Rise & Reflect with Mufti Azeemuddin Ahmed | 03/30

Rise & Reflect — Fajr Gathering Reflections

In the name of Allah, the most Merciful, the most Compassionate. May Allah's peace, mercy, and blessings be upon the Master of Muhammad and his family.

Masha'Allah, how blessed we are to have such a beautiful Fajr gathering today. I request all the brothers to come close together and let us be inspired in each other's company — sharing some take-home points from i'tikaf and from the blessed month of Ramadan. What are some of the biggest take-away points that we are going to make note of, and hopefully others can listen to and get inspired by as well? And if there are any major intentions we're making for ourselves that might be inspiring for others, I'd just like to hear that as well.

Community Reflections & Takeaways

On Cutting Social Media & Pursuing Knowledge

One brother shared that he was inspired by the talk on cutting out social media for six weeks. He thought to himself: now that he would have all this extra time, what would he do with it? He decided he would read books — books purchased from the bookstore that he had never gotten around to finishing. His mission: to finish a few of those books.

Mufti Azeemuddin reflected: We had a long talk recently that ended up coming to social media. On the 25th night — Saturday night — we asked the crowd, who is willing to commit to a six-week break from social media? Alhamdulillah, the entire crowd — 300 plus individuals — raised their hands to make that intention.

We have one of our graduates from the Darussalam program who is now a teacher here, masha'Allah — a true expert. I asked him, how did you become such an expert? He said: the first year I came here, we were encouraged to stay off our phones — to cut it down or switch to a dumb phone. He decided to just hand his phone over to the office entirely. And he said: when I gave my phone to the office, all of a sudden I had so many extra hours in a day that I had never had before in my life. He didn't know what to do with it — so he just started studying. Beyond all the assigned homework, he started spending four extra hours a day on extracurricular studies of the deen. He said: that is what really helped me reach where I am. That is the amount of time saved from phones and social media. May Allah give barakah in your studies and your books.

Memorizing a Juz in Five Days

Another brother shared: he had promised Allah that he would memorize a specific portion during the last ten nights. He had planned to finish one juz of Surah al-Baqarah that he had remaining — and subhanAllah, he completed it in just five to seven days. The reason? No phones, no social media. Nothing to do except Quran and sleep.

Mufti Azeemuddin: You memorized one juz in five days — in the i'tikaf? Takbeer! Allahu Akbar. That is very inspiring, masha'Allah. No distractions, just Quran. And now your niyyah is to continue your memorization after Ramadan — masha'Allah.

Getting Attached to the Quran & Ma'arif al-Quran

A brother shared that seeing so many students of knowledge reading Quran in every corner of the masjid really inspired him to get more attached to the Quran — to read more in his day-to-day life. His intention: to finish the nine-to-ten volume Ma'arif al-Quran.

Mufti Azeemuddin: Allahu Akbar, masha'Allah — that is your goal, to finish Ma'arif al-Quran? For those who don't know, this is the eight-volume Tafsir by Mufti Shafi'i, rahmatullah alayhi, translated into English. It is arguably the best English Tafsir available — not only because it explains the meanings of the verses, but because it also covers the fiqh of the ayat. This is really important for us, because we live in a very diverse community where people are doing things differently and asking: why is this done this way? Studying Ma'arif al-Quran will give you an understanding not only of the Quran but of the fiqh of salah, fasting, zakat, and so much more. May Allah accept your intention. I hope this inspires others to make the same intention, insha'Allah.

First I'tikaf — 25 Para in Six Days

A young brother — first time at Darul Islam, first time ever doing i'tikaf — shared that he had only ever completed the Quran once, and it took him a full year. Since Wednesday of the i'tikaf, he had completed twenty-five para. Allahu Akbar!

Mufti Azeemuddin: Takbeer! Allahu Akbar! Masha'Allah, so inspiring. And the intention going forward: to read at least three to four para a week. Masha'Allah, amazing.

The Parable of the Bullet and the Quran

Mufti Azeemuddin shared the story of a brother he had met from another community — someone who had memorized 20 juz of the Quran but got caught up in the dunya, forgot most of it, and was not even completing a single khatm in the entire year. He got inspired recently, and from the previous week until that day, he had completed the entire Quran. He made niyyah to read one to two juz per day, and once he had istiqamah on that, to increase to three, four, or five per day.

