How Karbala Became the Greatest Symbol of Light Over Darkness
The conflict between light and darkness has existed from the very beginning. Darkness always seeks to consume light.
To understand this, let us first place before us a verse from the Qur'an.
Allah says:
(Surah An-Nur 24:35)
اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth."
Light represents illumination. But what does light actually do?
Light reveals the true reality of things.
How?
To understand this, we need to reflect upon the event of Karbala.
The Event of Karbala
In Karbala, Imam Hussain (A.S.) came forward as the representative of light, revealing the true nature of Islam.
How?
Standing against Imam Hussain (A.S.) was Yazid, who had altered Islam according to his own desires.
His character showed no respect for women, no regard for Islamic Shariah, and he even sought to alter its teachings.
But Imam Hussain (A.S.) demonstrated that every woman deserves honor and respect
as a mother, a sister, a daughter, and a wife.
This understanding established moral boundaries. It taught that not everything can be treated the same way, because every person and every relationship possesses its own sanctity and sacred dignity.
These are the very boundaries of honor and respect that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ established through his teachings and example.
Before Islam, during the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah), women were given little or no value, and infant daughters were buried alive.
Then the Prophet ﷺ came and revealed the true status and honour of daughters before mankind.
Imam Hussain (A.S.) followed this very path by making these distinctions clear and revealing the unique dignity of every relationship.
Let us understand this through another example.
During the daytime, we can clearly see the colors of everything.
Trees appear green.
The sky and the sea appear blue.
Flowers display their many beautiful colors.
But as soon as night arrives, these colors disappear from our sight.
Everything begins to look dark.
Flowers seem to lose their colors.
Trees no longer appear green.
In the same way, Yazid showed no respect for women because he failed to recognize the sacred dignity and relationships that every woman possesses.
Moreover, Islam does not permit the killing of women in war. He showed no respect for the dignity and honor of women. He imprisoned the family of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Ahl al-Bayt). Not only were they taken captive, but they were also subjected to immense suffering and humiliation. They were bound with ropes and paraded through the streets. This was a grave crime and a sin of such magnitude that it cannot be justified or excused.
It is only through light that these distinctions become visible.
This is why darkness does not like to accept the individuality of everything.
Darkness itself is black; it does not possess the capacity to appreciate these realities.
Darkness is represented by Satan.
However, Satan never comes openly as darkness.
He comes disguised as light.
He deceives people while attempting to extinguish the true light.
But true light can never die.
Why?
Because it comes from Allah.
Among Allah's Beautiful Names are:
يَا حَيُّ (Ya Hayyu) — The Ever-Living.
يَا قَيُّومُ (Ya Qayyum) — The Self-Subsisting, the One who sustains all existence.
If Allah is Ever-Living and Everlasting, then how can the light that comes from Him ever be extinguished?
Allah grants this light to every person who is sincere with Him.
As this light continues to grow within a person, more and more of reality begins to reveal itself.
Just as after the night gradually ends, daylight begins to appear, and the true colors of everything become visible once again.
That is why the struggle between darkness and light continues.
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How Will Allah Judge Humanity on the Day of Judgment?
We all know that the Day of Judgment will be the Day of perfect justice. Every human being will be rewarded or held accountable according to their deeds.
But how will Allah judge every individual?
Who will truly attain success?
To understand this, we turn to the Qur'an.
Allah says:
Surah Ash-Shams (91:7–8)
«وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا
"And by the soul and He who proportioned it, and inspired it with discernment of its wickedness and its righteousness."
From these verses, we understand that every human being has been shown the difference between right and wrong, regardless of their religion. Every person will be judged according to their deeds, based on the knowledge they possessed of right and wrong. In other words, Allah will consider the circumstances they lived in, the strength and ability they had, and after all of that, what they chose.
That is why Allah says:
Surah Ash-Shu'ara (26:88–89)
«يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ
"The Day when neither wealth nor children will benefit anyone, except the one who comes to Allah with a sound and pure heart."
According to this reflection, this is the parameter that Allah values:
What was in a person's heart?
What was their intention?
This is a truth that no human being can deny. Allah Himself has described it as the foundation of true success. This is the parameter that deserves our attention. Therefore, it is essential to understand what a sound and pure heart (Qalb-e-Saleem) truly is.
