Month: January 2024

This post was originally written on December 26, 2018. Please share this post with others you know, family, friends, colleagues, etc. Help me to spread this blog and make it go viral! Thank you so much!

I don’t exactly remember if it was last year when I heard this quote, but I was reminded of it when I was listening to a really amazing lecture on taqdeer just a few days ago. The quote said something along the lines of, “if you were given the chance to write out your own life story, and then had to choose between what you wrote, and what was already written for you by Allah SWT, surely, you would only choose that which Allah SWT wrote for you.” 

I heard this same thing being said in the lecture I was listening to by Mufti Akmal via YouTube (he’s on QTV channel available here in the US and in Pakistan). 

It made me pause for a moment because I thought about everything I’m facing right now. 

My finances are strained. I have to pay tuition at Pepperdine and I’m the one who’s handling everything for my mom and uncle at the moment financially since my uncle has been living in the nursing home due to diabetes complications where his doctor is not allowing him to live at home. It’s been rough even purchasing groceries, or taking care of our basic necessities because I’m practically at $0 right now. Looking for work has been taking up most of my time now that my first semester of doctoral studies are completed. I had to create a GoFundMe account just to get something to help us out.

Although I apply every day to many different positions in the area of human resources management and adjunct teaching positions at various colleges and universities, I still haven’t been able to land an interview yet, or get the job of my dreams (actually as of this writing, I just got an email inviting me to an interview tomorrow for a customer service HR position). I know my dream job is coming at some point, so long as I’m being persistent and continue to take the action steps I need to take to land the job I want, and relying on where Allah SWT will take me according to my story. 

To top it off, I have some deceitful family members who have taken no stone unturned in trying to create more financial problems for my mom and I, and who have been trying to evict us from our home I’ve been living in for most of my life. Rather than help us during our time of need, my mom’s own brother has been working on trying to make us financially distressed, and wants us on the street because he wants his brother’s house, which he has absolutely no claim over. 

And he has even gone so far as to pretend to be my uncle in the nursing home, making threatening phone calls to my realtor who was helping us to sell the house so we could pay for nursing home bills my sick uncle has incurred while living there. Pretending to be his own brother, he has created a falsified trust, and has tried to evict us by telling us we have 60 days to move out, which he legally cannot do because he’s falsifying identities, while the one in the nursing home is actually dying and has no clue what’s going on behind his back.

Yet, I pause to think about my situation, and that of my mom’s situation. Would we have chosen what Allah SWT wrote for us? This situation that we are in right now? Is this something I would have wanted? 

I mean, in my own story, I would write that my family and I loved each other fiercely – my uncles were actually good people, my aunts were loving and kind, and my cousins and I were close as we should be. 

I would have written the exact person I want to marry, how many kids we would have, how long we would all live for, and try to make us immortal – I know, astaghfarullah. There is no such thing as human immortality – our souls are immortal though. When we die, it is a physical death and our souls move on to the afterlife. 

I probably would have also written that my family and I never had any problems, we were all financially stable and could get whatever we wanted, our education was paid for and there was no suffering, ever, for us to deal with. 

However, I look back at the story and think, “But where are the lessons behind the issues, and where are the issues life would deal us to learn from them?” And also I’d think, “In all this, where is the glorification of Allah SWT? Would my desires be so fulfilled that I would not even make dua and ask Allah SWT for the things we would want or need?” 

This is not a story I would choose. I wouldn’t want to choose my story of happily ever after. There is nothing there other than, “We live happily ever after.” The reality is that life is not all about being happy….at least not here in this world. 

I would 100% choose the taqdeer that Allah SWT has written for me over what I would’ve written any day. 

Why?

Because the hardships we face in life are not permanent. The issues we go through, the good times and the bad times are all a part of making us stronger, better people (at least, I hope). It’s about adjusting our attitudes and being able to see beyond what we are facing while ensuring that no matter what, we constantly remember Allah SWT and strive in his path. 

In my story, there were no trials or tribulations. There was only what I wanted – to be with my family and for them to be loving and kind because I never had that experience at all and it is something I crave for. In my story, I would even add that my mom and dad were together and that my father was my protector, and I would be his doting daughter. Additionally, that I would marry the man of my dreams, and be an amazing mother to my children.

