By Bani Iyad

Looking back, I used to see myself taking ownership of my achievements and faults; however, I was innocent back then, and I forgive myself for having so much pride in thinking and doing things the way I did. 

Ustaz Sameer’s Tuesday class often reminded me that we are given so many things despite the little things we do in return. We are given good health and wealth, yet we do so little to appreciate what has been given to us. Through his class, Ustaz Sameer reminded us to utilise our time well, remembering Allah ﷻ, our Creator, the Provider.

Ustaz once engaged the class with a simple activity, pointing out an item and asking the class what that item was.

“What’s this?”

“Table.”

“Book.”

“Marker.”

“Yeah, it’s those things, but they’re also Allah’s creations. This (table) is a creation of God, this (book) is a creation of God, this (marker) is a creation of God.”

Ever since then, I tried to note everything as Allah’s ﷻ things, not man’s innovations, although they 

could be, they’re not really. It’s all Allah’s ﷻ idea, to begin with.

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

“I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me.”

Quran 51:56

ALLAH ﷻ GIVES US SO MUCH, BUT WE RETURN SO LITTLE IN REMEMBRANCE OF HIM. TO TRULY APPRECIATE WHAT HE GIVES, I WOULD GIVE BACK WITH WORSHIP.

Prayers, dhikr, attending Islamic classes and events, and doing sunnah acts. I would start small by committing to a simple Sunnah act, like using a tasbih when doing dhikr and repentance. Start small, then go big.

I don’t own everything, but I do owe. 

I don’t own this body I’m living in, I don’t own the money I spend, I don’t own the brain; this is all Allah’s ﷻ creation. Alhamdulillah, I’m grateful Allah ﷻ isn’t like a loan shark, making my life more miserable. Allah ﷻ keeps on giving and giving, but what can I give back to Him? I just have to call out His name, remember Him, and know in my prayers that I’m praying to Allah ﷻ, no one else. 

I don’t own everything; I owe.

Do You Believe in One God
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