: First, the proclamation of absolute dominion Then, life and death defined as a test Then, the flawless structure of the sky that exhausts human vision Then, the fragility and instability of the earth Then, human helplessness in matters of sustenance And finally… water This sequence is anything but accidental. The surah lifts humanity from the illusion of authority and places it squarely before the reality of dependence. The Ending: Water — One Sip, One Truth At the end of the surah, a simple yet devastating question is asked: There is no talk here of empires, power, or intellect—only water. Why? Because water is the blessing without which kings perish, philosophers fall helpless, and science falls silent. It is a simple yet lethal question: If the most basic blessing is taken away, where does your control go? Why Is the Surah Named “Al-Mulk”? Because this surah comes to strip humanity of its greatest lie: I am in control. The entire structure of Surah al-Mulk is a deep psychological framework. The Qur’an could have named this surah al-Khushu‘ (Submission), al-Mawt (Death), or even al-Ma’ (Water). But it did not. It named it al-Mulk. So that the human being would first think: Yes—power, authority, dominion—this is about me. And then, gradually, the surah exposes that very assumption. This surah does not define dominion—it denies it to humanity. Humans do not own dominion. Humans do not own the earth. Humans do not own their bodies. Humans do not own their time. Humans do not even own the moment of their own death. So the question arises: Then who does dominion belong to? And the answer, in every verse, remains the same: A Name That Is Also a Rebuke The very title of the surah seems to address humanity directly: Oh? You consider yourself an owner? Then look at the sky… Then look at the earth… Then look at the grave… Then look at the water… And finally ask yourself: Now tell me—who is the Owner? The Grave and Surah al-Mulk Surah al-Mulk does not merely say, “Allah is Powerful.” It says: You are powerless—and you refused to admit it. And it is this denial that destroys humanity. That is why this surah becomes light in the grave. Because in the grave, a person possesses no authority, no defense, no “mine.” There, only one question matters: Whom did you acknowledge as the Owner in your worldly life? Surah al-Mulk will testify: This was a person who never considered himself the owner—even while alive. Conclusion The true purpose of Surah al-Mulk is to shatter false authority, expose human arrogance, and remind humanity of its true position. This surah removes the human being from the throne and seats them in servitude. And that, ultimately, is the purpose of the Qur’an itself.

As-Salaam alaikum, In a few days from now, we shall be in the Holy month of Ramadan for the year 1,447 After Hijrah, during which all Muslims in the world will embark on Fasting, and thereby observe one of the 5 pillars upon which Islam is built --- the other 4 being: TAWHEED, PRAYER(s) or SALLAH, ZAKKAT AND HAJJ. Fasting is incumbent on every Muslim who has attained manhood, and it begins on the appearance of the moon of Ramadan. It continues until the appearance of the moon of Shawwal - as Allah Ta'ala says in chapter 2 of the Holy Qur'an: -- ''O BELIEVERS, FASTING IS PRESCRIBED UNTO YOU.'' (2:183). And the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said that he was informed by Jibril, alaihi salaam, that Allah Ta'ala said, ''Fasting is Mine, and I have the best right to give recompense for it... al-Saum li wa-ana ajza bihi,'' because the religious practice of fasting is a mystery unconnected with any external thing, a mystery in which none other than Allah participates: hence the recompense is infinite. As we keep to fasting in the forthcoming month of Ramadan, we keep away from food, drink and also guard our eyes from lustful looks and the ear from listening to evil speech about anyone in his/her absence, and the tongue from vain or foul words, and the body from following after worldly things and disobedience to Allah. Anyone who acts in this manner truly keeps his/her fast, for the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said to a certain man, ''When you fast, let your ear fast and your eye and your tongue and your hand and every limb,'' and he also said, ''Many a one has no good of his fasting except hunger and thirst.''

As-Salaam alaikum, On/about chapter 109 of the Holy Qur'an, Surat al-Kafirun (those who reject faith), it has been narrated by an-Nisaa'i, Tirmidhi, al-Hakim and at-Tabarani and others on the authority of Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said: -- ''Qul ya ayuhal Kafirun [reading chapter 109 of the Holy Qur'an] equals a fourth of the Qur'an.'' In another narration of Sa'ad: ''Whoever recites 'Qul-Ya ayuhal Kafirun' it is as if he recited a fourth of the Qur'an.'' And it has been related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud on the authority of Nufayl ibn Mu'awiyya who said that the Prophet, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said: -- ''Whenever one of you retires to his bed at night he should recite: 'Qul ya ayuhal kafirun' and then goes to sleep after reading it will be free of polytheism [shirk].'' And it has been related by al-Daylami on the authority of Abdullah ibn Jaraad who said that the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alaihi Wasallam, said: - ''The hypocrite cannot pray the forenoon prayer (duhaa) nor can he recite: Qul ya ayuhal kafiruun.''

As-Salaam alaikum, Our Sheikh, al-Harith ibn Asad al-Musasibi, may Allah be pleased with him, in his book titled 'Kitab al-Mustarshid (Book of the Traveller on the Right Road)' wrote that: -- ''Know, O my brother, that sins produce heedlessness (ghafla)-- that is, the sinner is forgetful of God and His Law- and the heedlessness produces hardness of heart, and hardness of heart leads to alienation from God, and alienation from God leads to Hell.'' Whether a sin committed is small (saghira) or big/great (kabira), both types are to be avoided. Sheikh al-Muhasibi teaches that one cannot attain to the conquest of sin except by a sound purpose and a firm intention to combat desire; and by controlling one's inward self, for if the servant controls his/her self, he dominates his organs and he has knowledge of his own heart, and self-examination in what it desires becomes easy for him, by the leave of Allah Most High; but if you lose control of your inward self, God's command will seem hard to you, and your organs will go astray and your heart will be lost.... you will find yourself unfit for self-examination. Therefore keep to what is lawful, control your tongue except in what will aid you in approaching God Most High. Many Regards.