Musings of a Servant of Allah
Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. (13:28)…and on relief
Alhamdulilah. Alhamdulilah.
Life is cyclical like that, and the promise of Allah is true 
On hardship
…so it’s been a while since I’ve last updated. Lots has happened. Without giving too much away, there is much going on behind the scenes. Alhamdulilah for everything.
Faith makes suffering, sufferable. This world is filled with shades of darkness and light. Absolutes are hard to find. Thinking in black and white leads to unnecessary strife. There are the major truths which I cling on to, and I ask those who know better when I’m stuck. Allah knows best.
Where do I begin?
So much has happened over the last few years of my life, and is the case with every other human being on this planet….my trials are ongoing. Allah is the only reason why I’ve come this far. Intact. Allah is the only reason for everything, really. Such is the perennial problem of humanity. When things are peachy, we forget Him. When things are hard, we fall on our knees and beseech His help.
There is sweetness in hardship, though. That’s when one’s prayer is sweetest, Quran recitation has more soul, and we truly feel broken as we prostrate before Him. And only He can heal. That’s always the case, of course, but realising our daily indebtness to the Almighty, both in times of ease and hardship, is an tremendous gift from Him.
There are among men some who serve God, as it were, on the verge: If good befalls them, they are, therewith, well content; but if a trial comes to them, they turn on their faces: They lose both this world and the Hereafter: That is loss for all to see! (Quran 22:11)
People of faith are a 3D construct in this 2D world. We look beyond the horizon of the everyday, especially when struck down by hardship, and remember that there is a power greater than us. Events like grief, loss, sickness and poverty are a lot more bearable when we know that at the end of the day, God will take care of it.
Alhamdulilah, in Islam, sickness of any kind (physical, psychological, spiritual) is a cleansing of sin. That’s good news, because expiation of sin in this life is a lot better than in the next!
May Allah grant us all healing, and ease our trials.
Hm
Yay!
Got my job training day coming up soon…can’t wait for the $ to come rolling in, inshaAllah…lots to save, and spend on (lol).
I’m really enjoying this break from uni, alhamdulilah. It came at the best time. Sigh. Half the time I don’t know what to do with myself….but that’s okay too!
Rediscovering the joy of writing is always a good thing to do I love writing. Love love love. Nothing like it, really.
Thoughts
So I had heaps of fun at archery yesterday. InshaAllah I’m gonna be a regular! My weekday and weekend adventure. Sure, it’s $20 per session…so I may go maybe 3 or so times a week.
I’d also like to venture back into the wide and wonderful world of swimming!!! Gotta get my very own burqini lol.
Sport is great. Thrilling, good way to get endorphins rushing through my system
Travel
I wonder what it’s like to travel?
To pack up and leave to foreign soil. Knowing nothing and no one, but only having some cash, clothes on my back, and being bilingual…
Hm…
Road trip, anyone?
So I’m watching Elizabethtown. Good movie. If there’s one thing I can take away from this movie….it’s the fact that road trips seem deeply fulfillling.
Where would I go? Who would I take with me? What would I pack?
Goodbye
Today marks my last day at hospital for this year.
I’m sad. Relieved. Happy. Nervous. Excited.
Everyone’s been great. Bittersweet farewell.
C told me the sweetest thing today. “You’re one of the nicest people I’ve met. A flower, amidst the ivory. We can learn a lot from you.”
Hence begins my first day of leave from studies. The faculty has been incredibly supportive. A few of my friends are shocked, largely because I’m good at pretending everything’s normal lol. I’ll miss them.
Med school blues
So it’s that time of year again.
Nearly the end of the medical school year. And what a crazy year that’s been.
A wise doctor told me, “We would get arrested if we did to ordinary people on the street, what we do to patients in hospital.”
Looking back, I bet you’ve learned an incredible amount. In fact, it’s so much you’ve probably forgotten most of it. lol.
If you’re feeling down, rest assured – you’re not alone. Heck, if you’re not exhausted, you’re in the minority!! This too shall pass. Just grit your teeth and soldier on to class. Do what you have to do. Blessed solitude is only a few weeks away.
On exhaustion
I am so tired.
You know that bone-deep, weary feeling? The oh-so-exhausted-no-matter-what-I-do? Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt.
Regardless! Life goes on. Must pick self up. My next practical exam is on the 20th and 21st of November.
Goals:
1) REST. Veg out at least for one whole day a week.
2) Sleep 8 hrs every night.
3) Exercise every day, even if it’s just a 15 minute walk.
4) Do things that bring me joy e.g. playing with my cats in the backyard.
5) Eat well. When I feel like this, I forget to eat.
6) Connect with friends.
7) Keep my family in the loop.
Overall goal – be kind to myself. Been through so much, more than most people know, and I deserve some slack
