Tag Archives: Love

A New Year’s Prayer

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

As the year of 2011 comes to a close, there are so many things over which we can reflect. As I look to the next year, I turn my eyes skyward and beseech the Lord our God for many things, some which I will share here:

Precious Beloved Lord, to You belongs all the praise in the Heavens and Earth. To You belongs the Majesty of the Universe. To You belongs the sovereignty and power over everything. I cannot truly praise You as You deserve to be praised, and so I praise You as You have praised Yourself. Lord our God, hear my prayer. 

As You continue Your life-giving love and life over us in 2012, I pray that You continue to bless us with health, sustenance, ease, and happiness. As the next year begins, I pray that You send Your comfort to all those who have lost loved ones. I ask that You bring jobs to the jobless. I ask that You bring shelter to the homeless. I ask that You bring hope to the hopeless. Lord our God, hear my prayer.  

As the days, weeks, and months of 2012 pass, I pray that violence against the innocent ends. I pray that Your protection be extended to everyone on the earth. I pray that You frustrate and foil the Satanic machinations of all those who seek to kill, maim, and mar this world with senseless violence. I pray that You frustrate all the plans of those who seek to murder others and think You told them to do so. For there can be no evil that is truly done in Your Name. Lord our God, hear my prayer. 

Precious Beloved, as the 2012 Presidential Election truly heats up, I know that Islam and Muslims will, once again, come to the fore. There will be those who try to cast fear and division about the “secret Muslim agenda.” There will be those who will speak about the “threat” of “Sharia law” to United States. There will be those who want to marginalize the Muslim community from all aspects of American life. I pray that You frustrate these plans.

Moreover, I ask that You frustrate all plans to divide on the basis of religion. The agenda of all people of faith – whatever faith they may be – is to do Your work on this earth; to spread peace and mutual respect; to work together to make this world better for all. Lord please stop the forces of division and hatred in our world. You are the only One to do it the best. Lord our God, hear my prayer. 

Most of all, Precious Beloved Lord, I ask for Your unending blessings and grace. Extend Your blessings over me, and my family, and my practice of medicine, and my writing, and everything else that I do. I ask that You pour Your blessings over me as a father, a husband, a brother, a son, a cousin, and a human citizen.

Yet, as Your Noble Messenger told me, I cannot truly believe until I wish for others what I wish for myself. Therefore, please extend Your blessings upon everyone else in the exact same manner above. Your blessings, and mercy, and grace, and love, and beauty are infinite and endless, and so shine their light upon us all. Lord our God, hear my prayer. 

All of this do I ask in Your Most Holy Name, Lord, and thus – Lord our God – hear my prayer. And may the New Year of every single person on earth be blessed, healthy, happy, and prosperous.

Lord our God, hear my prayer. 
Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/commonwordcommonlord/#ixzz1iFnjuCNf

“Change the Voices in Your Head”

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

When I first reflected on Pink’s hit song “Perfect,” I talked about how it would be when we stand before The Perfect, our Precious Beloved to Whom we shall all return. As I have listened to the song again and again, this passage continues to strike a deep chord with me:

You’re so mean
When you talk
About yourself
You are wrong
Change the voices
In your head
Make them like you
Instead

“Change the voices/In your head/Make them like you/Instead.” Very powerful words, because – as we all know – those “voices in your head” can be particularly harsh and vicious. They can be much worse than the myriad of voices from without that relentlessly criticize us. Yet, why should we “change the voices” in our head that attack us so incessantly?

Because we have a God that loves us.

How can you listen to “the voices/In your head” when the Lord our God declares His love for you? How can you heed the voices who attack you incessantly when our Precious Beloved says that you are special? How can you believe “the voices in your head” when His Voice says, “I love you”?

Whatever “the voices in your head” say: “you’re too fat,” “you’re not good enough,” “you’re too ugly,” “you’re not smart enough,” “you’re pathetic”…it should never matter when The One tells you, “I love you.” And in that Love, we should all rejoice.

That should go even more when it comes to the other voices – those outside of your head – who don’t like you. Whatever those voices say, you should say: “Who cares! I have a God that loves me.” Who cares what the voices of all those other people say about you, because your God, your Lord, your Sustainer loves you. And in that Love, we should all rejoice.

Knowing and living the fact that we have a God – a truly awesome God – who loves us gives us tremendous strength, power, and dignity. We can always walk with our head up high – not in arrogance – but in the calming truth that the One On High loves us. The power of that love is palpable to all…which is possibly the reason that some may lash out with their voices in hatred. But that should never matter to us, because we know that God loves us.

“Change the voices/in your head/make them like you/instead.” It is exactly like Pink says in the next part of the song:

So complicated, look how big you’ll make it
Filled with so much hatred, such a tired game
It’s enough, I’ve done all I can think
I’ve chased down all my demons, see you do the same

It is truly, “such a tired game.” Stop hating yourself; stop listening to “the voices in your head” and “make them like you instead.” That is because you have a God – a truly awesome God – who loves you. And in that Love, we should all rejoice.

Dwell on Love, Not Hell: Chicago Tribune

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful 

This was published in The Seeker.

In his new book, Love Wins, Evangelical pastor Rob Bell posits that there may be a place in heaven for “every person who ever lived,” and that there may not be a Hell at all. The response of conservative Christians has been ferocious. But upon this fact, I am banking everything.

When word of Love Wins reached the Internet, one conservative Evangelical pastor, John Piper, tweeted, “Farewell Rob Bell,” unilaterally attempting to evict Bell from the evangelical community.

R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says Bell’s book is “theologically disastrous.

Any of us should be concerned when a matter of theological importance is played with in a subversive way.” In North Carolina, a young pastor was fired by his church for endorsing the book.

Indeed, Jon Meacham wrote in this week’s Time magazine: “From a traditionalist perspective, though, to take away hell is to leave the church without its most powerful sanction.”

Lord knows that I have heard sermon after sermon about the torment of Hell that is in store for those who do not believe. And it is true that the Qur’an speaks vividly of the torment of Hell, with numerous highly descriptive verses, for those who “reject the truth.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, I do not want to be one of those who will be punished in the torment of Hell. And I believe and fully acknowledge the severity of God’s punishment. Yet, the Qur’an has an enduring principle: “[God] has inscribed upon Himself [the rule of] mercy.” (6:12) In another verse, God says: “O My servants who have transgressed against their souls! Do not despair from the mercy of God. For God forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (39:53).

Upon this fact, I am banking everything. There was a time in my life when I gave fiery sermons about God’s eternal torment in Hell. I will never do so again. I focus all my energies upon the Beauty, Grace, Mercy, and Love of the Lord – and not His torment and punishment. Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad was reported to have said:

Indeed, God has one hundred (portions of) mercy; one portion causes compassion between creation. Ninety-nine are reserved for the Day of Judgment.

The ultimate Judge is God Himself. It is He Who will determine the fate of every creation, no matter what people who claim to “speak in His Name” may say. Just because God has prepared a horrific torment that is eternal, it does not obligate Him to apply it. It would not surprise me one bit if He saved all of humanity on Judgment Day, and I believe that we will all be enormously surprised by the Grace of the Lord our God on that Day.

We humans love to mete out God’s punishment, torment, and condemnation upon this person or that. The good news is, the supposed Source of that torment and punishment is much more merciful and beautiful than we give Him credit for. And believe you me, that will be a very, very good thing indeed.

Shiite, Sunni, and “Sushi” Muslims: Middle East Online

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

Thanks be to the Precious Beloved, this was published today on Middle East Online.

