Power – Strokes of My Pen

Deen (Religion)

HE IS AL-QADEER, AL-MUJEEB

By Lubnah Abdulhalim February 18, 2026

We often hear stories about Allah’s divine power.

How He saved Nabii Yunus from the belly of the whale, parted the sea for Nabii Musa, made the fire cool for Nabii Ibrahim, and cured Nabii Ayub after decades of illness (aleyhim assalam). Everywhere we turn, we are reminded that Allah can do the impossible.

And yet, a quiet thought sometimes slips in. They were His prophets. Who am I, a simple, flawed human, heavy with sins, small among billions of His creation? Why would Allah turn up for me?

This is the beauty of our Lord, though. He is not only the Lord of prophets. He is the Lord of the pious and the sinner, of the one who falls and the one who returns, of the rich and the poor, of the known and the unseen. And when He decides to do the impossible for you, He simply will. And when it happens, it catches you completely off guard. It leaves you in awe.

This is exactly what happened to me some months back. It was a quiet afternoon, and a friend and I were reminiscing about our younger years, about a conversation we had more than a decade ago. Curious as always, I logged into Facebook to search for that old exchange. I did not find the conversation, but I found something else. A message sent four months earlier by a stranger living in Germany.

I began reading it. It was long, warm, and thoughtful. She had come across one of my articles and said it deeply touched her. She reflected on the topic and shared how she had written about something similar. It felt like one writer speaking to another across continents. I was honoured. Truly honoured. No mutual friends, no shared circles, just words travelling across the world and landing in her heart.

Towards the end of her message, she said she wished to send me a small gift, a token of appreciation and support for my work. We exchanged contacts, and soon after, she noticed my books and expressed interest. We exchanged our books, simply as writers do, with no expectations attached. She stayed up through the night reading mine and sent the most beautiful review. Then she brought up the gift again and asked for my PayPal account. But PayPal had some technical issues.

And then, unexpectedly, only two days after the initial PayPal attempt, she told me that her colleague would be travelling to Mombasa, Kenya, in just two days’ time. At that point, she did not even know I lived in Mombasa, only that I was in Kenya. Subhanallah. She then asked where the colleague could deliver the amanah. I gave her the location of my workplace. Shortly after, she sent me a screenshot from Google Maps showing her colleague’s route. When I first glanced at it, I was confused. The route shown was from my home area to my workplace. How does she know where I live? And then it dawned on me. Her colleague would be staying in the very same locality as my hometown. Goosebumps. Wallahi, goosebumps. Subhanallah! She was in tears, and I was in tears. Mind-blowing, how Allah arranges matters, how rizq travels, how nothing is random.

The week her colleague arrived in Mombasa, I met him. He handed me what I can only describe as a gift from Allah: crisp euro notes, an amount I had never held in my life. I was not just speechless. I was undone. Ya Allah, You did this for me? The flawed me? The sinful me? The broken me?

But this story did not begin here. It began more than a week earlier, while I was still at Umrah.

Remember the Umrah trip, and how I had prepared so extensively for it before everything fell apart? My finances had been aligned, and I was ready for the journey, until I wasn’t. By the time the trip finally happened, I found myself struggling. No one had warned me about the shock of international currencies, and suddenly, what I thought was sufficient wasn’t enough. Every exchange rate felt like a quiet blow. I struggled. I went into debt just to make ends meet. And beneath it all, I carried a quiet shame. I should have prepared better. I should have known better.

But in that sacred land, stripped of pride and plans, I did what I knew best. I made du’a. Sincere, bare, unfiltered, and I ended it with these words:

اللهم أرني عجائب قدرتك في دعائي Oh Allah, show me the wonders of Your power in my supplication.

It was not a dramatic du’a. It was not eloquent. It was simply desperate. And indeed, He did.

One week after my return, the message from the stranger in Germany appeared. When I later told her how Allah had used her as the means through which that du’a was answered, we both cried. Even then, I knew this was not about who I am, but about who He is, As-Sami’ The All-Hearing, Al-Qadeer The All-Powerful, Al-Mujeeb The Ever-Responsive, Al-Kareem The Most Generous. He heard the whisper I made in a moment of vulnerability, and He responded in a way I could never have arranged.

