Who Is In Control?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When we first came to Egypt, someone had to hold my hand and force me to cross the road/highway or I would never cross the road or highway. I am not blind, Alhamdulillah, but it was just impossible to cross the road with the fast and heavy traffic. People and automobiles (sometimes the 4-legged too) were weaving the road that you cannot tell who is the king of the road! I would wait for a long time until the traffic lightens and then only I would proceed to cross. No Egyptian does this! It could mean you will never get to the other side. My boys learned this very fast and they were not about to wait like me. One day, they crossed the road and ignored my admonition. When I saw them on the other side alone and anxious, I gathered my courage, put my trust in Allah and crossed the road like everybody else!

So, what's the point of them crossing while I haven't--they still have to wait for me? I asked them this. But I realized Allah wants them to learn patience--something they need a lot of to study in Egypt. They have to wait, and waiting is not fun for many. Waiting is being patient.

Sitting in an old taxi, almost falling apart, driven by a reckless driver, and watching automobiles and pedestrians alike darting in front of the taxi, you cannot forget the One who is in control, the One who can let an accident happen or not to happen. At that moment, you see the reality of Egypt being a factory of knowledge. The actual experiences living in Egypt is a big part of learning about Allah, not just from formal studies at universities and with scholars.

Had Allah willed to take away my strength, my ability to speak, my ability to read and write, my ability to sit, stand, walk and run, I could have been in a big accident at that time. But He did not will that to me but He had willed it to many others. Just visit a hospital emergency room, inevitably you will see victims of road accidents, some with no hope of ever walking again, some with no hope of surviving much longer, and some being rolled to the mortuary. This is the will of Allah.

We should be grateful to Allah, the All Powerful, the All Merciful, that we have our strength and our limbs to enjoy this short life, by living a life of obedience to Him.

May Allah keep us and our families under His infinite care. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam