seeking-al-firdaws - Tumblr blog

[seeking-al-firdaws]

[seeking-al-firdaws]

“We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another, unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations. We never discard our childhood. We never escape it completely. We relive fragments of it through others. We live buried layers through others. We live through others’ projections of the unlived selves.”

The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 4: 1944-1947

[seeking-al-firdaws]

I really wish you guys read The Qur’an more. Truly.

I was reading over the story of Maryam (Mary) and there’s background to her birth that is profoundly striking, actually.

Maryam’s mother, is Hannah (Anne) and she’s older, meaning it’s not likely she’d have kids, so she prays to God:

“‘O my Sustainer! Behold, unto Thee do I vow [the child] that is in, my womb, to be devoted to Thy service. Accept it, then, from me: verily, Thou alone art all-hearing, all-knowing!’” [3:35]

So she promises to make her child dedicated to God, but it’s the next ayah which is really important here:

But when she had given birth to the child, she said: “O my Sustainer! Behold, I have given birth to a female” - the while God had been fully aware of what she would give birth to, and [fully aware] that no male child [she might have hoped for] could ever have been like this female - “and I have named her Mary. And, verily, I seek Thy protection for her and her offspring against Satan, the accursed.”

The implication is that she’s expecting a male child. God obviously knows that it will be a daughter, and when you look at this, it’s just… It’s beautiful.

Hannah is very sincere, she’s noted to be a great person, and she thinks that in order to serve God best, she has to have a son. God doesn’t agree with that assessment, obviously.

I read things like this and I just sit back in awe. You guys talk about representation in media (it’s super important, don’t get me wrong) but then you ignore stuff like this in The Qur'an. A big part of it is that you guys just don’t read it, unfortunately, but when you really break it down, look at God’s Wisdom.

It’s such a beautiful story, Hannah is praying for a child, thinking that a boy will best serve God, and God is enshrining the glory of having a daughter. God describes the birth of a daughter as a “glad-tiding” (15:58) as a means of cursing those who are upset when they have a daughter, but here, we have a much more powerful example of how God’s Wisdom transcends our limited perception of what is best, even in the most sincere and dedicated of people to God.

People always ask me what makes The Qur'an so special, and truly, it’s things like this. SubhanAllah.

[seeking-al-firdaws]

"المقصود دائمًا لا يقرأ."

[seeking-al-firdaws]

Truths that have changed my life:

You teach people how to treat you by what you tolerate.

You’re never asking for too much or asking for the wrong thing; you’re just asking the wrong people.

Rejection is redirection. Better things are waiting elsewhere. Trust in synchronicity.

Here and now is worth being alive and enjoying the moment to the fullest. Not someday when you will have X and Y goal accomplished. You are worthy of letting yourself be happy here and now.

The only limitations in your life are those that you impose on yourself - first and foremost, mentally. So release them.

Work on your goals lowkey, and only share the progress with truly dear people to you, that you know can treasure the delicate energy of a blooming goal, with only positive energy.

When you let go of the old, you tell the universe, “I’m ready for the new.”

Amazing things await you, if you allow them into your space. Believe that you deserve better, and you will.

[seeking-al-firdaws]

[seeking-al-firdaws]

(يأيها الذين امنو عليكم انفسكم)

“Take care of your souls.”

— Surah al Ma'idah  5:105 

(“وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا)

“And speak to people kindly.”

— Surah al-Baqarah 2:83

( وبالوالدين إحسانا )

“And to parents do good.”

— Surah al-’Isra’  17:23 

[seeking-al-firdaws]

May I be released from wanting anything that isn’t meant for me.

[seeking-al-firdaws]

يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيمِ

O mankind, what has deluded you away from your lord, the most Beneficent?

[Surah Al-’Infitar - Verse 6]. 

[seeking-al-firdaws]

In my eyes, good conversation is the birthplace of true attraction. So open up and share with me every encounter and experience that shaped you into who you are today. Tell me all about your hopes and dreams and captivate me with your passions. Arouse my curiosity and you'll have my attention.

— Beau Taplin

[seeking-al-firdaws]

Don’t limit your prayers thinking that it isn’t worth it because you are too far from Allah, that you are too guilty or that you are too broken. You don’t pray for what you are, but you pray for what He is. Your Lord is the One who accepts repentance. He is the One who forgives all sins. It is who, as long as the soul hasn’t reached the throat, doesn’t condemn you to your own destiny. He is the Most Gentle, whose mercy, compassion and love for you are infinite… He is the One who only says “be” and it is. 💭🌿

[seeking-al-firdaws]

“Don’t think about making a million dollars, driving a fancy car, or owning an expensive house. Instead, focus on the next 24 hours. That’s right. Only the next 24 hours. Simply work on mastering today, and putting in your best effort to take you closer to your dreams. Don’t think a thousand steps ahead of yourself, for we must first be able to take the first step.”

— Nicole Addison @thepowerwithin

[seeking-al-firdaws]

A man offers prayer on a stone in the fast flowing river Swat.

[seeking-al-firdaws]

[seeking-al-firdaws]

[seeking-al-firdaws]

[seeking-al-firdaws]

Get up early. Stay focused. Watch less TV. Read more books. Avoid time wasters. Invest in your health. Take calculated risks. Write down your goals. Work smarter, not harder. Do something you believe in. Foster meaningful relationships.