Letting Go Of Suffer-head Please
Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuLlah wa barakaatuh.
Trust that you're good, striving and thriving.
I remember reading a post by a mother once, on how her child had scribbled all over the white walls in her house! She scolded her and then asked her to clean it. A few moments later she picked up the cloth and started cleaning with her too. I remember her mentioning in the post that even though the child had done something wrong, she had already told her off, taught her the lesson and did not see why she should not join her in fixing the damage. It was one of the most beautiful things I had read in a long time and it stuck with me.
Now, I do realize that some people will read this with great shock! Like what?? How could she help her? I beg to differ, the way I see it, she decided to offer her child ease in the midst of her difficulty and that is beautiful.
Think of how many times, you have messed up and Allah has left the door of repentance open for you. But most importantly, think of how easy HE has made it for you to return to Him.
A lot of times in life , I feel like we get caught up in the image of being the ‘tough guy’, the no-nonsense one’ , the one you cannot walk over and in the process we forget what it means to be truly human. We are driven by the fear of being taken for granted and use it to build a wall that stays up forever. What I have come to realise is that this toughness has almost led us (Well at least me) to always want to take the difficult route, sometimes.. It is so crazy that sometimes when there is clearly an easy option, I feel like, I need to struggle a little for it to be real. I still feel bad sometimes choosing super easy options especially when it comes to religious activities.. Crazy huh? Especially when Allah has clearly told us that..
Allāh intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allāh for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.
https://quran.com/2/185
Our entire religion is wrapped in ease, from the shortening of prayers when we travel to the bonus days and months to gather the best deeds, to the option of dry ablution when we have no water...It is ease upon ease..Alhamdullilahi!
Today, I want to invite you to the path of ease.. It is okay for us to seek, pray for and enjoy ease.
Whether it is…
Ise kekere owo nla (loosely translated as little work, tons of money)…
A hands-on and supportive partner…
A job close to home…
A great boss….
A cook, housekeeper ,gardener and all the help we need…
A traffic-free life…
Vacations every month…
2 hours of memorization and a lifetime of retention…
The kindest and most compassionate teachers….
and anything that will make our lives EASY.
It does not end there though, let us take it a notch higher ,changing our perception of how we relate with ease should not end with us.
We should also be a source of ease to others. We are not the only ones who did not come to this world to suffer others, did not too.
So, how can we make life easy for others??
I have some ideas..
In the workplace it could be making a case for a junior team member who deserves a raise but has been overlooked..
Standing up for a colleague who is always being bullied..
Overlooking an imperfection in a task that we assigned…
Smiling and being respectful to the cleaners and security personnel ..
At home ease could look like taking on a responsibility that's difficult for our partners
Offering to split bills with our parents..
Giving the housekeeper a much needed break and offering to do her chores ..
I'm sure there are many other examples you can come up with. The point is don't let the pinch of discomfort or even pride stop you from welcoming ease.
Mini-Activity: Make a list if things you can to do to make your life easier, let go of the guilt and write them down. Write five things you can do in your home or workplace that can make the lives of others easier.
REFLECTION OF THE WEEK
Sweet Moments
Our moments of regret and brokenness are sweet when we are in the company of God. We are empowered when we realize the full extent of our dependence on the One who holds the world in His hand! The next time you wake up in the night and see that there is still some time before dawn, imagine those select ones who may be standing, begging their Lord urgently for their need- Dr. Magdy Al-Hilali
I read this article last week and just found it so helping on reframing narratives especially when we are going through a rough patch.
shares a really brilliant perspective on this and also gave some practical tips on how to move forward.Last but DEFINITELY not the least!!! My dear Ustadha is coming to the UK and I cannot keep calm!!!! If you really want to completely change the way you think about Allah..If you want to improve your relationship with Him, I will highly encourage that you start with this session with Ustadha Jinan Yousef!
Till Next Week, Insha Allah
We leave you in Allah’s care,
One of us at Ibadahplug