Taraweeh Reflection – Day 5 | Juz 5
Theme: Obedience Over Desire

Bismillāh wal-ḥamdu lillāh waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh.

Dear brothers and sisters,
Tonight in Juz 5, Allah confronts us with a deeply personal question:
Allah says:
‎أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ ۚ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ
“Do they seek the judgment of ignorance? And who is better than Allah in judgment for a people who have certainty?”
(Surah Al-Mā’idah 5:50)
This ayah is not only addressing past communities.
It is speaking directly to the human heart — to our daily choices.

1. The Real Battle: Revelation vs Desire
Every believer lives between two voices:
* The voice of revelation — what Allah commands.
* The voice of impulse — what feels easy, comfortable, or enjoyable.
Islam is not simply believing that Allah exists.
Islam is deciding who gets to decide how we live.
Jāhiliyyah — ignorance — is not just a historical period before Islam.
Jāhiliyyah happens whenever:
* Desire overrides guidance.
* Culture overrides Qur’an.
* Convenience overrides obedience.
Allah is asking:
Who do you allow to judge your life — Allah or your feelings?

2. Obedience Is the True Test of Faith
Allah says elsewhere:
‎فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
“But no, by your Lord, they will not truly believe until they make you, O Muhammad, judge in all disputes between them, then find no discomfort in what you decide and submit completely.”
(Surah An-Nisā’ 4:65)
True faith is not only outward obedience.
It is inner acceptance.
Not just doing what Allah says — but surrendering the heart to it.
Because sometimes obedience conflicts with desire.
And Ramadan exposes this reality clearly.

3. Ramadan: Training the Soul
Think about fasting.
You are hungry.
Food is halal.
Water is halal.
Yet you refuse it — not because food is wrong, but because Allah said not now.
Fasting teaches one powerful lesson:
If you can leave halal for Allah, you can leave haram for Allah.
Ramadan is spiritual training.
Discipline strengthens faith.
Every fast, every Taraweeh prayer, every struggle against sleep or distraction is strengthening your spiritual muscles.

4. Where Do We Choose Convenience?
Tonight’s reflection is simple but uncomfortable:
Where do I choose convenience over obedience?
Let us be honest with ourselves.
In Prayer
Do I delay salah because I am busy… but never delay entertainment?
Allah says:
‎إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا
“Indeed, prayer has been prescribed upon the believers at fixed times.”
(Surah An-Nisā’ 4:103)
Prayer is scheduled by Allah — not by our convenience.

In Private Sins
Many struggles today happen in private spaces:
* phones,
* screens,
* late-night scrolling,
* unseen habits.
We remember Allah in public — but who are we when only Allah sees us?
The strongest believer is not the one seen worshipping most publicly, but the one who obeys Allah when no one else is watching.

In Speech and Character
Sometimes obedience means holding back words.
The Prophet ﷺ said that a person may speak a word without thinking and fall deeply because of it.
Choosing silence, patience, forgiveness — these are acts of obedience over ego.

In Lifestyle Choices
Modern life constantly promotes:
* “Follow your heart.”
* “Do what feels right.”
* “You deserve it.”
Islam teaches something higher:
Follow revelation, and your heart will become right.

5. Why Discipline Strengthens Faith
Every act of obedience sends a message to your soul:
Allah comes before me.
And something beautiful happens:
* Sins begin to feel heavier.
* Worship begins to feel sweeter.
* The heart becomes calmer.
Allah says:
‎وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا
“Those who strive for Our sake — We will surely guide them to Our paths.”
(Surah Al-‘Ankabūt 29:69)
Guidance comes after effort.
Not before struggle — but through struggle.

6. Practical Steps: Choosing Obedience Daily
Tonight’s action is simple:
Choose obedience once today — consciously.
Not ten things. Just one deliberate choice for Allah.

Here are practical ways:
1. Guard One Prayer Perfectly
Pray one salah:
* on time,
* calmly,
* without rushing,
* with presence.
Let that prayer be for Allah alone.

2. Win One Private Battle
Delete something harmful.
Close a tab.
Lower your gaze.
Walk away from a temptation.
Even if nobody knows — Allah knows.

3. Control One Reaction
When anger rises:
pause,
remember Allah,
respond with patience.
That moment may weigh heavily on your scale of deeds.

4. Give One Hidden Charity
Even a small amount.
No announcement.
No recognition.
Secret obedience builds sincere faith.

5. Make One Sincere Du‘a Tonight
After Taraweeh, before sleep, raise your hands and ask Allah for something real — guidance, forgiveness, strength against a specific weakness.

7. The Goal of Ramadan
Ramadan is not only about finishing Qur’an recitation.
It is about transforming decision-making.
By the end of Ramadan, the believer should instinctively ask:
“What does Allah want from me right now?”
Not:
“What do I feel like doing?”
When revelation becomes stronger than impulse — that is success.

Closing Reminder
Allah ends the ayah with a powerful statement:
‎وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ
“Who is better than Allah in judgment for people of certainty?”
Every command of Allah protects us.
Every prohibition saves us.
Every act of obedience elevates us.
Tonight, leave with one intention:
Tomorrow, I will choose Allah over my desire — at least once.
And if we do that every day of Ramadan, we will leave Ramadan as different people.
May Allah make it easy for us. Ameen.