 

The entrance of Saudi troops into Bahrain in support of the government there was a disturbing escalation for me. The protests in Bahrain are an internal, local issue, and what Saudi Arabia has to do with another country’s internal dispute is beyond me. If it were to intervene anywhere, why not do something about the ongoing massacre in Libya? Yes, Bahrain is right next door while Libya is hundreds of miles away, but — from this Muslim’s perspective — it doesn’t add up.

That is until you realize that, in Bahrain, it is Shiites protesting against a Sunni ruling elite. About Saudi Arabia’s move, (Beirut) Daily Star editor-at-large Rami Khouri says, “It accelerates the long-simmering ideological war between some Arab leaders and the Iranian government, with an unspoken but strong undertone of Shiite-Sunni tensions.” There is a considerable Shiite minority in Eastern Saudi Arabia — right next to Bahrain — and perhaps the Saudi troops are a signal that they will not tolerate the same uprising on its own soil by Shiites. Perhaps, as some see it, the Saudi move is a signal to Iran that it is ready to resist further encroachment of Persian influence in the region. Only time will tell.

Yet, a persistent undercurrent to the conflict in Bahrain and between most Arab governments and Iran is the Sunni-Shiite “divide.” I place this word in quotations on purpose, because, at its essence, the difference between Sunni and Shiite Islam is quite minor.

At its core, the “divide” between Sunnis and Shiites is a dispute over religious leadership. At the time of the death of the Prophet Muhammad (632 AD), there was a disagreement over who should rightly succeed the Prophet’s leadership. Some felt it should have stayed in the House of the Prophet, and specifically, pass to his cousin and son-in-law, Ali. The majority of the people, however, elected the Prophet’s close friend and companion Abu Bakr. Indeed, even Ali briefly did not accept the leadership of Abu Bakr, but he eventually gave Abu Bakr his full allegiance. In the reign of the first three Caliphs, in fact, there was no such thing as the Sunni and Shiite “divide.”

It was only during the civil war in the reign of Ali that the term “Shiite” even came into being, coming from the Arabic “Shi’at Ali,” or “partisan of Ali.” Essentially, Shiite Muslims assert that religious (and political) authority stems from and resides in the House of the Prophet. Over the years, Shiite Islam evolved and developed a number of offshoots, but this is its core belief. Sunni Islam, on the other hand, is more “democratic,” in that religious (and political) leadership can reside with anyone in the larger community, as long as the community accepts that person’s qualifications.

Another important distinction between Sunnis and Shiites is the issue of the probity, or upright character, of all of the Prophet Muhammad’s Companions. It is a fundamental part of Sunni doctrine, whereas some Shiites do not necessarily ascribe to it.

Yet, the core beliefs of Sunnis and Shiites are the same: They both worship the One God of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus; they both believe in the Prophethood of Muhammad; they both accept the Qur’an as holy scripture. Over time, differences in political philosophy developed into distinct schools of thought, especially with respect to matters of Islamic law, but this took centuries to develop. Many people associate with Shiites an intense love for the House of the Prophet, but this is also an essential aspect of Sunni belief: One cannot be truly Muslim and not love the family of the Prophet. In fact, two stalwarts of the Sunni community — Imam Malik and Imam Abu Hanifah — were ardent supporters of the House of the Prophet. They could be called “Political Shiites” because of this support.

Throughout Islamic history, Shiites have been oppressed and mistreated by the Sunni majority. And there have been members of both communities that maligned the other, and fanned the flames of sectarianism. Some Sunnis deem all Shiites as “heretics” and “infidels.” Some Shiite extremists have maligned some of the Prophet’s closest companions. But these are deviations of each tradition. The vast majority of Sunnis and Shiites have been living together in peace and harmony for centuries. The disputes that are raging today between Iran and the Sunni Arab states are all about politics; religion is merely a garb to hide the true nature of the conflict.

While technically I am a Sunni Muslim, there are many aspects of Shiite philosophy with which I have no problem. In fact, I have frequently called my self a “Sushi,” a Sunni-Shiite hybrid, using a term coined by American Muslim leader Salam Al Marayati. I am completely against any stoking of Sunni-Shiite tension; it is completely sinister, and it only leads to division and discord at a time when Muslims need love and unity.

