Flow of words

This is a chapter from my latest book called (G)rains (o)f san(d)s. Learn more about the book here . Thank you God for humility. Until the day of judgement we are all equal. On the day of judgement we will be separated into the different levels of heaven and God forbid hell. None can judge us besides God. While we are alive, no human knows who is better than who in the sight of God. We are to wish each other well and treat each other with respect and kindness. We are all sinners. We just sin differently. We are all imperfect. We all have faults. We all have good ways. We are all capable of love. We are all products of circumstances. Humility is understanding all of this. It is recognizing that I am not God. That I do not know another person's entire story. That I am not qualified to place myself above anyone else. That the same God who sees my faults sees theirs. That the same mercy I ask for myself is mercy I should be willing to extend to others. At some points life will humble y...

This is a chapter from my latest book called (G)rains (o)f san(d)s. Learn more about the book here . Thank you God for the rain. It has just started raining here. I can hear the pitter patter on the roof. I can see the dimmed light through the window. The greenery in the yard is enjoying every chance of rain. The days have been extra hot this year. They say we are experiencing a super el nino in Trinidad. Given this every bit of rainfall feels special. Water is life. Without water there can be no life as we know it. Rain is part of the water cycle. Rain falling is like therapy. A calm state comes over my body. My mind relaxes. I appreciate my home and my shelter to keep me dry and safe. The rain is mentioned as a sign from God in the Quran and how it gives life to a lifeless land. The rain complements the sunshine as part of nature's balance. Sometimes we have to endure storms and floods and even droughts but there are lessons in these events. Community spirit is heightened and our...

This is a chapter from my latest book called (G)rains (o)f san(d)s. Learn more about the book here . Thank you God for courage. Courage to keep going when we have fallen. Courage to fight for what we want. Courage to do the right things. Courage to face a broken world. It is funny how we can easily use a word and still have to turn to the dictionary for a proper definition. To me courage is finding the strength to do something but let us see what the dictionary says. Courage is defined as the ability to do something that frightens one; bravery. To me, God is the source of all courage. With God anything is possible. God strengthens us through difficult circumstances. We must not forget to thank God for giving us the courage to do the things that frighten us. All our fears belong to God. Let God handle what frightens us. Fear God alone. Surrender our fears to God. In Islam we are taught that courage is not only about physical strength but also about moral and spiritual strength. Being st...

It is 1055am and I have decided to write. God woke me up. I get to see another day. Another day to be a better person. Another day to move closer to God. Another day to help others. Another day to do as much good as possible. Another day to be productive. I am at peace. I am content. It is now 1101am. I have always had a logical mind. I have always asked questions. I often think, why do we choose to do things the hard way when there are easier and better ways especially when someone else has to do the work? We have the brains to come up with easier and better ways. Let us use our brains. Is the problem deciding what the easier and better ways are? Everything has advantages and disadvantages. Everyone has their opinion of what is better. Everyone is seeking their interests. Those with the upper hand or power to decide wins. Do we give one man one vote? Do we give brighter minds more votes? Do we grade options and the highest score wins? What do we do? Seems like democracy needs a decisi...

It is 1037am and I have decided to write. I have been listening to the Quran more and more. I have also been trying to learn Arabic casually through social media. I am nearing the end of my second reading of the English Quran. The Quran is the word of God and God also tells us to follow the sunnah and life of the prophet (pbuh). The Quran is a miracle. The more I interact with the Quran, the more complete I feel. It gives my clarity. I have a purpose. I have goals. I have things I should be doing. Islam is a way of life and it builds character. Sometimes I listen to the Quran to forget about this world. This world is not my home. My home is in the hereafter and God willing in heaven. The more I draw closer to the Quran, the more beauty I see and hear and feel. Same goes to God. Same goes for the life of the prophet (pbuh). Same for Islam. If these are all the things I have in this world, I am happy. Reminds me of one of the duas I say daily. I am content with Allah as my Lord, Islam as...

It is 230am and I have decided to write. Surah 8 verse 2 The believers are but those who when God is remembered, their hearts are afraid, and when His proofs are recited to them, it increases them in faith, and in their Lord they place their trust. This has become my favorite verse. How did it become my favorite verse? It was the recitation of Hasan El Kholy that gets suggested when I share my daily namaz goal to instagram. Tonight I stopped to appreciate how beautiful this recitation is and decided to learn more about what I was listening to. What do I think when I read this translation of this verse? There was a time when I did not understand why I should fear God. I understood why I should love God. Trust God. Believe in God. Respect God. But why fear God? God is good then why fear God? Then I later understood that if I do not give God my fears or if I do not fear God I would fear this world and men. In other words, fear God alone. Let God handle my fears. Do not let anything scare ...

It is 103am and I have decided to write. What does freedom mean to you? To me, the best freedom is the freedom that they cannot take away from you. No matter what they do, say, try, it does not matter to you, you are free. That is the level of freedom that annoys them. And that freedom comes from God and with God. My friend says that what I am describing is ultimate sovereignty. There is a profound difference between granted freedom—which depends on laws, circumstances, or the approval of others—and anchored freedom, which is an internal condition that cannot be revoked. When freedom is tied to external things, it is always vulnerable. People can restrict your movement, take away your comfort, or try to shape your reputation. But when your freedom comes from a connection to God, it is rooted beyond human reach. It shifts your center of gravity. That is precisely why it disarms or frustrates those who rely on control: you cannot leverage, intimidate, or break someone who is not tethered...