Being a young adult is so strange. You enter a coffee shop. The 20 year old girl waiting behind you cried all night because she just came to a new city for university and she feels so alone. That 27 year old guy over there works a job he is overqualified for, he lives with his parents and wants to move out but doesn't know what to do about it. That one 24 year old dude already has a car, a house, and a job waiting for him once he graduates thanks to his dad's connections. The 26 year old barista couldn't complete his higher education because he has to work and take care of his family. The 28 year old girl sitting next to you has no friends to go out with so she is texting her mother. That couple (both 25 years old) are married and the girl is pregnant. The 29 year old writing something on her laptop has realized that she chose the wrong major so she is trying to start all over. We are not alone in this, but we are actually so alone. Do you feel me

When I think of Sabr, I think of Yaqub عليه السلام and the qissah of Surah Yusuf. And I think its because I've always resonated with the way Allah سبحانه و تعالى shows us through his prophet that the method of observing patience, may not necessarily look the same for everyone. Yaqub عليه السلام went blind from his tears of grief, Subhan'Allah, and yet he still carried the purest form of Hope in his heart. He trusted His Lord's Plan knowing his complaints were only heard by Him alone, and even still his grief caused him to lose his own sight. As someone who has always worn their heart on their sleeve I remember feeling so heard and understood when I came across these profound verses. For the first time I felt content with the fact that, feeling things deep within my core and ultimately responding to my body's way of releasing grief, sorrow, loss, pain did not in any way translate to anything other than Sabr. I realised the truth in how our Lord's profound words have not just been preserved to be a book with stories of the past, but rather it is the sole cure to our hearts when this world feels like too much of a burden. It is and has always been our only way of navigating through this world and all it's trials and that is quite literally why our Lord Himself reminds us, "verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest". So for those of you who are struggling with something that no one can truly comprehend the depths of, know that you are entitled to your own way of coping that too without the pressure of someone else's definition of Sabr. And know that your Lord is All Aware of all the turmoils your heart has endured, He knows the sincere weight of each tear that falls from your eyes and ultimately it is He, who shall compensate for them just as He returned the coolness of Yaqub عليه السلام eyes.

Most of all, let this be a reminder that your tears have never fallen in vain 🌷

-honeyliruh

وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ

He turned away from them, lamenting, “Alas, poor Joseph!” And his eyes turned white out of the grief he suppressed. [Surah Yusuf - Verse 84]

قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

He replied, “I complain of my anguish and sorrow only to Allah, and I know from Allah what you do not know [Surah Yusuf - Verse 86]

فَلَمَّآ أَن جَآءَ ٱلْبَشِيرُ أَلْقَىٰهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦ فَٱرْتَدَّ بَصِيرًا ۖ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

But when the bearer of the good news arrived, he cast the shirt over Jacob’s face, so he regained his sight. Jacob then said ˹to his children˺, “Did I not tell you that I truly know from Allah what you do not know?” [Surah Yusuf - Verse 96]

“Please stop destroying what is left of your heart by constantly thinking about things that have broken you.”

— Unknown

“Kill the part of you that believes it can’t survive without someone else.”

— Sade Andria Zabala, War Songs

Sometimes, it isn’t the one who takes your breath away, it’s the one that reminds you to breathe.

k.b. // by jennifer johnson

““i hope you find someone who knows when to give you space and when to hold you close.” - r.h. sin”

—

“You’re the kind of soul anyone would be lucky to be with, and you don’t even know it, the great ones never do.”

— Adrian Michael

-Rumi

Some things overcome our heart in a way that hope feels like too great an ask. But you see, there's a reason why Allah سبحانه و تعالى asks us to hold on even whilst we endure the things that turn our world upside down. Because it's within the helplessness of these moments that there is only room for hope. There is no choice but to let go and give in to Our Lord's plan. To succumb to a state where we realise there is nothing nor anyone that can save us except Him. The One who can pull us out of the dark depths of the void that is life, and to fill that same void with His Light. A Light that so certainly brings life and compensates in a way that it shall always prove to our hearts that so long as we believe in Our Lord and all that only He Is, Has been and Shall always Be, there must always be room for Hope. After all, how can one possibly fall into despair when he has belief in his Lord, The Reviver of Life and The Bestower of Hope?

— Louise Glück, from “The Untrustworthy Speaker.”

“Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. Being brave means you are scared, really scared, badly scared, and you do the right thing anyway.”

— Neil Gaiman

When ALLAH loves you, he won't necessarily bless you materialistically. He will favour you in ways that make you more grounded internally and make you a better human being. He will give you a better sense of self and self-worth. He will give you clarity in knowledge and deen. He will give you more opportunities to help others. And ultimately, He will give you peace of mind and a sound heart. Sometimes blessings are not obvious.

What I can and can't control?

Can:

values, beliefs, reactions, modesty, responsibilities,My Nafs, Thoughts, words, action, behaviour, morals, Salah, expectations, manners, maturity, expectations and mindset.

Can't:

Allah's timing, Qadr outcomes, the past, changing people, the future, people's perceptions of me, Dua response time

So just leave it to Allah and be better on what you can control

“Once you realize there is life after mistakes, you gain a self-confidence that never goes away.”

— Bob Schieffer