In connection with this, Mufti Azeemuddin shared a story he had heard while in India:

A village had lions and predatory animals in the surrounding area. They had one security guard to protect them. One day, the villagers went to town and returned with a rifle — a new technology — along with a supply of bullets. They told the guard: even if an elephant charges at you, shoot it, and it will fall. The lion will be easy.

The next morning, they found the guard on the ground, gravely wounded, barely able to breathe. He told them: I saw a lion coming out of the jungle. I took a bullet — and I threw it at the lion. And the lion looked at me, jumped, and now I am dying.

The village chieftain said: Brother, subhanAllah — we never told you to throw the bullet! We said shoot it. The bullet goes inside the barrel, and it is the pressure from that which makes it powerful and effective. The bullet on its own does nothing.

The lesson: the bullet is the Quran, and the barrel is the body and the heart. If you take the Quran and put it on the bookshelf, not only will it do no good — it will harm us, because it will be a proof against us. But when you take the Quran and implement it in your life, that is when we become a potent force.

Sickness as a Mercy of Allah

One brother's takeaway from i'tikaf was realizing how merciful and kind Allah is. Many people got sick during the i'tikaf. He reflected: perhaps our own actions were too weak, so Allah gave us this sickness as a means of getting our sins forgiven and our rewards in the akhirah increased. That is the proper way of looking at it.

Mufti Azeemuddin: Many of you are saying, "I didn't reach my goals because I got sick." Alhamdulillah — you may end up being further ahead than those who reached their goals.

Reassessing Our Friendships

A brother reflected on the talk about the qualities to look for in your company — and how the less those qualities are present, the less time you spend with them: thirty minutes versus three minutes. He realized that most of his friends' conversations revolved around materialism. After hanging out with them he would feel hollow, empty — something was just not right. But because he grew up with them, he would stay for hours just to fit in. He realized this was a waste of time because they were not meeting any of the requirements — and as was said, he was taking more than he was giving.

Mufti Azeemuddin: May Allah make it easy for us to reassess all of our friendships. We have to make sure our relationships are ones in which we actually benefit — and insha'Allah that is what we need to do.

Being a Better Friend

Another brother echoed this: he may not be able to change people, but he can change himself. He can work on becoming a better friend — striving to embody the qualities a true friend should have, being more patient, being a better son, and a better Muslim.

Muraqabah — Talking to Allah

One of the most profound takeaways shared was the experience of muraqabah — spending time in seclusion, talking to Allah, engaging in the remembrance of Allah, and creating love for Allah in the heart.

Mufti Azeemuddin: Let's make the niyyah that daily we will have some quiet time with Allah. Every single day, we need to check in with Allah quietly. After salah, or late at night before we go to bed — a quick five-minute meditation. Pure silence, no phone, eyes closed, focusing on Allah's rahma coming upon us, speaking to Allah and asking Him for His love.

Allah se Allah ko mango — ask Allah for Allah. We ask Allah for things — but how many of us ask Allah for Allah? "Ya Allah, I don't want things. I want You." That is powerful. Imagine how much Allah will love that servant. He says: Look at this servant — the first thing on his tongue is, "Ya Allah, I want You."

Think about it in human terms: if your son or daughter comes to you and says, "Baba, I don't want anything for Eid — I have you," how does that make you feel? You'd probably start crying, get all teary-eyed. And then you'd go buy them hundreds of dollars of gifts. That's a trick they played on you — whoever says "Baba, I don't want Eidi, I just want you" is going to get triple the Eidi of anyone else.

So the one who asks Allah for Allah — Allah will always give him more than anything. Masha'Allah.

Racing for the First Row

One of the younger brothers shared how a group of brothers in the storage room had created a motivational chart for the last six days of i'tikaf. If you got the first two rows, you could sign your name in a box for each salah. They would make plans during the lines for Suhoor and Iftar — how to get the first row for Fajr, for Maghrib, for Taraweeh. It motivated all of them, alhamdulillah, and they were racing to get the first and second rows.

