My Health Profession

Your twenties are a time of self-discovery and trying to figure out what you want out of life. Many 20-somethings are finishing up college and university studies or are embarking on such studies. Most 20-somethings are determining what they want to be in life, and what kind of life they want to live. In the process it is easy to develop useful and helpful habits that will last you for the rest of your life. Whether you are studying in school or working a full-time job, you will learn necessary life skills such as time management, organization, and leadership. Skills like these can only be cultivated when you are independent and on your own, which is what many 20-somethings experience after “flying the coup” they have been accustomed to for many years. Concurrently this is also a time where you develop not so useful habits and activities. Being out on your own offers you a freedom unlike any you have ever had. Your 20-somethings is the perfect time for you to explore...

 “Sins need to be eradicated through the internal fire of regret in this life or the fire of hell in the hereafter.” – Ibn Al-Qayyim Years ago I came across thisquote. I still can’t get over how true it is.   Muslim youth living in all corners of the world face similar struggles in our day-to-day lives. We strive to survive while being surrounded by the societal (and often times, cultural and familial) promotion, acceptance, and idealization of things that contradict the tenants of our faith: pride, lust, greed, extramarital relationships, alcohol/drugs, misogyny – just to name a few. We are also surrounded by social practices and traditions that can also be pretty un-Islamic: issues such as racism, forced marriages, the withholding of education for females, and tribalism unfortunately exist on grand scales in Muslim societies all over the world. As Muslim youth, most of us living in the diaspora, we have much to deal with. We struggle to maint...

I am easily distracted. This trait was a hindrance throughout my academic studies, but no doubt the area in which it is most detrimental is my worship. My daily prayers are plagued by thoughts that creep into my consciousness and silently grip my mind and heart, steering them away from Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He). Be it the pattern on my prayer mat or a task I have to do, there is always something diverting me from the most important moments of my day. I write this as a reminder to myself, on attempting to rescue my salah (ritual prayers), a most exquisite and sublime gift from Allah (swt). A nourishment, rejuvenation and refocusing for our souls, and the first thing we will be asked about on the Day of Judgement. These windows of tranquillity have the potential to adorn our days and sustain, protect and fill our hearts amidst the transient whirlwind that is this world. We hear of people finishing one salah only to look forward to the next one, so wh...

1. Fall and Rise Today, when I slipped on the wet tile floor a boy in a wheelchair caught me before I slammed my head on the ground.  He said, “Believe it or not, that’s almost exactly how I injured my back 3 years ago . 2. A father’s advice Today, my father told me, “Just go for it and give it a try!  You don’t have to be a professional to build a successful product.  Amateurs started Google and Apple.  Professionals built the Titanic 3. The power of uniqueness. Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success.  He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing. 4. Looking Back Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class.  When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at y...

While we focus on our spiritual upbringing, we also need to focus on our physical well-being. Instead of praying Maghrib and rushing to eat, set your intention to eat to nourish your body so that you can stand and pray. In this case, you make eating an act of worship and get rewarded for it, Allah (swt) willing. Set your intention to eat suhoor (the meal before sunrise) to worship and have energy all day. Set your intention to eat iftar (the meal after sunset) to worship and pray during the night. Now, let me share a few tips on what to eat to stay hydrated, energized, and motivated all day long. With Ramadan in the midst of summer this year, we need nothing more than hydration and good eating habits to keep us going. However, Ramadan is not only about omitting food and drink from sunrise to sunset. It’s not about sleeping all day and waking up an hour before sunset to prepare a meal. It’s not about indulging all night and sleeping all day. No, Ramadan is a spiritu...

Alhamdulillah (all praise be to God), we have entered into Ramadan. While this is the most beautiful time of the year—a time in which the doors to Paradise are open, the gates of hell are closed, and the devils are chained—some of us may be coming into it carrying a heavy burden. Some of us might be broken. And still others might not really feel anymore. No one knows our internal state, the fact that all those months have done something to us, that our hearts are numb and we are not even really sure what it is like to feel that energy or that love anymore. If you are that person, and if you feel that something in your heart has died, don’t give up just yet. This Name of Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), is for you. Allah tells us: “And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom?” (Qur’an, 6:122 ) In the last article, we briefly mentioned Allah...

Photo: Shandi-lee Cox In the field behind my house, there is a garden where my memories grow. Scattered by the wind, yet perfectly sorted by time. Some have yet to grow and blossom into their full potential, while others are so withered, it’s a wonder they are still alive. From time to time I go out and walk through my garden, trying to appreciate the beauty of the blessed landscape that my life has, over time, sown. It is always the same, yet each time a little bit different. It begins as something joyous, something I look forward to. But then my heart gets entangled in the weeds, I see the flowers that have died, and my heart turns hard and cold. Gardens should be a source of pleasure, but mine has at times been a source of heart-gripping nostalgia and at other times a source of tears—from wounds that have never been healed. This time was different. This time, I decided to take the gardener along with me on my stroll. Well, I didn’t really decide to take him ...

