In the first scenario, an individual became increasingly worried about dying and leaving behind the only child he had ever had. There was the grief, the fear, and the pain of facing an almost terminal illness.
In the second scenario, another individual became closer to Allah through listening to, reading, and learning the Qur’an. Upon hearing the recitation, I asked if he prayed. Alhamdulillah, I was happy to learn that he had always maintained his prayers.
By Allah, our circumstances can sometimes force us to become attached to what we usually neglect when we are hale, healthy, and comfortable.
What matters, however, is knowing how to return to Allah before the strike of death—before circumstances force us to confront the reality of our mortality.
The best thing we can do for ourselves is to always show up, regardless of our circumstances. Be someone who constantly and consistently calls upon his Rabb before the test of faith arrives.
Do not wait for illness to make you remember Allah.
Do not wait for fear to make you seek Him.
Do not wait for hardship to make you turn to the Qur’an.
Turn to Allah while you are healthy. Turn to Him while life is good. Turn to Him before you are tested.
May Allah keep our hearts attached to Him in times of ease and hardship, strengthen our faith before the trials come, and grant us all a beautiful ending. Āmīn.
Umm Sumayyah Mai
In the first scenario, an individual became increasingly worried about dying and leaving behind the only child he had ever had. There was the grief, the fear, and the pain of facing an almost terminal illness.
In the second scenario, another individual became closer to Allah through listening to, reading, and learning the Qur’an. Upon hearing the recitation, I asked if he prayed. Alhamdulillah, I was happy to learn that he had always maintained his prayers.
By Allah, our circumstances can sometimes force us to become attached to what we usually neglect when we are hale, healthy, and comfortable.
What matters, however, is knowing how to return to Allah before the strike of death—before circumstances force us to confront the reality of our mortality.
The best thing we can do for ourselves is to always show up, regardless of our circumstances. Be someone who constantly and consistently calls upon his Rabb before the test of faith arrives.
Do not wait for illness to make you remember Allah.
Do not wait for fear to make you seek Him.
Do not wait for hardship to make you turn to the Qur’an.
Turn to Allah while you are healthy. Turn to Him while life is good. Turn to Him before you are tested.
May Allah keep our hearts attached to Him in times of ease and hardship, strengthen our faith before the trials come, and grant us all a beautiful ending. Āmīn.
Umm Sumayyah Mai
