DAILYREFLECTION
Successful indeed are the believers, those who are humble in their prayer.
It is narrated that during a fierce battle, Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) was struck by an arrow in his foot. The wound was deep, and removing the arrow would be extremely painful. A surgeon was called, but Ali (RA) chose a different approach.
He waited until he was in salah.
As he stood before Allah, absorbed in his prayer, the surgeon quietly removed the arrow. When Ali (RA) finished, he asked calmly, “Have you removed it already”
This story is often heard with a kind of distant admiration, as if it describes a level reserved for saints and unreachable souls. Yet the companions were human beings who grew into extraordinary hearts through practice, sincerity, and repeated turning to Allah.
Interestingly, modern science is only beginning to understand what such focus can look like. In one well-known experiment, a meditating monk reached such a deep state of mindfulness that a gunshot in the room registered in his brain scan like a faint whisper rather than a jolt. Attention reshaped perception.
Psychology calls this kind of absorbed presence the “flow state.” A person is so focused that action and awareness feel united, and pain, fear, and noise lose their grip.
Regular salah, performed with care, trains something even higher than secular “flow”. It trains khushūʿ, a focused humility in front of the Creator. Every time a believer stands, bows, and prostrates with awareness, the mind and body learn how to enter this channel more easily. Over time, prayer becomes a series of quiet “cool spots” in a heated day.
A few small shifts can deepen the next salah:
Take slow, gentle breaths from the diaphragm and let the rhythm of breathing soften the heart.
Feel the feet grounded, the spine lengthened, and the body aligned and settled in each posture.
Allow an extra breath in rukūʿ and sujūd, add a short dhikr, and pause for a moment of stillness after recitation before moving on.
REFLECT ON THIS:
When do we rush most in salah, and what are we afraid to sit with in stillness?
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 no longer meets the IPC’s famine threshold after aid access improved under the October 10 ceasefire, but more than 100,000 people are still assessed to face catastrophic food insecurity and malnutrition risks.
Winter storms are flooding shelters and collapsing weakened buildings, with OCHA reporting nearly 55,000 families impacted and 12 storm related deaths confirmed. Relief teams are still pushing forward, including hygiene kits for 114,900 children and 408 operational temporary learning spaces across Gaza.
US to host Qatari, Turkish, and Egyptian officials for talks on the next phase of the ceasefire, as reporting also notes continued violations and casualties. Even amid the uncertainty, Gazans are trying to keep daily life functioning, including tech workers working to keep connectivity alive from damaged infrastructure.
QURANCORNER
الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ
"Who whispers in the hearts of mankind"
Alladhī yuwaswisu fī ṣudūri-n-nās
Whispering happens in the chest, the seat of thoughts and feelings.
These whispers target human emotions and faith, creating doubt or fear.
Mental health and spiritual well-being are both addressed in the Qur’an.
The Qur’an acknowledges internal psychological battles. It validates the inner struggle and offers divine support through this verse.