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by Qaswa House
Grounded is a practical Islamic framework for living with clarity, resilience, and purpose in an age of distraction. Drawing on traditional Islamic scholarship, adapted for modern life, it offers a steady way of living faith — not by escaping the modern world, but by standing firmly within it. groundeddaily.substack.com
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- 5 days ago34 min
Surah Al-Baqarah — Part 7: The Hypocrites, Part One (Ayāt 8–10)
Last week we sealed the heart of the kāfir and stood at the mouth of the third category. This week we step into it. Of the three types of people in Part One — the muttaqīn (Ayāt 2–5), the kāfir (Ayāt 6–7), and the munāfiq (Ayāt 8–20) — the hypocrite is given the longest passage by far. Thirteen ayāt against four and two. It is worth asking why before we read a single word of them.1. Why the Hypocrite Takes the Longest PassageTwo reasons. First, there are different types and levels of hypocrite. Second, and more telling, the munāfiq is simply hard to define. The person of taqwā is clear — good within, good without. The kāfir is clear — bad within, bad without. But the hypocrite is neither here nor there: good on the surface, corrupt underneath, and forever shifting between the two. Ambiguity needs more words to pin down than clarity does.2. The Word Munāfiq: The Tunnel of the DabbThe word comes from nafaq — a tunnel. But the image turns on the difference between a burrow and a tunnel. A rabbit’s burrow has one opening: one way in, one way out, a door the animal must stand and defend because it has no other. The dabb, the desert lizard, digs a tunnel with two openings. When danger comes from one end, it bolts out the other. It never has to commit to a position; it always keeps an escape route.That is the hypocrite exactly. When the Muslims are winning, he says, “We are with you — one of you.” When the tide turns toward the Quraysh, he slips out the far exit: “We are your friends; we’ve been helping you all along.” A bestie to both — though the word best can only ever have one.There is a fitting detail in how the Arabs still hunt the dabb. Because the tunnel has many mouths, it is never a one-man job. A group drives into the desert, finds the holes, and floods them with water from a hose. Not knowing which exit the animal will take, they watch every opening at once — and take it the moment it surfaces. The very feature meant to keep it safe is what exposes it. (A note in passing: the dabb is ḥalāl, though the Prophet ﷺ did not eat it himself, as it was unfamiliar to his people.)3. How the Hypocrites Came to BeWhen the Muslims made the Hijrah, they were not yet strong. In that first year Madīnah held three groups: the Muslims — some 300-plus men, perhaps close to a thousand souls with their families, in a city of six or seven thousand, a ruling minority; the Jews, in three tribes (the Qaynuqāʿ, the Naḍīr, and the Qurayẓah); and the pagans, still free to worship their idols. There were no Christians in Madīnah.Here a point of definition matters. When the moment of decision came, the pagans faced a choice the Jews did not — because being a Jew is a matter of ethnicity as well as religion. You can change your religion; you cannot change your lineage, any more than a Malay can decide to be Chinese. So the religious conversions that followed came from the pagans, whose religion put no such barrier in the way.The decisive moment was the Battle of Badr, in the second year of Hijrah. 313 Muslims, badly equipped — not all of them even had swords, and those they had were feeble, because they had never set out expecting war — faced roughly a thousand Quraysh, armed to the hilt, one of the largest armies Arabia had yet seen. And the Muslims won decisively; the leading men of Quraysh were killed. The politics of the peninsula turned in a day. Islam was here to stay.Badr is also a lesson in how planning and reliance on Allah fit together. The Muslims were aided by angels — but you do not put angels in your plan. You make du’ā for help and Allah sends it however He wills, but you prepare with the means actually in front of you. You cannot study three chapters of ten and expect an angel to whisper the rest in your ear during the exam. Do your utmost; then trust Him for what lies beyond your reach.After Badr, the pagans understood there was no future on the losing side, and no ethnic wall to shelter behind as the Jews had. Their only way to keep standing and influence was to profess Islam outwardly. For many, the profession was hollow — and this is the origin of the hypocrites. There were none in the first year of Hijrah; they appeared only in the second, once outward Islam became the price of relevance.4. The Leader of the Hypocrites: ʿAbdullāh ibn UbayyThe munāfiqūn had a head: ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl. To understand him, return to pre-Islamic Madīnah, then called Yathrib — home to Arabs and Jews. The Arabs were two main tribes, the Aws and the Khazraj,
- 1 weeks ago15 min
The Man with the Two Gardens and the Materialism
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.dayQuran at Home. Each week we take some ayat from the Qur’an. On Tuesday we read them and learn their tajweed. On Thursday we look into their meaning and draw out lessons we can live by.Where we are in the storyLast week we finished the first story of the surah — the Aṣḥāb al-Kahf, the people of the cave — and drew out its lessons. Through that story Alla…
- 1 weeks ago12 min
Tajweed Tuesday
It’s Tuesday, so it’s Tajweed Tuesday — where we break down the tajweed rules from the ayat our students learn on Saturday at Qaswa Madrasah.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.This term and next, we’re working through Surah al-Kahf. This week: ayat 34 - 44.If the ayat feel too long to read in one sitting, break them down. Take one small portion and work it until it’s fluent. Then move to the next. Slow is fine. Stopping isn’t. Consistency beats intensity — every time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.grounded.day/subscribe
- 2 weeks ago15 min
Who is a Kafir & Who is a Munafiq?
