Alive With Their Lord

DAILYREFLECTION

Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) once said,
“The Prophet ﷺ came to me after my father was martyred at Uhud. He said, ‘O Jabir, why do I see you broken-hearted?’

I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my father has been killed. He left behind a large family and heavy debts.’”

The Prophet ﷺ then said, “Shall I not tell you something that will comfort you?”

He said, “Allah has never spoken to anyone directly except from behind a veil. But Allah spoke to your father face to face.”

Then Allah said to him, “O My servant, ask of Me whatever you wish, and I will grant it.”

And Jabir’s father replied, “My Lord, let me return to the world so that I may be martyred again for Your sake.”

Allah said, “I have already decreed that they shall not return.”

So Jabir’s father said, “Then, O my Lord, convey this to those I have left behind.”

And it was then that Allah revealed:

“Do not think of those who are killed in the path of Allah as dead.
Rather, they are alive, with their Lord, well-provided for.”
(Surah Āl-‘Imrān, 3:169)

Think about that for a moment. After standing in the presence of his Lord, after being spoken to directly, all he wanted was to return and give everything again.
That is the love of those who truly saw the reality of what they died for.

Their only regret was that they could not die for Him twice. And when we remember the martyrs of our time in Gaza, in Yemen, in places unseen, we realize they have now reached that same nearness. They have met the One for whom they were willing to sacrifice everything. They do not wish to come back to this world, only that we might know what they have found.

And it is not only the martyrs who are honored with this nearness. It is also those who endured for Allah’s sake, unseen and uncelebrated, who suffered quietly but held their faith firm.

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) was one of them.
When he was tortured and lashed for refusing to distort the truth, he never wavered.

After his death, one of his students saw him in a dream and asked,
“O Abu Abdillah, what did your Lord do with you?”

Imam Ahmad replied, “He forgave me. He said, ‘O Ahmad, you received sixty lashes for My sake.’
I said, ‘Yes, my Lord.’ Then Allah said, ‘Now My face appears to you, look at it as you please.’

SubhanAllah.
The one who bore pain in this world for Allah was rewarded with the ultimate sight to see Allah Himself.

There is a thread that connects them all, from the martyrs of Uhud to the scholars who suffered for truth, to every believer who endures hardship with faith.
When you cannot see Allah yet still live for Him, every act of patience becomes a step toward that meeting.

REFLECT ON THIS:

If Allah were to ask you, “What do you wish for?” what would your answer reveal about your heart’s true longing?

^{Share your reflections in the poll at the end of the email.}

WATERMELONWATCH

• Thousands in overcrowded Gaza shelters are still enduring heavy shelling in southern Gaza City and widespread destruction of farms and houses, even as released prisoners bring emotional reunions for families.

• Over 75,000 displaced Palestinians are now seeking refuge in 100 UN-run buildings amid damaged shelters and very limited humanitarian access.

• A draft UN-resolution for deploying an international stabilisation force in Gaza may be ready within two weeks, but key issues like troop mandates and Israeli withdrawal remain contested.

• Olive-farmers in the West Bank are facing increased settler violence and access restrictions, with more than 3,000 trees destroyed and livelihoods severely impacted yet many still return to their land in a strong display of resilience.

• Five Palestinian prisoners released by Israel under the truce arrived home, even as the death toll keeps rising and ceasefire violations continue.

QURANCORNER

Each day, you’ll be introduced to one of the 300 most common Qur’anic words. The Qur’an has about 77,430 words in total, all built on just 2,000 root words. By learning these frequently recurring ones, you’ll recognize 70–80% of the Qur’an’s vocabulary and begin connecting more deeply as you read.

Qul (قُلْ) — Say

Qul is not just a word; it’s a command from above. Over 300 times, Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ: Qul—say. Say the truth. Say what must be said. Say it with clarity, mercy, and courage. Every Qul is a reminder that guidance isn’t meant to be hidden—it’s meant to be spoken. And sometimes, the first step in changing the world… is saying the right word.