He was right; having a good friend for over fifty years is impressive. I was attending a dinner in which a well-respected scholar and professor was being recognized for his accomplishments. Instead of focusing on himself and his journey, he spent his entire speech thanking the numerous individuals that impacted his life. As he reflected on his experience, he said one of the most rewarding gestures he ever received had been from a former student going out of his way to find the professor’s contact information to contact him and thank him for the time and effort he put into his education. I found it peculiar that after several decades of many accomplishments, friends and family, one of the most rewarding gestures the professor received was a thank you. It’s true though. Sometimes, after trying so hard and going out of our way to help someone, all it takes is two words—thank you—to start the rush of accomplishment and success. In fact, it happens all the time at work and...

About six months ago, I had just finished praying Fajr (dawn prayer) and decided to recite some Qur’an. Craving attention and appreciation from the right place this time, I remembered reading somewhere that the angels witness morning recitation. I gently flipped through the pages of my Qur’an and started recitation from where I left off but it wasn’t long until I felt my voice crack and eyes blur. I was crying…again! I embraced the Qur’an open and wept silently till the dawn. Exhausted, I carefully placed The Holy Qur’an on the table in front of me, took a deep breath and began recitation again. “And when the two companies saw one another, the companions of Moses said, ‘Indeed, we are to be overtaken!’ [Moses] said, ‘No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.’” (Qur’an 26:61-62) I paused and reflected. It wasn’t the first time I had heard this story but like the new dawn, that day, it brought a whole new meaning into my life. Standing in front of the Red...

I remember the last time it happened to me. I was driving my daughter to preschool, something I do several times a week. Traffic was heavy and I was preoccupied. Deep in thought, I drove amidst the hundreds of cars on the highway and suddenly, or maybe it was after several minutes, I realized that the exit I was supposed to have taken was miles behind me and I was merging onto another freeway altogether. Panic struck me for a moment as I took the next exit, unfamiliar road signs all around. How had I missed the exit that I was so used to taking? What had distracted me for so long? And now, how long was it going to take me to reroute and ultimately reach my destination?  Distractions on Our Journey In life, we are all on a journey. We know the ultimate destination we are trying to reach is jannah (Paradise) and Allah subhanahu wa ta`la (exalted is He) has clearly laid out the route we are supposed to take. However, dunya (the worldly life) is distracting. Like me o...

So, what is the first thing you think about when you hear the word “Ramadan”? Oof …Fasting, sleeping all day, yummy iftars (meals to break the fast), and you can be sure that everyone—and I mean everyone —knows what time maghrib (sunset) is. In fact, it is probably the only prayer time people set their alarm clocks to in Ramadan. But, did you ever learn to look beyond what you see? Did you ever consider that Ramadan might have a grander purpose, a higher aspiration? Let’s read on, shall we? The month of Ramadan is, of course, the month in which the Glorious Qur’an was sent down from Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (swt). Heavy stuff, huh? Each and every revelation, every beautiful verse of this magnificent Book was sent down in this month to guide not only a particular region or a group of people, but the whole of humanity; a dedication to the entire human race. It was sent down to us from God Himself. To mankind, from God. No wonder this month has been given such distinctio...

There is something striking about the life of Yusuf `alyahi as-salaam (peace be upon him). Every time it seems something good is happening to him, it is taken away or something messes it up. Think about it. He tells his father about his amazing dream, and his father informs him that it is something good, and that he is a prophet. Then his brothers throw him in the well. While he is in the well, waiting to be rescued, some passersby go to collect water, and instead they find him. AlhamdulilLah (praise be to God)! He is saved! But wait… they sell him at a market. He becomes a slave. The minister who buys him treats him pretty well, though. He is still a slave, but it could be a lot worse. He is honored in the house of the minister. He grows up, and things seem stable at least. Then the wife of the minister tries to seduce him, and she will not desist either. Even though he did nothing wrong, he prefers prison than to give in. Two prisoners enter after him. He interprets thei...

All right, so this might be a bit difficult, a bit abstract. Maybe you won’t even understand an iota of what I will try to explain—but hopefully, I can express it in words. Do you know that aching feeling that there is something wrong? That there is something that needs to be fixed? That feeling that there is something missing, something just out of place? It is such a sad feeling—almost devastating. Do you know it?Hopefully, I can express it in words.I had that feeling once. Or rather, it was a never-ending feeling, constant, always there. Eating away at my soul, at my sanity,at me. I thought it was normal, that everyone felt this way. This is what they call the pain of separation, right? But separation from whom? And if we reunite, will it be gone? Do you know that feeling, that aching emptiness?Hopefully, I can express it in words.It is that feeling that you get when you see someone you absolutely love, and want to run into his or her arms. The craving for a hug that makes all ...