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.day1. Where We AreWe are in Part One of Surah Al-Baqarah, which deals with the types of people. Recall that the division of the surah into parts is not divine — these are scholarly aids to help us navigate the terrain of the surah. At a glance the Quran can seem to move from theme to theme without order, but beneath the surface lies a coherent, beautiful s…
- 2 weeks ago8 min
Quran and Good Friends - our protection from Dajjal
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.grounded.dayQuran at Home. Each week we take some ayat from the Qur’an. On Tuesday we read them and learn their tajweed. On Thursday we look into their meaning and draw out lessons we can live by.Where we are in the storyLast week we finished the story of the Aṣḥāb al-Kahf — the people of the cave. Who were they? A group of young men who fled a comfortable life in the city to save their īmān. There was a king, a tyrant, forcing the people to abandon the worship of Allah. So these youth escaped, and Allah made the cave safe and comfortable for them for 309 years.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.When they woke — three centuries later — the first thing on their minds was hunger. Let us send one of us into town for food. But the man who went was dressed in a fashion three hundred years out of date, so a shopkeeper called the palace guards, who arrested him and brought him before the king. And this was a new king altogether — a pious ruler who worshipped Allah and had heard the story of these courageous young men. Curious, he asked to be taken to them. The man led the king and his entourage to the foot of the hill and went up ahead to reassure his friends. And there the story of the cave closes.The first great lesson of the surah runs through all of it: īmān comes first. That Allah alone is worshipped is our non-negotiable line — a matter of faith we never bargain over. And this is one of the very tests of the Dajjāl, who will come near the end of time claiming to be god, forcing people to worship him. Obey him, and you are promised wealth, comfort, a full stomach. Refuse, and you may have to flee to a cave, away from the luxuries of the world. The Aṣḥāb al-Kahf show us the answer: choose Allah, and Allah will facilitate your affairs. They left the city, and Allah made the cave comfortable — bending the sunlight from their faces, turning them as they slept, placing the dog at the entrance to keep others away. Comfort, safety, and security are with Allah.The surah still holds four more stories, and this was the first lesson: the test of faith towards the end of time. When you sacrifice everything for Allah, Allah takes care of you.Ayah 27 — the Qur’an is our caveوَاتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِن كِتَابِ رَبِّكَ لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَلَن تَجِدَ مِن دُونِهِ مُلْتَحَدًا“And recite what has been revealed to you from the Book of your Lord. There is no changing His words, and you will never find any refuge besides Him.”Why does this āyah — now recite what has been revealed to you — come immediately after the story of the cave? The mufassirīn mention two things.First, it is the answer. Remember why the surah was revealed: to answer a challenge from the Quraysh, who had taken their questions from wise men among the People of the Book. They were told that only a true prophet would know this story, so they came and demanded: tell us about the people of the cave. Allah revealed the surah, and its opening is the answer to that first question. And because the story as transmitted through generations of the People of the Book may differ in places from the truth, Allah now says: stand firm. This is the truth. Allah knows what happened. Tell them, and do not worry whether they accept it. Your duty is only to convey — tablīgh, to recite. There is no changing the words of Allah, because this is the word of God Almighty — not fickle like human speech. This is the truth of what happened.Second — and this is for us. Some of the mufassirīn read it this way: today we do not need to find a cave and hide in it. Our cave is the Qur’an. Now that we know the challenges out there — the trials of faith, the fitnah of the end of time — where do we take refuge? Recite what has been revealed to you. The Qur’an is our cave. It is our protection. And the āyah tells us plainly: you will never find any refuge besides Him — no protection except the protection of Allah, and the best of that protection comes through our attachment to His Book.So the first shelter from every trial — from the Dajjāl himself — is to attach ourselves to the Qur’an. This is crucial: daily recitation, memorisation, understanding, a life guided by the Qur’an. This is number one.Ayah 28 — keep good companyوَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا“And keep yourself patiently