Yet, in the actual story that is written for me by Allah SWT, I am not given the family of my dreams, a father who loves me, or financial stability. I was given a family that hurt my mother, abused us verbally, emotionally, mentally and financially. I was given aunts, uncles and cousins who could care less about us unless we had money. I was given a childhood where I was made fun of, and spent much of my young days in loneliness (probably explains why I’m an introvert and not an extrovert). My mom was given a bad, cheating husband (my father) and no home of her own to speak of. She had to suffer so much to raise me, and to take care of the two of us. Her story was not full of happiness. She had more sadness at how her own family members treated her and my grandmother, and how even now, our family members are doing the same thing. 

My story has financial instability albeit, temporarily. It has stories of struggle I am enduring at this time. However, my story also does have happy endings – I know I will marry a wonderful husband with whom I will have a loving family to be around with, inshallah. I know I will get an amazing job that pays me extremely well, and I’ll be able to get my own business back up and running again. I know my financial health will improve and I will be able to rebuild. I know my mom will see happiness in her life through my seeing my marriage, children, and success at wherever I land the job of my dreams. She will get back what was taken from her in ways she wouldn’t even imagine.

I know because the power of dua can make anything that looks impossible, possible. And as it is said in the Qur’an, “innallaha ala kulli shayeen qadeer” which means, “Allah has power over all things,” or “He is the one who determines (and is capable of doing) everything.” If one says this throughout the day as part of their duas, this verse, they will see the manifestation of their duas in ways they could not imagine. And if one believes in Allah SWT as Al Qadeer and does dhikr of this verse or of the name as “ya Qadeero,” which is one of our Rabb’s names, then they will begin to see that Allah SWT will give them miracles in this world they would have never thought about, especially when read with such love, faith and concentration. 

Despite what I am going through right now, I know I would choose what Allah SWT has written for me over what I would write for myself. There are so many lessons to learn, and the impact we have to make in this world to change the lives of others, that I wouldn’t even be able to write that into my own story. I would be a lost cause in my own happiness. 

The story written for me – my taqdeer, fate, destiny, naseeb – has already been penned down. The ink has dried and so it is. This is a hadith from our Prophet (SAW) where he said “the pen has been lifted, and the ink has dried.” Allah SWT has written what will happen to us both good and bad, and it will happen no matter what. What is meant to be will always happen and what is in your destiny will always reach you and not anyone else no matter how much they try. 

This is why when we think about our story, we need to be in gratitude no matter the situation we find ourselves in, good or bad. It’s so important to stay positive, because prayer and dua brings us peace. We know Allah SWT is listening to us and the right time in His plans for us will come to fruition when it is ready for us, and we are ready for it. 

Sometimes, I have to remind myself of this very thing. Just because I am writing this blog and sharing wisdom does not mean I am some kind of a saint – astaghfarullah I am not even close! I am learning about myself as a Muslim and there are days I get frustrated, and feel it. However, my emotional frustration is short lived because I remember that Allah SWT put me here in this position temporarily and I am doing the best I can with the resources I have. 

Think about the scenario of climbing a steep mountain. It’s hard. Hiking, while it is a great exercise, is a journey of strength and will. How will you climb that mountain without falling? How will you reach the top of that mountain? 

Think about your situation. You may be climbing a mountain, and you’re getting tired. Each day, a new obstacle is formed, and each day, you remove that obstacle from your path as you keep hiking up the mountain. You may be afraid of how much more you have to climb and some days it seems so impossible, but you still do it anyway. 

Then, one day, you find yourself right at the top of the mountain. The situation you were in is now past you. Everything works out and you’re baffled. You think, how is this all happening? You climbed up that steep mountain, and reached the top. It took blood, sweat and tears to get up there but you did it. How? 

Having 100% yaqeen and tawakkul, and making sure your attitude is positive throughout the situation you’re in.

That’s the secret of dealing with any problem. Your attitude. The outlook you have about the trials and tribulations you may be dealing with, and fiercely trusting that Allah SWT knows your story and how it will develop positively is the secret. All you have to do is have the strongest faith that what you’re going through is not permanent. 

Truly, nothing in this world is permanent. We all have to die, and answer to Allah SWT when it is our time. We aren’t permanently living on Earth, so our problems are definitely not here to stay. We are here to learn, and to acquire knowledge our souls will take back to Jannah. We are here to glorify Allah SWT, and be the best people we can be – the best leaders who spread good, and do good for others to help them through their rough times. 

