Many scholars of our time and of the past have constantly reiterated the fact that the believer is always at two points in his or her life: something wonderful and great is happening and thus he should be grateful, or something terrible is happening and he should remain steadfast and be patient. These things do not come easy, and it takes practice and at times years of dealing with many unexpected incidents in our lives. Ultimately, it is by the Tawfeeq of Allah that we are able to turn to Him in our times of need as well as be able to thank Him in our times of ease.

There is one ayah that allows me to understand the closeness of Allah to His servants. It is an ayah that allows me to remember the favors of Allah upon all of His servants, but especially those special servants who believe and serve Him subhanahu wa ta’ala. It is an ayah that helps me in remembering Allah in times of ease and difficulty. It is an ayah that can illuminate the hearts and minds of people who have lost hope in all else, and it is an ayah that draws the obedient servant nearer and closer to Him Jalla Jallaluhu. The concept that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is near, and that He is aware of everything that happens to us by His knowledge, and it is Him that is able to elevate all of our sufferings is indeed a great blessing! That ayah is 186 of Surah Baqarah:

(وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ (2:186

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.

According to some Mufasireen (interpreters of the Quran), a Bedouin came to the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassalam) and asked if Allah was near and if he should whisper when he spoke with Allah, or whether Allah was far and if he should raise his voice. I’m moved by Allah’s response to this Bedouin in His noble book; Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala responded to this slave and all of us that “Indeed, He is near!” It is a mercy that Allah showed this slave, and through him we are so given the mercy of reaffirming and reminding us that, when we speak to Him (whether softly or otherwise), out in the open or side an underground cave, He, the Mighty and Majestic is near! Above all, whether we speak out loud our thoughts or ask loudly from Allah, indeed He is all aware of what is in our hearts and our minds. It is a reminder for all of us to seek from the bounties Allah has provided for us, to return to Him for everything (from the smallest of things to the biggest worries), for indeed He will respond! Never should we give up hope that He will respond.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas said that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassalam) said:
يَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالى أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا دَعَانِي
“Allah the Exalted said, `I am as My servant thinks of Me, and I am with him whenever he invokes Me.’

The words that Allah uses in this verse are powerful! Allah allows for us as servants to draw near to Him, and to have a relationship with Him regardless of where we’ve been, what we’ve done, what we are now! The doors of mercy are open as He says, “When my servant asks”. Listen and ponder over these words. He says “ My servant”. “My” – that means you and I and all of humanity are servants of Allah whether we acknowledge it or not. It bodes us well to acknowledge that we are servants of the Most High, and indeed He will respond! Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala tells us for certain that He will respond. This in itself is a reminder for us regardless of how many times we’ve asked of Him, for different things as well as the same thing, we should never give up. We should call upon Him by His most beautiful names, continue asking as Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala does not specify the time in which He responds, and that is a reminder always that the doors of communication are open from a servant to His Lord! So next time, whether you have a paper cut, some calamity, or even going through the motions of your day, know that Allah is near, and remember to moisten your tongue with His remembrance and glorify Him as He is deserving of it!

Till next time, may Allah allow us to remember Him at all times (Ameen)!

So I ask you, dear readers, what is your talent? All of us are good at something, all of us are passionate about something, and above that, it doesn’t take much effort on our part to use these skills because Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala blessed us with them. Let me say it again: Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala blessed us with these skills, they come from Allah, and for any blessing that we are given, we have to ask ourselves, are we making use of it? I thought of writing out all the blessings that I could think of from the top of my head that Allah has blessed me with and all of us in general, and I’m reminded of Allah’s words:

وَآتَاكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا ۗ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ
“…And If you would count the blessings of Allah you would not be able to count them…” [Surah Ibrahim 14:34]

Now it’s your turn. Take time out to sit down and write down some of the things you are good at, something that you really know that if you put your mind to it, you can make a difference. How do you want to use it for the ummah, and if you already use it in the way of the ummah, how could you perfect it and encourage others to do the same? I’m always reminded of the hadeeth of the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) in that “Khayru naas man yanfo naas” The best of people, are those who are a benefit to others”. In the Quran (Surah Baqarah), Allah talks about how there are many ways of getting to the point of piety, so many acts of goodness!

