Basma Zaki

So it turns out you never really know how much you can take, unless you’re literally forced into staying strong through certain days. Sometimes it comes as a surprise, even to your own self, and you watch in awe as a new version of yourself starts emerging along with what you’re unexpectedly enduring. It surprises […]

I’ve always heard about Sayedna Yusuf’s brothers in contexts that involve envy, jealousy and hatred. Everyone who ever spoke about them would always mention them within a negative theme, and would mostly just take away from them the importance of purifying our hearts, etc. I’ve always even personally despised them and wondered how a normal […]

فَأَجَاءَهَا الْمَخَاضُ إِلَى جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَذَا وَكُنْتُ نَس مَنْسِيًّا (23) فَنَادَاهَا مِنْ تَحْتِهَا أَلَّا تَحْزَنِي قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّا (24) وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا (25) فَكُلِي وَاشْرَبِي وَقَرِّي عَيْنًا فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ أَحَدًا فَقُولِي إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنْسِيًّا (26) [Translation: […]

“He whom Allah guides is the [rightly] guided” – Surat Al Kahf “مَنْ يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ” -سورة الكهف I recently came to learn about an interesting observation on this part of the verse that draws a smile on my face every time I come across it. And that makes me fall even more in […]

“Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You]” – Surat Al Araf “ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَنْ شَمَائِلِهِمْ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ” – سورة الأعراف How […]

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ (البقرة: ١٥٥) [Translation: And We will most certainly test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss of wealth, lives and fruits; but give good news to those who patiently persevere.] (Al-Baqarah: 155) I love reading people’s stories. With the year […]

  حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ (سورة البقرة: ٢٣٨) Translation: [Guard your prayers, especially the Middle Prayer; and stand before Allah in devotion] (Al-Baqarah: 238) This post is just for the purpose of appreciating the beauty of Qur’an and its very well-chosen phrases, that keep blowing my mind. I’ve recently learned how […]

One of my ultimate favorite duaas. ❤️ When something terrible happens, we often find ourselves asking why. He eventually answers the question when we realize it could have never worked out any other way. But then something terrible happens again, and we still find ourselves back to asking why. It keeps happening. He keeps showing […]

  I’ve been thinking a lot about death lately. Losing people to death. There isn’t a single person I currently know who hasn’t gone through the pain of losing a loved one. And I’ve seen how it changes most of them. The way they smile. The way they interact with people. The way they generally […]

  “And make me content with it.” The idea of Istikhara (the prayer of seeking guidance) used to scare me a little when I was young. It always worked when I felt confused. But whenever someone suggested it for things I really, truly wanted, my heart used to always skip a beat. Because what if […]

  There’s something so beautiful about being able to pray for the people you love, that I can never put in words. You see someone hurting so bad, and only wish you could help them heal. You feel their every invisible wound, yet turn so helpless against their human desire to constantly conceal. And then […]

Alhamdulillah. This phrase has lately been a literal source of warmth to my heart, and I’m never able to explain it. Alhamdulillah. It’s this amazing mixture of love, gratitude, and praise, that instantly makes everything better by just saying it. Alhamdulillah. It’s addictive. I say it once, and my tongue continues involuntarily repeating it. Alhamdulillah. […]

While originally being said to Prophet Yusuf (AS) as part of a longer verse, I’ve lately been feeling like this sentence is directly speaking to me. It’s also among the many instances I keep realizing the beauty of the Arabic language, and God’s choice of words. Because there’s more to يجتبيك than just “choosing.” In […]

My heart really hurts every time I keep praying – with my entire being – for a certain something to happen, and yet all I get is silence in return. Just silence. Not even signs. Nor any hidden comforting messages between the lines. Silence. Just that. My eyes would often turn back to the sky, […]

Duaa works in so many beautiful ways. You can pray for money, and out of nowhere, get exactly that. But then you can also pray for money, and instead get saved from a disease that would have cost you a fortune to overcome – while you know nothing about it. You can pray for money, […]

I say I love You But then I turn back to sleep once my alarm‘s on for Fajr I say I need You But then I forget to start my day with even a slight bit of حمد I say I trust You But then I keep questioning my every unfortunate event I almost turn […]

A few days ago, I was listening to a tafseer on Maryam (AS)’s story (she’s my favorite and I never get enough of hearing about her -in case you haven’t noticed). There was this part about how it was evident God wanted her to go back to her community after giving birth, despite how much […]

Every time I come across this part of Surah Al Kahf, where Al-Khidr has to remind Moses three times that he asked him to stay patient and not ask questions while he follows him until he himself explains it all, a part of me wonders what was really so hard about watching in silence? I […]