Destiny
Say, “Nothing will ever befall us except what Allah has destined for us. He is our Protector.” So in Allah let the believers put their trust.
Surah At-Tawbah 9:51
We live in a world of uncertainty. Thoughts roam through our minds, and thousands of questions arise. What if we paused for a moment and remembered that fate has brought us here? A greater plan, one we cannot always see or understand, has placed us in this exact spot, with all its challenges, opportunities, and blessings. Just as we did not know the path that led us here, we need not see the whole picture ahead (though that is often difficult to accept).
Our small minds try to control and plan, while above us the stars turn, the planets orbit the sun, the seasons shift, seeds break open and grow, and destinies unfold. Of course, plan and act, yet also trust and know that the Creator and this vast universe are holding you.
Hardships and challenges are not against you – they are for you. Just as storms strike the trees of nature, their roots grow deeper and stronger. In the same way, your difficult days prepare you for something greater.
There is a written plan for us, our destiny, ‘al-maktūb’ (the written). When we drown in the details and questioning, we lose sight of the bigger picture. When we tune into a state of surrender, we become more prepared to see the signs and take steps toward what is destined for us.
“Try to accept the changing seasons of your soul. Winter is bitter, but without it, spring would never arrive.”
Rumi
Today, reflect and journal on what feels uncertain or heavy.
Think of one situation you keep trying to control or fix.
Ask yourself:
Repeat the prayer, “show me things as they are”, which was often recited by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), as the human eye can only see a small percentage of reality. This prayer helps us to see part of the unseen.
ما كان مقدرا لك سيأتيك ولو كان بين جبلين
What is meant for you, will reach you even if it is beneath two mountains.
وما لم يكن مقدرا لك لن يأتيك ولو كان بين شفتيك
And what isn’t meant for you, won’t reach you even if it is between your two lips.
Imam Al-Ghazali
“Sometimes He gives while depriving you,
and sometimes He deprives while giving to you.
When he opens up your understanding of deprivation,
deprivation becomes the same as giving.”
Hikam – Ibn ‘Ata’illah al-Iskandari