We have the free will to make the choices for the steps we take. This means we have the ability to think, and to feel, to speak and to hear – we observe and then we take specific action steps, leaving everything to Allah SWT to take care of for us.

As I go through this financial hardship and the family problems being caused by people of my own blood, I pray to Allah SWT. I believe in His ability to get my mom and I out of this situation, and with the action steps I am taking to ensure not only will I be out of this situation, but that I will be in a much better place than I could ever imagine. And only my Rabb could do this for me. No one else could. What is written in my story is unfolding in front of my eyes. The decisions I make, the duas I make, and the actions I take are already known by Allah SWT. 

He knows me better than I know myself. That’s because my Rabb is the author of my story, as He is of yours and everyone else’s in the world. 

And you know, Allah SWT is a Merciful, and Generous Lord. Despite not having the money for even the basic necessities at the moment, Allah SWT has provided me with the most amazing and wonderful friends who have been by my side, and have been there for me. They pray for me, and help me stay positive even when I get frustrated at times….

Such as being frustrated about how I’m going to pay my bills….this is something many of us struggle with. Just trying to keep the basic necessities afloat while dealing with other problems is not easy but Allah SWT is there to help and guides us to resources we need. 

One of my friends I met during this past semester literally reached out to me and told me she would help me by taking me grocery shopping and paying for whatever groceries we needed. I felt so shy about this and she told me that she was once in this position herself, and she knows. I asked her how she got out of it, and she told me, “God.” That’s all. 

Another one of my friends comes over to help us with packing and moving, and yet another friend bought me boxes and other material for packing and cleaning to help me (because yes we will move but on our terms and with my selling the house as the real beneficiary). Allah SWT has been providing and He provides for everyone in various ways. Think about this for a moment. What seems like a hopeless situation for one who does not have faith, is not really a hopeless situation where there is large faith. When we trust in Allah SWT, and in His perfect plans and timing for us, then we have nothing to worry about. . 

It is a blessing to know that I have friends who have been there for me, and have been such pillars of strength for my mom and I. Everyone asks me how I am handling things so positively and why I still have an optimistic outlook on life. 

I say, “I believe in my Lord, and no matter what, He will provide and helps me figure out a way.” Why should we believe otherwise, right?

When we have that faith and that determination that everything will be okay, it will be, because Allah SWT promises us that with hardship comes ease. It is a part of our story – every life has some hardships – for some, it is a little more than for others. 

Mufti Menk said in one of his lectures that Allah SWT gives us tests so that we can grow closer to Him. It is a part of our story that is written. For some people, they become really upset with the tests and literally give up all hope. My message to you is NOT to EVER give up. Why? Because the moment you give up, you allow Shaitaan to come to you and guide you so astray that you become more and more ungrateful for everything you are dealing with, stop praying and forget the beauty and bounty of Allah SWT. This type of attitude will not give you faith and you will lose. You do not want to lose. You want to pass the tests and you want to do this with a positive attitude. 

I know, its hard. It can be so frustrating when things are looking so down and everywhere you turn, you see problems after problems. 

With a negative attitude toward Allah SWT, we can actually create more problems for our lives. Allah SWT says that He is as we think of Him. So if we think He does not answer prayers, then guess what? He does not. And if we believe that Allah SWT is loving, merciful and answers all of our duas, leaving everything to him and we accept our taqdeer with gratitude, then Allah SWT will answer our prayers, give us more then we could think about and take us out of the tests He put us through because all tests lead us to learn to remember Him in order to pass and get Jannah points. 

Remember that Allah SWT is the writer of our stories. He is the one who has written our decrees for us. Do your best, leave everything to our Creator, and let Him guide you. Our Rabb guides us – so make dua only to Him, rely on Him, and create your relationship with your Lord – the one Allah SWT who is Rabbul Alaameen. 

If you are inspired by my writing, please subscribe to my blog. If you want to follow me on my personal Instagram, you can at @thedraasiyah

-Dr. Aasiyah N. Ghazi

This post was originally written on October 5, 2018. I have revised this post a little and added another couple of ayahs we can read to ward off the evil eye that I have learned about. Please share this post with your friends, family, and people you know so that this blog goes viral. You can also follow me on Instagram at @thedraasiyah. Link is at the end of the article as well.