- 2 weeks ago15 min
Tajweed Tuesday
It’s Tuesday, so it’s Tajweed Tuesday — where we break down the tajweed rules from the ayat our students learn on Saturday at Qaswa Madrasah.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.This term and next, we’re working through Surah al-Kahf. This week: ayat 32 - 36.If the ayat feel too long to read in one sitting, break them down. Take one small portion and work it until it’s fluent. Then move to the next. Slow is fine. Stopping isn’t. Consistency beats intensity — every time.Thanks for reading Grounded! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.grounded.day/subscribe
- 3 weeks ago32 min
Matn Abī Shujāʿ — Part 3
Recap and continuation: the categories of water, skins of dead animals, bones and hair, gold and silver vessels, and the Siwāk.1. About the Text and Its AuthorMatn Abī Shujāʿ is a short treatise (not a poem) detailing the rulings of fiqh according to the Shāfiʿī school. The English poem used in class is a translated rendering; the original is prose.* Author: Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Iṣfahānī, known as Qāḍī Abū Shujāʿ.* Origin: Isfahan, in Persia (modern Iran).* Death and burial: He passed away in Madinah and is buried in al-Baqīʿ, the graveyard beside Masjid al-Nabawī.The first book of the treatise is the Book of Purification (Kitāb al-Ṭahārah). It opens with the seven waters — waters that are fit to purify.2. The Four Categories of WaterWater is divided into four categories, each with its own ruling.Category 1 — Muṭlaq (Pure and Purifying)Muṭlaq water is both pure and purifying. A useful comparison: soap is clean and cleansing — “clean” means it is not dirty, “cleansing” means it can clean something else. In the same way:* Pure means the water itself is not filth (najis).* Purifying means it can be used to purify something else.Muṭlaq water is naturally occurring — it comes either from the sky or from the ground. From it come the seven waters:* Rain falling from the clouds* Sea water* River water* Well water* Spring water* Snow (from mountain summits)* HailNote on tap and bottled water: These are not listed by name, but they are still pure and purifying because they originate from these seven sources — rain collected in a dam, sea water processed through desalination, river water, spring water, or a bore drawn from a well. The summary principle: water that comes from the sky above or from the ground below is naturally occurring, pure, and purifying.Category 2 — Mushammas (Sun-Heated Water)Mushammas is water left in a metal container and exposed to intense sun. The metal requirement is essential — water heated in plastic, clay, or other non-metal containers does not become mushammas. It also requires genuine heat: a mild warm day does not qualify, but extreme heat (for example, 40°C+) does.* Ruling: Still pure and still purifying, but its use is makrūh (disliked).* Once the water cools, the dislike (karāhah) ends and it returns to muṭlaq.Category 3 — Mustaʿmal (Used Water)There are two types of mustaʿmal:* Water that has already been used for wuḍūʾ or ghusl — it cannot be reused for purification.* Water mixed with something pure that changes its properties — for example, coffee. It can still be drunk, but it cannot be used for wuḍūʾ.Ruling: Pure, and may be drunk, but no longer purifying.Category 4 — Mutanajjis (Impure Water)Water that has become contaminated — for example, a bird droppings falling into a container of water.* Ruling: No longer pure and no longer purifying. It may not be drunk, cooked with, or used.The exception — Two Qullahs: If the water is a large volume — two qullahs, roughly 200 litres — then a small amount of impurity does not affect it. However, if the water’s colour, smell, or taste changes, it becomes mutanajjis regardless of volume.Illustration: Sea water is far more than two qullahs. But in places where large numbers of animals are killed and the sea water visibly turns red, the change in colour means that water has become mutanajjis — because a defining property has changed.3. Skins of Dead Animals (Maitah)Maitah is an animal that dies without being properly slaughtered.* Base ruling: Maitah is najis — the entire animal, including the meat and the skin.* The exception (dibāgh / tanning): When the skin is tanned and turned into leather, it becomes pure. This is why leather goods (a belt, a bag, a boot) do not need to be checked for whether the animal was slaughtered — turning skin into leather is itself the tanning that purifies it.How tanning works: The fat and any parts that would decompose are removed using a sharp tool and treated with acid, chemicals, or certain plants. Once tanned, the skin is no longer najis.Exception to the exception: Two animals whose skins remain najis even after tanning — the dog and the pig</s
- 3 weeks ago31 min
Who is a Kafir?
