Between Two Questions

DAILYREFLECTION

Before you ever entered this world, Allah spoke to you directly.
He said, “Alastu bi Rabbikum?” Am I not your Lord?
And your soul replied, “Balaa, Yes, You are.”

That was your first conversation with Allah. The next time you will be asked will be in the grave: “Man Rabbuk?” Who is your Lord?

Every breath between those two questions is your time to get to know Him. Will you be ready to answer it?

The believer, in truth, speaks to Allah more than anyone else in their life, even if they never realize it. Every time you stand in prayer and recite Surah al-Fātiḥah, Allah responds to you directly.

When you say, “Alhamdulillāhi Rabbil ‘Ālamīn,” Allah replies, “My servant has praised Me.” When you say, “Ar-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm,” He replies, “My servant has glorified Me.”
When you say, “Māliki Yawmid-Dīn,” He says, “My servant has exalted Me.”

And when you say, “Iyyāka na‘budu wa iyyāka nasta‘īn,” You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Allah says, “This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have whatever he asks for.”

If you pray only the five daily prayers, with no extra sunnah, you still have this direct conversation with Allah at least seventeen times a day. And that doesn’t include the whispered du‘ās, the quiet moments of gratitude, or the tears that fall unseen.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “The closest that a servant is to his Lord is when he is in sujood.”
Sujood is where words stop and the heart speaks. A man who had recently embraced Islam was once asked what he found most beautiful about this faith.
He said, “Allah is just so accessible. I never knew what it felt like to talk directly to God.”

That’s what prayer really is, a meeting. The root meaning of ṣalāh is not just “worship,” but connection. A thread between you and the Divine. It’s easy to forget what a blessing that access truly is to stand, to speak, to be heard. But just like any relationship, your connection with Allah deepens through time, consistency, and love.

It takes intention to silence the noise, effort to stay present, and affection to keep returning even when distracted. When that connection is refined, something subtle begins to change. You start to feel responses.

You begin to notice synchronicities, little moments that feel perfectly placed.
Life becomes more vibrant, more alive, as if a veil has been lifted.
You begin to see that reality was always beautiful; you just needed to tune your heart to the One who designed it.

That is the beauty of salah. It is not a ritual to complete but a relationship to nurture.
And once the heart reconnects, it will never mistake silence for absence again.

REFLECT ON THIS:

When was the last time I stood in prayer not to recite but to listen truly, believing that Allah was responding to me?

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

WATERMELONWATCH

• Israel confirms that the remains of three hostages taken on October 7, 2023 have been returned by Hamas, marking a painful but significant step in the ceasefire process.

• A ministerial meeting in Istanbul brought together foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia to address the fragile truce and humanitarian aid flows into the Gaza Strip.

• Air raids resumed in Gaza’s southern region, particularly near Khan Younis, and at least two Palestinians, including a teenager in the West Bank, were killed, underscoring how the truce remains deeply fragile.

• Aid agencies continue sounding the alarm over severely constrained humanitarian access in Gaza, with millions of civilians still lacking safe shelter, clean water and proper medical care as winter approaches.

• Future planning is underway for an international stabilization force in Gaza under the U.S.-brokered deal, but both Israel’s exit timetable and Hamas’ disarmament remain unresolved, leaving reconstruction and governance prospects uncertain.

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.

Hādhā (هَٰذَا) — This

Hādhā points with purpose. This Book. This path. This truth. In the Qur’an, Hādhā isn't vague; it draws the eye to something immediate and real. It says: Don’t look far, don’t delay, this is what matters. Whether it’s hādhā Qur’ān or hādhā yawmu-d-dīn, the word reminds us: truth isn’t hidden. It’s right here.