Nazar, as it is most commonly known, the evil eye is something that every Muslim must be aware of. In fact, the evil eye is so bad, that it can cause people to get sick, to prevent them from moving ahead in their life, or even kill them. There is actually a hadith on this. The Prophet (SAW) said that after qadr (Allah SWT’s decree), mostly, the evil eye will kill our ummah. It can affect us negatively in our lives and hurt our livelihood.

What is nazar? If you look at something someone has with a desire or a feeling that may coming from a place of envy or jealousy, you could be giving that person the evil eye, and they will feel the effects of it soon thereafter.

Nazar is real. This is not a made up mythological aspect at all. The Qur’an talks about nazar, and in fact, there are Quranic ayaats and surahs that are specifically for protecting us from the effects of the evil eye. It is so bad, that even jadoo (black magic) is weak next to giving someone the evil eye. As believers, we should never look at something or someone with envy, jealousy or other negative feelings. We should never do anything that can hurt someone through any sort of black magic or even resort to that just because we don’t have what they have.

We need to always be kept aware of the fact that we all have different destinies written for us from Allah SWT. Some of us may have more things than others but it does not mean to be envious or to long for something that may not be meant for us to have in the first place.

The Qur’an mentions the evil eye in several places, with surahs dedicated to the protection of the evil eye, and certain ayaats. To prevent the evil eye, one should make it a habit to read these surahs and ayaats each morning when waking up, and in the evening before going to bed to ward off any evil eye that may have come about during the day.

For women who are on their menses, they are not allowed to read any verses from the Qur’an during that time (and this is in the Hanafi madhab, which is what my family and I predominantly follow for reference as to why I state these things). Allah SWT is Most Merciful and Most Generous, and therefore, to continually protect ourselves from the evil eye and its effects, women can read, during their periods, the first Kalimah Tayyib – la ilaha illallah muhammadur rasoolullah over and over and blow on themselves, Durood/Salawat Ibrahimi (read in abundance and make dua for protection and you will be protected from nazar). They can also read Kalimah Tamjeed – subhanallahi walhamdulillahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar; wala hawla wala kuwwata illah billah-hil alayyul azeem in abundance. There is so much virtue to read these consistently throughout the day every day, and in remembrance and zikr of Allah SWT, you will be protected by the evil eye. Even reading Bismillah daily will help with warding off the evil eye and put you under the protection of Allah SWT.

In fact, anyone can read the above supplications of salawat and kalimah. For women who cannot read Quranic ayaats and surahs during that time of the month, this will continue to protect from nazar so long as you continue to read in abundance.

Even reading Bismillah and blowing on one’s self to protect from the harm of others’ nazar can be beneficial.

Side note: I have had a few women tell me that the madhabs they follow (Shafi, Maliki, Hanbali) say it’s okay for them to read Quran on their iPad, or iPhone, and from memorization for prevention of the evil eye, and I need to dig deeper into these schools of thought to verify this as we are told strictly women in their menses cannot touch or read the Quran or memorized ayaats during that time. There are a lot of different thoughts by various imams, muftis and shaikhs about this as some say it’s okay to read for prevention of the evil eye but not for any other reason, or to not read at all until menses (and after birth menses) is over. This confusion should be laid to rest and of course, only Allah SWT knows best – but we have to follow what we have been told by our Prophet (SAW) as per Qur’an and Sunnah. If it is said that women cannot touch, or recite out loud the Qur’an and ayaats, then it’s best to not do it and wait until the menses is over – however other dhikr as I mentioned above is absolutely fine (such as salawat/durood, bismillah, Kalimah, the names of Allah SWT, etc.). 

My mufti had told us to read the following three times and blow on ourselves before leaving the house so that any nazar that may come to us from others will not affect us. The verse is “Bismillahi allahumma azhab, harraha wa bardaha wa wasabaha.” A hadith states that when someone was afflicted by the evil eye, the Prophet (SAW) placed his right hand on the chest of this man and recited this verse (Nasai, Ibn Majah, Ahmad, Hakim and Ad Daa’u wa Dawaa). If you are on your menses, you can still read this and blow on yourself.

