We often wonder why God gives and takes, constricts and expands. What we forget is that human beings understand things by their opposites. Without dark, we canโt understand light. Without hardship, we wouldnโt *experience* ease. Without the existence of deprivation and loss, we couldnโt grasp the need for gratitude or the virtue of patience. And without separation, we wouldnโt taste the sweetness of reunion. Glory be to the one who givesโeven when He takes.
Yasmin MogahedIf you want the love of the people, stop running after it. The more you chase it, the more it escapes you. Love doesn't come from the people. It comes from God.
Yasmin MogahedSo often we think that Allah only tests us with hardships, but this isn't true. Allah also tests with ease. He tests us with na`im (blessings) and with the things we love, and it is often in these tests that so many of us fail. We fail because when Allah gives us these blessings, we unwittingly turn them into false idols in the heart.
Yasmin MogahedYou never have to be scared of the trials but of standing alone in the trials without shelter (Allah's help).
Yasmin MogahedShaytan will tell you that youโre not worthy, so give up. But his traps are based on lies. When was any of it because of *your* worth? It was all because of His mercy, His generosity, His love of giving, and forgiving. And those qualities donโt change because youโre messing up. Just seek them. Call Him by His mercy, not by your deeds.
Yasmin Mogahed