Why “Minor” Sins Are Not Minor

DAILYREFLECTION

Purification is not a single moment.

It is daily maintenance, like wudu for the soul.

As you care for your body, care for your inner life. Purity and sincerity do not survive neglect.

Do not be fooled by the confusion of our age.

Some say right and wrong bend to time and place.

Islam considers context in its application, but its foundations remain unchanged.

Our intellect is honored, but it is limited.

When you do not grasp the wisdom behind a ruling, obey first.

Obedience polishes the mirror; insight comes after.

The heart hardens when wrongs are treated lightly, repeated until familiar, or enjoyed.

Pleasure cements them. Repetition turns them into habit.

A glance, a phrase, a scroll becomes routine. Soon, the hand moves before conscience speaks. Do not excuse it.

Our Imams named the root of the heart’s diseases: love of dunya, self-satisfaction, covetous desire, and heedlessness. 

Whenever anything is placed above Allah in your heart, disease begins.

Choosing desire over the Sharia is not a minor misstep; it is a disordering of love.

So begin today. Replace one harmful loop with one act of remembrance. Close one door that drains you and open one that feeds you.

Small, guarded, consistent—this is how hearts soften and lives change.

Put Allah first, and everything finds its proper place.

REFLECT ON THIS:

Where today did I knowingly prefer other-than-Allah, and what concrete step will I take tomorrow to reverse that preference?

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

WATERMELONWATCH

• U.S. veto blocked a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages, and lifting of Israeli restrictions on aid access.

• Gaza hit by a nationwide telecom blackout as Israeli tanks, infantry, and artillery pressed into Gaza City, especially in Sheikh Radwan and Tel Al-Hawa. Casualties rose rapidly, with major displacement.

• Displacement intensifies: more than 250,000 people have fled Gaza City in the past month; many remain in makeshift camps with very limited aid, food, water, and shelter.

• Humanitarian warnings issued over critical shortages in hospitals; famine is confirmed in parts of Gaza, especially in the north, with hundreds of deaths from starvation and malnutrition.

• UN commission has released a report concluding that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, stating it has fulfilled at least four of the five acts defined under the Genocide Convention, deepening international calls for accountability amid worsening civilian suffering.

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.

سبحن (Subḥan) - Glory Be To

From the root س–ب–ح (s-b-ḥ), meaning to move swiftly, to be distant, or to swim, subḥan affirms that Allah is far above any flaw or imperfection. In Qur’anic writing, this is an older orthographic form of سبحان (subḥāna). When we say subḥan Allāh, we declare His perfection, beyond all limits, partners, or comparisons.