سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُم بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ “Peace be upon you for all that you have endured patiently. Now how excellent is the final home!” [13:24] | |
Ayah Reflection
As Ramadan came to an end, I began to reflect on what the month has taught me and what I could improve on. It was easy to notice certain things, but some came in the form of bigger realizations. For example, during Ramadan, it was easy to feel that sense of community. Whether it was praying side by side with my Muslim sisters during qiyam or listening to the beautiful echo of “Ameen” all throughout the mosque on taraweeh nights. It was this sense of community that also helped me fast until 8pm because I knew that an entire Muslim Ummah was doing the same. Although this unity helps strengthen bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood, there is still an aspect of Ramadan that I learned only comes from within. It is the aspect of patience. This patience only comes when we realize we are not fasting because it is obligatory or because everyone around us is doing so—it is the patience that comes with fasting out of sincerity from the heart and cleanliness of the soul.
This patience is obtained with determination and selflessness. I learned these through, for example, ignoring the loud grumbles of my stomach or through rereading certain difficult ayat of the Quran again and again until I got it right. It also means saying no to our desires and befriending something wiser—something with advice and the best of knowledge: The Holy Quran. As I would read the eloquent verses, sometimes I would feel guilty that I had never looked up the meaning or applied it to my life. There is so much advice and inspiration within every page and all we have to do is simply pick up the Quran and read: whether one page or an entire chapter, there is always something to take away. We must read, reevaluate, apply, and change for the better.
On one of the days where I was reading, I came across this ayah that struck me. It made me both tremble and smile. In Surat Al- Raad verse 23, Allah(swt) describes the everlasting Gardens that those who have endured patience will enter. Angels shall enter from every gate saying, “Peace be upon you for all that you have endured patiently. So most excellent is the final home!” (13:24). The Final Home. I could not continue reading. For that moment, everything turned into a blur. How I wished to enter that Final Home, where I would be greeted by the Angels. What is this life in comparison, I thought? It is but a rest under the shade of a palm tree; it is but a test we must endure with patience. It is but a mere pit stop before the true destination. We all have the guidelines and we all have the keys to this Final Home, it is our job to protect these keys and to balance mind, body, and soul in the process.
As I finished the surah, I realized that although this life is short and unimportant compared to the life of the hereafter, it is still the opportunity for us to connect with our Lord and become closer to Him in hopes of reaching that final destination. With patience, this life can bring us happiness, success, and contentment, but we must always remain on the straight path with the words of the Quran as our inspiration for living. Surely then, we can reach the Final Home inshAllah.