Let’s move on to the virtues of Quranic ayaats and surahs that one should consistently read.

Whenever I have been afflicted by the evil eye, and trust me, I see it, feel it and it affects me a LOT, I read Surah Nas, Surah Al-Falaq, Surah Al-Fatiha, Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Kauther, and Salawat Ibrahimi. I also read Ayatul Kursi, which is close to the end of Surah Baqarah (verse 255). Together, reading it as zikr and blowing it on one’s self will help to ward off the evil eye.

There are various surahs in the Qur’an that are meant to protect us from those who are enemies (yes, even frenemies) and our Prophet (SAW) have warned us not to show off, or tell others about good things happening to us to everyone. Even then, we may not say or do anything but the envy or longing of the person toward us or the good that is happening to us can affect us tremendously without our knowledge, causing us physical, emotional and mental ailments.

If I may, I will advise that people don’t post so much of their personal life on social media. I see friends posting about their babies, families, children, and spouses. Later they complain about the bad things that have begun happening to them after they do this. It’s because of the evil eye of others. We don’t know what others think about us and how they feel about us – it is best to keep parts of our lives private as much as possible. Islam teaches us to be humble. We should be careful with our intent on posting photos on social media.

We must protect ourselves from the evil eye of others, and we must also protect our children, and our families from the evilness of those who prey upon us to cause us harm. May Allah SWT protect us from all sorts of fitna.

Please everyone, use social media responsibly, and always ask permission from your friends and others if it is okay to post their photos with you on social media.  For those of you who do follow my personal Instagram account, or have friended me on Facebook, you may notice, I do not post pictures of my family at all – I did post a picture of my mom and I once, and my mom was upset at me for doing it and explained why.  Therefore, I only post photos of myself, sometimes with friends, or colleagues with their permission and only when it is work, or school related. And even then, I have over 10,000 photos and videos saved in my phone, and don’t post the majority of my photos on social media.

Going back to reading verses, there are many benefits and virtues of reading Surah Al-Nas, Surah Al-Falaq, Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Fatiha, Surah Al-Kauther, Ayatul Kursi, and Durood/Salawat Ibrahimi. Also, another ayat in the Quran are the last two ayats of Surah Qalam – Ayah 51 and 52. Finally, reading the first ayah of Surah Baqarah and the last ayah along with Surah Kauther 3 times will help you to ward off even the most brutal evil eye you have been afflicted with.

Surah Al-Falaq literally is a dua for us to ask Allah SWT to protect us from the evilness of others, from the darkness of evil as it spreads, from those who envy us and practice envy, and to protect us from the effects of black magic.

Surah Al-Nas is the another dua in which we ask Allah SWT to protect us from the whispers of the Shayateen, to protect us from those who whisper into the hearts of Jinn and Mankind. It is to protect us from the evils of others (the evil eye), and the evil of the Shayateen from leading us astray.

Reading Surah Al-Ikhlas is full of virtues and benefits. However, I will focus on the other virtues and benefits in another blog post about this.

Surah Al-Ikhlas talks about the Oneness of Allah SWT, and for us to read to remember that Allah SWT is One, He does not have the need for anything and is the one who provides for what we need. He is not begot, nor is He begotten – this means Allah SWT was not born to any other being, and He does not have anyone equivalent to Him. There is none comparable to Him.

Reading these three Quls together, with Durood/Salawat Ibrahimi before and after, the blowing on one’s self and making sincere dua to Allah SWT to protect us from the evil eye of others will help us immensely with protecting us, and if any evil eye has been afflicted, it will go away from reading this constantly.

In a hadith, our Prophet (SAW) has said that we should recite the Quls thrice in the morning and thrice in the evening. Read them and the other surahs and ayaats I’ve mentioned consistently. You will notice that if you are afflicted with nazar, you will start to feel better. If you’ve had unexplainable aches, and pains in your body, or a sickness that a doctor is unable to detect, or you don’t feel well, it’s usually due to the affects of the evil eye. As soon as you start to feel anything, start reciting the quls, durood/salawat, and the other surahs mentioned here to begin warding off nazar.

Let me also explain the virtues of Surah Al-Kauther and why this Surah should also be read for warding off the evil eye.

