Remembering the Hereafter: A Protection Against the Corruption of the Heart

Reflections on Surah Ṣād (38:46–49)

In a world dominated by immediacy, the pursuit of pleasure, and the loss of deeper meaning, the question of life after death is often pushed aside. Yet Islamic spirituality teaches that constant remembrance of the Hereafter is one of the most powerful ways to protect a person from moral decline.

The Qur’an highlights this truth through the example of some of the greatest prophets in Surah Ṣād.

A Distinction Granted to the Chosen

Allah mentions Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — peace be upon them — and reveals the true reason for their excellence:

“Indeed, We chose them for an exclusive quality: remembrance of the Home (of the Hereafter).”
(Surah Ṣād, 38:46)

This divine statement shows that true nobility does not lie in wealth, power, or even knowledge, but in a living awareness of the life to come.

The following verse confirms their elevated status:

“And indeed, in Our sight they are among the chosen, the best.”
(38:47)

Their superiority, therefore, comes from an inner state — a constant clarity about the temporary nature of this world and the reality of eternity.

A Model Extended to Other Righteous Servants

The passage continues by mentioning other virtuous figures:

“And remember Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhul-Kifl — all are among the outstanding.”
(38:48)

Then comes a universal message:

“This is a reminder. And indeed, for the righteous is a good place of return.”
(38:49)

These verses show that awareness of the Hereafter is not reserved for prophets alone; it is the path for anyone seeking righteousness.

Why Does Remembering the Hereafter Protect from Sin?

Keeping in mind that every action has eternal consequences profoundly transforms how a person lives.

It restrains passions

A person is no longer controlled by immediate desires.

It prevents excess

Moderation becomes natural when one anticipates accountability.

It combats corruption

Injustice, deceit, and abuse lose their appeal when one remembers standing before God.

It refines moral judgment

The believer learns to distinguish lasting good from destructive pleasure.

By contrast, forgetting the Hereafter opens the door to every form of deviation. When people believe this life is all there is, injustice can easily be justified in the name of profit or pleasure.

An Invisible but Decisive Quality

Verse 46 speaks of a “special quality.” This refers to an inner state that cannot be measured outwardly but transforms intentions and actions at their root.

Two people may perform the same deeds, yet the one who acts while remembering their meeting with their Lord possesses a sincerity and depth beyond comparison.

Conclusion: Living This Life in the Light of Eternity

Surah Ṣād teaches that true human distinction arises from an awakened awareness of the life to come. Remembering the Hereafter is not an escape from the world — it is the key to living in it with wisdom, justice, and restraint.

The one who keeps the eternal Home in mind does not withdraw from life; rather, they purify it, balance it, and give it meaning.

 Your Thoughts?

Do you believe that remembering the Hereafter could transform our societies and personal behavior?
Share your reflections in the comments.

Competitiveness in Life According to the Qur’an: A Race Toward the Hereafter

Introduction

In today’s world, life often feels like a constant competition — for wealth, status, success, and recognition. Yet the Qur’an completely reframes the concept of competition. The true race is not for temporary worldly gains, but for faith, righteousness, and eternal success in the Hereafter. While believers are promised salvation, they are not all equal in rank. Each person is called to strive sincerely in piety and good deeds to attain the highest levels of Paradise. This article explores how the Qur’an presents life as a test and encourages believers to compete — not against one another for worldly dominance, but in devotion, virtue, and closeness to God.

A Life of Trial Between Belief and Disbelief

The Qur’an reminds us that earthly existence is a test that distinguishes those who believe from those who do not: “He who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deeds. (Surah Al-Mulk, 67:2)

True success, therefore, is not tied to material abundance but to the quality of one’s actions and sincerity of faith.

Allah also makes clear that believers and disbelievers are not equal: “Is the one who is a believer like the one who is defiantly disobedient? They are not equal. (Surah As-Sajdah, 32:18)

The first distinction in this “competition” is thus faith itself.

Believers Are Not All at the Same Level

Even among believers, there are degrees. The Qur’an emphasizes that piety, spiritual effort, and good deeds elevate one’s rank with Allah: “They are in varying degrees in the sight of Allah according to what they have done.” (Surah Aal-Imran, 3:163)

And:

 “Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.” (Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:13)

True superiority, therefore, is neither racial, social, nor economic — it is spiritual.