Mufti Azeemuddin: Masha'Allah, I didn't even know that existed — Allahu Akbar! What did the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, say? He said: if you knew the reward of the first row, you would fight for it, and the only way to settle the fight would be by drawing lots — because there are only thirty or sixty spots and everyone would want it. May Allah forgive me and all of us. The fact that we don't fight for it means the yaqeen of what awaits those in the front row is just not present in our hearts. And we're not even comparing to people sleeping at home — we're talking about just those who show up to the masjid. The difference between the first and second, between the first and the fourth row, is so enormous that you would fight for it. Imagine then the reward difference between those who come and those who don't. SubhanAllah — alhamdulillah, brothers are arguing for the front row!

First I'tikaf in 17 Years — Gratitude & Community

A senior brother — by his own description, "the oldie, old and bald" — shared that through this community, Islam Collective, he was blessed with good friends, and alhamdulillah, he was able to do his first i'tikaf in seventeen years. Staying for a few days, going back home to take care of his children, then returning at 1 AM or 2 AM — seeing the young kids recite Quran, reading more Quran here than perhaps the entire year, and getting the first row for Fajr for the first time in a long time. He was overwhelmingly grateful for the gathering and the people in it.

Mufti Azeemuddin: Brothers, I know all of us have read more Quran in this i'tikaf than before. The simple thing I want to tell you is this: if we want a real, immediate action item — we need a Quran buddy. We are not going to sustain this on our own. If we were good on our own, we would have read already. The fact that we got motivated in i'tikaf means we need someone to prod us and push us.

My strong suggestion is: get a Quran teacher. Whether from Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia — wherever. The investment of $100 a month means nothing to us here, but for that teacher, his whole household runs on that $100. He will call you until you pick up, because that is his livelihood. You set the time — 3 AM, 4 AM, 2 PM — and he will be there. He is your spotter, like someone spotting you at the gym.

I know people who could barely read a quarter juz in a whole week who are now reading three juz a day. That is the barakah of the Quran teacher. If you don't have one, come talk to me after we finish and I'll connect you with someone insha'Allah.

The Mercy of Allah — Rahman and Rahim

One brother reflected on the mercy of Allah — His names Al-Rahman and Al-Rahim. He said: before the last ten days began, many of us were involved in things that kept us away from Allah. Yet Allah handpicked each one of us to be here. The mercy of Allah extends through the seven heavens and the seven earths.

His message to everyone: never think you can never escape a sin or an addiction. Keep your trust in Allah. Keep repenting. Pray two raka'at of Salat al-Tawbah every time you fall. Believe in the mercy of Allah — it is always there. He loves you seventy times more than your own mother does. Your mother would take a bullet for you — and then there is Allah, Al-Khaliq, Al-Malik, the King of all kings and the Lord of all worlds.

In the time of our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, there were boys of sixteen and seventeen taking part in the battles of Badr and Uhud. We are definitely not there, but we can improve every single day by trusting that Allah is with us. Remember: Allah loves you. There is no limit to it. If you are here in the last ten days, there was something special in you that Allah handpicked to be in His presence.

Gratitude for the Institution & Making Intention

A community member who has been part of this community since the masjid was built — and who had never done i'tikaf here despite ten years of trying — shared that there is always hope. Make the intention, commit to it, and make it happen. He also called on everyone to make du'a for the teachers, the staff, and especially for Mufti Sahib and his family, for their health, and for the institution.

Bringing a Non-Muslim Friend to Iftar

One brother shared that he and a friend — also doing i'tikaf — were able to bring a non-Muslim friend to the masjid on Thursday. After Isha, they sat with him and spoke. He said he really appreciated the community at Darul Islam — how open it was, how diverse. He got to have iftar with everyone, had some of his questions answered, and was gifted some introductory books on Islam. He felt at home. He even got to speak with some of the converts in attendance. Alhamdulillah.

