By Ruqoyah Mazlan

“Grant them as You have granted me, if not even more.”

These words, uttered with such profound wisdom, struck a chord within me. They reminded me that, as Muslims, it is not only our duty to cherish the gifts Allah ﷻ has given us but also to empathise with those who may not have been granted the same privileges. This lesson encourages us to look at our fellow believers with compassion, to pray for them, help them, and—at the same time—be grateful for the immeasurable gifts of iman and Islam. For we may never know one day, when tested, we will need the prayer and help of others.

My journey in understanding the importance of this lesson began with my upbringing.

I was fortunate to have parents with a strong religious background who instilled in me the values of faith and devotion. Growing up, every week without fail, my parents would lug all five kids to the mosque—sometimes on their backs—from the West to the East side of Singapore on a 1.5-hour train ride, all for the sole purpose of seeking knowledge. They spoon-fed us with access to teachers with Sanad and helped us forge a strong bond with our faith.

As I grew older, however, the pressures and distractions of life led me to stray from this path. It was like I had fallen into the rabbit hole of life’s distractions—like scrolling through the never-ending YouTube shorts that lead you to cat videos when you started with a cooking tutorial. What used to be a weekly ritual slowly transformed into monthly visits to the mosque, and occasionally, I would attend only when it was convenient or when my parents nagged on long enough.

Only recently did I find myself standing at the intersection of my past and present. I looked back at the teachings I had received in my childhood and youth and realised how much I knew but, shamefully, how little I had been practising. I had inadvertently taken for granted the immense privilege of my upbringing, failing to recognize it as a divine blessing from Allah ﷻ.

Then, I fully comprehended the profound wisdom of “grant them as You have granted me, if not even more.”

IT TAUGHT ME THAT TRUE FAITH IS NOT JUST ABOUT PERSONAL DEVOTION BUT ABOUT EMBRACING EMPATHY AND GRATITUDE—FOR EVERYTHING IS FROM HIM.

I am privileged to have parents who prayed for me to have eased to be steadfast in my faith when I was (and still am) struggling. Beyond simply raising our hands and saying a prayer, it can also be through sharing knowledge and encouraging others to do good deeds. It is the understanding that it is not just our duty to be grateful for our faith but also to extend empathy, prayers and help to those who might be struggling without having any judgement.

If we were to always give back to others after receiving any sort of blessing, there would be an endless ripple effect filled with gratitude and thanks. Giving back is a way of showing gratitude to Allah ﷻ for all He has given; in other words, pray for someone else to receive the same and more, extend a helping hand to those in need or share knowledge – we would all collectively help each other ease our journeys to get closer to Him. Doing so strengthens our connection to Allah ﷻ and fulfils our duty as compassionate believers. May Allah ﷻ guide us all on this beautiful journey of practising faith with empathy and gratitude.