“Listen, O drop, give yourself up without regret,
and in exchange gain the Ocean.
Listen, O drop, bestow upon yourself this honor,
and in the arms of the Sea be secure.
Who indeed should be so fortunate?
An Ocean wooing a drop!
In God’s name, in God’s name, sell and buy at once!
Give a drop, and take this Sea full of pearls.”
― Rumi
“Ask them how much Qur’an they’ve memorized!” I think it’s time we stop using the perceived faults of others to justify our points of view on controversial issues. If we believe that music is generally forbidden or allowed, or that the face veil is obligatory or optional, it should be because we genuinely believe this view is most strongly supported by divine evidence—not because we’re able to enumerate the faults of those with a different point of view. Personally, I’ve been blessed to study Qur’an from some of the most knowledgeable teachers, and there is not a single controversial point of view that they all shared. Yes, I’ve had Qur’an teachers who listened to music and those who didn’t, those who favored covering the face and those who wore a simple hijab and colorful clothes. But the one trait they all shared, without exception, was their general humility in speaking about Allah—and their brothers and sisters in Islam. This experience taught me that the true sign of Qur’an entering our hearts is in how it corrects our speech and behavior, and how it increases our love and compassion for fellow believers, despite their faults and varying points of view. …And one of the most glaring signs of a sick heart in need of Qur’an is that we actually imagine that our ability to count the faults of others somehow proves we’re on the right path. Yet all this proves is that we’ve tragically missed the most basic message of Qur’an itself: humbly turning to Allah for guidance and forgiveness—and focusing on our own souls.’
—from the journal of*Umm Zakiyyah
If you’re always making excuses, waiting for the perfect time to take steps of faith, if you think, “One day I’ll get out of my comfort zone, one day I’ll hone that skill,” your ‘one day’ may never come. Today is your day. Don’t put it off another year.