Reflecting on this incident still brings tears to my eyes because the lessons within it are profound.

First, the timing. The lady had sent the message four months before I ever saw it. Four whole months. I rarely open my Facebook account, let alone the inbox. Yet subhanallah, Allah guided me there, and I saw that message after all that time. Again, what are the odds? That a colleague would casually mention he was travelling to Mombasa, of all times, just then, rather than any other?

I cannot help but think about the concept of rizq. That provision was already written for me. It existed. It was on its way. But Allah chose to release it at the exact moment I was struggling, when debt felt heavy, when shame lingered quietly in my chest. It makes me reflect on how often we grieve over what we think are unanswered du’as. Perhaps they are not unanswered. Perhaps they are already written. It is only a matter of time.

This humbled me in ways I cannot fully articulate. As much as I have always known that Allah can do the impossible, I never truly thought He would do it for me. For someone still striving, still flawed, still struggling to be a better Muslimah. Yet He showed up for me in the most unexpected way. Not because of who I am, but because of who He is. And here is the part that still leaves me in awe: this same rizq could have come through a freelance gig, a work bonus, a regular reader, someone within my circles, or even someone from my country. Any reasonable channel. But instead, He used someone who had read one blog post, just one. A stranger across continents. Almost as if to say: so you know this is from Me, so you know this is My power.

Something else dawned on me in that moment. That rizq was already written for me, but maybe the only thing left to unlock it was for me to raise my hands and ask. Not with polished words. Not with entitlement. But with sincerity and vulnerability. اللهم أرني عجائب قدرتك في دعائي. And He did.

And just like that, Allah lifted me from the debt that had weighed so heavily on my heart. Even now, it brings tears to my eyes. That Allah heard me, responded to me, the me who is still striving, still imperfect, still far from the ideal Muslimah I hope to become. And yet, He responded in the most beautiful, deliberate way. I do not share this story from a place of pride, nor to suggest I am deserving in any special way. I share it with humility. Because if Allah can show me the wonders of His power, then who are we to limit what He can do for us?

This Ramadhan, open your heart fully before Him.

Ask boldly, ask vulnerably, ask for what feels impossible. Do not shrink your du’as to match your fears. Do not measure Allah’s power against human logic. He is Al-Qadeer, The All-Powerful. He is Al-Mujeeb, the One who responds. And if the response does not come in the way or time you expect, remember He is already arranging matters, already moving pieces, already writing a story you cannot yet see. Perhaps tonight, revise your du’a list. Revamp it. If you don’t have a list yet, it’s never too late. Start as you are, wherever you are.

Let your duas reflect who Allah is, not the limits of what you think is possible.

May Allah reward this wonderful soul who became a reason through which Allah answered my du’a in the most beautiful way. May Allah reward her with abundance in this life and the next, and may it be a means through which she is elevated in status. May she also earn rewards for anyone else who might be inspired by this story.

But this story is not just about her. It is also about the many other ways in which Allah has shown up for me through countless people along my journey. To friends, readers, family, mentors, and anyone who has gone out of their way to support me. Your encouragement, generosity, prayers, and contributions have meant more than words can express. I am deeply grateful for each and every one of you. May Allah bless you all, multiply your rewards, and grant you goodness in this life and the next. Ameen.

Last Ramadhan, we had an exclusive Ramadhan newsletter, available for a small charge. It was a humble effort, and I poured my heart into it, but I realized that it wasn’t reaching as many people as I had hoped.

This year, I want to do things differently. The special Ramadhan content will be open to everyone. If you feel moved to give, you may contribute whatever works best for you (The poster for contribution is attached below). And if you cannot, that is completely okay. Your duas are far more important than anything else. Please remember me and my family in your prayers this Ramadan.