Alhamdulilah, all praise is due to Allah who has given us the ability to do good works, and allows us the tawfeeq, guidance and resources in order to accomplish our acts. At times, it’s not easy to do… but when we are given that himaa, that drive, that reminder from someone or some place, we should jump on it and get a move on things!

Till next time, may Allah allow us to take heed from reminders, and allow us all to always be a beacon of light for the ummah!

“Have patience!” “Have patience!” Shaken and nervous, I was abruptly awakened by my cousin commanding those words to someone over the phone. I could hear someone yelling and crying hysterically through the phone’s speaker. Because of the extremity of the situation, as well as the look of distress on my cousin’s face, I assumed the worst – a death in the family. Waiting for my cousin to end her conversation, I spent those few minutes – which seemed like an eternity – praying for the departed soul’s forgiveness, and selfishly hoping that whoever had passed was not someone close to me. “What happened?” I asked my cousin as I felt my heart reach out of my chest. After a dramatic pause, my cousin looked at me with tears in her eyes and said “Sana’s husband wants a divorce”.

Later that day, my cousin went to her friend Sana’s house and asked me to come along with her. Upon entering the house, I heard terrifying noises – the kind that no one ever wants to hear, such as a mother uncontrollably crying for her deceased child. Then, there she was. Crying. Shaking her head profusely. “I should just die, I should just die! Maybe if I ask him for forgiveness he will accept me…”

Throughout her fifteen year marriage, as I later learned, Sana had endured physical, emotional, and mental abuse at the hands of her tyrant husband. She felt so helpless at times that she had even attempted suicide. While the abuse and domineering temperament of Sana’s husband are issues that need to be addressed, this piece is not about that. Rather, this piece is about the inferiority status that some Muslim women have internalized within themselves. What had happened throughout Sana’s marriage to make her feel as if she had done anything wrong, as if she was the one who had to take the “back seat” in her marriage, and as if idolizing her husband would somehow save her marriage?

Obviously, the inferiority status that Sana and countless other Muslim women believe is not their fault, but rather due to a larger and destructive enemy – patriarchy. Patriarchy, or the institutionalization of male privilege, domination, and misogyny, whether through certain cultural practices or interpretations of Qur’anic ayaat and ahadith, has adulterated our Muslim (note: NOT Islamic) communities. But no, Islam has given women equitable rights long before, you say. Why yes, avid reader, you are right. Alhamdulillah, Islam has provided every person of color, gender, and religion with their due rights. However, as centuries have passed since the advent of Islam, our circles have too, like many other communities, been plagued with patriarchal rhetoric and practice – which is why I make the distinction between an Islamic and Muslim community. The former represents what our way of life ideally embodies, and the latter signifies what we, as human beings, have made it become. Although patriarchal rhetoric and practice is not something exclusive to our Muslim community, it is a very pressing issue that needs to be addressed and deconstructed.

Sana’s story is just one amongst many. I have seen too many Muslim women fall prey to their husband’s authoritarian demands – both at home and abroad. I have also observed another interesting trend amongst Muslim college students who focus excessively on issues such as whether it’s ok or not to talk to a non-mahram and the ever so famous partition in the mosque debate. While they may be well-intentioned, Muslim students, by excessively focusing on “modesty” issues tend to practice the opposite and view each other as solely “sex objects”.

In another instance, a prestigious Islamic educational institution, which caters to many college-aged students, recently introduced a new class on women’s issues and the appropriate Islamic rulings belonging to them. Much to my amazement, this class dealing with women’s issues was being taught by a man. While I didn’t doubt the shaykh’s merit, I did find it ironic and condescending that a man was going to dictate what it means to be a woman, how a woman should act, and here’s the kicker – how a woman should deal with biological issues concerning her body such as menstruation and pregnancy.

Another problem is that patriarchy does not just work in extremes. For example, if all women were to get equal pay as their male counterparts do, we cannot say that gender inequality will be eradicated. This is because patriarchal and misogynistic ideals are much bigger than we think they are – we as human beings have internalized this in our language, social institutions, pop culture, media, and laws.

