A personal reflection on life's fragility

Assalaamu'alaykum, 

When loss happens suddenly, it can feel unreal for a very long time. 

Two and a half years ago, I lost my husband in a matter of minutes. It caught me completely unaware - in only twenty minutes, his soul was returned to Allah.

Just twenty minutes prior to that moment, we were caught up in the usual rhythm of daily life, surrounded by the familiar structures we had built, grown used to and felt secure within, all with Allah’s help and mercy. 

But when his soul departed, those same structures could no longer exist in the way I had known them.

It’s a stark reminder of how fragile our everyday life truly is and how, with one moment, Allah can change everything.

His passing felt like it happened in the blink of an eye. Alhamdulillah, I have come to see that as a blessing.

However, the months that followed were an intense adjustment. I hadn't had the chance to mentally or emotionally prepare for my new reality - a life without my partner and raising children without their father.

I was thrust into a new world, where my previous one felt completely flipped upside down. It was a world I hadn’t chosen, but one chosen for me by the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

In those early days, my mind struggled to grasp this new reality, it was still suspended in a world where he existed. I half-expected to see his cheerful face appear around the corner or hear his laughter as he joked with one of the kids, but when the reality hit that he was no longer around, it was like a wave, crashing over me. 

In those moments, I learned to say one powerful phrase that instantly grounded me, holding me together so I wouldn’t crumble:

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un – Indeed, we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.

Speaking these words anchored me. It came with clarity and conviction, offering my heart solace in this one truth: we all belong to Allah and we will all return to Him, at a time of His choosing.

This phrase became a comforting reminder of the transient nature of human life and the hope of reuniting with our loved ones in the hereafter, inshaAllah.

I have seen the reality of death up close with the sudden passing of my husband, in slow motion with the passing of my sick father earlier this year, on a tragic mass scale in Srebrenica when I recently visited Bosnia and in the horrific events unfolding in real-time on my screen, as I see what is happening to our brothers and sisters across the globe.

The thought of death shouldn’t offend or scare us, nor should it be something we avoid thinking about. As believers, we internalise it and understand it as a transitional point, a crossing over to where real life begins - an opening towards our eternity.

The powerful phrase - Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un - doesn’t just help us face death, it grounds us in the transient nature of this world and the certainty of the Next.

By frequently reciting and reflecting on this phrase, we can approach life with a clearer sense of purpose and optimism - seizing every opportunity and holding tighter to a higher standard and priority.

We can find the strength to navigate the tests and trials of life - the losses and the wins - with a deeper understanding and resilience, knowing that nothing is permanent.

This life is but a speck in comparison to the Next, we don’t belong to this world…

We belong to Allah and to Him we shall all be returned. 

P.S. Here's a few ways we can work together...

1. Join our Breaking Barriers Coaching Group. Together, we’ll deepen our trust in Allah, take inspired actions and witness with gratitude how incredible outcomes unfold. This a space for spiritual and personal growth, practical tools, meaningful suhba (companionship) and life transforming reminders (Available to sisters only).

2. If you're ready to shift your perspectives, discover your true self and align your efforts with your highest worldly and spiritual aspirations, click HERE to schedule a 1:1 discovery call with me. (Available to sisters only).

3. Register your interest for the next The Travellers Programme HERE and be the first to know when the next cohort launches. (Available to both brothers and sisters).

Reflection of the Week

Take a moment to reflect on the transient nature of this life and our journey back to Allah.

How does this shift in perspective change your outlook on the challenges you face right now?

Dua of the Week

The best duaa for the Day of ‘Arafah, as taught by the Prophet ﷺ, is:  

إِنَّا لِلَّـهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un

"Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return"