A Clear Call to Compete in Good Deeds

The Qur’an does not condemn competition itself. Rather, it redirects it toward something noble: competing in righteousness. “So compete with one another in good deeds.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:148)

Moreover, Allah calls believers to race toward His forgiveness and Paradise: “And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous.” (Surah Aal-Imran, 3:133)

The imagery of a race conveys urgency and effort — faith is not meant to be passive.

Competing for the Highest Levels of Paradise

The Qur’an also describes different levels of reward in the Hereafter. Believers are encouraged to aspire to the best: “For this let the competitors compete.” (Surah Al-Mutaffifin, 83:26)

This verse describes the delights of Paradise and concludes with an explicit encouragement to strive for them.

Likewise: “Those are the ones brought near to Allah, in the Gardens of Delight.” (Surah Al-Waqi‘ah, 56:10–12)

Some believers will simply be saved, while others will be among those closest to Allah.

Conclusion: The True Meaning of Success

According to the Qur’an, life is not a competition to dominate others, but a personal race toward divine closeness. Disbelievers may achieve material success in this world, but ultimate success belongs to the believers. Yet even among them, only those who demonstrate sincerity, perseverance, and devotion will attain the highest ranks.

The real question is not:

“Who is the richest or most famous?”

but rather:

“Who is best in deeds and most mindful of God?”

A Subtle Miracle of the Qur’an: Why Jesus Has No “People”

One of the most striking linguistic subtleties of the Qur’an appears in the way it speaks about the prophets and their peoples.

Throughout the Qur’an, many prophets address those they were sent to with the expression “O my people”.

Noah says: “We certainly sent Noah to his people, and he said: O my people, worship Allah.”

(Al-A‘raf 7:59)

Hud addresses his people: “And to ‘Ād We sent their brother Hud. He said: O my people, worship Allah.”

(Hud 11:50)

Salih says the same to his people: “And to Thamud We sent their brother Salih. He said: O my people, worship Allah.” (Hud 11:61)

Lot also speaks to his people: “And [We sent] Lot, when he said to his people: Do you commit immorality such as no one in the world has done before you?”

(Al-A‘raf 7:80)

Moses, likewise, repeatedly addresses his people: “And when Moses said to his people: O my people, you have wronged yourselves…” (Al-Baqarah 2:54)

Moses was sent to the Children of Israel, and the Qur’an consistently refers to them as his people.

But what about Jesus, peace be upon him?

Jesus was also sent to the Children of Israel. Yet, remarkably, there is not a single verse in the Qur’an where Jesus addresses anyone by saying “O my people.”

Instead, every time he speaks, he says: “O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.”

(Al-Ma’idah 5:72)

And:

“And when Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Children of Israel, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you…”

(As-Saff 61:6)

Throughout the entire Qur’an, the words “Jesus” or “the Messiah” are never combined with the word “people.”

The only verse where the word people appears alongside Jesus is: “And when the son of Mary was presented as an example, your people suddenly raised an outcry.” (Az-Zukhruf 43:57)

But here, “your people” refers to the people of Muhammad ﷺ, because the verse is addressed directly to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — not to Jesus.

So once again, Jesus himself is not described as having a people.

Why does Jesus have no ‘people’?

In human lineage, a person is traditionally attributed to their father, who belongs to a tribe, a people, or a nation. The child inherits that belonging.

Noah belonged to his people through his father.

Abraham belonged to his people through his father, Azar.

The same applies to all prophets.

So the question arises: to whom does Jesus belong?

The answer is clear in the Qur’an: Jesus was born miraculously, without a father.

Therefore, he does not belong to any people in the traditional sense.

For this reason, it would have been incorrect for Jesus to say: “O my people.”

Instead, the Qur’an shows him addressing them correctly as:

“O Children of Israel.”

And not a single verse deviates from this rule.

What about Adam, peace be upon him?

Adam was created without a father or a mother.

Does the Qur’an ever mention “the people of Adam”?

No.

Throughout the Qur’an, we find “Children of Adam”, but never the people of Adam — another striking precision.

A profound conclusion

Thus, among all of humanity, only two noble prophets have no ‘people’ attributed to them:

Adam, created without parents

Jesus, born without a father

And the Qur’an explicitly connects them in one powerful verse: “Indeed, the example of Jesus in the sight of Allah is like that of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was.” (Aal ‘Imran 3:59)

This is the only verse in the Qur’an where Adam and Jesus are mentioned together, sealing this truth with remarkable clarity.