I may not participate in a Shiite religious ceremony, such as that on Ashura, but I will stand next to a Shiite Muslim in prayer any day. I am proud to call myself “Sushi.” And I don’t even like fish.

It’s Never Too Late

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

I always was intrigued and moved by this song by OneRepublic, “Apologize.” It always sounded nice to me, but I was not motivated to add it to my iPod until I saw it rendered into an acapella version on NBC. Almost right away, you can tell that the song Narrator has a lot of bitterness towards his love interest, who let him down:

I’m holding on your rope,
Got me ten feet off the ground
I’m hearin what you say but I just can’t make a sound
You tell me that you need me
Then you go and cut me down, but wait
You tell me that you’re sorry
Didn’t think I’d turn around, and say…

It’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I said it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late

The bitterness of the Narrator continues:

I’d take another chance, take a fall
Take a shot for you
And I need you like a heart needs a beat
But it’s nothin new
I loved you with a fire red-
Now it’s turning blue, and you say…
“Sorry” like the angel heaven let me think was you
But I’m afraid…

It’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I said it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late

Many times, people can hurt each other, and the apologies come too late. Sometimes, the person to whom the apology is directed, like the song Narrator, actually says, “Too little, too late.” You know what, many times we do apologize too late to the ones we love and may have hurt. That’s because, many times, it is very hard to apologize. It is very hard to swallow your ego and pride and admit that you were wrong and feel sorry for the hurt you have caused.

Why is this so?

Are we so arrogant that we cannot see when we do wrong ourselves? Partly, yes. Are we so arrogant that we cannot show humility to someone else? Partly, yes. Yet, it is also hard to face the fact that you have caused someone you care about very much emotional harm and pain. It is also difficult to remind yourself that you are not perfect, and that you do make mistakes.

For all that and more is involved by simply saying, “I’m sorry.” So, let us all commit ourselves to try to say “I’m sorry” sooner whenever we make a mistake and hurt the ones we love. That way, we won’t be told, “It’s too late to apologize, it’s too late…”

Yet, there is Someone to Whom it is never too late to apologize: our Precious Beloved Lord. I am always reminded of this fact when I listen to this song. It is never too late to say to the Lord, “I’m sorry.” The Lord is always there, waiting for us to come back to Him and re-enter his fold. For whenever we sin, we estrange ourselves from our Precious Beloved. We place a barrier between us and He. We fall as our father Adam (pbuh) fell all those years ago.

Yet, just as our father came back to his Lord, it is never too late to come back to Ours. He has given us so much, not the least of which is life when we were dead nothing. The Qur’an reminds us of this fact: “Has there not been a period of time when humanity was nothing to be mentioned at all?” (76:1) Indeed, there was probably a long period of time when we were nothing. Yet, the Lord our God gave us life. For this fact alone, we should be coming back to the Lord and apologizing to Him every single hour for our sins against Him.

All the same challenges with apologies apply here, as well. It may be difficult to show to admit that you were wrong. It may be difficult to swallow your pride and come back with humility to the Lord. Yet, it should not be. There is no more Beautiful Being to which to come back. The Lord will never say, “Too little, too late” as long as we come back to Him while we are alive in this world. The Lord will not chastise us for all that we did. He will not make us feel terrible for the wrongs we have committed. In fact, we can never delude ourselves by thinking that our sin is bigger than God’s mercy. Never. When we come to Him, He will simply open His arms to us and let us into His soothing mercy.

There is a Sacred Hadith, which is a saying of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in which he relays what God has said, that illustrates this perfectly:

“A man sinned greatly against himself, and when death came to him he charged his sons, saying: ‘When I have died, burn me, then crush me and scatter [my ashes] into the sea, for, by Allah, if my Lord takes possession of me, He will punish me in a manner in which He has punished no one [else].’ So they did that to him. Then He said to the earth: ‘Produce what you have taken – and there he was!’ And He said to him: ‘What induced you to do what you did?’ He said: ‘Being afraid of You, O my Lord (or he said: ‘Being frightened of You’),’ and because of that He forgave him.”