A Qalb-e-Saleem is a heart free from every defect. It is pure from every form of hatred, every kind of greed, and every spiritual impurity. It believes only in Allah and commits no shirk. It is clean and pure in every way. Allah has given the glad tidings of success to such people.
Yet the heart is also the place where desires are born. If a heart becomes purified from those desires and reaches Allah in that pure state, it will find peace on the Day of Judgment.
Such a heart can belong to any human being, regardless of their religion, because according to this reflection, Allah will judge people based on knowledge: whether, after receiving the knowledge of Islam, they followed it or not.
This standard is different for every individual because every person's test is different. Therefore, keep cleansing your heart every day and draw closer to Allah.
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Why Is Takabbur Such a Serious Sin? | Lessons from Hadith & Qur’anic Psychology
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
“No one who has even a mustard seed’s weight of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise.”
Sahih Muslim 91
And in the Qur’an, Allah says:
Surah An-Nahl 16:23
اِنَّهٗ لَا يُحِبُّ الۡمُسۡتَكۡبِرِيۡنَ
“Indeed, He does not like those who are arrogant.”
So, why is Takabbur (arrogance) such a serious sin?
What does arrogance actually do to a human being that Allah gives such a severe warning against it?
The answer can be understood through the psychology of the Hadith—and even more deeply through one of the Names of Allah:
Al-Mutakabbir — ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ
Al-Mutakabbir (ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ) is commonly understood as The Supremely Great, The Majestic, or The Dominant One.
But there is a deeper meaning here that is extremely important to understand.
Let us search for the answer to one question:
Why is Allah Al-Mutakabbir?
Why does true dominance and absolute greatness belong to Allah alone?
Because Allah possesses total knowledge.
He possesses total mercy.
He possesses total kingdom and authority.
Human beings, however, do not possess complete knowledge. A person does not know what the future holds. How, then, can a human being know with certainty what another person will do in the future?
If a person does not even possess complete knowledge of his own future, how can he become arrogant toward another human being?
How can a human being claim superiority when absolute dominance is not a human attribute?
Whatever position, status, ability, knowledge, beauty, wealth, or honor a person has received is ultimately a favor and blessing from Allah.
Therefore, instead of arrogance, a human being should respond to Allah’s blessings with gratitude and thankfulness.
To understand this more deeply, we need to read the next part of the Hadith.
What Is Takabbur According to the Prophet ﷺ?
A man asked the Prophet ﷺ about a person who likes his clothes and shoes to be beautiful. The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Indeed, Allah is Beautiful and He loves beauty. Arrogance is rejecting the truth and looking down on people.”
Sahih Muslim 91a
This Hadith gives us a profound definition of Takabbur.
Takabbur is not simply wearing beautiful clothes, having good shoes, looking attractive, or appreciating beauty.
The Prophet ﷺ clearly explained that arrogance is something much deeper:
Rejecting the truth and considering other people inferior.
This shows us that when a person looks down upon others and considers himself better than them, he is displaying the psychological reality of Takabbur.
Why Does Takabbur Belong to Allah Alone?
Allah is Al-Mutakabbir (ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ) because He is the absolute Owner and Master of everything.
He possesses complete knowledge.
He possesses absolute authority.
He possesses the entire kingdom.
He possesses perfect greatness and majesty.
A human being possesses none of these attributes absolutely.
Whatever a person has is something Allah has granted him.
Your knowledge is granted by Allah.
Your wealth is granted by Allah.
Your strength is granted by Allah.
Your beauty is granted by Allah.
Your position is granted by Allah.
Even the ability to achieve anything is ultimately a blessing from Allah.
So when a person becomes arrogant because of something Allah Himself gave him, he forgets the true source of that blessing.
This is why gratitude is a better path than arrogance.
The Greatest Example of Takabbur: Iblis
The Qur’an gives us the most powerful example of arrogance in the story of Iblis.
When Allah commanded Iblis to prostrate before Adam عليه السلام, Iblis refused and said:
Surah Sad 38:76
اَنَا خَيۡرٌ مِّنۡهُؕ خَلَقۡتَنِىۡ مِنۡ نَّارٍ وَّخَلَقۡتَهٗ مِنۡ طِيۡنٍ
“I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.”
