“Tell me something that can get me through the week”, a friend asked me. At that sleepy morning my mind was still asleep, brain dead. Digging through the foggy thoughts, the first thing that apparently came to mind was, and i told him, “We may plan but Allah is the best of planners because what was written for you was written by the greatest of Writers. So don’t despair, Allah knows best”

As i sit there, with my own words replaying through my mind, digging through its understandings and its wisdom, I found and came to realised what the secret is behind those words. Its telling me and i’m convinced, relax, take it easy because you’re in good hands.

Firstly, I got reminded of what Shaykh Hamza Yusuf said in one of the YouTube reminders that I came across. Imagine a father throwing his child up in the air, and the child is scared, consumed with fear and anxiety at the highest point in the air. Then, he falls back into the hands of the father. He throws him up again the second time, but now the child is laughing, because he now knows, and trust, he is in good hands. Now this is how life is. The highest point up in the air, is dunya, where we are all filled with anxiety with this and that, with difficulties of this and that, but this time, the one who is going to catch us in no other than Allah. To fall in the hands of our very own loving Creator. How should I not feel at ease about that, how could I not fall the second time without a smile, knowing Who I would fall to, saying don’t worry, you’re in good hands like He promised us, twice.

“Indeed with every hardship, there is ease. Indeed with every hardship, there is ease” [94:5-6]

Secondly, another one from Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. I remember he said, “we need to learn to swim”. When you go for a swimming lesson, the instructor would tell you to lay on your back in the water. Now, you do not have any idea on how to swim nor float, and he is telling you to lay down on your back in the water, and then we get anxiety, fearful, all you think is that you’re going to drown. The instructor then calms you, instructs you and then just tells you to relax. Then, you find yourself actually floating, in relaxation. Similarly, to the story in the first point, this is how life is. What I learnt from this is that Allah would instruct you on things you would think is bad for you or would make you worry, but then Allah would come to you like a mother would, and guide you throughout your journey, telling you to relax, listen to Him, trust His decisions, and those who do, would learn to float and those who don’t, are those who drown. Allah knows what’s best for you, so just relax, take it easy, yet again, you’re in good hands.

“but perhaps you hate a thing and its good for you; and perhaps you love a thing that is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not.” [2;216]

Thirdly, recently I’ve kept myself busy with a book, ‘The Millennium Discourses’ by Shaykh Etsko Schuitema. I came across a life metaphor that was very intriguing. It’s about life in a perspective of a book. So you are walking through a text, in a book, with every word carrying its meaning, with paragraphs of confronting moment and chapters that carry surprises. As you walk carefully, reading it well, you’ll find that the book consist a mix that is very personal, of love letters and a treasure map. Just like treasure maps, you read the next steps properly, following the steps till you get closer to the treasure, the treasure of all treasures. Well, this book is a letter that is being addressed to you, by the Creator, to you personally, with the treasure being Himself, the essence of all delight and joy. From here i understand literally, by the idea of walking through the paragraphs of you life, the expanded and deeper meaning to what was written for you, was written by the greatest of Writers. So yet again, just relax, take it easy because you’re in a good script, written by the greatest Writer.

Lastly, a question. Maybe, it’s easier said than done, but why does it have to be difficult? It’s because He loves you. When Allah loves you, he sends trials your way. To transform you, so that you become a better person. Allah gives the hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. Trust Allah when things don’t work out the way you wanted. Allah has something better planned for you. So don’t despair. You would then realise you became a total different person with a higher level of faith on a higher level of conduct. With that, its as if He is giving you a chance to go into a higher level because He wants to see you in a higher Jannah. Yet again, relax, take it easy, have patience because Allah has planned the best for you.

“And the hereafter is better for you than the first life” [93:4]

Its sad to say and see that the negative society in our era has settled its place in the Muslim community. What I observe is, we respect and celebrate when a person (non-Muslim) embraces Islam, elevating and respecting him/her, however, this is not the case when it comes to our own people. When a Muslim changes or goes through a hijrah, or what people would call today as a spiritual retreat, it’s sad to see some of our own minority, bombarding these pour souls with negativity and criticism, with our negative judgement. This is apparently true, being a victim and a witness myself.

Case scenarios: A woman finally takes the courage and the gets the change of heart to finally start wearing the hijab. Sadly, her friends started to judge her for wearing the hijab because she used to not wear it. Instead of supporting her in her new journey, she’s being deemed as ‘step alim’ by others. A man, with his behaviour and attitude changing for the better, being called a hypocrite.

Is this all actually even necessary? The thing is, we tend to define people according to their past. This gives the impression that we won’t be able to move on from our past and that the past will always be haunting us. The true fact is, the past does not determine who we are, and what matters is what we do now and the future.

Bombarding them with negative words that touch deep within them. With their weak self, they put their hopes on you, with the sincere expectation that you will understand them, and provide the guidance they need. Take the great opportunity to give them hope before they lose hope. Imagine you making the effort to change and making more friends with other Muslims, but to only have them pulling you down instead. We are supposed to be supportive and to elevate each other, and not discriminate and criticize the next person based on their past. How are we supposed to make non-Muslims understand us, when we ourselves don’t understand each other? Change begins with the community itself, and for a start, individually.

“Do not lose hope nor be sad, you will surely be victorious if you’re true in faith” [3:139]

In addition, we even fight and argue among ourselves, and what more saddening, is those argues that occur within the circle of our own families. We hold grudges and hate even towards our own siblings or relatives and what is worst is that, it drags for years, where our ego kicks in to not forgive. Yet, we have the guts to ask Allah to forgive us when we ourselves don’t forgive others.

Islam is the religion of hope, yet through my reflection, I find that our community is deprived of hope.

‘What you see in other people is a reflection of yourself. A person of goodness sees goodness in others and a person who is evil sees evil in others” – Sheikh Omar Suleiman