Be Calm; You’re Still Breathing

Photo by me

بسم الله

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Quit worrying, will you?

Your Lord is Most Merciful. Did you forget or did you let the devil’s whispers win?

If you were to go to Allah with sins vaster than the skies and deeper than the oceans, as countless as the stars and as varied as the plants of this world, Allah would forgive you, given you were sincere in your repentance.

We were not crafted for perfection. We were made weak:

يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُخَفِّفَ عَنكُمْ ۚ وَخُلِقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ ضَعِيفًۭا ٢٨

*-And it is Allah’s Will to lighten your burdens, for humankind was created -weak.*

*~The Qur’an 4:28*

We sin, we err, we fall, but we repent and mend and get back up. We must.

A bucket is taken to a well empty. It is lowered to the ground in need of water. Once it reaches the bottom, it’s filled to the brim and back up it rises. Of course, one has to keep returning back to the well- because the water runs out, but the water is always there and the bucket fills up every single time.

Half efforts mean that the bucket does not get filled all the time, but that is not at the fault of the well but to the one filling the bucket. Other times, the water leaks; again, that is not to be attributed to the well but rather to the bucket’s owner, who neglects their duties.

But all of this can be solved.

Because you require water to survive, you’re not going to let yourself die of thirst. You need water, so you put in the effort, even when you don’t feel like it. On the days you drink less water, you realise it- an acute feeling of parchedness that you know you need to resolve.

No matter how far you stray, the well remains right there. And if you care about not dying, you will make the journey to this well no matter the distance, no matter of anything else.

So, let’s think about your need for Allah. Your need for repentance and guidance and His Endless Mercy. What of that? Do you not feel starved when you are not asking for it, not facing towards it?

Allah is always there. It is not He who leaves you but rather you who leaves Him.

مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ٣

*-Your Lord ˹O Prophet˺ has not abandoned you, nor has He become hateful ˹of you˺.*

*~The Qur’an 93:*

So, go to Allah. He is right there and always has been. Even when you forgot Him, even when you didn’t realise your thirst.

Many things change but not this. Not His Ever-Presence. One of His names is اَلْبَاقِي- (Al Baaqi), which means The Everlasting. He is The First (الأوَّلُ — Al Awwal) and The Last (الآخِرُ — Al-Aakhir) and you are His creation.

So, do not let despair creep upon you and tell you to stay in the rut that you buried yourself in. Defeat these whisperings with remembrance of your Lord.

Turn to Allah, for His Mercy is bigger than your sins.

يَـٰبَنِىَّ ٱذْهَبُوا۟ فَتَحَسَّسُوا۟ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَا۟يْـَٔسُوا۟ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يَا۟يْـَٔسُ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ ٨٧

-O my sons! Go and search ˹diligently˺ for Joseph and his brother. *And do not lose hope in the mercy of Allah, for no one loses hope in Allah’s mercy except those with no faith.”*

~The Qur’an 12:87

Why stress? Allah listens to your every word, even the ones you do not say. He knows you and He knows what you are feeling. Speak to Him, tell Him everything. He understands. He made you after all.

Ask and will Allah not answer?

Be calm, sakin ol, we were made to worship Allah. Please Allah and you please yourself. Know Allah and you will know this: no matter where you are, Allah’s mercy is closer.

Turn to Allah now, not tomorrow or the week after or in a bit- those are not guaranteed. But what is guaranteed is Allah’s answer. You are still breathing, so while there is still breath in your body, make it count.

The seconds are running out. Do not waste this chance you were gifted. Use it to better yourself and return.

Chin up, sucre, you still have life left to live.

۞ قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٥٣

-Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

~The Qur’an 39:53

**Narrated by Abu Huraira:**

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, “If somebody commits a sin and then says, ‘O my Lord! I have sinned, please forgive me!’ and his Lord says, ‘My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sins).’ Then he remains without committing any sin for a while and then again commits another sin and says, ‘O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,’ and Allah says, ‘My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sin). Then he remains without committing any another sin for a while and then commits another sin (for the third time) and says, ‘O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,’ and Allah says, ‘My slave has known that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for it I therefore have forgiven My slave (his sin), he can do whatever he likes.”

Çıkmadık candan umut kesilmez.

Such a wonderful story:

[embed]The Curious Story of the Imam and the Baker: Dhikr, Hospitality, and Humility During his old age, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, the renowned scholar of Islam and a famous theologian, was travelling when…thesundaycircleblog.wordpress.com

Further reading by such talent, Allah Humma Barik:

[embed]A guide to Emotions through grief, love and envy.medium.com

[embed]On Allah Loving Us On Allah Loving Us I want to begin with the impossibility of it. Not the impossibility in the sense of it being untrue…namrahxo.medium.com

[embed]Allah is the One Who Guides Guidance is the greatest treasure that a human being can receive. It is not in our control, nor in the hands of any…medium.com

[embed]He Who Forgets Man is a strange creature.medium.com

[embed]Zuhud in the Age of Flexing Learning to Be “Enough” by Azzam Ati’illahmedium.com

And here are the upcoming articles:

A recipe, a narrative and a poem

Feel free to request article ideas, too!

Inspired by conversations I’ve had with some of you beautiful souls.

May Allah keep you all steadfast. Ameen.

Thank you for all the support and inspiration I have been blessed with from so many individuals- you know who you are! I am so very grateful for you all. Elhumduliliah.

May you always return to Allah and be forgiven of all your wrongs. Ameen.

15/05/2025–17/05/2026

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