بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful
In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful
Assalammualaikum
Out of all the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah SWT that we know, there is one particular Name that I keep going back to and that is 'al Latif' - the Subtly Subtle, and the One Who Gently Guides to Wellness. The first person who "introduced" me to this Name was Ummi. My beloved Mother, who shared with me how she'd call on al-Latif every day, repeating this Name five hundred times for each of her children.
Growing up, society has taught us that the trait of being bold, brazen and being a "go-getter" is the only way to go should we want success. Because of this, patience was never my strong suit. And when i've put my mind on achieving a particular goal, i'll stubbornly go after it without caring about anything or anyone. I'm not proud to say this, but i'm being honest.
But of course, Allah SWT is al-Latif. He subtly and delicately taught me how to remove that ugly trait by withholding things for my own good (i've now learned that when He "denies", He's actually protecting us out of love, so Alhamdulillah for all of my "unanswered Duas"). He has also tenderly placed opportunities and nudged beautiful souls my way so that He can purify and polish my rusted heart that long has been corroded by the Dunia.
I'm sharing this with you today because a lot of us, myself included, torture ourselves by self-imposing certain "deadlines" on our lives. We say things like, "by XX years old, i must (insert any milestone here)", totally forgetting that Allah SWT is the One who holds the blueprint to our lives.
And when we draw near, or worse, have crossed over that "deadline", we lose hope. We question if Allah SWT is even there, listening to our duas. We become angry, impatient, disappointed at the One who is actually planning everything in our lives to perfection, down to the most tiny, minute details.
But of course, we are too blinded by our ego to see this. We are too arrogant to surrender to the fact that Allah SWT is Most Wise, Most Generous and Most Just in His plans. Think about this for a second - Allah SWT makes no mistake whatsoever in directing our lives, and how lucky we are that we have Allah SWT overseeing our lives. Imagine if we are left all alone to govern it - you and i who can't even manage our 24 hours well - how do you think we will fare without Allah SWT?
How dare we, thinking that our plans are better than Allah's.
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This week, a few things happened that made me cry tears of gratitude because it hit me how gracefully Allah SWT has moved me through various phases in my life so that i can be where i am right now. I bear witness to how Allah SWT is extremely, acutely, exceptionally subtle. So subtle that you won't even know you are actually taking the first step and "entering the door" to the thing you've been making Dua for all these years.
Growing up, society has taught us that the trait of being bold, brazen and being a "go-getter" is the only way to go should we want success. Because of this, patience was never my strong suit. And when i've put my mind on achieving a particular goal, i'll stubbornly go after it without caring about anything or anyone. I'm not proud to say this, but i'm being honest.
But of course, Allah SWT is al-Latif. He subtly and delicately taught me how to remove that ugly trait by withholding things for my own good (i've now learned that when He "denies", He's actually protecting us out of love, so Alhamdulillah for all of my "unanswered Duas"). He has also tenderly placed opportunities and nudged beautiful souls my way so that He can purify and polish my rusted heart that long has been corroded by the Dunia.
I'm sharing this with you today because a lot of us, myself included, torture ourselves by self-imposing certain "deadlines" on our lives. We say things like, "by XX years old, i must (insert any milestone here)", totally forgetting that Allah SWT is the One who holds the blueprint to our lives.
And when we draw near, or worse, have crossed over that "deadline", we lose hope. We question if Allah SWT is even there, listening to our duas. We become angry, impatient, disappointed at the One who is actually planning everything in our lives to perfection, down to the most tiny, minute details.
But of course, we are too blinded by our ego to see this. We are too arrogant to surrender to the fact that Allah SWT is Most Wise, Most Generous and Most Just in His plans. Think about this for a second - Allah SWT makes no mistake whatsoever in directing our lives, and how lucky we are that we have Allah SWT overseeing our lives. Imagine if we are left all alone to govern it - you and i who can't even manage our 24 hours well - how do you think we will fare without Allah SWT?
How dare we, thinking that our plans are better than Allah's.
-
This week, a few things happened that made me cry tears of gratitude because it hit me how gracefully Allah SWT has moved me through various phases in my life so that i can be where i am right now. I bear witness to how Allah SWT is extremely, acutely, exceptionally subtle. So subtle that you won't even know you are actually taking the first step and "entering the door" to the thing you've been making Dua for all these years.
I cannot stress how making Duas and setting intentions have changed my life, never stop asking from Him for anything. Work hard to be the best version of yourself, then surrender and make space in your life for Allah's surprises.
Also, you might not realise this my dear, but at this very moment, Allah SWT is gently moving the different pieces of the puzzle of your life to create a masterpiece. So don't despair, don't rush. Even if "nothing makes sense" at this present moment, trust in His Subtle plans.
Because maybe, you were only asking for a drop, but Allah SWT is writing for you an entire ocean.
Also, you might not realise this my dear, but at this very moment, Allah SWT is gently moving the different pieces of the puzzle of your life to create a masterpiece. So don't despair, don't rush. Even if "nothing makes sense" at this present moment, trust in His Subtle plans.
Because maybe, you were only asking for a drop, but Allah SWT is writing for you an entire ocean.
Love and prayers always,
Iman
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