Such precision is not accidental.

It is one of the subtle miracles of the Qur’an — a testament to its divine origin and perfect coherence.

Glory be to Allah, the All-Wise, the All-Knowin

A Stunning Linguistic Law Discovered in the Qur’an — Without a Single Exception

Researchers have uncovered an extraordinary linguistic law in the Qur’an, one that applies to every single chapter without exception—a phenomenon unparalleled in the history of written texts.

While developing the most comprehensive statistical analysis program ever applied to the Qur’an, scholars discovered something remarkable:
each of the 114 chapters (surahs) of the Qur’an contains words that appear nowhere else in the entire book.

This rule applies to all 114 surahs, without a single exception.

🔹 Unique Words in Every Surah

For example, Surah Al-Fātiḥah contains two exclusive words:
“Iyyāka” (You alone) and “Nasta‘īn” (we seek help),
words found only in this chapter, as if reminding believers in every unit of prayer that true help can only be sought from God alone.

Surah Al-Baqarah contains 647 words unique to it (according to the original Qur’anic orthography), such as:
thread, cucumber, garlic, lentils, onions, and others.

Surah Āl-‘Imrān includes 289 exclusive words, such as:
ḥaṣūran, muḥarraran, nabtahil.

Even the shortest chapters at the end of the Qur’an follow the very same rule.

🔹 Striking Examples

• Surah Al-Ikhlāṣ
  It contains three words found nowhere else:
  As-Ṣamad, yalid, yūlad.
  These words appear exclusively in this chapter and in a negative form, emphasizing that God does not beget nor is He begotten, even though such terms could have appeared in other chapters discussing births—such as those of Jesus, Mary, Ishmael, Isaac, or John (peace be upon them all).
• The shortest chapter in the Qur’an, Surah Al-Kawthar, consisting of only ten words, contains five unique ones:
  We have given you, Al-Kawthar, sacrifice, your enemy, the cut-off.

🔹 Perfect Harmony Between Words and Meaning

What makes this law even more astonishing is that the exclusive words of each surah always reflect its core theme.

For example:

• Quraysh appears only in Surah Quraysh
• Al-Mā‘ūn only in Surah Al-Mā‘ūn
• Al-Falaq only in Surah Al-Falaq
• Al-‘Ādiyāt only in Surah Al-‘Ādiyāt
• Al-Humazah only in Surah Al-Humazah
• Al-Qadr only in Surah Al-Qadr
• At-Tīn only in Surah At-Tīn
• Al-Muṭaffifīn only in Surah Al-Muṭaffifīn
• Aṭ-Ṭāriq only in Surah Aṭ-Ṭāriq
• An-Nāzi‘āt only in Surah An-Nāzi‘āt
• Al-Mursalāt only in Surah Al-Mursalāt
• Al-Muddaththir only in Surah Al-Muddaththir
• At-Taghābun only in Surah At-Taghābun
• Adh-Dhāriyāt only in Surah Adh-Dhāriyāt
• Al-Aḥqāf only in Surah Al-Aḥqāf
• Al-Jāthiyah only in Surah Al-Jāthiyah
• An-Naḥl only in Surah An-Naḥl
• An-Naml only in Surah An-Naml
• Al-‘Ankabūt only in Surah Al-‘Ankabūt
• Al-Fīl only in Surah Al-Fīl
• Al-Kahf only in Surah Al-Kahf
• Ash-Shu‘arā’ only in Surah Ash-Shu‘arā’
• Luqmān only in Surah Luqmān
• Saba’ only in Surah Saba’
• Al-Mā’idah only in Surah Al-Mā’idah

And this pattern continues through every chapter of the Qur’an, whose exclusive words are almost always tied directly to their central message—often even to the chapter’s name itself.

🔹 A Clear and Powerful Proof

This astonishing linguistic law stands as a powerful proof that the Qur’an cannot be the product of human authorship.
No individual, no literary genius, and no collective effort could produce a text with such precision, consistency, and depth across its entirety.

As God declares in the Qur’an: “Say: If mankind and the jinn were to gather to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce its like, even if they were to help one another.” (Surah Al-Isrā’, 17:88)

Another profound sign of the depth, coherence, and divine origin of the Qur’an.