This surah was revealed during the time that the Prophet (SAW) was going through difficult times with the Quraysh clan who were mocking him for not having living male offspring. The Quraysh clan cut the Prophet (SAW) off from them and from the honor that he (SAW) once had. They were hurting those who accepted Islam and the Oneness of Allah SWT. However, this surah was revealed to let our Prophet (SAW) know of his (SAW) rank in Jannat, and of the numerous blessings and barakat and the fountain of Kauther which would be given to our Prophet (SAW) during the Day of Judgment. Those who mocked him would themselves, have nothing remaining of them and would be cut off from the goodness they could have received had they accepted Allah SWT as their Lord and the Prophet (SAW) as their messenger.

Reading this surah along with the quls mentioned above wards off the evil eye. The surah itself talks about the enemies being cut off from their rank. The person who looks at us with jealousy and hatred is one who would be cut off from blessings because of their negative feelings toward us.  Read this surah along with durood/salawat before and after, and do dhikr of this surah even if it’s only a few times. Allah SWT protects those who seek His protection from the evil eye, and it is He who knows best.

Surah Al-Fatiha is another one to read along with the quls and other surahs mentioned in this blog. We read this surah during our five prayers, and I find myself reading this during dua. It is a dua in itself that Allah SWT guide us and not lead us astray from his path. Therefore, reading this with the other surahs not only helps us to ward off nazar, but also provides us the guidance we need to help us continue on the right path.

Surah Al-Fatiha is the guidance – the Qur’an is the answer of Surah Al-Fatiha and the guide of which this prayer is asking for.

Finally, Ayatul Kursi – this is verse 255 of Surah Al-Baqarah and is a blessing for mankind to read. Why? Because this ayat reveals the virtues and beautiful attributes of Allah SWT. There is no God but Allah SWT, and everything belongs to Him. He does not sleep, and He knows everything before and behind them. No one can intercede Him without His permission. His chair (kursi) is larger than the heavens and earth combined and guarding both does not tire Him. Allah SWT is the Supreme, the Ever Lasting, and the Exalted – the Glorious.

Reading Ayatul Kursi each night before sleeping protects one from the evils of Shayateen – an angel is appointed to watch over the one who reads this ayat. Similarly, in the morning if one reads this ayat, they are protected all throughout the day. These are coming from hadith from Sahih Bukhari. Read this with the quls and the other surahs every day to protect yourself from the evil eye.

We should also be aware of our feelings toward others. If we find ourselves feeling any type of jealousy toward someone when we hear of their good news or if something good happens to them, we need to check into ourselves. Why do we feel this way? What can we do to stop feeling envious of someone’s good fortune? Immediately begin praying, and make dua for the person you may feel any envy for. Make dua that this person continues receiving good blessings and barakah from Allah SWT, and that you also receive barakat and blessings so you also receive good fortune from others.

The best thing that we can do in everything is to make dua, to pray for ourselves, and for others to avoid giving the evil eye. Where we know someone has given us the evil eye, Allah SWT has provided the cure for us and we should continue to read the surahs and ayats given to us to protect us from those who are envious of us.

Jealousy and envy does not have to be for a specific reason. Unfortunately, even small things can elicit envy within someone. For this reason, keep your good news to yourself and only share with those who you know will be happy for you and make dua for you. Before leaving the house, and entering, read the quls, the above mentioned ayaats, surahs, and kalimahs.

The Qur’an is not only a guidance for us, but it is a way of life, and it is a book of healing.

Please share this blog if you enjoyed reading it and you received some good from it. If you want to follow my personal Instagram and you aren’t already, it is @thedraasiyah. I post things I’m working on or doing, or personal photos with friends mostly. On another note, I do not add anyone to my personal Facebook account (sorry for those of you who have requested to add me there). However, feel free to message me directly through Instagram.  Jazakallah khair!

-Dr. Aasiyah N. Ghazi

This post was originally written on September 23, 2018. Please share this post with others so that this blog continues to get more views and hopefully, sponsors to help me keep this blog going. Thank you!

Lately, I’ve been going through a series of tests that have made me realize a few things. One thing is for certain, when Allah SWT wants to, He will test us, and this can happen at any time. The tests and tribulations come to us in a number of ways, and they can be short tests, or long tests. There is a hadith that says, “The enormous reward comes with enormous trials, and when Allah loves a people, He tests them.” (Al-Tirmidhi).

