In our journey toward fostering well-being, we must recognize and nourish our innate need for connection with the Divine. Over the next three days, we will explore three key aspects of developing a meaningful connection and relationship with Allah:

1. Love of Allah
2. Awe of Allah
3. Submission to Allah

Today, we begin with Love of Allah—the foundation upon which a sincere and fulfilling relationship with Him is built.

Beginning with Love

 Love is a powerful force—it attracts us, draws us closer, and deepens our connections. When we love someone, we naturally want to know more about them, to spend time with them, and to seek their pleasure. Our journey toward Allah begins with love because it is the strongest motivator for devotion, worship, and obedience. Love transforms our connection with Him from a set of obligations into a personal, reciprocal and soul fulfilling relationship.

Allah’s Love for Us

One of the most beautiful reassurances in the Quran is that Allah loves His creati...

Human beings are always searching for peace and happiness. We may try to find it in material success, in relationships, in personal achievements, in curated experiences or in self-care. We spend a lot of time in our days moving away from pain and moving towards pleasure or satisfaction [do reflect on this – at any given moment in the day, your actions are motivated by one of these two things – moving away from pain or moving towards satisfaction].

 The truth is that we are living in an imperfect world and with imperfect fellow humans [!] and there is always plenty to disrupt our search for inner peace and satisfaction.  

 The Quran points to a simple and profound way that we can find what we are seeking:  

الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُو

[13:28] Those who believe and whose hearts are set at rest by the remembrance of Allah; now surely by Allah's remembrance are the hearts set at rest.

 The itminan of the qalb t...

To understand what brings us well-being, peace, and happiness, we must first understand human nature as created by Allah. Only then can we grasp what we need to cultivate well-being.

In Sura Rum, Chapter 30, verse 30 of the Holy Quran, Allah says:

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
(Surah Ar-Rum 30:30)

"So direct your face toward the religion, being devout and inclining to truth (hanif), the natural disposition (fitrah) upon which Allah has created all people. There is no altering the creation of God; that is the upright religion, but most people do not know."

Two key words in this verse require deeper reflection:

1. Hanif– Refers to one who turns away from misguidance and inclines toward the belief in the Oneness of God (tawḥīd).
2. Fitrah– The innate nature upon which human beings are created. This is the divine "operating system"
...

Ramadan Kareem to you and your families.

Welcome to another season of Daily Wisdom from the Quran. This year's theme is "The Quranic Guide to Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Wellbeing" which we will explore from a verse a day from the Quran.

Before we dive into the topic, it might be useful to define what we mean by wellbeing.

In modern psychology and secular frameworks, wellbeing is often described as a "state of positive mental and emotional health", where individuals feel satisfied, function effectively, and experience a sense of fulfillment.

The Islamic perspective, on the other hand, extends the definition beyond mental and emotional health to include "spiritual alignment, moral integrity, and connection with Allah".

The Secular Definition of Wellbeing:
In secular psychology, wellbeing is typically understood through two major lenses:
1. Hedonic Wellbeing which is the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain, focusing on life satisfaction and positive emotions.
2. Eudaimonic Wellbeing wh...

Here are links to various resources for preparation for Laylatul Qadr