The hadith literature is full of stories like this, of the immense and truly immeasurable mercy of the Lord. It is out of His Love that He is like this. In fact, the Lord says in another hadith: “My Mercy prevails over my Wrath.” What a Beautiful and Awesome God we have. So why not come back to Him as many times as we can? Why not say “Sorry” as often as possible and receive the warmth and healing of His mercy? We will not regret it in the least.

Yes, human beings can be spiteful and cruel and unforgiving when we say “I’m sorry” to them. It may be that they are truly hurt, and it is hard for them to “forgive and forget” right then and there. But, that is not the case with the Lord. When we sin against Him, we do not harm the Lord one iota. We only harm ourselves by estranging ourselves from the Face of God. And when we come back to Him and say, “I’m so sorry, Lord,” He will forgive on the spot. He told us so. And as long as we live and breathe on God’s green earth, it is never too late.

Happy Birthday, Habeebee…

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

I wasn’t keen on having children at first. I was a newly wedded man and a newly matriculated medical student. I was afraid of having children. But, thanks be to God, my feelings changed. I thought to myself, What is the purpose of getting married if not starting a family? What am I afraid of?

And then she came…December 30, 1996. It was one of the happiest days of my entire life. I never knew I could love another human being like that. It was as if the love I had for my new daughter Bayan came from God Himself (which it did).

Bayan brought my wife and I untold joy and happiness. Her face was angelic; her smile was infectious; her laugh was uplifting. She was a piece of Heaven that came down and graced our lives.

When she was first-born, I passed out chocolates to my medical school classmates (I was in my second year), and it was still appreciated many years later. Yet, if they only knew the sweetness that she brought to the lives of my wife and me…

My wife and I, obviously, have been thinking about our Angel a lot lately. This year, for some reason, has been particularly difficult for us. May the Lord help us cope…

What strikes me most about our daughter is the purity of her heart. She could not be malicious or mean-spirited, even if she had the physical ability to do so. Her soul was sweet, kind, pure, and sincere.

I remember one night at the hospital, we were able to be discharged early, and we kept it a secret from my wife to surprise her. My wife was at home with the kids, and so my sister came to help me take her home. Bayan wanted to ride home with her, but she was so scared it would make me sad. I told her that if that made her happy, then I could not have been more happier to drive home alone that night. She was just that beautiful, and everyone who ever knew her would attest to that very same beauty.

My heart is broken into so many pieces, and yes, it has been mended, but I will never be the same. Both my wife and I will never be the same. Sometimes, I  sit in front of a picture of her and stare for minutes. It could be hours if I didn’t have to continue to live my life. I am trying to reach out into that picture and try to taste the experience of having her be with me again. It’s a grieving parent’s desperate attempt, I know, but it is all I have left: pictures, videos (which are too hard to watch), feelings, and special belongings that she left behind.

Today, she would have been 14. The Lord called her back to His Garden when she was 12. It really hurts to know that she will not be coming back, that we can’t take in the warmth of her smile, the beauty of her face, the purity of her soul. I just I really, really miss her, my Lord. I really, really want to just be with her once more; to see her face; to share a laugh like we used to.

So, Happy Birthday Habeebee (my love in Arabic). I know they are throwing you a huge, beautiful, pink-themed birthday party in His Garden right now. I pray that our well wishes reach you as well.

Happy Birthday, Habeebee. Happy Birthday from a grieving father who misses you so very much.