1. Quick Recap: Where We AreWe are working through Surah Al-Baqarah, and by now the introduction should be second nature.* Meaning of the surah: The Female Cow* Number of ayat: 286* Place of revelation: Madinah — this is an early Madani surah, one of the earliest revealed after the HijrahSurahs are classified by when they were revealed, not simply where:* Makki — revealed before the Hijrah* Madani — revealed after the Hijrah. A surah can even be revealed physically in Makkah, but if it came after the Hijrah, it is still Madani.Virtue of the surah: On the Day of Judgement, Surah Al-Baqarah and its “twin,” Surah Aali ‘Imran, will come like clouds to protect those who used to recite them.2. The Nine Divisions of the SurahSurah Al-Baqarah can be organised into nine broad sections:* Types of people* First command* First human* First nation* Prophet Ibrahim* New nation (and all its laws — prayer, fasting, hajj, family, and so on)* Politics* Finance* Conclusion3. Recap of Category One: The People of Taqwā* Taqwā = mindfulness of Allah. This definition comes from the well-known exchange involving Ubayy ibn Ka’b and the imagery of walking carefully along a thorny path.* The traits of the people of taqwā are described in Ayat 2–5.* The final word of Ayah 5 is al-Muflihūn — “the successful ones.”Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.4. Understanding “Success”: Fā’iz vs MuflihArabic has more than one word for success, and the distinction matters.* Fā’iz — the one who wins a competition. There is a single winner; everyone else, however well they did, is not the fā’iz.* Muflih — comes from the root falāḥ, which we hear every day in the adhan and iqamah: “Ḥayya ‘ala al-falāḥ” (”Come to success”).The imagery of falāḥ is agricultural — it is the success of a farmer at the point of harvest. This carries two lessons:* It is not a competition with others. If one farmer harvests 100 kilos and another 200 kilos, both have still had a genuine, good harvest. Everyone can be a muflih by their own effort and criteria. It is a competition with yourself, not with your neighbour.* It requires delayed gratification. You plant today but do not harvest tomorrow. You nurture the plant and wait, putting in the work in the interim.5. Delayed Gratification in This World and the NextSuccess in the akhirah comes much later — you plant now and harvest then. But the same discipline that earns success in the akhirah also brings success in this world.* The marshmallow test: children who could wait for a larger reward tended to be more successful later in life; many who could not delay gratification struggled.* Delayed gratification is what lets a student study now and play later, or read Qur’an now and read for leisure afterwards. Sometimes you have to grind and do the less-fun things in order to succeed.Taqwā trains this exact characteristic in us.6. Category Two: Al-Kāfirūn (Ayat 6–7)Having covered the people of taqwā, we now turn to the second category of people: the kuffār (disbelievers), described in Ayat 6 and 7.Two Layers of MeaningWords carry at least two kinds of meaning: a literal meaning and a technical meaning.Literal meaning: The root kafara means to cover, to bury. Literally, a kāfir can describe a farmer — the one who takes a seed, digs a hole, places it in, and covers it over with soil.* When the farmer is planting (covering the seed), the action relates to kufr(covering).* When the farmer is harvesting, that is falāḥ.This gives us the picture behind the word: a kāfir is someone who receives something good (a seed) and chooses to bury it, cover it, and ignore it — “if I don’t see it, it’s not there.”Technical MeaningThe technical meaning splits into two:* Qur’anic meaning — someone who receives something good (guidance, Islam) and deliberately buries and rejects it.* Fiqhī (legal) meaning — simply a non-Muslim.7. The Qur’anic Kāfir: Al-Ghazālī’s ConditionsWhen the Qur’an d
About Grounded
Grounded is a practical Islamic framework for living with clarity, resilience, and purpose in an age of distraction. Drawing on traditional Islamic scholarship, adapted for modern life, it offers a steady way of living faith — not by escaping the modern world, but by standing firmly within it. groundeddaily.substack.com
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