Birthday Reflections..
Today as I turn a year older and on my morning stroll around the park, I started reflecting on life as you do when that birth date hits. I usually text my friends on their birthdays “another year older, another year to be wiser” and that’s exactly what I felt had happened to me at that very moment. You can feel mature at a young age and have a wise head on your shoulders but as the years go by, you live a little more, you experience that much more and naturally you acquire more wisdom through it. So, as I walked around the lake, I couldn’t help but think of all areas of my life, my accomplishments and failures, my family and friends, my health, future prospects.. it was all whirling through my mind and all I could think of was Alhamdullilah. I had managed to get to today, I had lived life to a certain extent and for that I was grateful. I definitely felt wiser than the year before, but I hope I can acquire more as I live on.
This thought then suddenly took me to a statement that was made in my weekly Seerah class. “This life is not for us, the blessings won’t last because it is not our final abode”. We were discussing the second migration of the early Muslims to Habashah (Ethiopia) due to the persecution in Makkah at the hands of the Quraysh. There were not many Muslims at this time however due to the boycott many died and this led to the second migration. They did not live on..
Blessings do not last, life’s luxuries do not last. We may have a roof over a head, good health, an income and as such sustenance but this could all be taken away in an instant. We only have to look to the world today to see the current state of affairs for those that live in Turkey & Syria. Their lives, homes, pretty much everything has been turned upside down. Did anyone see it coming? No. Families have been snatched away and those that are left behind have nothing to cling on except their faith or what’s left of it. We overlook our faith so easily and get stuck into the rat race of society but forget the upkeep of it all is down to our Creator. We are, where we are, because of Him. What are we living for, what are we chasing?
I have seen many posts now on Instagram about “better days are coming” or a countdown to Ramadan and Insha’Allah it will come, and we will once again get the chance to work on our Islam and seek forgiveness but why wait until then to start. For most Muslims, and I certainly was brought up in a household where Ramadan meant to finish reading the Qur’an in the 30 days just before Eid and I would make sure I would do this. This meant some days I was reading a lot to make up for those days when I wouldn’t be able to but what did this mean post Eid.. the Qur’an wouldn’t be opened unless it was a Friday or there was a death and that’s me being brutally honest. These days, I find myself listening to it more and more as I play it in my home than reading it which of course brings reward also. I find myself watching lectures to learn more and once again this is a great way to learn but the very core of our identity, the self-development we need, the history to learn is to be found where.. in the Qur’an.
We all know the phrase quality over quantity and we seek to live by this in whatever area of life it applies to. That is exactly what I plan to do, to spend 15 minutes daily to read a few pages of the Qur’an and that will start now and will continue through Ramadan. There will
be days where I will end up reading more but the minimum will be 15 mins as I hope this builds the consistency I need to continue to read daily outside of Ramadan. Why wait until then to gain good deeds when you can start now. It could be something really small but by practising it daily, you’ll form a habit and it will become consistent with your lifestyle. Your love for it will grow, you will learn more and without a doubt you will practice it more. Of course, there will be days when you will slack but it will probably be easier to bounce back than before because of the consistency.
Being alive next year isn’t promised, being alive tomorrow isn’t promised, we just assume we will be. As much as I would like to live and be able to experience life that little bit more, as I mentioned at the start of this post, blessings do not last. We all experience good times and bad. I hope by making small changes to my lifestyle, I can be a better Muslim and as such reap the rewards but also feel better for when that day does come and I do not live on.
This post is not meant to be a morbid one, but merely a reflection which I hope others can resonate with especially with the current times we live in. Insha’Allah better days are coming for those that are afflicted, whether that be in this lifetime or the next. It is something for us all to ponder on.
My days reflections have now ended and it’s time for me to enjoy some lemon and pistachio birthday cake with of course a nice cup of Yorkshire
