Muslima Success

In my previous article about “Four Keys to Overcome Loss”, I spoke about how in the Quran, God tells us “By time, indeed man is in a state of loss. Except those who believe, and do good and enjoin each other on the truth, and enjoin each other to be patient” (Surat Al-Asr). And we are also told “We will certainly test you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and fruits (earnings); but give glad tidings to the persevering and patient” (2:155). These verses explain to us that human beings are naturally going to experience some sort of loss throughout the course of life – some loss of heath, some loss of wealth, some loss of loved ones, some loss of loved ‘things’ – whether they be a career or a dream or in some extreme cases safety and freedom. Furthermore, getting older is a way of loss of time and loss of youth. There may be loss of a dream – something you really wanted to do for a while and for whatever reasons it didn’t work out. There may be a loss of i...

In the Quran, God tells us “By time, indeed man is in a state of loss. Except those who believe, and do good and enjoin each other on the truth, and enjoin each other to be patient” (Al-Asr) And we are also told “We will certainly test you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and fruits (earnings); but give glad tidings to the persevering and patient” (2:155). These verses explain to us that human beings are naturally and regularly in a state of some sort of loss – some loss of heath, some loss of wealth, some loss of loved ones, some loss of loved ‘things’ – whether they be a career or a dream, and in some extreme cases, safety and freedom. Arguably, if these losses are not managed properly, they can amount to an ultimate loss of a strong connection with Allah, happiness in an after-life, and peace and contentment in this life. So the question is, how can we overcome these losses that are inevitable? How can we carry on with our lives to fulfill our ultimat...

Many of us strive to achieve contentment and success; however, given the nature of the world we live in, we will encounter hardships which will impact our ability to achieve our goals and live the life we want. First, we need to acknowledge that none of us is immune from experiencing sadness, loss, hurt, hopelessness, anxiety and/or a lack of confidence. These hardships may lead us to lose faith in ourselves and those around us if we don’t learn how to manage them properly. Allah [swt] explains to us the inherent lack of perfection in this world and the nature of trials and tribulations in the Quran in various verses when He [swt] says: “Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said “When is the help of Allah?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.”[Quran: Chapter 2, Verse 21...

In light of all the tragic and heart breaking events happening to people all around the world, of all faiths, I write this knowing that I and many of the people reading this are infinitely blessed, which can therefore cause a great amount of guilt and feelings of helplessness when we see great suffering happening around us. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad says “Whoever wakes up safely in his home and is healthy in his body and has provisions for his day, would have acquired all the worldly possessions he is in need of.” (Al-Tirmidhi). I am writing this though to help us all form a new lens – yes indeed, people around the world are being tested with losing their homes, their families, and their lives – with losing everything dear to them.  So what is our test? What is our test when we are blessed from head to toe with safety, shelter, food, and family amongst countless other blessings? Our test is how we will use those blessings to make this world a better place. Our test is how we ...