As we all know, or should know, Allah SWT gives us the love of 70 mothers. The number, 70, has a significant meaning.

It means infinite love. Seventy mothers is the symbol of infinite love.

I can barely handle the love of one mother, lol! So imagine the love of our mothers times 70!! That is a LOT of love!

Then the question comes, if Allah SWT loves us with SO much love, why does He want to test us all the time with trials and problems? I’m sure we all think about this and wonder why we have so many issues going on in our lives we seemed not to have asked for. We wonder why we’re being tested in many different ways.

The tests are not there because Allah SWT wants to see us suffer. Nor are they there so that we give up on what we believe in, and the tests are not there for us to give up on our yaqeen and tawakkul on Allah SWT. The tests are not meant for us to lose hope with the trials we’re going through, despite how tough it may be for us at the moment.

Rather, the main things I’ve come to realize and am sharing with you in this post is that Allah SWT tests us because He wants us to become stronger and better human beings who fully believe in Him. What we go through is what will make us stronger people, and these tests help us to learn from the mistakes we make so we don’t do them again.

The trials we go through also help us with growing an even stronger connection with Allah SWT because we are taught that we cannot rely on anyone else other than our Rabb.  ­

Everything we go through in life happens for a greater purpose that is slowly revealed in its own time. The hardships in our lives are meant to be lessons for us so that we learn to live this life in the way of Allah SWT and become worthy of going to Jannah to live in the beautiful, lush gardens with Him.

Allah SWT wants to see which of us desires to be in Jannah and what we will do to get there. We are not in this world only to pray to Allah SWT five times a day, or read Qur’an daily. It’s so much more than that! We are also here to learn the important things we must understand and bring back to Jannah with us, all of which are a part of our Islamic lifestyle. For example, smiling at others, treating people with dignity, love and respect, remembering Allah SWT through the way He taught us to live THIS life while here on Earth and the Sunnah of our Prophet (SAW)…these are what we will bring back with us to Jannah, among other lessons we will learn along the way of this temporary life. We will be better people who will be worthy of Jannah because we strived to understand the lessons we were taught while being in this world.

In the last few months of the ordeals I’ve been going through, I’ve definitely learned many lessons that have helped me to become a better version of myself. I’ve had to go through changing the way I think about things, and how I react so that I am able to better handle any problem that will come my way in the future. I’ve learned to have more strength and confidence, and to take better care of my family and myself. Above all, I’ve learned to stay positive and have a good attitude no matter what’s happening around me.

That is what tests do – they change the way we look at ourselves, and the world and make us better people in the process. Our perspectives change for the better.

When we pass the tests, we are different – we are no longer that person we were when the issues first began. Our personalities change; our character improves and hopefully, we are able to better identify and understand how another person feels when they talk to us about their problems, seeking our advice about what they’re going through.

With so much that I’ve personally gone through in the last year and a half, the person I was at the beginning of 2017 is definitely not the same person who is writing this blog today. I’ve been able to work on improving myself in various ways due to many situations that I’ve been facing since last year.

The most imperative lesson I’ve discovered is that no matter the test, I have to always remember that Allah SWT is there for me, for us! All we have to do is to pray, and remember Allah SWT during our trials and tribulations. During sujood, we leave our problems in front of the doorsteps of Allah SWT, and He listens to us. He brings us this peace and the feeling that everything will work out – remember the Qur’an says, our hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah SWT. I tell Him about my problems and ask only Him to find me a way out because I have yaqeen, I have faith and trust that Allah SWT is the only One who will help solve my problems and that’s all I need. I don’t need to ask anyone else to help me except for when it is the Will of Allah SWT for that person to help me if I am being given the nudge to ask. Tawakkul is then shown through Allah SWT opening up the hearts of people who will provide help, assistance, or guidance that is needed.

From this, we learn other lessons that are important for us.

One of my biggest tests right now is that of my finances. I’ve been going through some very tight times. And by that, I mean, I am at near zero due to a sudden financial loss that left me monetarily struggling in the last two months. I’ve been unable to pay most of my bills at the moment, and have barely been able to take care of the basics for my mom and I. I’ve been making so much dua for my situation to change, and I know that it will because I am resilient and have Allah SWT by my side.