Have You Ever Reflected on Your Own Creation?

Have you ever taken a moment to contemplate your own creation?
Science and spirituality sometimes offer complementary perspectives on the wonder that is the human being.

A Microscopic Library in Every Cell

A single sperm cell contains the equivalent of 800 megabytes of compressed genetic information.
This is not a metaphor, but the result of precise biological calculation.

Each male reproductive cell carries 3.2 billion DNA base pairs, an astonishingly complex code.
When translated into computer language, this equals 800 megabytes of pure data — the size of a movie or a complex software program, all stored within a cell invisible to the naked eye.

The Incredible Scale of Life

In a single ejaculation, the total volume of information transferred exceeds 150,000 terabytes.
A feat that even our most advanced technological systems struggle to replicate.

This efficiency is made possible by a unique compacting structure: DNA wraps tightly around specific proteins, allowing the complete blueprint of a human being to fit into a microscopic space.

Today, researchers at Harvard University are exploring DNA as a potential future storage medium and have already succeeded in encoding entire books within it.

An Invitation to Reflection

Long before modern science uncovered these facts, the Qur’an posed a profound question: “Have you seen what you emit?” — Qur’an, 56:58

And it continues with a deeper reflection: “Is it you who create it, or are We the Creator?” — Qur’an, 56:59

From something invisible to the naked eye emerges a complete human being — with consciousness, memory, emotions, and a unique trajectory. “We created man from a drop of mingled fluid, to test him.” — Qur’an, 76:2

“Does man not consider that We created him from a mere drop?” — Qur’an, 36:77

Every cell you carry bears witness to complexity and order far beyond what humans can design. “So blessed is Allah, the Best of creators.” — Qur’an, 23:14

A Call to Contemplation

You walk, breathe, and live carrying a microscopic library far greater than anything you could imagine.
Regardless of your perspective on the origin of this complexity, it is an invitation to pause, observe, and reflect on yourself.

Night and Dawn: In the Hands of Allah

Allah says in the Qur’an: “Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die during their sleep. He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others until an appointed term. Surely in that are signs for people who reflect.”

(Surah Az-Zumar, 39:42)

This verse reveals that sleep is not merely a physical rest, but a form of the soul being taken by Allah. If a person’s appointed time has not yet come, Allah returns the soul upon awakening; otherwise, He retains it in death.

From this verse emerges a profound wisdom: sleep is the taking of the soul by Allah, and awakening is the returning of the soul by Allah. Human beings are therefore entirely dependent on their Lord—not only to fall asleep, but also to wake up. Each awakening is a renewed act of mercy, a life granted once again, and an invitation to gratitude and reflection.

Thus, sleep itself becomes one of the signs of Allah, reminding reflective hearts of human fragility and of Allah’s absolute sovereignty over souls and time.

“Insha’Allah”: More Than a Phrase, a Way of Seeing Life

                          With God Will 

We often say Insha’Allah casually. Out of habit. Culture. Sometimes without thinking.

Yet the Qur’an draws our attention to something much deeper behind these words:

“And never say about anything: ‘I will surely do it tomorrow,’ without adding: ‘If Allah wills.’” Coran Sourat 18 verse 23

Why does this matter so much?

Because it challenges a deeply human illusion:
the belief that we control the future.

Saying “I will do it” feels harmless. But none of us can guarantee tomorrow — our health, our circumstances, or even our willpower. Life constantly reminds us how fragile our plans can be.

Insha’Allah is not a refusal to act.
It is not an excuse for passivity.
It is a clear acknowledgment of our limits.

To say Insha’Allah is to hold two truths at once:
* a sincere intention to act,

* and humility before what lies beyond our control.

It is a rare balance between effort and surrender.

In a world obsessed with absolute control, Insha’Allah teaches another kind of strength: planning without arrogance, hoping without entitlement, acting without claiming ownership over outcomes.

The verse does not forbid making plans.
It reminds us not to treat the future as our possession.

To say Insha’Allah is to remember that time, success, health, and even motivation are gifts. Recognizing this dependence does not weaken us — it brings peace.

Perhaps the real meaning of Insha’Allah is not
“If it happens,” but rather: “I will do my best, and I accept that the result is not entirely mine.”

Sometimes, that simple awareness is enough to turn anxiety into trust.