Look carefully at the psychology behind these words:
“I am better than him.”
This was the attitude of Iblis.
He compared himself with Adam عليه السلام and considered himself superior.
And this arrogance became the cause of his downfall.
The lesson is profound:
Takabbur does not merely make a person proud; it can make him blind to the truth of his own position before Allah.
No Creation Has the Right to Be Arrogant
Therefore, arrogance is not something Allah has permitted for any of His creation—whether human or jinn.
A human being should understand his own condition.
He should remember that whatever he possesses has been given to him by Allah.
If Allah has given him knowledge, he should be grateful.
If Allah has given him wealth, he should be grateful.
If Allah has given him status, beauty, strength, or any other blessing, he should recognize it as a favor from Allah.
The better path is therefore Shukr (gratitude), not Takabbur (arrogance).
Because when a person forgets that everything he possesses is ultimately from Allah and begins to think, “I am better than others,” he begins walking toward the same psychological attitude that caused Iblis to fall.
And that is why the warning against Takabbur is so serious.
The real question is not:
“What do I possess that makes me better than others?”
The real question is:
“What do I possess that Allah Himself has not given me?”
When a person truly understands this, arrogance begins to disappear—and gratitude begins to take its place.
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Allah Is Watching Us: The Secret Sign of Free Will | Qur’anic Psychology
We all know that Allah is watching us, right?
But how can this prove that human free will is real?
Let’s decode this reflection.
There is a concept in physics that
when something is observed, it can begin to behave differently.
This is a concept from physics, but if we decode its psychology, we can discover a very amazing fact.
First of all, the question is:
Why does something begin to behave differently when it is being observed?
Let's illustrate this with an example.
Imagine that you work in an office. Your workplace is far away from your boss, so while working, you use your mobile phone according to your own choice, take rest breaks, or do things that are not actually allowed.
Then your boss installs a camera through which you are being watched.
Would you behave in exactly the same way?
Of course not.
You would become more careful and work more efficiently.
And if you forgot that a camera had been installed, you might once again become careless and start doing the same things you were doing before.
This is a psychological fact: comfort can make you forgetful about your actions and your environment.
When you place yourself in a comfortable atmosphere, you can simply let yourself go with the flow.
And this is how a human being can forget Allah.
When that comfort is taken away from a person, he wants to regain that habit, that comfort, or that peace once again.
This is one reason why a person can begin to struggle with Allah, question Him, and ask, “Why is this happening?”
He may even forget that he is in a trial.
But Allah does not forget.
Allah has given human beings enough ability and power that they can do wrong, cause harm, or make themselves better.
But when a person continuously makes the effort to improve himself for Allah, all those things that he does not want to do become sacrifices that he makes for Allah.
This changes a person from within.
It teaches him patience.
It teaches him sacrifice.
A person sacrifices his free will for Allah.
And Allah has promised a reward for that sacrifice.
But among all of these people, the better ones are those who make these sacrifices not merely for the sake of reward, but out of love for Allah.
That is why Allah is watching us: because free will is a real phenomenon, and we are being tested through the way we use it.
The punishment a person receives is connected to the negative use of his free will the selfish choices he makes and the wrong actions he chooses for himself.
And when you have placed yourself completely inside a comfortable atmosphere, you can forget the One who is always watching you.
So, Allah is watching us because we are in a trial and trials always come with free will.
Because Allah says in Quran
Surah Al-Insan 76:3
اِنَّا هَدَيۡنٰهُ السَّبِيۡلَ اِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَّاِمَّا كَفُوۡرًا
“Indeed, We guided him to the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.”
And
Surah Al-Kahf 18:29
وَقُلِ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ
“And say, ‘The truth is from your Lord. So whoever wills—let him believe; and whoever wills—let him disbelieve.’”
These two verses tell us that the Qur’an has already declared that you have a choice: you may accept it or reject it. And the direct meaning of being given a choice is free will.
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Assalamu Alaikum, I’m Hammad Hussain, the founder of Raast Official. This platform is a blend of my original poetry and deep Quranic reflections. My goal is simple: to explore human emotions and spiritual wisdom through the beauty of words. I invite you to reflect, connect, and find clarity with me on this journey.
