the power of prayer and hope.

who would have thought. 2018 started with such a turn around.

at some point, the workplace was full of tension and unhappiness. unfairness and disagreement. people trying to face the day with as much dread as it is with the need to complete whatever tasks screaming for their attention.

we talked of the difficulties and hardship. we talked of putting up hopes that everything will get better. we talked of how it can get better.

i still remember telling a few colleagues, last year, “please be patient, things will get better, i have a feeling 2018 will bring much hope and those who feel they are being treated unfairly, the truth will rise up. Allah will help those who were mistreated.” At that point of time, i was thinking of a colleague’s effort to bring everyone together for an usrah where he will share insights and reminders from the spiritual point of view. i was looking forward to it because i really think that would open up people’s hard hearts.

and then things start to move with His help. one by one. i trust Allah has better plans for us. for every one of us. we forgot that He knows everything, the past present and future. we forgot that we are here because of Him. there is nothing that we do now, without Him knowing without Him moving them. perhaps we have been shown, witnessed His greatest help for us. i could imagine a grey cloud was lifted off, and everyone’s eyes could finally see what was hidden behind those rays.

i could see all the people from the past being mistreated and feeling, you have been wronged and you have been reprieved. without anyone saying any word out loud, Allah allowed a person to leave, in silence, as compared to all the hard and harsh situation created in the past. i say, Allah, that is much forgiveness You are showing.

allow us to forgive and be forgiven too.

but i especially feel disappointed. for the longest time, i wanted to believe there is only goodness. there is only goodness and perhaps that pained and tainted heart could be changed. for the longest time, i only wanted to see the positive half of a person. God gave me that. He let me see only the goodness and completely blinded of the misdeeds that had been happening for so long. and then i wanted to know and hear it. hear it out loud. say it out. because my brain could not make sense of it all. let it be heard and gather for itself what is true.

and then we listened. we could finally move on. we could fully separate the goodness of a person from the misdeeds. because nobody is perfect. i’m not. and we could slowly but surely be lifted up. lifted up from drowning in despair and sadness, to finally see light and honestly feel happiness.

may this bring positive change and captivates only joy and sincerity.