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In this episode, we discuss the topic of asking for forgiveness. We start by talking about how to ask forgiveness from God and turn to the topic of apologizing to people and what ineffective and effective apologies look like.
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This verse from Sura Saff reminds us to practise integrity in our speech and action, that is to say and do the same thing. In this episode we discuss the importance of keeping our word and how this impacts all aspects of our lives.

The verse from Sura Isra speaks about the body language of humility and arrogance. In this episode we discuss the challenges of humility in the modern age and what we can do to keep ourselves grounded.

As we have discussed, the true impact of our actions will only be made apparent to us at the final accounting. We can help ourselves have a good outcome by paying attention to how we are spending our time and what return we will get for the time and energy we are spending in this lifetime.

Verses 7 & 8 of Sura Zilzal remind us to pay attention to our small deeds and how we will encounter the impact of these actions on the Day of Judgement. In this episode we explore the idea that we may be able to see the impact of our actions even in this world and we discuss how we can benefit ourselves by consistently doing small acts of goodness and kindness.

Verse 65 of Sura Ankabut reminds us that under very difficult situations, human beings tend to turn to God and vow to change their lives if they get through this challenging time. But human beings are forgetful creatures and we often go back to our habitual ways once crises have passed. In this verse, we explore and try to understand this human tendency.

More resources and reflections on Sura Ankabut can be found in this link: 

https://www.livingthequran.org/blog/Resources%20for%20Laylatul%20Qadr

Verses 2&3 of Sura Ankabut declare a fact of life: that we will be tried. In this episode, we reflect on the role of trials and hardships in our lives and discuss how we can best prepare and go through them in an effective way

More resources and reflections on Sura Ankabut can be found in this link: 

https://www.livingthequran.org/blog/Resources%20for%20Laylatul%20Qadr

Sura Ankabut [The Spider] gets its name from verse 41 which talks about the frailty of the spider’s web. In this episode we reflect on what makes the house of the spider so different and what lessons we may derive from this example

More resources and reflections on Sura Ankabut can be found in this link: 

https://www.livingthequran.org/blog/Resources%20for%20Laylatul%20Qadr

The verse from Sura Maida encapsulates the philosophy of Islam, which is to worship Him and to serve His creation. We go into a bit of background on this verse and narrate the story behind its revelation while reminding ourselves how we cannot separate worship to Him and meeting the needs of His creation.

Verses from Sura Nur were revealed when a person was accused of unchaste behaviour by a group of gossip mongers. The community believed the rumours and the gossip spread. The verse deals very strongly with both the spreaders and believers of the rumours. In this episode we discuss how we can practise adopting kinder and more helpful assumptions about people.

Verse 12 from Sura Hujarat cautions believers from falling prey to negative assumptions and suspicions about each other. In this episode, we try and understand the brain’s tendency to do this and discuss first steps in counteracting this very human tendency.

Verse 5 which is repeated in verse 6 of Sura Inshirah is familiar to many of us. We discuss what does it mean to have ease along with difficulty and how can we become more intentional in beginning to notice the ease while we are going through a challenging period in life.

The command in verse 11 of  Sura Mujadilah is so simple and practical and it has a profound impact on community relationships. We discuss what stops us from following this command and what we get in exchange for following it.

In this episode we reflect on the famous verse from Sura Ale Imran where Allah swt asks us to give from that which we love. We discuss what that means, what stops us and how we can inculcate this habit of generosity within ourselves by learning from the Beloveds of Allah swt.

Amongst the most challenging people that the Holy Prophet (saw) dealt with were those who professed belief with their tongue but harboured ill will towards the Prophet (saw) and his mission in their hearts. In this verse Allah swt tells the Prophet (saw) how to deal with this situation. In this episode we explore how this verse can guide us in dealing with situations of aggression and hate towards us.

In this episode, we explore the meaning of “Qawlan Sadid” from Sura Ahzab and discuss its application in various circumstances

We look at the verse from Sura Isra which talks us about honouring our parents and especially about how we speak to them. We explore and discuss why it is important to have the highest level of courtesy and compassion towards our parents in speech and how we can do that despite the hurts we may have experienced as children.

This verse from Sura Baqara explains the purpose of fasting for us and reminds us that nations before us have also fasted. We discuss the three levels of fasting and how we can aim to fulfill the purpose of fasting.

The verse from Sura Yunus lays out a roadmap of what the functions of the Quran are: 

1. Maw‘idhah An advice, a reminder to do good that is done gently, with care and concern.

2. Shiffaun: A cure for what is in the chests.

3. Huddan: A guidance. A clear guidance on the path, on the outcomes of different actions

4. Rahma: A mercy: It lays out the outcome of our actions while we are still able to change direction

Using this verse, we can begin to assess our own relationship with the message and develop a more meaningful relationship with our holy book. 

Here are the some of reflection questions we used: 

Is the Quran relevant to my life?

Advice: Do verses come to mind when I am struggling or confused about something in my life? 

Healing: Do I use the verses to cure the dis-ease in my soul? Do I use it to purify my heart? Is it a companion in loneliness? 

Guidance: Do I use the Quran for guidance? Do I consult it when I need to make a decision about something? Does it guide my actions? 

Mercy: Am I in touch with His Mercy when I recite the Quran? How?