This Is Not The Way To Honor Him

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

News reports have detailed the arrests of five people on suspicion of an “imminent” terror attack on the offices of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, for their publication of the cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). According to authorities:

According to PET’s [Dutch Security Service] information, the suspects were “planning to try to force their way into Jyllands-Posten/Politikens building in Copenhagen and kill as many as possible of the people present there,” he said. The security service said a machine gun with live ammunition was seized in connection with the arrests, in addition to plastic strips that can be used as handcuffs.

The men have not been convicted, and the news is rife with stories of men who are initially detained (with great media attention) and then later released (with little attention) for lack of evidence. Yet, if the what is alleged against the men is true, they must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and punished severely for their crime.

This is not the way to defend the Prophet (pbuh). Murder of innocent people – who probably have nothing to do with the cartoons – is never the right thing to do. Contrary to popular opinion, the Prophet (pbuh) did not call for the murder of innocent people. His way was not the way of murder, brutality, and torture. His way was not the way force and ugliness.

So many times, the Prophet (pbuh) was attacked, maligned, beaten, and harrassed. He responded with kindness and compassion. That is his example, and if these alleged attackers thought they were “defending ” him. They were not.

They were betraying his legacy and both the letter and spirit of the faith he brought to the world.  

Love for the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is an essential aspect of what it means to be Muslim. Yet, that will never mean that it is justified to kill innocent people (and when I say “innocent,” I mean just that). If you want to show your love for the Prophet Muhammad, then help your fellow neighbor with his groceries; shovel the snow for an elderly friend who may not be able to do so; babysit for your neighbor’s kids so their parents can have a (rare) night out together.

If you want to show your love for the Prophet, you don’t kill other people. That’s not loving the Prophet (pbuh). It is spitting in his face.

A Prayer at the End of Ramadan

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

Most Precious, Beautiful, Kind, Loving, Merciful, and Gracious Lord; O God, our Precious Beloved Lord; Ruler of the Heavens and the Earth; Kind Guide to all those on Your Path:

Lord, the month of fasting has come to an end, and as You know, I cannot say that I will not feel happy. This year has been particularly difficult for me to complete. I have strained at the difficulty of having to wait for the long (and frequently hot) day to finish before I can finally eat and drink. Then, I strain at having very little time to eat and drink before I have to stop again.

I feel terrible for my straining this past month. You have been so Beautiful, so Kind, so Merciful, so Compassionate, so Wonderful to me for all these years…and I strain when I have to fast the day for only one month out of the year. I feel terrible, Lord, for it is clear that I am also not truly free.

I know that You understand that fasting is difficult, and that is why You have pledged to reward us for it. Nevertheless, I feel terrible for not having fasted with a huge smile on my face, with happiness that I am not eating and drinking for Your sake. Perhaps I ask too much of myself, but when it is for You, I think it is worth it.

So, my Beautiful Precious Lord, I ask that You look past my straining and accept the fasts that I tried so hard to faithfully fulfill . Please look past my weaknesses as a human being, my hypocrisy that I live each day, and accept my striving on your path. Please accept the fact that I did thirst and strain at having to fast, but that I tried to do it for You. Please accept my recitation of the Qur’an during the holy month of Ramadan. Please accept the cycles of prayer that I offered for You during this month. Please accept the night vigils that I tried to perform for Your sake.

Lord, please forgive my shortcomings during this month. Please forgive the many sins that I committed during Ramadan. Please forgive the mistakes that I made while I was trying to be good to You. Please look past all the ways I fall short of Your Way and accept me into Your Presence and Garden.

Lord, do not let the blessings of this month, which I took for granted, to pass by me when the days and nights of holiness are long gone. Please, do not take away all that Grace, and Mercy, and Beauty, and Kindness, and Graciousness once the calendar continues on. Please continue to show me that Most Beautiful Face that You have always shown me and continue to bless me for all my life, for all my time.

O God our Lord, I wish I had been better during this Ramadan. I wish I had fasted with a big smile on my face. I wish I had no feelings of dread as the month of Ramadan approached. I wish I jumped for joy when I found the month of fasting upon me.

