Know that the world is God's gift, and that He needs nothing in return, and that your

worship and gratitude are part of His gift to you. And if you realize how much He gives, and

how little you deserve or do, you will never stop praising Him. He is the infinitely lovable, 

the overlooker of faults; the Gifter of all beauty, so we are surrounded by a banquet...!  

Yasmin Mogahed -So Beautiful:-)

Seek those with expanded hearts.

The Capacity not only to cope. But the capacity to feel. To feel Every range of emotion. The ones who welcome all the seasons of their heart. The ones who live *through* life. Not around or below it. Through the fog, the rain, the waves. and the storm.

Because that's just it. You can't get to the other side. You can't get to the sun--unless you forge through the storm. You can't arrive home, if you shut off your engine once the rain comes.

You *must* feel it to get over it. There's no other way.
But I promise you this: It will be worth it in the end.
So worth it.

The sun is warm, dear heart. The sun is warm. And it will heal you and mend what was broken.

This process is temporary.
But like all things in life, you *must* be true to it. You must be true to every portion of the process.

You must take what is given by the Doctor, even if today's medicine is bitter. You must taste it.

And know that tomorrow's dose will be sweet.

Trust the process. He knows. He knows what He's doing. He knows your heart. He knows your pain. He knows what you desire. He is not far. He hears. And He doesn't forget. He never forgets. He knows what you need.

And when you need it.

He is here. He is near.

Trust the process. Trust the process and take today's medicine--whatever it may be.

The Doctor knows. Trust me. He knows. And He loves. More than you can imagine. More than your mother ever could. Never lose faith. Or hope.

You can't see it now. But He isn't breaking your ship. He's building it. It will make sense soon. Be patient and beg for ease.

Not even strength. Just ease.

And it will come. Your opening will come.

It will come....!   

Beware of complete focus and dependence on deeds. If they're good, focusing on them will make you arrogant. If they're bad, focusing on their 'greatness' will make you despair, and focusing on their 'smallness' will make you transgress.

Focus instead on God. Seeing His right over you will never allow you to be arrogant about a good deed. Seeing His mercy over you will never allow you to despair at a sin. And seeing His Greatness over you, will never allow you to belittle a sin.  

I posted this a long time ago and I wanted to share it again today...4 years later...because while at the time I wrote it, it was only hope that made me say it.

Today, I have tasted it. So my hope has turned to certainty. Alhamdulilah:

"When your failures surround you, and all the open doors have closed, look up. There's a door that never closes, a way, when all the other ways have failed you."

"Do you love me enough that I may be weak with you? Everyone loves strength, but do

you love me for my weakness? That is the real test."

My thoughts on the 2016 elections:

Many years ago, the believers looked trapped. They saw a Pharaoh encroaching, along with his armies. And in front of them was the Red Sea. Those who focused on the impending attack, cried out in despair, "We will surely be overtaken!" (Quran 26:61)

See that's the thing about focusing on the problem, focusing on the darkness and on the fear. It grows. It grows until it begins to look insurmountable. That's the thing about focusing on the hatred. It becomes our lens through which we see Reality. It begins to surround, and then paralyze us.

But see, there was someone else among them who wasn't focused on the approaching attacks. There was someone who wasn't focused on the haters or the seemingly impossible situation they were in. In fact, he wasn't focused on the armies at all. His heart was looking somewhere else. His heart was looking at his Lord. And so while those around him were in a state of panic, his heart remained calm.
And he responded.
قَالَ كَلَّا إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ

[Musa] said, "By No means [will we be overtaken]! Indeed my Lord is with me; He will guide me through." (26:62)

My dear brothers and sisters in faith and humanity, the light is bigger than the darkness. And so much stronger. Nothing can overcome light. And there is so much light. There is faith and love and loyalty and strength. Brothers and sisters, I promise you nothing, absolutely nothing, can overcome you if you focus on the light--rather than the darkness. Always, always make your hope bigger than your fear, because God's promise is true. Don't lose focus. Don't get distracted by the "armies". Nothing, absolutely nothing, can harm you if you are truly a believer. These aren't clichés. And these aren't my words. Your Prophet (pbuh) said, "The matter of a believer is strange. Everything is good for him."

