In our age of noise and numbers, there is an urgent need to return to a timeless truth: real men are recognised by their stance, not their age. In Arabic, the Qur’an makes a powerful distinction between dhukūr (males) and rijāl (men). One may be born a male by biology, but becoming a rajul is about character, sacrifice, and a willingness to stand for truth when it matters most.

In Arabic, the singular of rijāl is rajul, which is often translated simply as “man” in English. Likewise, the word dhakar is typically rendered as “male.” Yet in English, both rajul and dhakar might be loosely translated as “man,” which can blur an important distinction. Arabic uses these terms with very different emphases: dhakar refers to biological maleness, a description of gender without necessarily implying virtue or responsibility, while rajul carries the weight of character, resolve, and moral standing.

The Qur’an itself demonstrates this difference by reserving rijāl for those who rise with faith, courage, and integrity, while using dhakar only in the context of biological distinction. This nuance highlights that true manhood in Islam is not a matter of gender alone, but of stance, sacrifice, and the fulfilment of trust.

Consider the (rajul) in Sūrat Yā Sīn:

وَجَآءَ مِنْ أَقْصَا ٱلْمَدِينَةِ رَجُلٌۭ يَسْعَىٰ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ ٢٠

“And there came from the farthest end of the city a man (rajul) rushing, who said, ‘O my people, follow the messengers.’” (36:20)

He is unnamed, yet immortalised. Not because of his age or title, but because of his stance.

Similarly, in Sūrat Ghāfir, Allah mentions another (rajul):

وَقَالَ رَجُلٌۭ مُّؤْمِنٌۭ مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَـٰنَهُۥٓ أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَن يَقُولَ رَبِّىَ ٱللَّهُ وَقَدْ جَآءَكُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَكُ كَـٰذِبًۭا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُهُۥ ۖ وَإِن يَكُ صَادِقًۭا يُصِبْكُم بَعْضُ ٱلَّذِى يَعِدُكُمْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌۭ كَذَّابٌۭ ٢٨

“And a believing man (rajul) from the family of Pharaoh, who concealed his faith, said, ‘Will you kill a man for saying, ‘My Lord is Allah’?” (40:28)

In the very court of tyranny, this man spoke when silence was safer. His words changed the course of events.

And in Sūrat al-Aḥzāb:

مِّنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌۭ صَدَقُوا۟ مَا عَـٰهَدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحْبَهُۥ وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُ ۖ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا۟ تَبْدِيلًۭا ٢٣

“Among the believers are men (rijāl) who were true to what they pledged to Allah. Some of them fulfilled their vow, and some are still waiting. But they never changed in the least.” (33:23)

Here, rijāl is a title of honour. It is given to those who keep their word with Allah, whether they lived long lives or were taken young.

In contrast, the word dhukūr refers simply to males, a biological description without any implication of responsibility or virtue. The Qur’an does not celebrate dhukūr; rather, it honours rijāl; those who shoulder the weight of faith and responsibility. History shows that genuine change in society has never come from mere biological fact, but from conviction, sacrifice, and integrity.

The verses in Sūrat al-Nūr reinforce this vision:

فِى بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ ٱللَّهُ أَن تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا ٱسْمُهُۥ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ فِيهَا بِٱلْغُدُوِّ وَٱلْـَٔاصَالِ ٣٦ رِجَالٌۭ لَّا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَـٰرَةٌۭ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَإِيتَآءِ ٱلزَّكَوٰةِ ۙ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًۭا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ ٱلْقُلُوبُ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ ٣٧

“In houses which Allah has ordered to be raised and that His Name be mentioned therein; men (rijāl) who are not distracted by trade or sale from the remembrance of Allah, performing prayer and giving zakah, fearing a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned.” (24:36–37)

Such men are not defined by what they own, but by what they refuse to compromise.

Even when Allah describes the first mosque in Sūrat al-Tawbah, He ties its worth to the men who uphold it:

لَا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًۭا ۚ لَّمَسْجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ ۚ فِيهِ رِجَالٌۭ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُطَّهِّرِينَ ١٠٨

“A mosque founded on piety from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in. Within it are men (rijāl) who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.” (9:108)

The Weight of True Manhood

This is the spirit that drove Anas ibn al-Naḍr at Uḥud. He had missed Badr and swore to Allah that if granted another chance, he would prove himself. On the day of Uḥud, he threw himself into the battle with such ferocity that his body was found bearing more than eighty wounds. When asked why he fought so, he said, “I smell the fragrance of Paradise behind Uhud.” He did not live long, but his stance made him immortal. Sahih al-Bukhari 2805, 2806

And remember ʿAbdurraḥmān ibn ʿAwf, one of the ten promised Paradise. In his later years, when the luxuries of this world surrounded him, he could not eat in peace. Each time he lifted a morsel, he remembered Muṣʿab ibn ʿUmayr, the young man who once dressed in the finest silks of Makkah, but died wrapped in a tattered cloak that barely covered his body. He remembered Ḥamzah ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, the Lion of Allah, whose body was mutilated at Uḥud. Overcome with emotion, ʿAbdurraḥmān would put his food down and weep. Yet he did not give up; he lived empowered, dedicating his wealth and life to Allah’s cause until he was counted among those given glad tidings of Jannah. Sahih al-Bukhari 1274

What made Anas, Musʿab, Ḥamzah, and ʿAbdurraḥmān rijāl was not their years, nor their possessions, but their stance — their readiness to stand, sacrifice, and be counted when Allah’s call came.

A Call to Stand

Today, our communities are not in need of more dhukūr. We have numbers. What we lack are rijāl; men who will rise when silence is easier, men whose hearts remain fixed on Allah when distractions abound, men who live for more than themselves.

True manhood is not about age, wealth, or bravado. It is about carrying the trust of faith with integrity, courage, and consistency. The Qur’an shows us again and again that Allah honours rijāl , and He calls on us to aspire to that title.

So let us ask ourselves: When history turns its page, will we be counted among the males who passed through, or the men who stood firm?

P.S. For those eager to travel further along this path, I invite you to read my book, The Journey to Success: The Roadmap of Ikhlās, Iḥsān, and Istiqāmah. In it, I share a framework for nurturing sincerity, striving for excellence, and holding firm with consistency—qualities that define true success in this world and the next, and the very qualities that raise a person to the rank of a rajul in the sight of Allah, InShaAllah.

Your brother

Sajid Umar

Location: 'somewhere en route to the hereafter'

22/02/1447 (AH) - 16/08/2025