The tests I am facing is not there to throw me under the bus. It’s to help me see what I need to take care of from within myself. Allah SWT is making me stronger through this, not weaker. He is teaching me how to be aware and vigilant with my finances and make smarter choices.

I learned that adversities will come in life, and I need to be able to best handle them financially, as well as emotionally. Yet, through all of this, I am working on my doctoral program so I can complete my degree and become a full Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership. I’m not giving up my dreams due to this, and I’m resilient. My passion for building my consulting business in leadership training has also come back to full bloom and I’m now looking forward to being one of the top 100 global HR (human resources) and Leadership experts in the world. What an honor that would be for me!!?

I’ve learned many lessons aside from being better with finances. I’ve discovered that no matter what tests and trials I am given in my life, I always have to have the right attitude. Our attitudes matter so much during the trials and tribulations that are handed to us. How we look at what we are going through is important. If we approach the tests with negativity that all is lost, then we have lost. If we look at the lessons behind the tests we are being given, and have the positive faith all will turn out well, that will bring us success in our tests and the issues won’t look so bad at the end. I know my situation is temporary and all will be well soon.

At present, the most important realization I’ve had is to take better care of my finances and not allow the financial, verbal, and emotional abuse doled out by my uncle to affect me any longer.

Allah SWT has answered duas and has been helping me by sending friends to me as angels (see the tawakkul in Allah SWT here) who have been able to lend me money for bills while I get my financial situation together again. They even give me work to do for them so they could pay me for my advice or to write content for their website. I’ve been working on creating a course that I will be selling on Udemy.com as soon as its done and I’ve been applying for professor positions while taking classes toward my doctorate degree. My mom and my friends have been standing by me 100 percent during my time of struggle and have provided support morally, emotionally and physically however way they can. Allah SWT sends angels to us when we need them and it is during these trials and tribulations that we know who is there for us, and who isn’t.

Allah SWT does test us with trials and tribulations – we are tested because there is something good in it for us.

You may be wondering, with all that has happened so far, why would I have such an upbeat outlook and attitude about my situation? You may be thinking, “but her bills aren’t being paid to write this, so why is she being positive??”

Because that is what adversity does – it helps you to look at things in a different perspective. Yes, everything I’m currently dealing with is hard, but with prayer, yaqeen and tawakkul that Allah SWT is the One Who will find us a way out of the predicament I was put in, my attitude has been one of positivity. I cannot look at this and ask, “Why me?” I can look at this and say, “No matter what life is giving me, I will take it as a lesson and see what I can do to use it to help others in the future.” With what I’ve gone through, and how I overcame these tests, I can empathize with others. I can work on improving my own character – my ikhlaas and ihsaas. I can work on finding solutions rather than worrying about my problems. I give my worries to Allah SWT, and that’s it.

And He provides the miracles we need to overcome the trials and tribulations sent our way. This is how we pass these tests given to us by Allah SWT.

So go back to what I said earlier – why does Allah SWT test us? When something happens, we wonder, “Why am I being tested? What did I do to deserve this?” We need to change our attitude and rather than ask why we are being tested, to ask Allah SWT to make us successful in this test by bringing us closer to Him, through a positive outlook, attitude, and education on why this is happening and what we need to do to change ourselves.

Here is something else to think about too.

Is it possible that we cause our misfortunes and issues in our own lives and can’t take responsibility for our actions and mistakes? Is it possible that we don’t see what we may be doing that is causing our problems? I think about this as well. Yes, there are things that happen in our lives beyond our control, but most things are within our control. Therefore, we should ask ourselves these questions when we are going through any predicament. It may help us solve the issue when we ask powerful questions, and could help us figure out the best path to pass these tests.

Why does Allah SWT test us? To help us become better, stronger and happier people who are worthy of attaining Jannah and to ensure we always remember Him no matter our bad and good times. That’s why we are tested and Allah SWT is the One who has the power to send us tests, and bring us the path to pass them for reasons that can only uplevel who we are.

Until next time, remember that all issues in our life are only temporary. Don’t give up if you’re facing your trails and tribulations. The faster we give up, the more we allow Shaitaan to overcome our ability to be pray and grow closer to Allah SWT. Keep praying, keep making dua and know that Allah SWT is there and His help is closer than you think.

Fi Amanillah.

-Dr. Aasiyah N. Ghazi