DAILYREFLECTION
Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.
Scientists now say something fascinating about reading.
Unlike vision or speech, the human brain is not “born” with a built-in reading center. Reading is not natural. To read, the brain has to borrow and rewire many different systems at once: vision, sound, language, attention, even emotion. Over time, reading literally reshapes brain activity, brain structure, and the connections between regions.
In other words, reading is a whole-brain act.
They also tell us that when we read a powerful story, we do not just “imagine” the feelings. Parts of the brain tied to gut sensation, nausea, pain and discomfort light up too. The same area that helps us feel physical unease also participates in empathy. The body joins the reading.
If ordinary reading does this, what then of reading the words of Allah
The Qur’an describes itself as a healing and a mercy, a guidance and a light. It is not just information. It is revelation, designed by the One who created the brain, the heart, and the soul. When we recite, listen, repeat, and live with its verses, we are letting its sounds, meanings, rhythms, and images carve new pathways in us, seen and unseen.
Some of that change can be measured on a scan. Much of it cannot. The softening of a hard heart. The sudden clarity in a moment of confusion. The way a single verse sits with you all day.
Every time you sit with the Qur’an, even briefly, you are training your attention, shaping your emotional responses, and inviting a kind of neuro-spiritual rewiring that no lab can fully map.
So do not underestimate ten minutes of recitation, one page after Fajr, a short surah reviewed on your commute. Your entire system is being addressed: brain, body, heart and soul.
Reflect On This
Which moments of tilawah have quietly reshaped our reactions or emotions over time
Share your reflections in the poll at the end of the email.
WATERMELONWATCH
Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen after the global hunger monitor, in Gaza City.
Gaza hunger monitors say famine conditions have eased after aid access improved under the October 10 ceasefire, but tens of thousands still face catastrophic need and the gains could reverse if access or calm breaks down. Even so, the drop in worst case hunger shows aid corridors can save lives when they stay open.
Cash assistance reached over 138,700 households since October 10 via digital payments, helping families buy essentials while restrictions and reduced food rations continue to strain daily survival. The scale-up is a tangible lifeline, keeping dignity and local markets alive amid ongoing disruption.
Winter flooding is battering displacement sites, with reported flooding affecting 132 locations and nearly 55,000 households, compounding unsafe shelter and cold weather risks. Response teams are now monitoring incidents daily and have helped evacuate families from shoreline camps, with partners providing emergency support where possible.
QURANCORNER
مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ
"From among jinn and mankind."
Mina-l-jinnati wa-n-nās
Whisperers are not just from jinn, but also human beings.
People can be influenced by or even act like devils by spreading evil ideas or leading others astray.
Vigilance is required both spiritually and socially.