By Ola Sherif (Edmonton, AB)

Have you tasted Mangoes? Strawberries? How about a shawarma or falafel sandwich?

How do you feel when you smell food when you are hungry?

When we are hungry, any type of food available would taste sooo good! Right?!

The opposite happens when we are full and yet still eat more, we feel sick and sometimes we have the urge to throw up what we ate. 

Similar to our full stomach, we are full of dounia! We are sick yet there is no cure for our disease. Our only saviour and salvation is to return to Allah, to change our direction and be on the straight path.

For so long, we have been in such a rush: running after the matters of dounia, of life. We have been running to study, to work, to collect more money, to buy a bigger house and a better car, to change our cellphones with the latest ones, to replace our already branded clothes to other more extravagant brands, etc!

We visit our Masjids and pray, we may or may not catch the congregational prayer, and even when we do, our minds wander to other places.  In the world of so much connectivity, we gather with friends and families, but everyone is so distant , very disconnected! We are on autopilot, similar to robots, doing the same things everyday with neither attention nor intention. Everything has lost its taste.

Our souls are hungry to connect with their Creator.

Our bodies are hungry to slow down, calm down and relax.

Our minds are hungry to reflect and process.

We take everything around us for granted, and unfortunately we have become blinded, unable to see, feel and appreciate the blessings we have. 

Did we ever stop and think to thank Allah SWT for every breath we take? 

Did we ever stop and think to thank Allah SWT for the soap and toilet paper ( that we can’t seem to find anywhere now)? 

Did we ever stop and think to thank Allah SWT for the ability to drive our children to their schools or to even have schools for them.

Did we ever stop and think to thank Allah SWT for shaking hands or hugging our friends and close family members and relatives? To thank Him for having choices to do whatever we want at any time we want?

The list is too long! The blessings are countless.

As we are so busy to notice any of the blessings we have taken for granted, a little invisible brutal virus has become the reason for us to stop, slow down, think and ponder, and finally (hopefully!) wake up. Surely missing some of the blessings must make us appreciate them. It is an opportunity for us to ponder and think of our existence in life and the purpose for which we are created.

Oh Allah; l surrender. I’m fleeing from You to You. Now l can feel, see, hear and taste nothing but Your GLORY.

Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!! 

Indeed to Him we belong and to Him we return.

Indeed Allah is the greatest. 

I say it with all my limbs. 

Forever and always I am grateful to You.

الحمد لله فى المنع والعطاء، الحمد لله على نعمك التي لا تعد ولا تحصى، الحمد لله ملئ ما بين السموات والأرض، الحمد لله كما ينبغي لجلال وجهك وعظيم سلطانك. 

All praise is to Allah at the time of hardship and the time of ease. All praise is to Allah for the countless bounties. All praise is to Allah to the full extent of the skies and the earth. All praise is to Allah as He should be praised and glorified.