To say that this new years feels like no other would be an understatement. My heart is heavy. Whilst people around the world celebrate and enjoy the sky being lit up with fireworks, so many spend another night with the sky lit up with bombs. They spend their night not knowing if they’ll wake up to see their parents or children or partners or homes again. They can’t sleep because they have once again been displaced. To say our hearts are heavy isn’t enough. As I sit here, I feel my privilege with every part of me but how blessed we are to all have our own privileges. I’d much rather feel and pray then be ignorant and treat another life as less important. Perhaps part of the reason we’re all collectively feeling the pain is to unite us and allow us to truly understand what it means to treat each life with the importance it deserves. To turn to our creator and ask with sincerity. To not just ignore it all and get consumed by the world we live in. As the year comes to an end, I’m grateful to see, the unity, the shift, the hope that lies ahead. In the past few months, I’ve seen people who have always chose to plead ignorance, open their eyes for the first time. To really feel and care and rally. I’ve seen people from all backgrounds and with differing beliefs unite on one believe that Palestinians deserve safety and freedom, that what is happening isn’t okay. I’ve seen people let go of their day to day comforts and say no longer will we be ignorant and mindlessly fund a genocide. I’ve seen Starbucks empty and individuals choose to no longer stock their fridges with an abundance of products that will benefit companies with disgusting values. I’ve seen thousands embrace Islam purely because they see the beauty in having the answer one has been searching for. Purely because how can your heart find ease in all this tragic loss without knowing there is better ahead and Allah is just. How blessed we are to have hope and know that Allah’s help is near. So whilst my heart is heavy and every firework makes me think of another life lost of روح الروح and the young children and men and women who are in the most difficult times but they shout loudly out to Allah حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ – I am filled with hope because how can I not be? Allah is most definitely sufficient for us and he is the best of disposers of affairs for us all.
Alhamdulillah for every moment in every year. ٱلْحَمْدُلِلَّٰهِ for the trials and tribulations. For the delays. For the duas that were answered immediately and for the ones that are yet to be answered. For the tests that are yet to come. Alhamdullilah for knowing that there is khayr in every single thing and I don’t need to understand why or when or how, I just need to put my trust in Allah.
Alhamdullilah for being able to see another year and have another second to do better and be better. Alhamdullilah x100000.
Alhamdullilah for knowing Allah’s promise and knowing that the help of Allah is near.
So yes my hearts heavy but it’s bursting with gratitude and hope and love because I am alive, I’m a Muslim and I’m never alone and ultimately Allah alone is sufficient and is the best disposer of affairs.
May 2024 be the year we see a world where people of Sudan, people of Congo, people of Gaza, people of Yemen, people all over the world live in peace, safety, good health. May we see an end to the suffering.
آمين
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