The Baqarah Challenge | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #1
The Scholars Who Can’t Read | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #2
He Wrote on Himself Mercy | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #3
One Small Sin That Tips the Scale | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #4
The Only Surah Without Bismillah | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #5
Pause and Reflect
The Only Surah Without Bismillah | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #5
Why is Surah Tawbah the only surah in the Qur’an without bismillah? Surah Tawbah is one of the most powerful and hard-hitting chapters of the Qur’an. It opens with a final warning and disavowal, yet it is still called the Surah of Repentance. How can a surah that begins with distance still carry the name of tawbah?
This reflection explores its missing basmalah, its urgent call back to Allah, and the balance between mercy and ultimatum. Surah Tawbah reminds us that while Allah’s mercy is vast, repentance is not meant to be delayed. We do not set the timeline for our return — Allah does. His mercy is unlimited, but our time is not.
