In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious and The Most Merciful.
Alhamdulillah, I’ve recently spent a lot of time, effort and energy planning a course about Islam and Grief and its been designed specifically to support bereaved Muslim youth. (May Allah swt accept it, aameen).
The topic is very sensitive so I’ve incorporated some simple and effective art techniques throughout the sessions so that the students can engage more effectively and alhamdulillah it’s proven to be quite effective.
After the session, whilst evaluating and discussing with my husband how the session went I realised something.
I realised that all the times I doubted following my passion and studying Art and Design…it now all made sense.
I realised that all the times I experienced stress and questioned my teaching abilities…it now all made sense.
I realised that all the times I suffered loss and went through unimaginable pain… it now all made sense.
I realised that all the times I was unsure of just how effective my bereavement support was over the years…it now all made sense.
I realised today, all these experiences were just different pieces of my lifes mosaic…and I’m now beginning to see the full design, it is beginning to make even more sense Alhamdulillah.
With tears in my eyes, I make shukr to Allah swt.
I thank Him swt for all my tests and trials.
I thank Him swt for allowing me to be of service to Him swt.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ
Alhamdulillah ‘alaa kuli haal.
All praise and thanks are only for Allah swt in all circumstances.
We may not realise it when we are going through tests and trials in life but we know that these are all part of a greater plan for us by Allah swt. This doesn’t mean we ask for tests and trials and we should always continue to seek protection from Allah swt from all calamities.
May Allah swt protect us from life’s tests and trials, aameen.
May Allah swt ease the suffering of all who are going through any difficulty and ease their suffering swiftly and successfully, aameen.
Today I sat in her room and took a moment to remember her as a baby…as a toddler…as a small child. SubhanAllah! How the time has flown by!
I was having a super busy day trying to get up to date with the chores and had popped into her room to do something.
It was a rare opportunity I found to be able to just sit on her bed, stop and ponder. Alhamdulillah.
I looked around at her shelves, the notices she had clumsily stuck on her wardrobe (must buy her a cork board!) and her bits and pieces lying around.
Where once she had shelves filled with fairytales and stories about animals were now replaced with authors such as Snicket, Morpurgo and Horowitz. Books of mysteries and adventure.
Her toys had been exchanged for jewellery and stationary and complex pieces made with lego (yes, shes an absolute fan!).And there was not a “my little pony” in sight!
Where once had been her dolls house now lay a prayer mat and cushions she used as a little reading nook.
I felt sad. SubhanAllah.
In a blink of an eye her entire childhood had passed me by and now she was steadily (often moodily) transitioning into her teen years. MashaAllah.
I felt a mixture of sadness, anxiety and excitement. I guess that is parenting in a nutshell, sometimes remembering how they used to be, worrying constantlyabout anything and everything to do with them at present and on rare occasions feeling excited at the person they are becoming.
Our lives are so busy we sometimes forget that everything is changing including our own families.
As Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī once said, “this moment is all there is“.
A reminder to myself and then to others, dont forget to take these moments in and make them moments you and your loved ones will remember. Nothing lasts forever, this is the way of this life. Everything moves forward, one day our children will grow up and have their own lives inshaAllah, just as we grew into ours. Alhamdulillah.
To my beloved her, I miss those moments that have gone and I worry all the time about you and the challenges you face but I am so excited about the person you are growing into! Alhamdulillah.
May Allah swt always protect, guide and bless our children with success. May they always be happy, healthy and blessed with true imaan. Aameen.
Whilst sorting through some files, I came across some old photographs of our young children as babies and my husband and I started going through them and reminiscing as you do…
After “oooing” and “aaahing”, he turns to me and says “you did good mashaAllah”.
I should’ve felt pleased or somewhat proud but instead I just felt anxious.
I had a flashback of a conversation with a friend who is a parent of teenagers telling me, “believe me, this is the easy part!”, responding to my complaints about lack of sleep and exhaustion. “The older they get, the harder it becomes…”
Parenting is a challenging journey that seems never-ending, a journey with many highs and lows. But if they grow into believers who are caring human beings, kind to others and humble, then inshaAllah it will be all worth it.
May Allah swt make parenting easy for us, guide us to be the best of parents and bless our youth to be the best of children. Aameen.
I don’t understand why some parents are so impatient for their little ones to grow up? “Cant wait until he’s weaned… Can’t wait until she’s walking…Can’t wait until he starts school…Can’t wait until she graduates…”
Feels like yesterday we were dreaming and hoping for each one of ours…
Feels like yesterday I had each one close to my heart, two hearts beating in one body…
Feels like yesterday we brought each one home from the hospital…
Everything feels like yesterday…
They are growing too fast….way too fast…
Wish ours would stay as they are…
☹️
May Allah swt enable us all to enjoy and appreciate every single moment (easy and challenging) with our children and love and nurture them in the way Allah swt wants us to and is most pleased with. Aameen!
Modern Muslimah Musings 