21st Safar 1444 A.H

Reflections from Surah Yusuf Q12 VS 46-49

As salaam alaykum

It seems like ages since I last wrote to you even though it was exactly two weeks ago! I guess my heart has grown fond of you, ma shaa Allah. Tell me, is the feeling mutual? 😄

In today’s radiant letter, I will be sharing my reflections from vs 46-49 of Surah Yusuf. , can I be honest with you? Sometimes I think to myself that these letters have benefitted me more than you whom I write to. My sincere prayer is that these letters 'illuminate’ your thinking, just as much as they do for me. Amen.

Take a quick look at the verses , what thoughts jump at you?

For me, these verses remind me of the concept of seasons. In life, we would go through different seasons: the good, bad, lukewarm etc. but it is our awareness that nothing lasts forever and the comfort from trusting in our creator that gives us the strength to navigate all seasons with grace.

Secondly, these verses re-inforce the truth that there is time for everything. There is a time to work hard and sow seeds ( p.s I am not talking only monetary terms here) that will yield fruits in the future. There is also a time to rest and reap the fruits of your labour. The “time of rest” can happen unexpectedly e.g., illness/loss or it can be a byproduct of nature’s evolution e.g., old age

This is why at every given time we should utilise our time effectively and make hay whilst the sun shines, literally!

Did that remind you of something familiar ? Because it reminded me of the 5 before 5 hadith by our Prophet Muhammad SAW which goes thus:

“Take advantage of five before five: 

• your youth before your old age,
• your health before your sickness
• your wealth before your poverty,
• your free time before your busyness and
• your life before your death.”

Such profound and timeless advice. Subhanallah!

Let’s carry on with this reflection. Verse 47 emphasises the need to save up and invest for the rainy days because indeed there would be times of less rain/drought in our lives. It is foolhardy to spend or consume everything we earn.

In the same vein, it is foolish to think that you should unleash all your plans all at once. There are seasons that a particular plan & action is required and will yield rewards/desirable outcomes when deployed but there are also seasons where the time for an idea or action hasn’t come and if you force it, will yield sub-par outcomes.

Verse 49 represents HOPE; in the sense that even if you have lost time/misused time/under-utilised time and failed to save/invest or launch that idea or nurture that relationship (insert whatever it is for you) when you were supposed to, all is not lost!

A saying that comes to my mind here is that ‘there is no loss with Allah’; if you believe solely in Him and worship Him wholeheartedly.

Hear this; Allah is assuring you that if you failed to utilise your seasons effectively, there will come again, a time where the tools/resources/opportunities you require to prosper will come. And do you know the best part to this? Come close sis, let me tell you. When this time comes, you will in shaa Allah be wiser and most likely to grab it bi ithnillah!

How merciful is our Rabb?!! I repeat, there is absolutely no loss with Ar-Razzaq !

I look back at all the opportunities I told myself that I had lost and I immediately feel peace and comfort thinking about this reflection. I hope it brings the same feeling to you too.

So , what season are you in? Hit reply and tell me your own reflections on these wonderful verses. I would love to read from you!

Praying for ease for you,

Sekinat.  

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