A couple of quick reminders: I do collect zakat and share it with deserving parties (I have a looong list). If you would like to give your zakat, please feel free to reach out to me at 0704731560. If you send anything, kindly text me to clarify that it is Zakat. Your contribution could be the reason someone feels relief, hope, or receives sustenance this Ramadhan.

And for those who love gentle, reflective reading, my books are available and recommended for Ramadhan. The Striving Soul (1250/=) and Reflection and Resurgence (1500/=) are written to be companions for quiet reflection and healing.

Ramadhan Mubarak, my beloved readers! May this month bring peace, reflection, and countless blessings to your hearts. May it soften the hardest places within us and make our hearts feel lighter and nearer to Allah. Ameen.

Creative Non-Fiction

STATUS WITHOUT POWER IS BLIND AND POWER WITHOUT STATUS IS LAME

By Rashid Shariff August 15, 2017

Photo Courtesy: Pinterest.com

Throughout history, empires were erected, revolutions were staged and science flowered. Yet, the colossal mould of these events, in our minds, could have easily dissolved the sheer fact that they were orchestrated by specific people. It is easy to forget the Tunisian whose self immolation coupled with zealous activism by influential citizens, spawned what would later be the Arab spring. By the same token significant incidents that ever happened gathered momentum through relationships built by leaders . Relationships lubricated fulfillment of their interests. And on a closer look influence was at their nexus. It is a constant that stretches its tentacles into various relationships existing in organizations from corporations to social movements. What strategies can one use to gain influence, better still how can one wield it effectively?

Studying Law was a rather insipid experience for the young Hungarian, Ignaz Semmelweis. His distaste for the subject culminated into a switch to medicine, a field that indulged his passion eventually leading him to a job at the obstetrics department in the University of Vienna in 1846. Working as an assistant at that department meant tackling the challenge of childbed fever which was prevalent in maternity wards in Europe at that time. Dissecting corpses of patients that died from the disease, doctors would find puss and large amount of putrid flesh. Some Medical practitioners believed childbed fever was caused by “polluted air” known as miasma while others thought it was a result of pus, which they mistook for milk. Breast milk was then thought to be a product of menstrual blood under the belief that there was an anatomical relationship between the upper uterus and the breast. It would not be long before Semmelweis discovered that mortality rates were higher in the clinic attended by medical interns compared to the second one attended by midwives within the department. What was even more startling was that women who gave birth in the streets never caught the disease. He suspected that interns spread the disease during childbirth after handling corpses. His suspicions were confirmed when his colleague died of the illness after accidentally pricking himself with a scalpel while conducting a postmortem on a woman who had childbed fever.

Without haste, Semmelweis commanded those in his ward to wash their hands with chlorinated water before attending to mothers giving birth, a practice that significantly reduced mortality rates. It was now clear that there was only one cause of the disease which he termed as “cadaveric contamination”. As soon as he revealed this theory to his senior, Johann Klein , it was refuted. The idea was radical and went against the medical zeitgeist at the time. Rather than carrying out experiments and publishing his findings, Semmelweis became entrenched in political battles with Klein. His battles with Klein almost resembled those of Thomas stockmann and Peter Stockmann in Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the people; where Thomas was the politically inept scientific genius battling Peter, a shrewd politician with clout and a knack for manipulation. Simmilweiz’s close friends urged him to write papers on the discovery, he would hear none. In fact he had an such an aversive attitude towards writing that would later cripple his career. Consequently Semmelweis lost his job , the medical community in Vienna turned against him. He subsequently left Vienna for Budapest where he got a job at the University of Pest. There too his seniors disbelieved his theory. As a last resort, the vexing swamp of skepticism compelled him to write the only report on his findings, Die Ätiologie, der Begriff und die Prophylaxis des Kindbettfieber (The Etiology, Concept, and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever). Unfortunately it did not fully explain the logic behind his theory and attracted even more vehemence. Semmelweis’s behaviour grew aberrant and his wife thought he was insane, he would eventually die miserably from blood poisoning after incurring a gangrenous wound in 13th August 1865 at the age 47. It was several years later that Louis pasteur promulgated what we know today as the germ theory. A discovery that could largely be credited to Ignaz Semmelweis.