I didn’t.

Nevertheless, O Lord, I tried my best to fast because it was You who told me to do so. I did my best, my Lord, so please accept it from me.

O God my Lord, I love You. I may not show it in the best way, but I really do. I know You know this, but I like to say it anyway. And I know You love me, because if You didn’t, You would not have given me life when I was dead. And so, my Lord, I will try my best to stay true to your path for all the days that I live.

My Precious Beloved Lord, the month of Ramadan is over, and I cannot say I won’t be happy to have that cup of coffee when the sun is rising high into the sky. I cannot say I won’t be happy to be able to play golf and drink coffee or diet soda at the same time. I cannot say I won’t be happy to be able to eat before the sun sets. But, please, Lord, accept me with all my weakness, all my frailty, all my hypocrisy.

I am trying my best, O Lord, so please accept me. And I end with one of my most favorite passages of Your Most Holy Word:

Limitless in His glory is thy Lord, the Lord of Almightiness, [exalted] above anything that men may devise by way of definition! And peace be upon all His Message-bearers! And all praise is due to God alone, the Sustainer of all the worlds! (37:180-183)

In Your Most Holy Name do I say this, Amen.

Ramadan Reflections: God is Close, Merciful

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

It is one of the blessings of Ramadan in the summer that the day is long enough so that, even if I have a long day at work, I still have plenty of time to read the Qur’an. As I have been reading through the first half of the book, there are many verses that jumped out at me.

Yes, I passed by the infamous “Verse of the Sword,” and I didn’t even pay much attention to it. The verse did not make me want to go out and “slay the pagans,” because I knew that the verse had a specific context and was not a general call to kill other people.

No. The two verses, among many others, that jumped out at me were these:

And if My servants ask thee about Me – behold, I am near; I respond to the call of him who calls, whenever he calls unto Me: let them, then respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way. (2:186)

Tell My servants that I – I alone – am truly forgiving, a true dispenser of grace. (15:49)

Their power was palpable as I put the letters together to from the words on the page.

The first one is particularly powerful: that God – in all His Majesty, Might, Power, and Strength – is close to us. He is right there when we need Him. He responds to us when we call upon Him.

It is a comforting thought, to know that my Precious Beloved Lord is right there beside me. It is tough navigating the life of this world, with all its temptations, strife, trials, and tribulation. It is tough seeing your faith and that which you hold so dear smeared, attacked, and maligned based on misinformation and untruths. It is tough seeing the suffering of so many people around the world – including suffering at the hands of those who claim to follow my faith – and many times feel powerless to help them.

Through this difficult world, however, I am comforted to know that God is near me, walking with me, and standing next to me.

I know that many will ask, “Where is God with all this suffering?” Indeed, it is a difficult question for anyone to answer, and the answer to this question has vexed many a believer (and non-believer) throughout history. All I can say is that the Lord has a wisdom, and I may not understand this wisdom.

And just so that I am clear: I say this having suffered a terrible tragedy myself.

The other powerful verse reassures the servant that his Lord is always open to forgiveness and grace. That the door of His mercy is always open, and all we have to do is walk right in. No matter what we do in our lives; no matter how much guile is in our hearts; no matter how much sin we have accumulated, our Lord is Oft-Forgiving,  Most Merciful. In fact, one of the biggest sins one can commit – in my mind – is thinking that our sins are bigger than God’s soothing mercy.

In fact, in the Qur’an, Jacob tells his sons: “Do not despair from the soothing mercy of God…” (12:87). The Lord’s undying love is always there for us, and one of its most glorious manifestations is His endless mercy and forgiveness. In fact, this month of fasting is one of the manifestations of God’s love and mercy.

Indeed, it may seem a bit odd: we willingly deprive ourselves of food and drink during the long, hot daylight hours, and this is because of God’s love? Yes.

In exchange for my forgoing food and drink, I am showered – as if in a rainstorm – with God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven.

