Audio Reflection from Imam Adam Jamal / Transcription below

Following up on our previous reflection from Surah Maryam, what is it that keeps us from making that plea to Allah?

What is it that prevents us from truly connecting to Allah, and making that dua that we know that we need? Are we worried that Allah is not listening? Are we worried that our dua isn’t pious enough, or that we are righteous enough for our dua to be listened to?

If we are worried, and if we are fearful that Allah won’t respond, well we shouldn’t worry, and we shouldn’t fear. As Allah says in the Quran:

لا تخافوا ولا تحزنوا

‘Don’t be afraid, don’t be stressed out.’

As soon as you’re making the dua, you’re already where you need to be. You are already where you are supposed to be. When we are making that dua to Allah, and we are connecting with Him, there is no other place that we could possibly be that would be better than that, because we are connecting to Allah (swt) and we’re doing our own silent yell like Zakariyya did.

يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ ۖ وَاجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا’ 

‘I want my successor to inherit my legacy, the legacy of the family of Yaqub.’

Yaqub and his many sons and those tribes – Zakariyya is from them, and he has inherited that legacy and he wants his successor to also inherit that legacy.

And then the response comes. Even though his wife is old; even though he is worried about the future. Him and his spouse are both old, and it’s not generally an age where people have children but then the response comes:

‘يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ اسْمُهُ يَحْيَىٰ’

‘Here’s the good news: You are going to have Yahya.’

And Zakariyya is a Prophet, but even he is surprised, and he says:

قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ

‘How can I have a child?’

‘وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا وَقَدْ بَلَغْتُ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ عِتِيًّا’

“We are both old, ya Allah. How is this going to happen? We’re old; we’re barren. How is this gonna happen?’

‘قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئًا

‘I created you, didn’t I? This is easy for me,’ Allah says.

So don’t think that your dua being answered is impossible. Don’t we believe that Allah is unlimited? And don’t we believe that Allah can do anything? And don’t we believe that Allah is All-Powerful? And don’t we believe Allah is Almighty?

Then why don’t we just make the dua? Why don’t we just do what we are meant to do?

We’re afraid… We’re afraid…

Maybe we have the wrong idea. Maybe we think we have to be at a certain level of piety. We have to be a prophet like Zakariyya and then…

But the tears of the sinner are more beloved to Allah than the arrogance of the worshipper.

The tears of the sinner are more beloved to Allah.

And so, we should all be having that moment of ‘نِدَاءً خَفِيًّا‘ – that silent yell.

 

What do you think? Please share your reflections below!

 

<< Previous Surah Maryam Reflection ||| Next Surah Maryam Reflection >>

 


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