Imam Ghazali, Travelling in the Path of Allah & Islam's Own Shine

A brother shared two takeaways. First: the review of Imam Ghazali's book was very refreshing, and his intention is to buy it and study it insha'Allah. Second: the talk by Hafiz Sulaiman about his experiences travelling in the path of Allah — encountering so many people and people who accepted Islam — and Mufti Sahib's account of the four months he spent in India, and how refreshing it was when he returned. His intention: to go out and spend more time in the path of Allah.

And he shared a quote from Hafiz Sulaiman that he wanted everyone to hear:

"Islam doesn't need polish. It has its own shine. We just need to remove the dust that we put on it."

Mufti Azeemuddin: Masha'Allah. So true.

A Place of Refuge — Life or Death

One brother shared, with deep emotion, his gratitude for institutions like Darul Islam. He described this Ramadan as more than an oasis — for him and his family, it was, as he said, "life or death." SubhanAllah. The fact that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala wants to show His mercy even when we are so ungrateful — there are no words for it. He is trying to instill this in his family: if you are struggling, if you are suffocating, if you can't think straight — come to a masjid like Darul Islam and seek Allah and find Him here.

Children Praying & Correcting Each Other at 2 AM

A brother was walking down the staircase at around 2 or 3 AM when he saw four little children — all under seven years old — leading each other in salah on the staircase. When they finished, they started giving each other feedback: "Oh, you did this wrong — but it's okay, you just have to fix it." So encouraging, so uplifting. SubhanAllah.

Mufti Azeemuddin: We learn from this that everyone is a product of their environment. If our children have kids around them who are motivated, they will flourish. Everyone worries: how do I do tarbiyah for my kids? Find good company for your children — kids who are on a dini wavelength. And insha'Allah, your kids will go beyond you.

Making Istighfar Every Day

One brother's biggest takeaway: to make istighfar every single day, and after every sin. If we don't, there are many evil effects of sins that accumulate in the heart. And especially since the Prophets of Allah — who were sinless — also made istighfar every day, how much more do we need to.

Khidmah of Parents — The Unpayable Debt

A brother shared that the candlelight session on "the unpayable debt" — about the sacrifices of parents — opened his eyes to the countless sacrifices his parents made that he had never truly understood before. His intention: to go home and take every little opportunity to do khidmah for his parents and spend as much time with them as possible.

Mufti Azeemuddin: A very important lesson for all of us. We don't know how long we may have that blessing. SubhanAllah.

Hope for the Ummah — The Youth

A brother shared two points. First: when we look at the condition of the Muslims in the world, it can feel discouraging. But seeing the youth here — their passion for reading Quran, twelve-year-olds and fifteen-year-olds doing three-day and five-day khatams — gives tremendous hope. What part of the world is this happening? Is this happening in America? Nobody would imagine this. It gives us a lot of hope for the future of this ummah and this country.

Second: he thanked Brother Adam and all the organizers for doing mashwara every day with the group of mu'takifeen, taking everyone's opinions and working to improve. They went above and beyond. And one thing Brother Adam highlighted was that he didn't want to make it too strict — this needs to be a place where youth want to come and enjoy, not a place they are pushed away from.

Asbab al-Nuzul — The Context of the Quran

A brother who attended the Asbab al-Nuzul sessions with Mufti Minhaj — brought along by his father who encouraged them even when they were tired and had tests — shared what he had taken away. When you don't explore the context of the Quran and its actual meanings, there is a kind of barrier, a separation. But sitting in that crowd and learning the context showed how much of a guide the Quran was and is — for our people today, and for those of the past.

He shared a specific example: during Suhoor time, the Quran spoke about a "white thread" appearing at the horizon as the sign for when Suhoor time begins. Some of the Sahabah — radiyallahu anhum — tied a white thread and a black thread to their ankles, and when they could distinguish between the two by the light of dawn, that is when they would end their Suhoor. They had to turn to the Rasul, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, for clarification — and this is the Quran in their own language, revealed for them.

The takeaway: even the Sahabah, who are our shining examples, had to keep going back to their Rasul for further understanding. How much more then do we need to keep striving to understand the Quran?

Mufti Azeemuddin: Masha'Allah. Tafsir. Just because we know the Arabic language does not mean we have it all figured out.