So, as far as I am concerned, I will pass up the Starbucks in the morning for some of God’s forgiveness and mercy. It is a tremendous return on my investment of hunger and thirst. And it is so comforting to know that my Precious Beloved, who loves me and is so forgiving to me, is so close to me. Kind of makes me smile.

Reflecting on His Word: “How can you be ungrateful…”

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In the Name of God, the Kind, the Beautiful

Now that the fast of Ramadan has started, it is time for me to re-kindle my relationship with God’s Word. Muslims are encouraged to read the book of the Qur’an during the entire year, but most especially during Ramadan. I say this with a feeling of bittersweetness.

Sweet that I now, once again, delve into God’s Word and reflect over His Majesty on the printed page. At the same time, however, I am sad that – in the chaos of daily life – I have let that relationship fall by the wayside. I should be reflecting over His Word every day, but, alas, I have not.

Yet, that is the purpose of Ramadan: to allow ourselves to re-charge our spirituality after a year’s worth of rust and dust has built up. And it never ceases to amaze me how I can find so much time to do things when I am not concerned with eating and drinking; how much time there is to read the Qur’an and ponder over the Word of God when I am not busy stuffing my face full of food after coming home from work. It is one of the multitude of blessings of this month.

As I read through the first two chapters, this verse in particular stood out in my mind:

How can you be ungrateful (or deny God) when you were dead and He gave you life? Then He will cause you to die and bring you back to life again, and then unto Him you will be brought back. (2:28)

I have touched upon this verse multiple times, especially when it comes to talking about God’s love. For this verse, perhaps above all others, points to the unending love of God for us. And as I mentioned in my last post, the fast of Ramadan is truly all about God’s love.

Yet, still, it renders one speechless to think about the enormity of the Grace that God has shown us to give us life when we were dead. It is an enormous gift to be given life when we were nothing of note in this universe. It is an enormous blessing to be given life when we did nothing to God to warrant such a blessing.

Yet He gave us life anyway.

As a physician, I see every day the workings of the body’s machinery in action, constantly in motion to keep us healthy. Every organ and enzyme system works non-stop to keep the body’s chemistry in the tightest of ranges, so that we can be healthy. And it is God, in my belief, Who oversees these processes, and it is He who has originated these processes. All of this is the manifestation of His love for us.

Indeed, these processes can go awry, and it is through His grace that physicians like me have been given the honor and privilege to tend to the sick and help, through His power, make them feel better. There can be no greater honor for me than to be given someone’s complete trust in order to help them feel better. I thank God for that, and I never take it for granted. All of this is the manifestation of His love for us.

The very air we breathe; the water we drink (from which I am prevented for a time); the food we consume; the strength of our legs to keep us moving; the sight and hearing we utilize: all of this is God’s love for us. We are completely and totally enveloped in God’s love each and every day. And I love and bask in that light, live for its warmth, indulge in its sweetness.

Thus, I understand God’s question: “How can you be ungrateful when you were dead, and He gave you life?”

How can we use all of those gifts He bestowed upon us to disobey Him? How can we use the strength in our legs to walk towards those places He does not like? How can we use our sight and hearing to see and hear that which He does not like? How can we bask in the light of His love and then be ungrateful by not doing what He wants of us?

That is why I am fasting now: He has showered over me so much blessing and grace, that it is no big deal that I can’t eat or drink until 7:58 PM tonight. It’s no big deal if I am a little thirsty by the end of the day (I am rarely hungry during my Ramadan fast). It’s no big deal if I can’t have my cup of coffee during the day for the next month.

Now, of course, if I become sick or it will harm my health to fast, then I must not fast. But, thank God, I am OK, and so I am fasting. Indeed, I am grateful that I am able to fast, and I ask the Lord to bless me for it. Although it is indeed hard to fast these long days – I don’t deny it – at the same time, it is an honor for me to do so.

My Lord loves me, and this is one way I can show Him that I love Him back.