DAILYREFLECTION
O you who believe, stand firmly for justice, as witnesses for Allah
History has a way of polishing memories.
It smooths away the discomfort. It celebrates courage only after the danger has passed.
When we speak today about Muhammad Ali, we often speak with admiration. The smiling icon. The poetic voice. The humanitarian hero. But there was a time when he was not admired at all.
When he refused induction into the military draft, he was one of the most hated men in America. He risked his freedom. He lost his boxing license. He sacrificed wealth, reputation, and career.
He was condemned and vilified. All for a moral stance rooted in faith. He would not kill people who had done no harm to him. He would not participate in the slaughter of the innocent.
We praise him now. But at the time, many saw him as dangerous and extreme.
There is a reason people say they only loved him when he could no longer speak. Because when he had a voice, it challenged power, militarism, and injustice. Had he been speaking today, we might ask ourselves uncomfortable questions. Would he be celebrated, or would he be dismissed as a religious zealot?
There is another moment in his life that rarely gets discussed. When the Hollywood Walk of Fame wanted to honor him, he refused to have his name placed on the ground.He did not want people stepping on the name of Muhammad ﷺ.
By then, his body was weakened. His speech was limited. Yet his principles were firm.
If they wanted to honor him, they would have to adjust. And they did. To this day, his star stands upright on a wall, the only one not placed beneath people’s feet.
That is the power of firm conviction.
Reflect On This
Where might Allah be calling us to stand firm, even if it costs us comfort or approval?
Share your reflections in the poll at the end of the email.
WATERMELONWATCH
Palestinians at the site of a collapsed house that was damaged during the war by an Israeli strike, in the central Gaza Strip
Israeli airstrike hit Khan Younis, killing at least two people, hospital staff said, underscoring how violence is continuing even under the October 2025 ceasefire framework. Amid the fear, Gaza’s overstretched hospitals keep receiving and treating patients every day, holding the line for families with nowhere else to go.
Humanitarian partners report that January food distributions are meeting minimum caloric needs for the first time since October 2023, while heavy rains are damaging fragile water systems and flooding risks are rising. Relief teams are pushing to bring in specialized equipment to keep dewatering pumps running, which is a practical lifeline that helps neighborhoods stay livable through winter storms.
Aid groups face new restrictions that would suspend the work of dozens of organizations starting in 2026, with major warnings about the impact on healthcare and shelter under already brutal conditions. Even so, food and child focused support is still scaling where access allows, including expanded bakery support and winter relief items aimed at keeping families warm and fed.
QURANCORNER
وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ حَمَّالَةَ ٱلْحَطَبِ
And his wife [as well]—the carrier of firewood.
Wamra’atuhu ḥammālata al-ḥaṭab
Refers to Umm Jamil, Abu Lahab’s wife, who supported him in harming the Prophet ﷺ.
Carrier of firewood": Can be literal (placing thorns in the Prophet’s path) or metaphorical (spreading slander and hatred, fueling hellfire).
Even those who assist in wrongdoing are equally accountable—regardless of gender or role.