Talking to Allah — 15 Minutes That Changed Everything

A brother who did i'tikaf at ICW this year shared that his key insight was inspired by a khutbah given there two weeks ago. The key message was: talk to God. Just ten, fifteen, twenty minutes a day — talk to God — and watch how your life changes. You will never go astray.

Since then, he made it a point to talk to Allah every single day. Fifteen to twenty minutes — sometimes thirty minutes, sometimes an hour. The results: more khushu in his salah, all stress and anxiety gone, complete trust in Allah. And most importantly — he said — he feels like he has gained a friend in Allah. And he feels like he doesn't need anyone in life, as long as Allah is his friend. SubhanAllah. Masha'Allah. Takbeer.

Screen Time Down 65% — Dhikr Majlis & Connections

A student from the Tadris (high school) program — the only one in his class who did i'tikaf this year — shared that his screen time was down 65% from the week before. He met people from all over: a group from INC Foundation in Baltimore, a person from Colorado, a person from Florida — all coming just for i'tikaf. The time he spent with the senior scholars, the advice they gave, was amazing. And the dhikr majlis after every candlelight conversation was something particularly beautiful — a feeling he said he cannot describe.

Mufti Azeemuddin: This is something we can take back — doing dhikr majlis at home. We may not have a majlis in our local masjid, but we can start doing this at home insha'Allah.

Ibn al-Jawzi's Reminder — Allah's Care for His Servant

The same brother quoted Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzi:

"If a person truly knew how much Allah loves and looks after the affairs of His servant, his heart would melt out of love for Allah."

He reflected on seeing people during the night sessions — crying, asking Allah for forgiveness, reconnecting because of muhasabah and seclusion. SubhanAllah, seeing people with pure hearts, crying for the sake of Allah, asking for His love and forgiveness — there are no words for that. And for those who could not cry, he had asked one of the Muftis: what about them? The Mufti replied: everyone has a connection with Allah, and everyone is pure in the sight of Allah. Whoever has the desire for Allah's forgiveness — Allah accepts them. Even the desire to cry for the sake of Allah is itself a blessing.

He also reminded: the taqwa of Ramadan — the attitude of "I will not sin because Allah will be more displeased with me during this sacred month" — that same taqwa should remain with us the entire year. The Lord of Ramadan is the Lord of Shawwal — the same Lord.

Gratitude for Mentors Who Changed Our Lives

A local brother shared that Darul Islam has changed his life for the better since high school. He was born Muslim and his mother taught him the basics — but it was the mentors, Mufti Zia, Mufti Minhaj, and all the great teachers here, that truly transformed him. He noted: the mahal here is different. Other masajids are not like this. As Mufti Azim once shared in a previous i'tikaf: there is like a cloud over Darul Islam — and we need to take advantage of that.

Serving the Community Through Our Careers

A brother pursuing a legal education shared that he had been deeply thinking about why he is doing it. There are the dunya reasons — making money, making his parents proud — but there was a feeling of emptiness inside. The candlelight conversations raised a question in him: how can I serve Allah through what I do? With people in the American Muslim community now being picked up off the street for exercising their right to free speech, he realized: in his own career path, he can make a difference — not just in the dunya, but for his fellow brothers and sisters. Masha'Allah.

Honoring the Father Behind the Institution

A brother made sure that before the gathering ended, the sacrifice of the father of Mufti Azim and Mufti Minhaj was acknowledged and thanked. JazakAllah khair — most definitely.

Every Person Is a Gem

A brother who only joined for the last couple of days shared two reflections. First: the lessons you can take from people around you who have different experiences and backgrounds are incredible. No matter where someone comes from, you can take something from them. Second: these ties cannot be cut after Ramadan. If we don't maintain relationships with these people, who will our tarbiyah come from? In the end, it is our friends who will be with us.

Mufti Azeemuddin: Every single person is a gem. Every single person has qualities that we don't have. But we need to spend time with them to benefit from those qualities. Our habit of rushing in and out of salah doesn't help. We need to slow down and start getting to know people a little more.

