Day 1 / Juz 1 (Ramadan ’17):-
“…Call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions.” [Moses] said, “Would you exchange what is better for what is less?” [2: 61]
How many times has the world dazzled us so we sought it out fervently, not realising that what we already have is tons better. How often have we exchanged what was better for what was worse, blinded by emotion or greed. Bani Israel did this with regards to food, but we do it every day with regards to a plethora of things; our possessions, our homes, our relationships, etc. There’s a saying in Arabic that says: “الخير فيما اختاره الله” – which means “Goodness lies in what Allah has chosen for you.” So wait out on the calls of this world and don’t rush to answer it so quickly. If you have a great blessing from God, hold it tight, hold it tight. Perhaps it is the goodness that Allah has chosen for you above all else.
Day 2 / Juz 2 (Ramadan ’17):-
“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.” [2: 155]
Loss. A dark and bitter time that many of us have passed through and miraculously pulled through. Loss of wealth and life can be incredibly painful, sometimes for a lifetime. But losses in ‘fruit’ can be equally devastating. You may be toiling away at something, putting in so much energy, time, and focus, only for it to be taken away or ruined in moments. Like the farmer who nurtures his fruit-fields and tends to them, but overnight freak weather takes them out. Devastated, he slowly picks up the pieces with tears in his eyes, wipes away the debris, and he learns to start again from scratch.
We are all this farmer at one point of our lives. And for some, we are this farmer more than once. A million questions pass through our mind. We replay scenes, conversations, decisions until we exhaust every scenario. How did we get here? How did we lose despite effort? Despite even du’a we made? We want to understand. Allah knows and He sees. And He’s telling you that sometimes, you don’t need to understand everything. It’s liberating to simply accept, heal from it, and learn how to start from nothing – a skill of the Prophets which you can never learn without the test of deep loss. This is the station of the patient ones.
Day 3 / Juz 3 (Ramadan ’17):-
“She said, “My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?” The angel said, “Such is Allah; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” [3: 47]
In all your du’as and hopes, your thoughts and views on life, and your ups and downs, don’t forget Who it is you’re conversing with. You’re dealing with the Most Powerful who has split seas for His slaves, resurrected the dead, and stopped time. You are not too insignificant for Him to grant you your own miracle. Ask Him whatever it is you long for, and never lower His power and capabilities in your mind.
Sometimes we rationalise du’a too much because we are focused on *ourselves*. We doubt and question. We overthink and are uncertain over the ‘how’ and ‘when’, but that’s not how it should be. The righteous before us used to say, ‘O Allah, I swear to You to do this and that’ and whilst that may shock you, they did it because they were certain of Him and they knew that you can’t push Allah against His Will. He is Majestic and Powerful and He is also Kareem – generous. So how can you not walk away with precious gifts from a Powerful and Generous being? How can you not walk away with your very own miracle in life? Try it 😉
Day 4 / Juz 4 (Ramadan ’17):-
“And how many a Prophet [fought and] with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost heart due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the steadfast.” [3: 146]
It’s not just the physically strong that win battles; it’s those that have strength of heart too. Traditionally and historically, the army leaders would often take learned scholars, monks, and huffadh, and they would not only partake in battles, but they would be stationed at the front lines because everyone knew that battles are won first in the unseen world and in the heart before anything else. They all knew that the Help of Allah comes in accordance to what is in the hearts of men.
And the same rules apply for the battles in your life too. Do not lose heart. And should you fall, seek help to rise back up again. For when the war intensifies in your life, your body may not take it anymore, but if your heart still beats with faith, inspiration and endurance, then you’ve already won that battle and you’re well on your way to win that war.
Day 5 / Juz 5 (Ramadan ’17):-
“If He wills, He can do away with you, O people, and bring others [in your place]. And ever is Allah competent to do that.” [4: 133]
We are not indispensable. People better than us have walked this earth and people more righteous than us will soon come. At times we make the mistake of ascribing piety and goodness to others or even ourselves, thinking that we are safe from the sins, societal ills, or tests and obstacles that have plagued others. But in a split moment, things can turn and our soft arrogance is wiped out by a God-sent reality. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) used to repeatedly make the du’a, ‘O Allah, I ask You for goodness and wellbeing’, and he encouraged us to also say it because we are vulnerable beings, protected only by Allah from things we see and things we don’t see.
Reciting this verse ought to induce a massive degree of humility in us, because we are not indispensable and we can be easily replaced – no matter how righteous we may be, how famous we are, how active or beneficial we seem in society, how knowledgeable we are, or how loved by others we are. All can be gone and all can be taken. May Allah preserve us all and keep us in His care, ameen.