Many a times we find ourselves in circumstances that command voicing suggestions or instituting executive decisions that may not settle well with our colleagues. Just like Semmelweis most of us choose the quick path of shoving instructions at subordinates if we happen to be in a position of power, or rebelling with a panache that borders tyranny if we are not. Yet others will altogether swallow back their reservations to avoid conflicts at all costs. Solving this classical problem commands that we understand the primary ways through which we generally gain influence. The first path to influence is power which often involves control of resources while the second path is status which derives from positive social judgements of others. Ignaz Semmelweis could only implement his findings in the ward that he had control over. His position at the ward gave him power. On the other hand convincing those beyond his reach of power would require that he earned status.Social psychologist Edwin Hollander formulated a an insightful process through which we earn status. He promulgated the concept of idiosyncrasy credits, the freedom to differ from a group’s expectations. Idiosyncrasy credits are earned whenever a person contributes towards a group’s goals. Subsequently, one earns enough idiosyncrasy credits to the point that deviating from the crowd expectations does not trigger any negative reactions. Had Semmelweis properly conducted experiments and formally published his findings, he would have earned credits that would have seen him earn status amongst his peers making them more receptive to his findings.

Likewise, it is always prudent to place yourself in positions that allow you to exercise your strengths. This way, you will be able to make contributions and consequently earn status among your peers. Semmelweis’s profession required him to carry out experiments and consequently publish research papers on his findings. Sadly, writing wasn’t his strength as he abhorred it to the core of his being. As a result he could not bring himself to influence his superiors and peers alike because the germ theory was too novel in that era. It smashed the expectations of those in the medical field which vastly rested on misinformed theories. He never earned enough idiosyncrasy credits to deviate from his colleagues’ expectations.

As a manager, you will be tempted to use your powers on a frequent basis but this approach quickly breeds resentment and may hurt productivity in the long run. Instead you must coalesce the exercise of power with status building. In fact studies conducted by organizational behavior researcher Adam galinsky and colleagues have shown that individuals occupying high power roles with relatively low status end up having more conflicts with their colleagues in lower ranks. This in effect results into a vicious cycle where those with power frustrate those under them because of their resentment and vice versa escalating conflicts further. Thus you might want to earn the highest qualifications in your field or even occasionally take part in basic technical work as your juniors to demonstrate your capabilities as some executives do which yields massive respect in the long term. With hope that Einstein will not have been offended, we can safely conclude status without power is blind and power without status is lame.

Deen (Religion)

POWER OF PROSTRATION

By Lubnah Abdulhalim April 9, 2016

By: Lali Suleiman Lali

Photo Courtesy: http://www.ramazannezaman.com/

Sujood – Prostration Have you ever wondered when to talk out yourself to your Lord, The Creator of The Universe?
Well, we’re about to discuss that, but before we do, you should know what makes you want to talk to Allah. Allah says in the Holy Quran; “I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me. I seek no livelihood from them, nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Indeed Allah! He is that giveth livelihood, the Lord of Unbreakable Might.” (Surat Dhaariyat,Verse 56 – 58).

Allah created us on a purpose that we worship Him and supplicate to Him only so that He provides the necessities of the life.He has granted us. Allah (SW) also highlights that demanding us to worship Him doesn’t at any level make Him inferior or needy of any favors from His creation, in fact, He possesses undefeatable powers over everything we’ve ever and never known. We find here that we are in need of Allah’s mercy and provision of livelihood and so we ought to find a perfect way to beg for His acceptance. Prostration (Sujood) is the only perfect position to talk to Allah on several points from which we’ll outline a few herewith.

First and foremost, it’s the closest place you can ever be to Allah, wherever you are. This has been approved by a prophetic hadith; Narrated by Abu Hurayra (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) said, “The closest a slave can get to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so increase supplications”.