Sana is now divorced and adjusting to life as a single mother. Her tumultuous marriage has decreased her self-confidence and erased any ounce of empowerment she had for herself. However, every day is a step towards her gaining the strength and courage to move forward. Sana was brainwashed to believe that her self-worth was equivalent to that of a slave’s; thus, Sana’s friends and family constantly have to remind her that her worth as a human being, and as a woman, is just as valuable as anyone else’s.

I would like to end on a similar note. To my dear sisters, women such as ‘Aisha (radiaAllahu ‘anha) embodied self-empowerment and did not condone unjust treatment. In fact, we all know the story of ‘Aisha (rA) and how she was accused of adultery. When the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) heard about this rumor, he confronted ‘Aisha (rA) and asked her if this was indeed true. Instead of giving him an answer, ‘Aisha (rA) expected the Prophet (saws) to know better and relied on her Creator to prove her innocence. Not only did ‘Aisha (rA) demonstrate complete and unwavering trust in God, but she also left a great example of empowerment for women. Her husband was the most influential and powerful man in the community, yet she still was courageous and bold enough to say, and I paraphrase, ‘I’m not going to prove my innocence because I expect you to already be aware of it; I will let my Creator exonerate me.’ Sisters, we should empower ourselves the same way ‘Aisha (radhiAllahu ‘anha) did! Do not let anyone challenge your worth as a human being because of your gender! Question sexist oppression wherever you see it, and know that you are not alone in this fight. Both women and men need to challenge patriarchal and misogynistic attitudes wherever they exist. It is essential that our community, in an effort to end patriarchal practices, confront the gender discrimination we have internalized in our everyday life, make progress to eradicate this discrimination, and empower women – in our homes, our mosques, our schools, our politics, and essentially in every public and private sphere of life.

We were about 40 students who participated in this trip with an organization called Project Pueblo. The organization was founded by some students who did not understand why their fellow classmates spent thousands of dollars on travel expenses to volunteering in Africa or Asia, bypassing the fact that the United States itself has pockets of extreme poverty that can be eradicated. Of course, these countries don’t compare when it comes to overall economic well-being, but human suffering is human suffering no matter the country in which one is located. (Despite this disagreement in service philosophy, all those who seek to serve others with the right intention should be respected.) Project Pueblo works locally at a Navajo Native American Reservation located near Tuba City, Arizona.

Native Americans still remember the centuries’ worth of U.S. government policies which forced them to leave their homes and revoke their culture. Until today, harsh policies still dictate the day-to-day lives of many Native Americans. The reservation near Tuba City in particular is home to some of the finest natural resources in the country. One such resource, uranium, was mined heavily until it began to sink into the groundwater. Thus, today, many Navajo face the choice of drinking contaminated water which may cause cancer and other diseases, paying for expensive bottled water, or otherwise dying of thirst. As if this lack of basic needs was not enough, in 1966 the U.S. government also enacted an unjust policy known as the Bennett Freeze which dictated that no tribe could ever build upon the land nor could Navajo Indians make any improvements to their current homes. This policy was implemented because of a supposed land dispute between the Hopi and Navajo, which most scholars and Navajo say was invented. They believe this strategy resonates with the “divide and conquer” mentality many powerful governments utilize to pursue their own interests. This left many of the Navajo in unsafe living conditions, exacerbating their poverty, on top of their  limited access to water.  Thankfully, President Obama lifted the Bennett Freeze in 2009, so now people may begin reconstruction and community building.

After all these years of harsh policies which continue until today (e.g. Remember when Native American children were forced into boarding schools, stripped of their language and traditions?), it is not surprising that many individuals leave the reservation in search of better jobs and living conditions. People have faced enough historical trauma; no individual or community deserves such treatment. Just imagine living in a place that didn’t allow you or your family to grow — rather, imagine if the opposite were true in that the physical environment actually brought you down in morale and well-being? That’s how parts of the reservation can be…without clean water or electricity.

