Barsisa had been a pious worshipper known for his devotion to Allah. His story is told by the People of the Book, whose life was ruined after falling into zina (unlawful sexual intercourse). His story is a cautionary tale on free-mixing and succumbing to Satanic desires. But what happens when society itself promotes zina? 

Power is an addictive force. It transforms the weak into the strong, the average man into a warrior and a small village into a mighty nation. This was the case for the people of Ad but was also the reason for their downfall. In particular, their tribal chiefs rejected Prophet Hud عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, and lead a hostile campaign to discredit him. But why were they hostile in the first place? What stopped Ad’s chiefs from engaging with their prophet and accepting Monotheism?

The life of an Islamic da’ee (preacher) is one of sacrifice and patience. Prophet Nuh عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ demonstrates this, who preached for almost 10 centuries for the sake of Allah while facing rejection and opposition. An overlooked point is why the people of Nuh rejected their prophet  - his lack of popularity. The people’s understanding was that a preacher needed to be famous, wealthy and in the company of the rich. 

Today, we’re living in the age of the self. Community has been replaced by individualism, people have become consumers, and contentment has been replaced by greed. An example of this mentality is Qarun (Korah), a wealthy man from the time of Prophet Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ. His immense wealth was admired and seen as a mark of success, yet it led to his ruin.