The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah proved to be a period of immense introspection for me. One of the most profound realizations dawned on me during a tadabbur session, as I reached the final verse of Surah Hajj. The verse reads: "Strive in the way of Allah with a striving worthy of Him. He has chosen you and has not placed any hardship upon you in the religion. Follow the religion of Abraham, [your] father. Allah knows what you do." (Quran 22:78) What struck a chord with me most was the call to strive in Allah's way , but in a manner worthy of His Majesty and Grandeur . Here I was, questioning how someone as vulnerable and insignificant as myself could be entrusted with such a task. Then, the verse itself provided the answer: "He has chosen you." Allah, the All-Wise, had chosen me for a task that initially seemed insurmountable. Yet, as I continued reading the verse, it offered consolation: "He has not placed any hardship upon you in the religion.
The last couple of days have been straight-out-of-hell, as everyone, no exaggeration, would like to describe it. There have been times when we all would have thought at least once (if not every day) that we wouldn't be able to make it through, or worst case scenario, pass out from the excessive heat and humidity. In these literally mind-boggling circumstances, the only escape (or, as it seems, the only solution) is to "chill" (pun intended) in an air-conditioned environment. Well, I don't blame anyone for it. However, one thing struck me in this scenario: a forwarded message my amma read to me. Excessive ease makes you drift away from your Rab , it said. When a human is treated to unnecessary comfort (mind it, I am not referring to people who have certain medical conditions), he often forgets (or chooses not to think about) other people around him, who do not own the same privilege. It's convenient to do, I often think to myself. However,