During our trip, however, we met some of the most resilient individuals imaginable. Despite their depressing living conditions, they maintained hope and a reverence for their traditions. Several of the local Navajo men and women embodied the philosophy: ‘Enough is enough.’ They banded together to create “Forgotten People,” a grassroots non-profit organization that advocates for the human rights of the Navajo people. This group hosted us and led us during our trip every step of the way, which was humbling and empowering. They expressed to us their sentiment that not only had the U.S. government forgotten their basic rights but also that their local government, the Navajo Nation, engaged in much corrupt behavior. One example of this internal corruption stood out when President Obama repealed the Bennett Freeze. The President also offered aid so the Navajo could build their homes. The Navajo Nation, however, redirected these funds to build a casino! This clearly angered many of the locals. These actions solidified their collective will to stand up against injustice, whomever the perpetrator.

I was personally motivated to attend this service trip after writing a paper for a Public Policy class on the topic of uranium contamination in Navajo water. I interviewed the founder of the organization, a Cal alumnus named Sean Wycliffe, and he encouraged me to attend a service trip if time permitted. I knew it was something I wanted to participate in during my undergraduate years and, Alhamdulillah, I finally had the chance.  On January 1st, we drove from California to Arizona with a relaxed state of mind, an anticipating heart, and nervous activist veins. Around 20 of us went to Tuba City, AZ and local areas to volunteer for a week and around 20 stayed in Black Mesa, AZ. The trip was nothing short of amazing and something I recommend to every single individual who has a chance. Really, it epitomized to me how going out of one’s comfort zone can truly bring the best out of one’s character. It strengthened my belief in the unquestionable unity of humanity.

To learn more about Project Pueblo or to volunteer, please see: www.projectpueblo.org
There is a service trip coming up during Spring Break (March 25-March 31) so sign up if you’re interested!

In the next post of this series, I will share my reflections on this trip as a Muslimah, a woman, and as a human being.

To be continued

(2:153) “Oh YOU who have attained to faith! Seek aid in steadfast patience and prayer: for, behold, God is with those who are patient in adversity.”

Lessons from this verse:

** Allah begins with ‘Eman’ here, He says ‘Oh you who believe!’ Eman is the greatest quality highlighted here. When someone has eman, having patience and upholding salaah (prayer) becomes easier.

** 3 types of patience 1.) Patience at times of difficulty 2.) Patience in obedience of Allah 3.) Patience in staying away from that which displeases Allah.

** In dunya, we are all here for a test! We can not get through these tests without support. We are weak, and this support lies in patience and salaah. The ease comes in the remembrance of Allah!

** Allah mentions Sabr (patience) before Salaah here,  because having patience is harder than doing prayer. It is hard and the reward of the patience is unlimited!

(2:155) “And most certainly shall We try you by means of danger, and hunger, and loss of worldly goods, of lives and of [labour's] fruits. But give glad tidings unto those who are patient in adversity.”

Allah may not speak to face to face, but through His book He speaks to us, He consoles, He showers His mercy upon us, and reminds us that life is short, that struggles we face are temporary and to be patient. The reminders are there, but it is we who have to be smart, firm, and persistent in seeking that help through His noble book. The hard part after being hit with a calamity is to have “Inna lillaahi wa Inna Ilahi raji’oon” spew from our tongue. Patience takes on importance for the Muslim at the first moment of a trial. The Prophet said: “The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.” [Narrated by Anas and recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari vol 2 # 389]

(2:156) “Those who, when calamity befalls them, say, “Verily, unto God do we belong and, verily, unto Him we shall return.””

So as a reminder, Allah has given us the formula on overcoming obstacles.

There is great wisdom in the way the ayahs (verses) are set up. Allah first tells us, seek help in patience and salaah (prayer), and then He tells us of the calamities that may be fall us.

Allah is telling us prepare and remember these! He is giving us the solution already before He tells us the difficulty that is to come! He is telling us do this for our well-being- SubhanAllah (glory be to Allah)!

From personal experience in my own life I know that difficulty is easier to bear when I’m immersed in the remembrance of Allah. I look back in 2009 when my father (Allah yarhamo) passed away, and I remember Allah showering upon me His mercy and making it easy on me. I know this was the case because I tried my best to do works that Allah was hopefully pleased with such as attending halaqahs (circles of knowledge), Qur’an group, etc. So when the news came, the pain of losing my father was easier to bear, and I remembered Allah and continued to do whatever works I could do so that I could be of some intercession for my father on the Day of Judgment.