Secondly, considering that we all need to supplicate (beg) to Allah, Sujood is the lowest, weakest and most submissive level a slave could drop for His Master. This affirms we’ve surrendered to Allah’s power and it purifies our intentions on what we beg from Him. Allah describes the reaction of several Prophets and Messengers he earlier mentioned in Surat Maryam; “…….When the revelations of the Beneficent were recited unto them, they fell down, adoring and weeping.” (Surat Maryam, End of Verse 58).

Sujood, being the closest and most submissive point, it therefore strengthens the relationship between us and Allah hence Allah is more likely to grant guidance, forgiveness, mercy and finally Jannah (May Allah make us among people of Jannah). A hadith narrated by Thawbaan (A freed slave of the Messenger of Allah) “You frequently need to prostrate to Allah, for you’ll not make one prostration to Allah but He raises you by degrees and erases sins from you” So brothers and sisters, what makes us hasten our Sujood? We seem to prioritize our worldly affairs over our relationship with Allah. The businesses that you run after in this world are doomed if Allah doesn’t bless them for you and all that comes from the Sujood itself. For every Rakaa you make in your prayers, you have two opportunities to talk to your Lord and ask whatever it is you wish you had (Subhaanallah) yet we hasten to make the conversation between us and Allah as short as possible. There is this common act most of us are used to; we arrive at the Masjid and find the Imam on prostration and we’re like, “Oh! That Rakaa’s gone; I’ll wait for the Imam to rise again” How about the Sujood? If you prostrate with the Imam in that Rakaa that you’ve missed, you get rewarded for the Sujood you’ll make and you still get a bonus chance to make supplications to Allah. (This doesn’t certify missing rakaas so you go for bonus Sujood). Why would you miss Takbeerat-ul-Ihram after all? What I’m trying to elucidate is “Never miss a chance to get close to Allah”

Sujood mainly comprises praising and glorifying Allah. Several body parts are involved in it including forehead, nose, both hands, knees and all toes embracing the ground. In Sujood, allow yourself to be mostly present and cognizant about what you are actually doing and what it is that you should be saying. Realize that you are at your lowest state in front of your Lord, The Most High when saying; ﺳﺒﺤﺎﻥ ﺭﺑﻲ ﺍﻷﻋﻠﻰ (preferably three 3 times or more, one time is obligatory). It has been approved by scholars that it’s best to add; ﺳﺒﺤﺎﻧﻚ ﺍﻟﻠﻬﻢ ﺭﺑﻨﺎ ﻭﺑﺤﻤﺪﻙ ، ﺍﻟﻠﻬﻢ ﺍﻏﻔﺮ ﻟﻲ (Subhaanak Allahumma Wa Bihamdik, Allahumma Ghfir Liy) “Glory and Praise be to You Oh Allah, our Lord, Oh Allah forgive me. Then make as many supplications (Dua) as possible knowing that Allah listens to each one of them.

Before I end this, please don’t forget your parents in your supplications. A hadith by Abu Hurayra (RA) that the Messenger of Allah said; “A person is raised by degrees in Jannah and he asks, ‘What is this for?’ and he will be told, ‘This is from forgiveness asked for you by your child’ Authenticated by Al Albani. So whenever in Sujood, Ask Allah to forgive our parents by making this supplication; ﺍﻟﻠَّﻬُﻢَّ ﺍﻏْﻔِﺮْﻟِﻲ ﻭَﻟِﻮَﺍﻟِﺪَﻱَّ ، ﺭَﺏِّ ﺍﺭْﺣَﻤْﻬُﻤَﺎ ﻛَﻤَﺎ ﺭَﺑَّﻴَﺎﻧِﻲ ﺻَﻐِﻴﺮًﺍ (Allahumma Ghfir Liy Wa Liwaalidayya, Rabbi Irhamhuma Kamaa Rabbayaani Sagheera) -Oh Allah grant me forgiveness and to my parents, my Lord have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.) “Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of Majesty, from that which they (evilly) attribute (unto Him), and peace be unto those sent (Messengers), and praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!” (Surat Saaffaat, Verses 180 – 182)