I’ve not written a proper article in a while. I had put writing on a back burner whilst I focused on the family, and at times I felt despair because I was in uncharted territory and I didn’t have a map: the teenage years.
Well, I still don’t have a map, but that doesn’t matter, because in NLP terms, the map is not the territory. Each family is different, and each has the permission to do it their own bespoke way.
Keep Praying – Allah always listens to prayers, even when it doesn’t feel like it
Today, alhamdoilillah it feels like the storm is passing and I can sit back and clear up the mess; spring cleaning is round the corner, and I can start the season afresh! What brings me peace is that indeed, Allah does answer prayers.
‘I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls upon Me.’ (Surah al-Baqara, 2:186)
And beseeching Allah to grant me a spouse who will be an Imam in our house has not been in vain, inshallah.
‘Our Lord! Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a comfort to our eyes,and give us the grace to lead the righteous.’ (Surah Al-Furqan 25:74)
Keep Cool – when getting worked up – don’t be a jahil
Today whilst listening to Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan’s Quran Weekly, I felt at peace when I reflected on the prayer of Prophet Musa who, after feeling upset over the responses of his people, sought refuge in Allah from reacting to them in a foolish way and said:
“I seek refuge with Allah from being one of the ignorant.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:67)
I know that goodly words are better than evil words – and I can choose my words carefully because its up to me whether or not I have firm roots or instability in my home. When getting worked up, I can make a choice: tear everyone down, or build everyone up. I don’t get it right all the time…. but I can seek refuge in Allah from being a jahil (ignoramus!) – and that’s one step closer to success.
“A goodly word is a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches reach to the sky. Giving its fruit at all times, by the leave of its Lord;
And the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree: It is torn up by the root from the surface of the earth: it has no stability. (Ibraheem 14:24-26)
Keep On – even when it feels like you’ve reached your limit
I read such an inspiring article today about a woman called Ruth Simons who has six boys, mashaAllah, and she continued to find solace in the knowledge that her children are: ‘not projects to check off my list–they are little people to mold.’ And she doesn’t mind reminding them again and again – in her words: ‘yes, but still…the training continues.’. How different that is to my inner witch who constantly pokes me and says, ‘I’m so sick of repeating myself, I am not a parrot!’
And today, I feel at peace because my inner witch – who has been making tasbih and remembrance of ‘I’m so tired of all this‘ and ‘I cant do this anymore‘ has hopefully been silenced and banished to the tower and instead I can inshallah make dhikr of:
‘And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers’. (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:55)
Note to self: Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. (Surah Al-Rad 13:28)
Keep Praying… Keep Cool… Keep On…