The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasalam) stated:  “Whoever has three daughters and he remains patient with them, provides for them and clothes them from his money, they shall be a shield for him from the Hellfire on the Day of Resurrection.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

I thought of Allah, I thought of the hereafter, and then I thought of my father. I share this one instant, but I know you (all of you reading this) have all kinds of struggles! It is not easy, but when we think of Allah knowing about our problems, understanding us more than anyone else, then it is easier to turn to Him for everything, because ultimately everything is by His decree.

Till next time, may Allah allow us to turn to Him for the smallest things, in between things, and everything else. May Allah grant us to be of those who turn to Him in times of ease as well as difficulty. Ameen!

I have a problem. I love to bake. And when I get an impulse to bake something it is almost impossible to shake it. Now, the problem is, since I bake so much I often run out of staples (butter, eggs). So this leads to frantic internet searches for substitutions and alternate recipes. Sometimes these turn out to be total flops. Other times they actually turn out good enough to make again (butter-less, egg-less, oatmeal raisin cookies anyone?). But never in a million years did I think that one of these frantic searches for lack of ingredients on hand would lead me to my perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.

In the years I’ve been cooking, I’ve tried many many chocolate chip cookie recipes in search of “the one.” I tried refrigerating the dough, using pudding in the mix, changing the oven temperatures, but they were never just right. The pudding one tasted too much like vanilla. Others were too cakey, some were hard as rocks, others didn’t keep well. I had almost given up until I stumbled on this recipe two years ago.

Now I know that everyone has their preferences when it comes to chocolate chip cookies but to me this cookie is perfect. For starters from start to finish it takes less than 30 mins. Second, it doesn’t require any fancy ingredients, just what you would normally have on hand. And most importantly it has the right texture. It’s not thick but it’s also not paper thin. The edges have a slight crunch to them without the cookie being dry. And the inside? The inside is a perfect combination of ooey gooey chewy goodness. I mean, how can you go wrong with a recipe that calls for just as much chocolate as it does flour??

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 cup flour
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup nuts (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees
2. Beat softened butter and sugars until well blended
3. Add in vanilla and water and mix until smooth
4. Mix baking soda and salt into flour and incorporate into butter mixture
5. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using)
6. Drop dough by tablespoons full onto baking dish 2 inches apart.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 14 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. (If you’ll notice in the pictures above the bottom and edges are barely browned. If you over bake you will end p with a delicious cookie that is crispy all the way through.
8. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet and enjoy!

Recipe originally from myrecipes.com.

The reason this really comes to mind is that Allah really loves and out of His love He sent this guidance, this noble Book, this blessed Book, and any time throughout our lives we can open up this guidance and these words of love to help us and direct us. Every word that Allah sends in His Book is meant to reawaken our hearts, to remind us, to admonish us, to warn us, to give us hope, and who would do this…except the one who Loves us!

Bismillah,

Alhamdulillah, all praise is due to Allah who has given us strength in every facet of our lives!

Alhamdulillah, we’ve recently just hit lesson 12 of AlBaqarah in my AlHuda tafsir class. My heart rejoices in staying on top of this class along with all the stuff in my schedule. I’m grateful to Allah for all the mercy He has shown all of us.

We recently covered verse 63 of Surah Baqarah, and the word Quwa really stood out to me. This word means strength. In context it was revealed in verse 63 (Bi-quwatin) – with full strength, ability, force. Root words: Qaaf waaw yaa. I absolutely love the definitions given and the connection made in our faith regarding it. My heart rejoiced in hearing it and it struck a cord within me to seek to be given this Quwa for all time (and I believe all of us whether we recognize it or not are given this Quwa in one shape or another).

There are 2 types of Quwa:

1.) Tangible strength- physical

2.) Intangible strength-spiritual strength, determined people, people who when they set out to do something for Allah and for themselves in the deen they are firm, they are not shaken, they decide on something and they stick to it, firm resolution, they are people who even if they are tired they wake up for their prayers, they continue forth regardless of all they have to do, and they stick it out. All of this is possible because Allah gave them firmness of heart. Their hearts are not shaken and they do not give up.

