My penned thoughts…

Do good deeds not because you are righteous, but because you want righteousness to enter your heart. Give in charity not because you are rich, but because you are truly poor (in the Sight of Allah). Love others and seek the good in them not because they treat you well, but because it’s your nature to love and not hate. Live & do things because you want to be a greater person not because you currently are.

Leave a trace of your kindness wherever you go.
Leave a mark of goodness wherever you traverse.
Leave a legacy behind and keep walking on.

It’s incredible to know how much Allah loves us despite our shortcomings, how much He guides us despite our stubbornness, how much He forgives and overlooks despite our persistence, but most of all, it’s amazing to know how much He protects us from all different kinds of evil and crises because He knows just how weak and powerless we are. Without Him, we would’ve been destroyed a long time ago by our very surroundings.

Surah al-Hajj is the only Surah where there are 2 points/verses of sujud (prostration). This is interesting because the sujud is a significant mark of submission, and the entire story of Ibrahim (as) and the rites of Hajj that we perform today are all about submission and submitting to a Command of Allah.

May Allah accept the Hajj of the Hujjaj, and accept our acts of worship and submission although we are not in the sacred vicinity.

“And proclaim to Mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel. They will come from every deep and distant mountain highway.” [al-Hajj: 27]

“When his Lord said to him (i.e. Ibrahim), “Submit”, he said “I have submitted to the Lord of the Worlds.”” [al-Baqarah: 131]

“Do not accompany three: the arrogant, the ignorant, and the one who betrays you. Give people three: love, fulfillment (of promise), and sincerity. Strive for three: to love, to laugh, and to forgive. And avoid three: that you should hurt, that you should hate, and that you should betray.”

– Unknown

“If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.”

– Emily Dickinson