Remember Musa (AS) didn't know the Divine plan when he stood trapped in front of the Red Sea. And yet he didn't doubt it for a moment. He didn't doubt the help and protection and Divine wisdom of Allah. I promise you, your whole outlook will change simply by shifting your focus. Be careful. Be very careful about focusing on the problem, on the fears, on the "what ifs". These are part of the creation. And they are powerless. They are a test and an illusion. Be careful of ever thinking that your destiny lies in the hands of a person or position of power. Our condition is not in anyone's hands, but Allah. And that condition will not change until we change ourselves.

Stay focused. Stay focused on the Light, on the source of *true* power and protection and salvation. On the Source of true victory. The source of all openings--Al Fatah. Remember the victory, the opening, the salvation *always* comes for the believer. This is a promise. Believe. And then know, with full certainty. That truly, truly, there is no change in state, no power or strength, except by Allah.

Don't worry. The help of God comes in proportion to the hardship. The greater your pain, the sweeter the comfort. The harder your test, the larger the reward. The bigger your wound, the stronger the healing. The deeper the hole carves into you, the more fill you can contain.

Here's a spiritual exercise, a way to turn theory into practice: Think of a person in need. Then wake up tonight, a little before fajr (dawn) prayer, and make sincere, intense duaa (supplication) for that person or persons. You will help them and yourself immensely because that is the time when Allah comes to the nearest heaven and looks for people calling on Him! And when you make duaa for another person, an angel says "ameen, and for you the same." 

My dear Facebook family, I want to share something very important I have learned from experience.

Let me begin by saying I know there are a lot of cliches out there. I get it. I've read the hallmark cards, the memes, the quotes; I've been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.
So I can assure you what I'm about to say is none of that. What I'm about to say is only from real, raw experience.

In life, you will have exactly 3 types of relationships. The relationship with yourself, the relationship with the Creator, and the relationship with the other creation. You will also meet all sorts of people in your life.

Here's my secret: the stronger your relationship is with yourself and Creator, the stronger it can be with the creation.

What does that mean? It means this: Never, ever, ever fake, bend, hide, or photoshop parts of yourself to fit another person's standard. Never. And if you find yourself having a do this, stop. Just stop. Have the courage to be real. Honest. Authentic. Vulnerable. And here's what will happen if you do that: It will serve as a sifter.

It will sift through the people in your life. It will become a cleanser. It will remove the wrong people, and reveal the right ones.

Now, I know. This process isn't easy. And it isn't fun. It will require an incredible amount of courage. But most of all, it will require an incredible amount of *trust*. You must be able to trust in the unseen process. You must be able to trust that, as long as you are sincere with yourself, God, and others, absolutely *anything* you lose, will be replaced with something better, and more real. Remember that.

When you're real, God surrounds you with real. And nothing less. That's why He will remove people from your life, sometimes. That's why He will close doors. That's why He will put up inpenetratable walls. Don't ever think it's to deprive you. No. It isn't.

Here is what happens if you stick to sincerity and authenticity: God will bring the right people into your life. The ones who accept and love and *cherish* you-- at your core. The whole package. Not some false, fake, perfect image.

What I'm saying isn't easy. Trust me, I know. And it isn't fun. Cleaning never is. But, I promise you, it's necessary.

And it's worth it.

"Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it."

She was beautiful, but not like those girls in the magazines. She was beautiful, for the way she thought. She was beautiful, for the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful, for her ability to make other people smile, even if she was sad. No, she wasn't beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful, deep down to her soul. She is beautiful.

"Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or dark images you hold about yourself. They remember your beauty when you feel ugly; your wholeness when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your purpose when you are confused."  

This will never cease to strike my heart...

Once the Prophet (pbuh) was sitting in a room with Aisha (RA) and fixing his shoes. It was very warm, and Aisha looked to his blessed forehead and noticed that there were beads of sweat on it. She became overwhelmed by the majesty of that sight and was staring at him long enough for him to notice.

He said, "What's the matter?" She replied, "If Abu Bukair Al-Huthali, the poet, saw you, he would know that his poem was written for you." The Prophet (pbuh) asked, "What did he say?" She replied, "Abu Bukair said that if you looked to the majesty of the moon, it twinkles and lights up the world for everybody to see." So the Prophet (pbuh) got up, walked to Aisha, kissed her between the eyes, and said, "Wallahi ya Aisha, you are like that to me and more."

(Narrated in Dala'el Al-Nubuwa for Imam Abu Nu'aim with isnad including Imam Bukhari and Imam Ibn Khuzaina)