This Quwa is truly something we should ask Allah for. I feel like I can remember having this in Ramadan the most, that this blessed time comes, and subhana’Allah you can feel the blessings of it in your ability to accomplish so much. Your mind is not tied down to ‘what if’s’ and ‘I don’t have time for’ and Allah places such strength in our hearts during the month and even afterwards that we may refer to it as some ’super human thing’, but subhana’Allah this is truly from the mercy of Allah.

This firmness though is something that we should first pray for, and then we should also seek to adapt it into our habits. It can come with really reminding ourselves of all the good deeds we started out to do for Allah and for ourselves (as truly it is for ourselves that we are working for), and then from there. We should make the conscious decision to see it through. Whether this is one’s relationship with the Quran, with one’s decision to stick to a specific schedule that enables one to remember Allah more, or in general life decisions. A lot of times (specifically with the deen) we fall short in so many ways, as in we start out to do good deeds, but along the way we let go of them, and this truly makes me sad. If we think about all the other deadlines we’ve met (projects, school, midterms, work) because our professor, boss, teacher, friend asked of us, but then we fall short in what Allah asked us of (salaah, quran, other obligations) then it is really a reminder to wake up and really prioritize our life. It is when we put Allah first that we are given ‘izza (honor) and we are given the best in this life and in the hereafter. In the context of verse 63 in Surah Baqarah, Allah tells the Bani Isra’il;

1.) Take what we give you (The Torah) with strength

2.) Adhere to book with firmness, carry out the commands with determination

3.) Take proper implementation of book, to have determination in abiding by the book.

All of these points (all three) really are relevant to us as Muslims today. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is calling out to you, me, and all of us in staying firm in His Book, using His Book as ‘the how to in our lives’, and He is telling us over and over in His Book to stick firm to this Book, hold on to it with firmness!

In contrast, the opposite is weakness. When someone has weakness in a situation or has that attitude towards something 1.) they will do it sometimes and not other times one does 2.) they will do once and forget about it, a challenge comes up and they give up.

Alhamdulillah! May Allah grant us the ability to stay firm, and be given this amazing mercy from Allah of a firm heart. A heart that is pure, a heart that is healthy and strong in the real sense, a heart conscious of the One who is most deserving of being worshipped!

Till next time, may Allah grant us to take heed of the reminders that come to us everyday! Oh Allah grant us to have a heart that is firm in your remembrance! A body that is not brought down by fatigue and a mind that is not brought down by the waswas of shaytaan! (Ameen)

Sister Habibe is an ordinary heroine on many levels, masha’Allah. A few reasons:

1. She exemplifies sincerity and humility in her work. Without sincerity, our deeds will be worthless. A huge check of our intentions is: would we contribute to good work even if our name weren’t mentioned?

2. She is a Muslim woman whose character and compassion towards others speaks for itself. This is one of the truest forms of da’wah (calling to Islam) – when someone’s heart and limbs are aligned in service to Allah by means of serving His Creation.

3. When we seek to make a change in society, often we aim low. Often we doubt ourselves. Often we seek shortsighted changes. Masha’Allah sister Habibe thought in the long-term and developed an institution, Rahima Foundation. She is a true role model in developing a vision and following through with it, despite the many roadblocks that will inevitably come on one’s way.

Our dear Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassalam) has said most wisely:

“The most beloved of people according to Allah is he who brings most benefit to people, and the most beloved of deeds according to Allah the Mighty, the Magnificent, is that you bring happiness to a fellow Muslim, or relieve him of distress, or pay off his debt or stave away hunger from him. It is more beloved to me that I walk with my brother Muslim in his time of need than I stay secluded in the mosque for a month. Whoever holds back his anger, Allah will cover his faults and whoever suppresses his fury while being able to execute it, and Allah will fill his heart with satisfaction on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever walks with his brother Muslim in need until he establishes that for him, Allah will establish his feet firmly on the day when all feet shall slip. Indeed, bad character ruins deeds just as vinegar ruins honey.” (at-Tabarani)

May Allah (swt) bless and reward sister Habibe. And may He allow us to refine our characters, find our potential to serve Him in the best of ways and be a source of mercy to others, Ameen.