Grounded

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day Following along? A paid subscription includes the Surah Al-A’raf Study Guide and Workbook . Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The last ten have begun. Taharaw laylatal qadr fil ashril awakhir min Ramadan. Hunt for Laylatul Q...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day 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. On...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day 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 Muslim...

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...

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...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day 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...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day 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-Furq...

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. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus epis...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day 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...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day 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...

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 be...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day 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 n...

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...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day 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 stron...

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. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episo...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day Where do you find strength when you’re overwhelmed? In this week’s Tafseer Thursday, we dive into Surah Al-Muzammil — and the answer Allah gave the Prophet ﷺ when he was facing the hardest task of his life. Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or...

al-Muzzammil 5 - 9 Assalamualaikum, It is Tuesday, that means it is time for Tajweed Tuesday. Last week we embarked our journey into Surah al-Muzzammil and read ayat 1 - 4. This week, insha Allah, we will read ayat 5 - 9. If you are listening to this episode as a podcast, I highly recommend that you watch the video as there are some concepts that are easier to understand by seeing. All right, with...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day Why Belief Must Come Before Practice: Introduction to Imam Al-Ghazali’s 40 Principles Understanding the foundations of Islamic knowledge requires more than memorizing rulings or performing rituals. It demands a systematic approach to learning that begins with certainty in belief before moving to practice. This article e...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. Welcome back to Tafsir Thursday. We’re in a new year, a new term, and that means new surahs to explore together. But this term is different. Instead of diving into one surah, we’ll be studying two: Surah Al-Muzzammil and Surah Al-Muddathir. Why two? Three reasons: first, they’...

al-Muzzammil 1 - 4 Welcome back to Tajweed Tuesday. As we begin a new term and a new year, we’re moving on to study fresh surahs. This term, we’ll explore two powerful chapters: al-Muzzammil and al-Muddaththir. Though relatively short, both contain profound meaning and hold special significance—they were revealed very early in Islamic history, sent down back to back. Each Tuesday, we’ll follow our...

Beginning a New Text with Imam al-Ghazali Alhamdulillah, this session marks the beginning of a new text in our weekly Ratib & Reminders gathering. For those based in Perth , you’re warmly invited to join us live at Qaswa House every Thursday from 7:00–9:00 p.m. The gathering is open to everyone — men and women, young and old. After returning to Perth, it was a joy to be back at Ratib and to see th...

Alhamdulillah, my heart is full. I recently had the honour of serving once again as translator for Habib Kadhim as-Saqqaf — a blessing I never take for granted. In 2022 , Allah granted me the opportunity to welcome him to Perth for the very first time, and to serve as his translator during that visit. It remains a very precious moment in my life and one I am always grateful for. And now, on his th...

We’ve entered a new term, and that means a new Surah! This term, we begin our journey with Surah al-Fath , a powerful chapter that opens with Divine reassurance and promise. In this episode, we recite and break down the first three āyāt , focusing on key Tajwīd principles such as: * Nun Mushaddadah : Learn how inna is read with two harakāt of nasalisation ( ghunnah ) – not rushed, but softly and s...

Alhamdulillah, I was given the honour of delivering the Friday Khutbah at the Australia Open Pencak Silat International Championship 2024. It was the first time for Australia to host an international silat tournament. When the organiser approached me asking if I can deliver the khutbah at the tournament, my heart skipped a beat. For those of you who know me, will know my love for martial arts. Her...

Lessons from the Seerah When we look at the sīrah, in the seventh year of Prophethood, the challenges facing the Muslims were unbearable. At first, the Quraysh mocked and insulted. But when insults failed, by the fifth year they turned to violence—abusing, torturing, even killing some of the early Muslims. When that too didn’t stop the daʿwah, they escalated further: a total boycott against the Mu...