Talking to Someone Who Lost a Parent & Rights of Neighbours

A brother shared two takeaways. First: after being encouraged to speak to someone who had recently lost a parent, he did. He spoke to a brother whose father had passed away suddenly — perfectly healthy one day, gone the next — at an age younger than his own father is now. It made him want to do so much more for his father while he still has him.

Second: reflecting on the talk about the rights of neighbours, he realized there are about five Muslim families within his subdivision, near Masjid Isa — all saying they go to the masjid, yet they never see each other there. His intention: to create a group chat within the subdivision and start carpooling to salah together. Alhamdulillah.

Closing Reminders & Call to Action

Make Niyyah for I'tikaf Next Year

Mufti Azeemuddin: For next year, the dates will be approximately mid-March — around the 10th to the 20th. Those who already have jobs: put it in your calendar now and try to request the time off two months in advance. Until you actually stay here for an extended period of time, just coming for Taraweeh doesn't do it. You have to cut yourself off — whether three days, four days, five days, or ideally ten.

One of my teachers said to me: the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, did i'tikaf every single year without exception. If the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, thought it was necessary for himself to do i'tikaf — where do we belong? We need months of i'tikaf. He kept recharging himself in Ramadan for ten days. How can we think it's okay to just pray once in a while?

I met a brother recently who had never heard of i'tikaf. He was going through a difficult time and heard about it from an online speaker, then called nineteen masajid — no one picked up. Darul Islam and one other masjid answered. He showed up at Asr time just to see what it was. His mother said, "This is a bid'ah — we're Arabs and we've never done this in our masjid." But he said, "I don't know about any bid'ah, but I need this." And alhamdulillah, he stayed. Now, I met him yesterday — he has so many questions about seeking 'ilm — and just by attending the talks, all of his questions were answered.

Similarly, a brother told me he brought a friend with many objections about Islam. I said: just let him attend all the sessions. Six or seven days later, he told me: masha'Allah, that brother's questions are finished. When you sit with ikhlas and sincerity, and say, "Ya Allah, allow me to find the answers" — Allah will give you those answers.

So I want all of us to make the niyyah right now: next year, insha'Allah, we come for the ten days — and we try to bring two to three friends with us. So when you go back to your own community, you are not alone. You take back the ruhaniyyah and spirituality from these ten days and impart it in your own community. This year we had approximately 120 in i'tikaf — masha'Allah, the largest. Next year, insha'Allah, we aim for 150, 160 — why not?

You are all ambassadors — not just of Darul Islam, but of the deen. When you walk out from here, do your best to represent Islam and the Sunnah of Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And please benefit from whichever ulama are in your local community — attend their daily halaqat and programs. The effort of da'wah is beautiful wherever it is taking place.

Build a Fajr Club in Your Community

For brothers within driving distance of Darul Islam — take the spirit of what happened in this i'tikaf and make it your own. Create a small group amongst yourselves — a Fajr club, an Isha club. Consistently push each other to be at the masjid for salah. Imagine a masjid where thirty to forty young men show up for Salat al-Fajr every single day — that will be a game changer. Let IFS have one, Masjid Al-Uthman have one, Darul Islam have one, MSI have one. SubhanAllah.

Daily Practices to Maintain After Ramadan

Mufti Azeemuddin: After Dhuhr — make the Manzil your daily regimen. One to two times a day, every single day. I memorized it at age six and, alhamdulillah, have not missed it since. It is a crazy world — you cannot afford to go without it. Once you finish, blow on your hands and wipe over your body with the niyyah of shifa and protection. Do not underestimate the power of these verses of the Quran.

Morning and evening du'as — please make these a lifelong habit. Take the du'a card from the office if you don't have one. Download the Manzil. And keep Surah Yasin as a regular habit as well.

Closing Du'a

We end this session asking Allah for istiqamah, and asking Allah to grant us forgiveness for not fulfilling the rights of Ramadan, of i'tikaf, or of the house of Allah. If we ever did anything to break each other's hearts — even inadvertently — we ask Allah to inspire us to forgive one another and to seek each other's forgiveness. Connect with one another even outside of Ramadan. Exchange your numbers. And insha'Allah, as one of the young brothers said, the relationships we have formed in this i'tikaf will be with us forever.

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.