I am guilty – I finally admit it.

Truth is, I am guilty. It’s embarrassing. But it’s the truth.   Truth is, for long I have always felt safe in my own country. I’ve always felt secure and at peace knowing that if anything were to go wrong in my country, I would be okay.   And the sad part is, although I would often say that I’d feel safe because of my faith in Allah ﷻ, deep down, the main reason I felt safe was due to the fact that I live in a first-world country. A country that has been ranked as one of the most livable places in the world. A country whereby if I’d ever get sick, I’d have access to hospitals and free health care. If I was to ever get hungry, I’d have access to supermarkets, restaurants and an endless supply of food. If I was ever to lose my job, I’d have access to social security and welfare.    And it’s only on days like today that I realise how wrong I have been and how guilty I am. When supermarket shelves are empty, hospitals are at severe risk of overflowing well beyond their capacity, hundreds of thousands are losing their jobs, thousands are flocking outside welfare centres, entire cities are under lock down and our national economy is plummeting – do I realise how guilty I have been and how false this sense of security in my head really was. And the crazy part is, this is only the beginning.   You know in the past, I would look at what’s taking place in countries like Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq and think to myself, that would never happen to me, and I pray it never does and I ask Allah to alleviate their situation, but I’ve always felt safe knowing that I live in a part of the world that is safe, secure and stable.   You know I remember once seeing an image of an endless crowd of Syrian refugees lining up for bread and as sad as that scene was, deep down I had a sense of security knowing that would never happen here. Yet today, we are getting a tiny glimpse of that scene across the country. And I can’t help but feel guilty and embarrassed for thinking I was immune from something like that ever happening.   You know Allah ﷻ would repeatedly state in the Quran “أأمنتم, أَفَأَمِنتُمْ ,أم أَمِنتُمْ” (Do you feel safe, do you feel secure from Allah, from hardships, from calamities, and the truth is for long, I have felt somewhat secure. Once again not because of Allah’s protection, but because of the illusion in my head, that bad things don’t happen in this part of the world. And today all this is being exposed.   The truth is we’re all vulnerable, regardless of where we live, our income, our health status or where we stand in the world and if our safety is placed in anything other than Allah, we are only fooling ourselves.    And as bitter as it is to admit this, at least we can rest assured knowing that our trust is where it should be. I’m honestly grateful that it has actually allowed me to correct my understanding of who truly is in control – who truly is in power right now. It’s allowed us to reinvigorate our relationship with Allah and it’s forced us to place our trust in Him and who better is there to place our trust in.   Who better to place our trust in, than the One who has the treasures of the Heavens and the Earth, who better to place our trust in than the One who controls the entire Universe.   I guess it’s time for us to wake up and realise the true power of Allah. It’s time we return to Him and realise that only He can undo this and save us from what’s to come. And above all it’s really time to humble ourselves. Despite our technological advancements, our mega-cities, our state of the art infrastructure, without Allah, the truth is we are powerless. And I don’t think this fact has ever been as manifest and obvious as it is today.   If we truly want safety and security let us return to Allah. Let us place our trust in Him and acknowledge that He truly is in control. After years of delusion and heedlessness, let us use this opportunity to thank Allah and show Him gratitude.  

لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ 

  Knowing that if you give thanks to Allah, He will surely increase you in favor.   I admit it, I’ve been guilty, but I really pray this experience brings out the best in all of us. May Allah make us of those who truly place their trust in Him and make us of those whom He loves.